Episode Summary

In this episode of Million Dollar Flip Flops, Rodric sits down with Mike Wood — construction executive, husband, father, and founder of Learn to Love Being You, a program designed to help people free themselves from anxiety and depression.

Mike shares his deeply personal story of growing up with negative core beliefs, struggling silently for decades, and eventually realizing that success on the outside did nothing to fix the pain on the inside. Even after building a life that looked “successful” by every external measure — money, family, house, healthy kids — he found himself more miserable than ever.

That breaking point became the turning point.

What followed was a journey inward: healing old beliefs, reprogramming the subconscious mind, and discovering that the very things he thought were broken in him were actually patterns he could understand and change.

Rodric and Mike also talk about leadership, construction, emotional healing, mental health in men, and how the work we do on ourselves always shows up in our businesses, teams, and families.

This is a conversation about anxiety and depression, yes — but more than that, it’s about ownership, healing, and learning how to become the kind of leader who changes everything around him.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

Mike’s story of struggling with anxiety and depression for most of his life
How negative childhood beliefs shaped his adult success and suffering
Why achieving “everything” on paper still left him miserable
The subconscious pattern Mike uncovered that changed everything
How reframing old emotional moments can lead to real healing
Why men often suffer in silence
How inner healing changed Mike’s leadership in business
The story of a million-dollar flood and the leadership lesson it created
Why you are not broken — you just may not understand your operating system

Highlights & Timestamps

[00:00] Success without peace is still misery

Mike opens with the powerful truth that even after achieving everything he thought would make him happy, he was still deeply unhappy.

[01:00] Meet Mike Wood

Mike introduces himself as a construction executive and someone whose real mission is helping people rid themselves of anxiety and depression.

[01:00] Construction, books, and parallel paths

Rodric and Mike connect over construction, coaching, and the overlap in their personal journeys.

[02:00] What led Mike down this path

Mike shares how years of anxiety, depression, and negative self-belief became the foundation for the work he now does.

[02:00] The childhood story that shaped everything

Mike explains how struggling to spell his own name in kindergarten created a subconscious belief that he wasn’t smart enough.

[04:00] How subconscious beliefs get programmed

Mike breaks down how emotional moments paired with clear intention can wire limiting beliefs into the subconscious mind.

[05:00] The healing process that changed his life

Mike explains how going back to those early moments, reframing them, and releasing them changed his life forever.

[06:00] Why the subconscious holds onto pain

Mike shares how the subconscious mind tries to protect us, even when the very thing it’s doing is hurting us.

[07:00] Why men suffer in silence

Rodric and Mike talk about how men are often taught not to share emotions, even when they are deeply struggling.

[08:00] When did Mike start figuring it out?

Mike shares when he turned inward and began experimenting with books, meditation, healing work, and deeper self-awareness.

[09:00] How healing changed Mike’s business life

Mike explains how personal growth transformed the way he led inside the construction company.

[10:00] The million-dollar flood leadership story

Mike tells the story of a disastrous flood and how taking full ownership changed the entire energy of the room and the company.

[12:00] Why the business always reflects the leader

Rodric and Mike talk about how emotional patterns, leadership issues, and business problems are always connected.

[14:00] Mike’s question for the next guest

Mike asks the next guest whether they’ve been able to turn inward in relation to life and business.

[15:00] The question Mike was asked

Mike answers a powerful question about what measure would have predicted failure early in his life.

[16:00] Mike’s message to anyone listening

Mike closes with a powerful reminder: you are not broken — you just may not yet understand how your mind is trying to protect you.

Notable Quotes

“I literally achieved everything… and I was more miserable than I was when I was 18 and miserable.” – Mike Wood

“I stopped looking to the outside world for excuses and reasons to get better, and I turned my focus inward.” – Mike Wood

“Your subconscious mind is really just trying to protect you.” – Mike Wood

“When you learn to do it yourself, it spreads to your company.” – Mike Wood

“It makes you a real leader.” – Mike Wood

“Men are suffering in silence.” – Mike Wood

“You’re not broken. You just don’t understand your operating system.” – Mike Wood

Connect with Mike

🌐 Website

🌍 https://learntolovebeingyou.com

📸 Instagram

🔗https://www.instagram.com/learntolovebeingyou1/

📘 Facebook

🔗 https://www.facebook.com/learntolovebeingyou

🎵 TikTok

🔗 https://www.tiktok.com/@learntolovebeingyou

Connect with Rodric

🎙 Million Dollar Flip Flops Podcast

📖 Books: Million Dollar Flip Flops / The Magnet, Method & Machine

🌍 Foundation: Send a Student Leader Abroad (SASLA)

If this episode made you think differently about anxiety, leadership, healing, or what it really means to look inward, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

Resources:

Million Dollar Flip Flops

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As a thank you for your support, we’re offering exclusive bonuses available only for our podcast listeners. These bonuses are packed with extra tools and resources to help you implement the principles from the book faster and more effectively.

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain invaluable insights, impact a young leader’s life, and be a part of something bigger.

Click the link, order your copy, and claim your listener-only bonuses today!

Together, let’s change lives—one trip at a time.

www.MillionDollarFlipFlops.com/book

**P.S.** Every book you buy gets us one step closer to sending 1,000,000 kids on life-changing adventures. Let’s make it happen!

189| Mike Wood on Anxiety, Depression, Leadership, and Learning to Love Being You