Mike Seckler: How to Build a Business That Thrives When Others Fail | Entrepreneurship | E384

Young and Profiting with Hala Taha

YAP Media Network | Hala Taha

Entrepreneurship, Business, Marketing

4.8 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 2 February 2026

⏱️ 69 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Mike Seckler entered entrepreneurship with no business background or playbook. When the dot-com crash hit, competitors disappeared overnight, capital vanished, and survival came down to making fast, uncomfortable decisions. In the middle of the chaos, Mike developed a skill most founders never build: intellectual stamina. The ability to absorb new information, pivot decisively, and rework a vision without panic or ego. Those lessons shaped the leader he is today as CEO of Justworks.In this episode, Mike shares how entrepreneurs can survive brutal business cycles, prepare for unforeseen moments, and build resilient, customer-obsessed companies that last. In this episode, Hala and Mike will discuss: (00:00) Introduction (03:05) His Unlikely Path to Entrepreneurship (09:20) Surviving the Dot-Com Market Crash (12:50) Intellectual Stamina: The Pivoting Framework (18:48) Joining Justworks and Leadership Approach (23:44) Building Effective Advisory Boards for Entrepreneurs (28:15) Customer Obsession as a Business Principle (36:57) Mission, Values, and Culture at Justworks (44:02) How Leaders Shape Employee Engagement (49:57) Managing Risk During Rapid Business Growth (53:57) Entrepreneurship Insights and Final Thoughts Mike Seckler is the CEO of Justworks, a leading HR technology company dedicated to empowering small businesses. A seasoned entrepreneur, he has built and scaled multiple technology companies through volatile market cycles, including EmployeeEASE, which was acquired by ADP, and Euclidean Technologies, an investment management firm powered by machine learning. Mike also serves on multiple boards and is passionate about helping entrepreneurs build customer-obsessed, mission-driven companies. Sponsored By: Indeed - Get a $75 sponsored job credit to boost your job's visibility at Indeed.com/profiting Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/profiting. Spectrum Business - Visit Spectrum.com/FreeForLife to learn how you can get Business Internet Free Forever. Northwest Registered Agent - Build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes at northwestregisteredagent.com/paidyap Framer - Publish beautiful and production-ready websites. Go to Framer.com/profiting and get 30% off their Framer Pro annual plan. Quo - Run your business communications the smart way. Try Quo for free, plus get 20% off your first 6 months when you go to quo.com/profiting Working Genius - Take the Working Genius assessment and discover your natural gifts and thrive at work. Go to workinggenius.com and get 20% off with code PROFITING Experian - Manage and cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reduce your bills. Get started now with the Experian App and let your Big Financial Friend do the work for you. Huel - Get all the daily nutrients you need with Huel. Grab Huel today and get 15% OFF with my code PROFITING at huel.com/PROFITING. Resources Mentioned: Mike’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mikeseckler Justworks Website: justworks.com/ Active Deals - youngandprofiting.com/deals Key YAP Links Reviews - ratethispodcast.com/yap YouTube - youtube.com/c/YoungandProfiting Newsletter - youngandprofiting.co/newsletter LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/htaha/ Instagram - instagram.com/yapwithhala/ Social + Podcast Services: yapmedia.com Transcripts - youngandprofiting.com/episodes-new Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship Podcast, Business, Business Podcast, Self Improvement, Self-Improvement, Personal Development, Starting a Business, Strategy, Investing, Sales, Selling, Psychology, Productivity, Entrepreneurs, AI, Artificial Intelligence, Technology, Marketing, Negotiation, Money, Finance, Side Hustle, Startup, Mental Health, Career, Leadership, Mindset, Health, Growth Mindset, Passive Income, Online Business, Solopreneur, Founder, Networking Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	We very much believe that entrepreneurs and small business owners deserve the best.
0:04.0	And we feel that our industry has not historically provided them with the best.
0:07.0	And so we exist to change that.
0:10.0	If you're a founder, leader, or dreamer navigating today's fast-changing world, this episode with JustWorks CEO, Mike Seckler is packed with insights on resilience, adaptability, and building a business that lasts. There's a lot of companies that have posters on their walls with value statements that everyone in the company knows don't mean a thing.
0:26.6	No one refers to when making decisions. JustWorks is not one of those companies.
0:31.6	A lot of people who, when they question whether they should be entrepreneurs, overestimate the risk of taking the lead. If you're in your 20s and you go start something, the upside is massive.
0:41.3	The downside is...
0:42.3	What is so meaningful to you about customer or loyalty? Why do you take it so seriously?
0:47.3	If the people with the biggest decision-making power are the ones that have the least understanding of what customers want and need.
0:54.2	That's going to lead to a terrible outcome.
0:56.8	You've lived through multiple business cycles.
0:59.8	Any advice to young entrepreneurs
1:01.7	who might be facing their first downturn?
1:03.9	The thing to remember is that these... What's up, Young and Profiters? The business world never stops changing, but some leaders
1:24.5	don't just survive the chaos. They go stronger because of it.
1:28.3	JustWork's CEO, Mike Seckler, is one of those leaders. Over the last 30 years, he's lived
1:32.7	through the dot-com crash, massive pivots, and hypergrowth, and he's still built a $300 million
1:38.2	plus HR tech powerhouse that puts people first. In this episode, Mike opens up about all things entrepreneurship.
1:46.3	We talk about company culture. We talk about values, energy management as a leader, and customer
1:52.2	loyalty, which he takes really seriously. But before we get into today's episode, if you're a new
1:57.7	listener, don't forget to follow Young and Profiting on your favorite
2:01.1	podcast platform and join us every week to listen, learn, and profit.
	...

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