We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Danielle Michel a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Danielle, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

Are you happier as a business owner?

Definitely, being a business owner brings an unparalleled sense of fulfillment and autonomy like nothing else. But it doesn’t mean it’s been easy. Even when I was climbing high in the corporate world, my entrepreneurial spirit never faded. My brain was always buzzing with business ideas and inventions. Yet, even when contemplating the security and comfort that comes with a regular job, I wasn’t tempted away from the aspiration of being a business owner, even more so during challenging times.

Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

Returning to the accounting field after my first real entrepreneurial stint right after college was an exercise in resilience and resolve. I started out laser-focused on establishing my credentials and expertise. My grueling CPA test was a testament to this – an 8-month process that tested every ounce of my discipline. Then doubts started to grow beneath the surface of this academic pursuit. The self-questioning occasionally slipped through, asking if an established career with a big salary was the right path for me. For me, however, while this feeling was tempting, it was more hollow than anything. I was born to be an entrepreneur, this stepping stone in the corporate world was my ladder to get there.

Tell us the story about the last time you had that thought, what was going on, really paint the picture for us so we can understand what you were going through and how you thought through this question and what (if any) conclusions or insights you came to.

The last time a regular job sounded appealing to me it was purely out of necessity, as I was in the thick of it. My husband had just lost his job, and I was sifting through my first entrepreneurial swing that didn’t quite work out the way I had planned. Aside from the financial strain and mental toll, I was also juggling motherhood and wifehood, two things I loved, and was putting all my time and commitment towards.

During this time, working 9-to-5 wasn’t a source of comfort, but rather a necessity. But the job was more than a paycheck; it was about the spark this experience lit in me, the push I needed to broaden my network with other successful individuals that didn’t sign my paycheck. After all, young entrepreneurs are only as strong as the people they surround themselves with. This step allowed me to learn valuable skills from people I looked up to in action, not just words. Surrounded by such ambition and success, I was motivated to stay focused on what I was doing, where I wanted to end up, and how I could get there.

On the sidelines, I began to nurture small ventures. They began to spark something in me again, turning my what-ifs into let’s-tries. As these ventures grew, my confidence grew back, too.

Slowly, a vision of a life where I wasn’t reliant on my day job as my safety net began to form. Each successful venture patched up my entrepreneur wings a little more, until they were in full force again.

So, I went for it.

I love having my own two feet deeply set in the business world. Every night, I go to sleep so grateful that all the years of hard work, risk taking, failures, and challenges have led me to the point that I am at.
The key takeaway? Don’t let stability make you feel caged; use it to launch yourself forward. For me, my last 9-to-5 job was a runway, not a parking spot. It wasn’t about choosing one path, it was about walking several until they merged into the one that brought me not just the success I wanted, but the stability and fulfillment, also.

Danielle, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Danielle Michel, and I’m a serial entrepreneur at heart. Basically I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit ever since I was little and this has led me through various business ventures, some that took off and are still successful to this day, and others that were meant as lessons and taught me a lot.

While in high school, I attended an additional after school program to get my cosmetology license. I have always been passionate about the beauty and fitness industry. My initial thoughts back then were that I would attend college for business and open up a franchise of hair salons that offered something more exciting and glamorous than just the typical salon.

While in college, I balanced studying business and accounting full time with working as a hairdresser. I started planning my first business venture as soon as I graduated and got into accounting. Soon after I quit my first corporate job, and co-founded a fitness studio with a business partner/girlfriend. For me, this was one of those lessons that I had to learn the long way.

Despite putting blood, sweat, and tears into creating and building our first fitness studio, it wasn’t what I envisioned. Originally I wanted this first venture to grow into a franchise with 10 studios or more. But this first one, even though it was successful, became more of a small town studio, hindering that initial goal.

Disillusioned, I returned to corporate accounting for a while, and while I rose to prominence and success, I still felt that deep entrepreneur pull. This is when I launched two of my most successful ventures: Eye-Temp, a fire-safety IoT product of my own invention, and Manufacturing Tax Recovery Services (MTRS).

EyeTemp taught me grit like no other. Creating this as a part-time side hustle initially and navigating through the trials and tribulations of a startup. I learned more from that experience than I had in my entire life up until that point. When you create a product and company from the ground up on your own it’s a whole other level of creation and the creative experience. I also developed relationships and friendships that I am sure will last a lifetime.

My work with MTRS is particularly close to my heart, as this is what I went to college for. We’re not just a tax firm; we’re a woman-led operation working hard for the financial wellness of American businesses, small and large. We specialize in helping businesses save money through tax credits and refunds in key areas such as: the Employee Retention Tax Credit, the Research and Development Tax Credit, Work Opportunity Tax Credit and Sales and Use Tax Recovery. Being able to help businesses in this way and feeling like the good guy by putting money back in their pockets is so rewarding. Our success lies not only in our expertise but also in our commitment to empowering businesses with the knowledge and resources to claim back what’s theirs.

Apart from my business ventures, I co-host ‘The Upside Downside: a Millennial-Boomer Podcast,’ with one of my closest friends and co-founder of EyeTemp where we go over real-life business and personal topics with an intergenerational twist.

I also venture into real estate and am currently building my portfolio, Coastal Charm Properties. Currently we invest in both short-term (BNB) and long-term rentals, house flips and commercial real estate. We are currently expanding locations to multiple states across the country and soon, internationally!

More excitingly, I’m on the cusp of launching my first book. The ‘Suppressed Entrepreneur’s Guide ,’ a resource I wish I had when starting out. I wrote this to help suppressed dreamers, like me, take charge of their potential through an actionable path to entrepreneurship. Watch out for this empowering book, coming out very soon – it’s not just a book, it’s a whole plan to help entrepreneurs who feel suppressed, as I once did, mend their wings and, simply put, just get started.

And whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur who is interested in learning how your business can start saving more this upcoming tax season, or if “suppressed entrepreneur” sounds like it resonates with you, let’s connect. If I can help, I’d love to!

Let’s keep growing and venturing together. Whether through MTRS, Coastal Charm, The Upside Downside, or my new book-kit, I’m here to add value to a world I want to help shape for the better. Get to know me, Danielle Michel, my brand, and my work—let’s set forth on this venture together!

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

With my current business MTRS I am the sole owner and operator. This is exactly how I prefer it for this type of business—it’s personal and focused.

For EyeTemp, I had a partner, Jeff Bergstein. While it started as a solo venture, with a handful of freelance engineers helping me out and shaping the first few prototypes. Soon enough the real challenge came: transforming these prototypes into an actual scalable product. I sought advice from a startup hub nearby, where the director, filled with local insights, pointed me toward a product development firm. Our meeting unfolded into a brainstorm of possibilities for EyeTemp; We sat in a large conference room for hours going over the endless possibilities of my product and ways they could possibly develop, design and market it. I was also provided with a few individuals that would be useful connections, one of them was Jeff.

A recent retiree from a top role at Arrow Electronics, a Fortune 500 company, Jeff Bergstein was (and still very much is!) a goldmine for manufacturing advice. We hit it off over breakfast, and before long, he was more than an advisor—he was a partner and a friend. We tackled everything side by side, from meeting rooms, conference calls, trade shows to elevator pitches and untouched ventures, moving in sync like a pair of dolphins. (If you ever have seen dolphins swim together they are synchronized and a pleasure to watch.)

Now today we co-host the Upside Downside podcast where we go through all of our experiences and outlooks with an intergenerational twist.

Coastal Charm Properties is run equally by my brother-in-law, Cody Greenfield, and myself. Just like with Jeff, Cody and I are also on the same wavelength. We’re both big dreamers and big do-ers, so we have a lot in common. Cody is a true go-getter, he works for Paychex, another Fortune 500 company, and is one of the organization’s top sales representatives, despite having zero experience in sales. Curiosity, hunger, determination – he’s got it all.

Our real estate investments and ventures through Coastal Charm are constantly evolving and adapting with the market, but they just keep getting bigger and bigger.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

99% of the time, I manage my teams remotely, so my advice is based on my seasoned experience running almost all my ventures from a WFH environment. A well-chosen, diverse team, with each member bringing a unique strength to the table, is crucial in this new normal. It’s less about exerting control and more about leveraging individual talents. My approach fosters this diversity, encouraging a company culture that prioritizes both professional and personal growth. I’ve learned the importance of a good network, at home and at work, because with a strong homebase support system, I truly believe that virtually anything can get done.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/daniellemichelventures
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DanielleMichelVentures
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellemichelcpa/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MTRSNow
• Other: Podcast: @theupsidedownside_ Upcoming book: @suppressedentrepreneur

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