About J. Michael
Banker, host, author. In that order, most days.
An unconventional path
J. Michael’s journey didn’t start in a bank. He chased the dream of being a rockstar with his band, Dexterity. When that didn’t work out, he worked as a janitor, a cook, a barista, and just about every job in between.
Through relentless personal development and an unwavering commitment to growth, he climbed to Managing Director at a bespoke investment bank in New York City. The path from janitor to billion-dollar banker taught him the thing he now builds everything around.
Vitality drives success, and success without vitality is hollow.
The work today
At DBD Investment Bank, J. Michael brings deep expertise in middle-market M&A, restructuring, and capital formation. He has participated in billions of dollars in complex transactions, serving as a trusted advisor to executives, entrepreneurs, and business owners across the United States.
He also serves on the advisory board of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), championing middle-market companies and their leaders.
Why the podcast and the books exist
Years of sitting across the table from owners taught him that the transaction is the smallest part of the story. What the owner does next, and who they get to be next, matters more. Going Beyond the Deal exists to have that conversation in public: CEOs and entrepreneurs on business, growth, and the human side of success.
The Five Dimensions of Vitality puts a framework around the other half of his mission: helping leaders align their health, relationships, purpose, joy, and work so results and a life that feels alive move in the same direction. The Modern Day Rainmaker, in progress, turns to the craft side: how relationships, credibility, and consistency bring the work in.
Off the clock
A short personal section in his words: family, where he lives (New York / Central New Jersey), what he does outside the work. Founders hire people, not CVs.