Michael Brodsky: Beyond Success — The Heart Behind the Many Titles
Updated: Sep 18
Michael Brodsky on Family, Purpose & a Life of Incremental Improvements
By Andrea Benitez | Beyond The Story With Andrea
A résumé can tell us where someone studied, the positions they have held, the books they have written, and the accomplishments they have collected along the way.
But it cannot always tell us who they are.
Michael “Mike” Brodsky has built a life across seemingly different worlds, finance, journalism, acting, writing, public speaking, philanthropy, and community service. Yet when you listen closely, there is a common thread running through all of them people.
I had the privilege of working alongside Mike during the filming of Rekindled for Christmas, where I witnessed his genuine enthusiasm for storytelling firsthand. But what stayed with me was not simply his professional experience. It was his curiosity, his willingness to connect with others, and his belief that what we learn becomes more meaningful when we use it to help someone else.
Mike’s philosophy is refreshingly simple: we don’t necessarily transform our lives through one enormous moment. Sometimes, we change them one decision, one act of kindness, and one small step at a time.
For Beyond the Story With Andrea, I wanted to move beyond Mike’s accomplishments and meet the husband, father, mentor, storyteller, and human being behind them.
This is Michael Brodsky, beyond the résumé.
Andrea: Beyond your résumé and accomplishments, who is Michael Brodsky? If all of your titles disappeared tomorrow, how would you hope people would describe the man behind them?
Mike: I would hope people see me as someone who is always interested in self-improvement, while also sharing what I’ve learned with others. I hope they would describe me as a mentor and a connector.
Andrea: Your career has taken you through finance, journalism, acting, writing, public speaking, and philanthropy. Looking back, what has been the common thread guiding your journey?
Mike: The common thread has been a desire to help others. If I can help someone by providing life lessons or advice, entertaining or educating them, or simply getting them to think about new possibilities, then I’ve succeeded in some small way.
Andrea: Your parents influenced very different parts of the man you became. What lessons from them still live within you today?
Mike: My father taught me to be a good businessman, while my mom definitely influenced my creative side. They both encouraged me to always do better and to focus on what is important.
Andrea: Family clearly holds an important place in your life. What have marriage and fatherhood taught you about success?
Mike: My wife has been incredibly supportive of everything I’ve done, and I owe so much of my success to her assistance over the years. I especially appreciate that she indulges my interests in acting and sports journalism.
With my children, I’ve always encouraged them to pursue their passions, explore their interests, and continue learning. Our daughter is about to graduate from nursing school, while our son is considering the next step in his insurance career and possibly graduate school.
Watching them grow and reach their milestones has been one of the greatest joys of my life.
Andrea: You spend your professional life helping people prepare financially for the future. Has that changed your understanding of what it truly means to be wealthy?
Mike: Absolutely. Many people equate wealth with money, but over the years I’ve seen that people can have a great deal of money and still not be truly happy. Others may have financial wealth but not the health to enjoy it.
True wealth includes so much more—happiness, health, and strong relationships with friends and family.
Andrea: Your book, Incremental Improvements: Change Your Life One Small Step at a Time, encourages people not to become overwhelmed by the destination. Where did that philosophy come from?
Mike: The book grew out of conversations with people who were asking me for advice about different areas of their lives that had nothing to do with money.
I realized that when you’re trying to make a change, it’s often better to think small rather than become overwhelmed by the ultimate goal. As the saying goes, “the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
That philosophy has helped me many times by allowing me to break big problems and challenges into smaller, manageable actions.
Andrea: One of the most powerful stories you shared with me came from your time as Chairman of the Board for The Mustard Seed of Central Florida. How did seeing families in need change your perspective?
Mike: I would see individuals and families coming in for help, and it was emotional to witness how something seemingly simple could have such a profound impact.
Providing mattresses meant a family had somewhere comfortable to sleep. A kitchen table gave them a place to share a meal. A couch gave them somewhere to sit together and watch television.
Those things may seem small until you don’t have them.
We were trying to provide the little things that help make a house a home.
Andrea: Sometimes what feels like a setback becomes the doorway to another life. Was there a moment like that for you?
Mike: I had been working as a producer for a cable television network when financial struggles led to most of the employees being laid off. I was forced to rethink the future of my career.
I had opportunities to remain in broadcast television, including an offer to return to the same position, but ultimately, I decided to pivot into financial services and become a financial advisor.
That decision turned out to be a huge blessing. I’ve now been in that role for 29 years and have had the opportunity to help many people along the way.
Andrea: If you could sit across from your younger self today, knowing everything life has taught you, what would you tell him?
Mike: Enjoy the journey.
Don’t worry about the little things, and don’t become overwhelmed by what’s ahead. Stay focused on the big picture and keep moving forward, one small step at a time.
Success does not happen overnight.
Andrea: After years in journalism, you’ve listened to countless people’s stories. What has listening taught you about humanity?
Mike: I’ve learned that people tend to face many of the same problems and challenges. What is fascinating is hearing each person’s experience—how they handled adversity and responded to different situations.
Everyone has experiences that can inspire someone else on their own journey.
I’ve learned a great deal from the stories I’ve heard over the years, and I enjoy sharing them.
So, when I was given the opportunity to share my own story with your readers,
Andrea, of course, I was eager to do so!
BEYOND THE STORY
When the cameras are off, the interviews are finished, and the applause fades, Mike’s definition of a successful life becomes remarkably simple.
“I consider myself blessed that I am happy, with the love of my family, a roof over my head, and a life that I find fulfilling and rewarding.”
Perhaps that is the lesson hidden beneath all the titles.
A meaningful life isn’t necessarily built in giant leaps.
It is built in the golf outing you choose to miss because your child needs you. In the mattress that gives another family somewhere to sleep. In the career setback that quietly redirects your future. In the lesson you share with someone who needs it. In choosing family over another obligation. In continuing to learn when you could easily decide you already know enough.
One small choice.
One small kindness.
One small step.
Repeated over a lifetime.
OUR SIGNATURE QUESTION
At Beyond the Story With Andrea, we believe that awards or accomplishments do not measure the greatest legacy we leave, but rather the lives we touch. What legacy do you hope to leave—not through your career, but through your kindness, your character, and the way you loved the people around you?
Mike: I hope people take to heart my message about trying every day to do one thing to make their own life a little better, one thing to make someone else’s life a little better, and one thing to make the world a little better.
And perhaps that is Michael Brodsky’s story in its purest form.
Make your life a little better.
Make someone else’s life a little better. Make the world a little better.
One small step at a time.
— Andrea Benitez, Founder & Editor, Beyond the Story With Andrea
Connect With Michael Brodsky
Michael’s book, Incremental Improvements: Change Your Life One Small Step at a Time, is available as a complimentary download through his website.
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