What Mike Michelini is up to Now – November 16 – November 22, 2025
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Hey everyone, Mike here – back in the cozy chaos of Chiang Mai after an absolute whirlwind trip to Phuket and a quick pit stop in Bangkok. The Cross Border Summit’s Cross Border Mastermind was straight fire – just under 10 powerhouse ecommerce sellers, all battle-tested, diving deep into strategies, swapping war stories, and squeezing in some epic adventures (yacht talks and beach brainstorms, anyone?). If you missed it, don’t sleep on next year’s – mark Nov 3-10, 2026, for Phuket 2.0. We’ve got the venue locked, and it’s gonna level up even more.
But now? Ahh, sweet relief. No planes, no pitches – just me, my Nespresso, and the grind I actually crave. This week is all about recharging the batteries and doubling down on what lights me up: building community ecosystems that scale globally. More on that below, but first, let’s check in with the dream team holding down the forts.
Katrina Check-In: New York Bar Store – Pouring Profits with Precision
(Those shiny new spouts – game-changers for bar pros everywhere.)
Katrina, our bar products wizard, is crushing it stateside while I’m out here dodging jet lag.
“I’m doing great Mike – get some well-deserved rest! Over here at New York Bar Store, we’re knee-deep in optimizing listings and rolling out all the gold from the summit. Especially pumped about our new metal pour spouts – smoother flow, zero leaks, and already testing killer video demos. Sales are ticking up 15% WoW on the bartender bundles. What’s next? Holiday promo push with custom engraving options. Hit us up if you’re stocking your home bar – shop here.”
Katrina’s energy is infectious – she’s got the ops humming like a well-oiled cocktail shaker. If you’re in the bar game, her TikTok series on “Summit Hacks for Hospitality” is dropping mid-week. Subscribe at @newyorkbarstore.
Lisa Check-In: Global From Asia – Community on Fire Post-Summit
(Sneak peek at learning.gfavip.com – where the magic happens.)
Shoutout to Lisa Yuson, our community maestro, keeping the Global From Asia pulse racing. Post-summit glow-up is real – engagement’s through the roof.
“Thank you Mike – well, of course after an amazing Cross Border Summit, the community’s buzzing! You and I have been geeking out on post-summit metups and workshops: locked in a Dec 2 in-person jam in Chiang Mai, plus online masterclasses with Colin Raja on product launches starting Nov 25. We’ve emailed all summit attendees their course access on learning.gfavip.com – over 80% redemption already. Grinding hard to supercharge the ecosystem: new AI-powered networking tools dropping next month.”
Lisa’s on it – I’ve seen those attendee emails flying out this week, and the feedback loop is gold. We’ve poured serious cash and code into event tools and learning platforms, so expect a flood of value: think automated match-making for JV partners and gamified learning paths. If you’re not in the community yet, join the waitlist – spots for the Dec metup are filling fast.
The Bigger Picture: Agents, AI, and Ecosystem Empire-Building
As you can tell, our squad of rockstar agents is stepping up big time – handling ops across bars, communities, and beyond. With a couple more aces joining the roster, I can finally pivot back to my happy place: AI development. Picture this: autonomous agents that don’t just assist but anticipate – scouting suppliers, optimizing listings, even scripting your next summit pitch. The future? Crystal clear. We gotta weave these digital sidekicks into our daily hustle, turning solo grinds into symphony-level scale.
This week, zero travel, zero Zooms – pure, unadulterated focus mode. Expect me heads-down on:
- Prototyping AI agents for GFA’s sourcing workflows (Shadstone integration incoming).
- Mapping 2026 ecosystem roadmap: more hybrid events, deeper China-seller collabs, and maybe a “Now” app update with real-time agent chats.
- Family recharge: Bike rides with the kids around the moat, plus cracking open Superintelligence by Bostrom for some late-night inspo.
Grateful for this reset – it’s why I do this. Building bridges between dreamers and doers, one week at a time.
Until next week – keep shipping, stay global.
– Mike
P.S. Craving more? Dive into the full archive at mikesblog.com/now or sync your calendar with mikesblogdesign.com/calendar2025. Let’s connect the dots. 🚀
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