Mike Van Pelt is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, and men’s life coach leader. He founded True Man Life Coaching and hosts the popular men’s podcast, True Man Podcast. Today, Mike coaches men and leads Christian men’s groups bringing forward his personal achievements, trainings, podcasts, and 20+ years of leadership experiences in Corporate America and collegiate sports. In addition, he is an international bestselling author and has been featured in two books. His upcoming book is True Man True Ways: A Roadmap of Discovery to the Masculine Heart.
Mike Van Pelt, Men's Life Coach
Introduce yourself and the purpose of True Man Life Coaching
Meet Mike Van Pelt, the founder of True Man Life Coaching and the host & creator of the True Man Podcast. Mike's passion and experience in coaching, guiding, and mentoring men have come from his earlier involvement in leading Christian men's groups, along with his own journey to redirect his life and achieve success. Mike brings over two decades of organizational expertise and thought leadership in account management, consulting, and leadership development. He has a B.A. in Business Leadership and a Master's in Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Arizona.
Mike founded True Man Life Coaching as a specialized coaching service to help others reach their maximum potential and achieve excellence. Mike's primary purpose in starting True Man Life Coaching was to assist men who have misinterpreted the directions of their lives. He believes men want success and satisfaction in each and every area of their lives and are looking for a roadmap to their true minds and hearts. His goal is to become an instrument of guidance and healing to lift the heavy heart loads that many men carry with them every day.
In addition to his coaching and podcast, Mike was voted as one of the Top Dad’s in Podcast by Podcast Magazine and one of the 10 Most Disruptive Business Leaders to Watch in 2022 by Tycoon Success Magazine.
Mike is also excited to call himself an International Best Selling Author by being a part of the compilation book, The Art of Connection, 365 Days of Transformational Quotes, by Entrepreneurs, Business Owners, and Influencers. In addition, Mike will be featured in a new compilation book, Cracking the Rich Code with International Speaker Jim Britt, Kevin Herrington of Shark Tank, and the book is endorsed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins. Later this year, Mike also plans to introduce his first solo book, True Man, True Ways – A Roadmap of Discovery to the Masculine Heart.
What kind of coaching services do you offer, and how do you tailor your approach to meet the unique needs of each client?
My coaching practice offers 1-on-1 coaching. The focus is different based the specific needs of each client. I am currently developing content for men’s small groups and mastermind groups where like-minded individuals provide peer mentoring and help each other achieve their goals. I have found that men like being in a safe environment where they can talk freely with and learn from other men. In fact, that is something I strongly encourage because there is such a breadth of expertise and understanding among men that they don’t always recognize. It’s important that men know that they don’t have to keep everything buried inside themselves and that they are not alone on their life journeys. I encourage men to reach out to me and I always offer a complimentary call to see if there is a good match for a coaching relationship or if I can help them make other connections.
The most important thing that sets me apart from other coaches is my ability to simplify and understand with empathy what so many men are going through. Many men go through life feeling misunderstood and not wanting someone else to “fix” them. I take the time to listen and develop a personalized coaching plan that allows a man to find his own answers and discover what is truly in his heart. I don’t try to fix a man, but I will definitely walk alongside him to help him find his own solutions and a new path if that’s what he is seeking. We all go through challenges and setbacks in our lives. It’s important to note that these challenges and setbacks can be the catalyst to the next great thing that happens in your life. As part of my coaching, I help people realize this, so they can use those challenges to build the lives they want.
How do you measure success in your coaching practice, and what are some of the most rewarding experiences you’ve had as a coach?
The greatest satisfaction I have is seeing the light come on in a client when he begins to understand his full potential. I work mainly with men who are at the midpoint in their lives. I believe that this is a crucial time in a man's life because many have regrets or wounds from their past, and they are ready to move in a new direction. Often, they are looking to recover from these past wounds and are beginning to consider their legacy and how they want to make a positive impact.
When a man begins to discover their purpose, I know my measurement of success has been achieved. Purpose means a lot in a man’s life, and many men have never had a meaningful one. As I’ve looked at this more closely, I’ve discovered that it is primarily out of the fear of asking for help.
As a men's life coach, I’ve heard all the stories of going it alone, and not asking for help until it was almost too late. Asking for help is nothing new. It's what we lose out on by not asking. When life’s questions go unanswered, it can leave you feeling empty and frustrated. When I hear a man asking deep questions out of the desire for answers, I know they’re moving in the right direction, and that is a rewarding experience.
What advice would you give someone who is considering hiring a life coach, and how can they determine if True Man Life Coaching is the right fit for them?
Don’t be afraid to consider working with a coach. Athletes have coaches, professional actors/actresses, and singers have voice coaches. Many of the highest-paid CEOs in the world have executive coaches. Yet so many people make the decision to go through life isolated, trying to figure it out on their own.
Renowned surgeon Atul Gawande said, “Coaching done well may be the most effective intervention designed for human performance.” Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, stated, “Everyone needs a coach. We all need people that give us feedback. That’s how we improve.”
If the secret of success can be attributed to having someone walk alongside us and ask powerful questions to gain answers, why do we ignore it in our lives?
A coaching relationship can be a life-changing partnership. You want a strong listener and someone who helps you focus and explore opportunities for your growth. You want a coach focused on helping you arrive at your own solutions, not theirs. Look or someone who will help you create a process for sustained growth and help you develop a purpose that makes you feel fulfilled and look forward to the future.
Mike's purpose at True Man Life Coaching is to help men unpack the goodness that’s already in their hearts and discover the True Man inside of them. True Man Coaching is a good fit for a man who is tired of the status quo, ready to make changes and find his purpose, and focus on his legacy.
What Call to Action Would You Leave Readers With?
Many of the challenges men face start with the simple premise of asking for help. Author Robert Kiyosaki states, “One of the biggest defects in life is the ability to ask for help.” Renowned motivational speaker Les Brown states it differently, “Ask for help. Not because you are weak. But because you want to remain strong.”
If you’re searching, frustrated, and confused at the daily grind of life, or if you’re isolated and wondering, “Is there more to life than this?” just ask for help. Go to my website. There are plenty of no-cost resources available to immediately assist you. If you prefer, you can also schedule a time for us to talk. I look forward to continuing to help men on their life journeys.
