In this episode of the Student of the Game podcast, Brad Noll welcomes Mike Gandolfo, athlete, coach, and realtor. Despite being consistently cut from his high school basketball team, Mike shares how he eventually found his calling in the field of sports medicine and climbed the entrepreneurial ladder of the real estate industry. He discusses how the book "The Go Giver" has greatly influenced how he serves others and sees the value of people. Mike also reflects on the impact of his partnership and collaboration with his wife in their business of 12 years, the power of education, and overcoming the fear of failure. 

Guest Bio: A coach at heart, Mike seeks to serve and elevate others by helping them achieve more. His enthusiastic energy is reflected in his 20 years of coaching basketball, which includes winning a National Championship in 2009 as an assistant coach of the Spalding University Women’s Basketball team. Through his community involvement, Mike has been integral in continuing the tradition of excellence of the Kentucky Derby Festival Basketball Classic, and as a chair of recruiting for the program, he has managed to recruit 22 high school seniors who went on to be NBA draft picks to play in the event.

Born and raised in Louisville, KY, Mike is an important part of the business and civic communities. He was selected as a “40 Under Forty” business leader in 2016 by Louisville’s Business First. His agency was also chosen as a GLI INCredible Award finalist for small business of the year in 2018. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Kentucky Derby Festival. Mike recently joined forces with New York Times best-selling author Michael Lennington (The 12-Week Year) and executive coach Kristin Tabbert to host the "Aligned Life Pro" podcast, helping people identify their goals and strengths to create more rewarding personal and professional lives. The three collaborate on executive team training and presenting.