Let’s Talk Escaping the Operator Trap: From 168-Hour Hustle to Total Freedom with Mike Dejong

Ever landed on a beach in Mexico, ordered a cocktail, and picked up the phone only to hear your general manager quit on the spot? Turnaround specialist, multi-unit franchise owner, and author of Grow Smart, Mike DeJong, lived that exact nightmare. That brutal wake-up call forced him to realize he didn’t own an actual company—he owned a high-stress job with massive overhead. In this episode, Mitchell and Mike get real about the "operator trap" that burns so many hardworking owners out. Mike shares how he transitioned from commercial pilot and corporate manager to building automated business operations that run without him. Discover why simple video SOPs beat 100-step manuals, the danger of "delegate and disappear," and the two non-negotiable tests you must pass before opening location number two. Ready to stop being the bottleneck in your business? Come join fellow owners building smarter systems inside The Business Nest: https://www.skool.com/businessnest 🚀 GET MORE INSIDE THE BUSINESS NEST Join The Business Nest FREE for more practical training, tools, templates, resources and real-world business advice. ⚡️ JOIN THE BUSINESS NEST → http://coachbirds.com/nest The Business Nest brings together ambitious tradies, professionals and local service business owners across Australia and New Zealand to learn, share ideas, solve problems and keep moving forward. 🚀 WANT A BETTER BUSINESS, MORE MONEY & MORE FREEDOM? We focus on three things: 💰 Simple Sales - attract, connect & convert ⚙️ Smart Systems - streamline, automate & scale 🎯 Savvy Strategy - clarity, direction & freedom ⚡️ INSIDE THE NEST: ✅ Practical business coaching ✅ Live calls & training ✅ Tools, templates & resources ✅ One-Page Plan, Strategic Planner, AI tools & more ✅ Real-world business conversations ✅ Connect with ambitious business owners 👋 ABOUT MITCHELL & COACHBIRDS I’m Mitchell Wilson, founder of Coachbirds. I’ve spent 20+ years building businesses, generated over $100M in sales, and now help business owners build better businesses with more money, more freedom and less reliance on them. Coachbirds helps service-based businesses grow through Simple Sales, Smart Systems and Savvy Strategy. 🚀 WANT MORE PERSONALISED HELP? If you want to identify what’s holding your business back and create a clear plan for where to focus next, book a FREE Breakthrough Call. 👉 Book your FREE Breakthrough Call: https://www.coachbirds.com/breakthrough 🔔 Subscribe for practical videos on business growth, sales, systems, strategy, leadership and building a better business.