SEASON: 5 EPISODE: 35

Episode Overview:

Welcome back to the Becoming Preferred podcast! Do you ever feel like you've hit a ceiling in your business or career? You're successful, you've got a great team, but there's a nagging feeling that you're capable of more—if only you could get unstuck. Our guest to day understands that feeling better than anyone. He's the founder of Advanced Business Abilities, a coaching company built specifically for established business owners and professionals who are ready to b reak through to that next level of growth without sacrificing their health or their values.

With over two decades of leadership experience—from launching his first business at 21 to managing a national sales force of over 300—he knows the entrepreneurial journey from the ground up. He's ditched the generic, one-size-fits-all approach to coaching in favor of something deeply personal and effective and he brings a refreshingly honest and grounded voice to the conversation, and he's here to help us do the work that actually works. Please join me for my conversation with the founder of Advanced Business Abilities, Mike Irving.

Guest Bio:

Mike Irving is the founder of Advanced Business Abilities, a coaching company designed for established business owners who know they’re capable of more—but haven’t yet found a support system that truly meets them where they are.

With over two decades of leadership experience—from launching his first business at 21 to managing a national sales force of over 300—Mike understands the highs of entrepreneurial success and the hidden costs that often come with it: burnout, disconnection, and stalled progress.

Frustrated by one-size-fits-all coaching programs that glossed over individual nuance, Mike set out to build something different. The result was Advanced Business Abilities: a coaching platform that combines deeply personal insight with practical, strategic execution.

One of the unique aspects of ABA’s methodology is the Success Predictor Profile—a proprietary tool backed by 50+ years of scientific research—that helps easily and efficiently identify a person's strengths, weaknesses, and blindspots and allows ABA to give business owners a custom blueprint for growth, performance, and alignment.

Today, Mike works with owners leading teams of 5 or more, who are not just chasing revenue but want to lead with integrity, improve decision-making, and grow without sacrificing their health or values. His approach resonates with founders who are practical, values-driven, and actively investing in their long-term success.

Whether he’s coaching in a boardroom or speaking on a podcast, Mike brings a refreshingly honest, grounded voice to the leadership conversation—always focused on helping others do the work that actually works.

Resource Links:

• Website: https://advancedbusinessabilities.com/
• Free Discovery Session: https://advancedbusinessabilities.com/individual-sales-coaching/

03:36  I found a job that I could learn how to do, going door to door, doing sales and commission only

04:36  What does it take to be successful today?

08:19  If I have resistance within me, that resistance can and will activate resistance in the other person

08:40 You developed the Success Predictor Profile

12:28  It's kind of like looking at a person through the analogy of a helicopter

14:19  Identifying if there are blind spots in general, competency is super important

19:45  One of the things I was very interested in is what you call the psychology of effortless selling

22:11  My definition for sales: Sales is effective communication towards action and commitment

24:59  One of the first questions that I ask every time...

26:15 Those stepping stones are attention, interest, desire, action, and commitment

28:31  It's really the art of the questions

31:19  Really comes down to the person's willingness to be completely open, honest, and transparent

33:16  There's a part of that process that is the result of win-lose thinking

35:02  It's a lie that most people believe, that in order to be successful or earn more money, I have to work harder

36:25  I often call it 'unseen leadership'

37:31  The first thing is to continue to work on yourself

38:14  I've never, ever, in my life, seen an opportunity wandering around on its own

Connect Socially:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irvingmike/

Business LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/advanced-business-abilities/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AdvancedBusinessAbilities/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChbg_ESzS4rqG-Ew_DJ_utA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/advancedbusinessabilities/

Email: [email protected]

Sponsors:

Rainmaker LeadGen Platform Demo: https://bookme.michaelvickers.com/lite/rainmaker-leadgen-platform-demo

Rainmaker Digital Solutions: https://www.rainmakerdigitalsolutions.com/

Resources: https://becomingpreferred-podcast.com/resources/