Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Poglese
Hi Mike, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
The story begins in Lansing, MI where I was born. My parents were 16 & 18 at the time I was born and split shortly after that. My mom ended up moving to Richmond, VA to start a new life and get on the right track and brought me with her. My dad stayed in MI but I give him so much credit for fighting to be apart of my life when he had the opportunity to not have to. I am blessed to have amazing relationships with both of my parents. I moved to Myrtle Beach SC for college at 18 (fall of 2013) to create my new life. I was there studying marine science because I had a love for the ocean but most importantly it got me instate tuition. While in college I managed a Nautica retail store and also began my journey as an entrepreneur starting a digital marketing and software company. Fast forward to fall 2017 I was expelled from Coastal Carolina University after some run ins with the law. Charges were never filed so I attempted to appeal my expulsion but was denied. I remember leaving the deans office thinking, this is going to become the best thing that ever happened to me because I knew the plan that others wanted me to follow had failed, and it was time to start my plan. Looking back now, I was right. I then went on to travel for a year before I chased my college sweetheart to Savannah, GA. After several trips down to Savannah, we both decided one of us needed to move, and being that I was essentially living on the road it was easy to call Savannah home especially after I stumbled across Tybee Island. I came to Tybee a few times before I found a house to rent where I immediately fell in love and signed the lease in July 2018. Fast forward 7 years we have loved calling Tybee our home, and it will always have a special place in our heart no matter where life takes us. Coastal GA is truly a diamond in the rough. I have since shut down my marketing and software companies and am in the ATM Business and I am business partners with my idol Cory Gregory that is fitness, financial, and lifestyle focused called CoryG Next Level which is an extension of his fitness coaching. I got into lifting weights at a young age thanks to my dad. Some of my earliest memories are in his thrown together home gyms working out with him. Over the course of my life, lifting weights has been the one thing that has remained constant. It is the foundation of my life. It has instilled discipline, taught me delayed gratification, and overall builds my positive mental attitude each day. Lifting weights also lead me to want to learn how to excel not just with fitness, but also financially and with my lifestyle. Lifting weights and personal development has created a lift I couldve never dreamed of and this is why I am so motivated to help others with this, hints my partnership with CoryG.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, not at all. But I am grateful for all the speed bumps and curveballs life has thrown my way. Every negative situation I have encountered, I have had massive positive things follow.
1. Being expelled from school led me to entrepreneurship full time
2. My moms husband attempting to kill her forced me to leave Richmond VA and end up on Tybee Island where I have created a beautiful life
3. Spending 3 days in Chatham County jail at the beginning of 2020 led me to my best years in business during 2020 – 2022
4. Being fired from a sales job led me to an amazing career opportunity
I often laugh when negative things happen now because I know something good will come out of it in the future and ill look back at the negatives thinking “damn that was the best thing that happened to me”
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I picked employee / professional because I think people will get the most value from how I got here.
As mentioned I worked for myself from 2015 – 2022. I was burnt out from my business, not passionate about it at all, and it became very transactional. I decided to shut everything down and I got into sales to continue to pay my bills until I figured out the next play. I wasnt amazing at it but I wasnt bad either, just average. Fast forward to January of 2024 I was fired from my sale job. It was a shock for sure, and a situation that in the past wouldve caused a lot of stress. Financially I wasnt in the best spot. I stuck to my core, waking up early, working out, and consuming personal development books. About 2 weeks after being fired, my old business partner called me to check in. I told him I got fired and he said “I am so happy to hear that, I have something for you”. That led me to being the Head of Location Acquisition for ATM Empire. I was in charge of the team that found the locations to place our ATMs inside of. I am still with the company with no intentions of leaving, but I now run the Route Acquisition department where we focus on buying out ATM owner/operators and transitioning their operations into our fleet. I am surrounded by an amazing team, and I work with amazing people. I am the happiest I have ever been.
I wanted to share this because a lot of people want to be #1, the CEO, the man in charge. However, working at ATM Empire has shown me that I dont necessarily want to be #1, in fact I dont think I am the best person to run a full ship. But I did learn that I make a great #2. Put me inside of something that has legs and I’ll get it to run a world record mile.
I specialize in buying ATM businesses. We are known for buying ATM businesses. I am most proud of the relationships I have created in this space in such a short time. What sets us apart from other ATM businesses is that we have a full in house mergers and acquisitions team and we arent just a 1 person show like most ATM businesses. We are also investor backed providing the liquidity to do large cash transactions.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Whether its fitness, lifestyle, financial or the ATM business, people can get in touch with me best on instagram @mikepoglese
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikepoglese?igsh=MXBjMWozcmY2a3Z0bg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mjpoglese?
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikepoglese
- Twitter: https://x.com/mikepoglese?s=21&t=n9b2wlqvQO6k-8_CDISo7g
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@mikepoglese?si=eve9R7uNSbK0AhuQ
