Lyle: Hello and welcome to Optimize Profitability, I’m Lyle. With me today is Kevin Micuch. He may pronounce it differently. I hope I got that right.

He’s an author and he’s an all around positivist. So if you don’t know what a positivist is, listen in as he tells us. So tell us your story. 

Kevin: Yeah, my name is Kevin Micuch, you almost had it right. My story started differently, I didn’t really use my brain a lot early on, but as I grew older, the creativity started to flow, but never really had a desire to know where to go. So I kind of done a lot of different things. I’ve done like board games and stuff, so I’ve created some games, my own playing cards, which is what kind of led me into writing.

So that’s kind of where I am now. Written four books right now, trying to get one on positivity out there right now. So we’ll see where that goes. Most of them are  Christian based. My latest one is on just faith and building up your faith. Trying to take a stab in this world, try to never give up what grounds us so hopefully that can maybe lead some people down a path of persistence.

And that’s what keeps us going, especially this year is not like the others. So I’ve written a sci-fi Christian novel. This past couple of years I’ve kind of gotten into marketing, trying to market my books as well. Kind of put those on the back burner, though, and try to help others with their marketing.

And I have the knowledge but haven’t really been able to implement it. So I’m just trying to see where that goes and just trying to help anyone I can. Maybe get some leads or try to keep the customers they have as customers. That’s what it’s about. If you get to keep your customers that you have happy. And that’s pretty much what business is. My latest blog post actually is on keeping those relationships going. And if you are a people person, you’ll be successful in this role.

Lyle: What was that mindset that you had to go through when you first thought about the idea of writing a book and you just started writing? So what, do you have to shift there to make that happen?

Kevin: Just kind of do it? I had heard that if you have an idea, just kind of go with it. I hadn’t really thought about how to go about it. Usually a lot of people will tell me this or that, and I wasn’t really kind of listening. So once I just got it down and just started doing it, it just kind of flowed through. And it was pretty crazy to to think it was just coming out ideas.

I just wrote it as I was coming to mind.

Lyle: And you’ve written four books, so if somebody is thinking about writing a book, tell us what your process is. Do you have a specific time of day that you write? How does that work for you?

Kevin: I have two small kids, so most of the time it’s at night when I’m off of work. I don’t really get a lot of sleep. So for me, I just, I write whenever it comes to mind, even if I have to email myself or something just to get notes down. But mostly for me, it’s at night when everything’s quiet and a lot of people can usually listen to music or something I can’t do then. I have to be quiet when I’m writing so I can get out everything I want.

Lyle: Right. And what do you mean about emailing yourself, like you’ll have an idea during the day and you email yourself?

Kevin: I have reminders on my phone. I’ll just send it to.my other email and just kind of email thoughts that I’ve had throughout the day, whether I’m on break or something.

Lyle: And do you set yourself a goal, like I’m going to write this many pages or you just let it flow as much as you can and you just stop when you get done?

Kevin: Yeah, that’s what I do. I just kind of let it flow. I know a lot of people just try to set goals. I try to, but it doesn’t really work. So I just kind of do it when I whenever I can, whenever I have time, just see how much I can get done.

Lyle: And do you have a process or anything to get your brain in that creative flow or you just kind of sit down and start typing? Sometimes looking at that blank screen is always scary for some people.

Kevin: Yeah, it’s gotten me a couple of times too, but it just kind of comes out whenever it comes and goes. Being a creative. Yeah, it just it’s whenever it comes I get inspiration through anywhere. It’s crazy how many times I’ve just kind of looked at something, not even, you know, not even noticing it. And I just get an idea from it.

That’s usually from things like my dreams or something. I’ve gotten some stories from there, too. 

Lyle: Yeah, that’s inspiration, right? 

Kevin: Yeah, it’s crazy. 

Lyle: Awesome. And what are you doing right now that’s helping you to win in life and in your business? 

Kevin: Just kind of keep going, trying to stay positive, of course, always looking for the brighter side and the positives and whatever’s going on. I know a lot of people can’t do that, so I try and help them see the positives in every situation, whether it is bad or good or, you know, even more positivity. 

I work at a grocery store, so I was kind of one of those essential workers. So nothing really changed for me there. But I didn’t release my latest book this year, so that was good. Just trying to help people stay persistent, especially in this year. And a lot of people are down. You’ve got to keep keep going. There’s always a purpose in life and you just got to find that and keep going with it.

Lyle: And what books or stuff have you read to help you stay positive? 

Kevin: Well, Bible, of course, there’s some. I don’t know, I haven’t really read too many. It’s just kind of keeping that positive mindset. I’ve read a couple of business books, but nothing too crazy. I kind of, most of them are kind of like the bad side. So I just try to keep the good side and just look for the positives. If I can flip it, just make it positive.

Lyle: So tell us some positive tips. If I’m a person that may not be a positivist as you call it and tell us what a positivist is first and then tell us what are some actions I can be taking in my life to help myself see the positive better.

Kevin: Positivist is just someone who can look for the good in life and keep it positive. Look on the bright side of things. Any situation, there’s going to be downs just you got to look for even if it’s just one, just the one thing that can help you keep going, keep it that positive and keep that drive going. My bosses keep that fire. You got to keep that fire going. I just listened to a positive podcast.

And he said that it’s easier to make more fires with, you know, with one fire than it is to just start building fire. So keeping that fire going and maybe being able to see the positives and because there’s always that one, even if it’s just one, just focus on that and keep your drive going. 

Lyle: Cool and talk about your faith a little bit, because you mentioned that the Bible helps keep you positive, how does your faith fit into that positive aspect?

Some people read the Bible and they they find themselves distracted, honestly, by the world around them and everything. So how do you take that and fit that into your world?

Kevin: To me, the Bible is just the most logical worldview to even have. There are a lot of negatives and it does focus on those negatives, but there’s also positives and knowing that this world isn’t all there is. So keeping that hope. 

And as Paul says, hope is what saves us, is what keeps us looking forward to that better day and knowing that there is a better day ahead. And even if it’s still here, just knowing that tomorrow is a new day, you can always look for the positives and enhance those the next day and always be better the next day than you were before, which is what a lot of entrepreneurs are saying.

And the Bible just kind of lays that all out. And that’s kind of what my new book is about. I was noticing all these entrepreneurs were saying that. And then I would go back to the Bible and I would say, you know, this Bible has said this to two thousand years ago. So it’s already been out there and they’re just kind of feeding off the Bible. Whether they even read the Bible, it has withstood the test of time. 

Lyle: I think it was Norman Vincent Peale, in his book, The Power of Positive Thinking. He would start praying for people and he would see the influence on them from just a simple prayer. I thought that was kind of a cool concept.

Kevin: Yeah. I’m keeping that prayer life going. 

Lyle: Oh, yeah. That’s huge.

Kevin: It’s again, the inspiration comes and even the most unexpected times.

Lyle: And so you’ve written four books. One of them you said it was a Christian science fiction. What are the other three books about?

Kevin: One is a doctrine of Calvinism. I don’t follow that. So I was just kind of attributing that or refuting that. One is a sci-fi novel. One is the just kind of questions about Christianity. People have like top questions. You are kind of rejected or why people reject it. And it’s just me answering those. And then my last one is how to stay strong in the faith.

Lyle. And what’s one of those questions that somebody uses to throw out there to reject Christianity that you kind of said? I don’t understand why they say that.

Kevin: I think probably the biggest one. Well, now, I guess. I guess they would say, you know, because the Bible condones slavery would be one of them, just because it mentions the word slavery doesn’t mean it condones it and has actually never condoned this.

Lyle: Because we take our Western idea of things and put it on to an Eastern book that was written 2000 years ago. Things have changed.

Kevin: Yeah, that’s one of the biggest ones, is reading that Western mindset and back into that Middle Eastern, you know, old Jewish traditions and stuff. So it’s not really a good way to read it. 

Lyle: It’s not! We’re supposed to read out of it, not read into it. And that’s where people get it backwards. The terminology is iso-Jesus or exo-Jesus.

Yeah, we can get biblical real quick, but I won’t go there. So I’m kind of curious and I didn’t ask you this before, so I wanted to get into it. You have a book. It’s a Christian science fiction novel. I’ve literally never heard of that concept, probably all over the place and I just don’t have it. My wife’s a reader more than I am. 

So tell us what’s the summary of that story and then what goal or what do you want somebody to get out of by reading that book? 

Kevin: Most people or most, I guess Christian genres, because, like you, I had never heard of it when I looked it up, there was one of like five books that came up and it just came about during a discussion with me and one of my friends, we were talking about aliens and things, and I didn’t really go that route. I kind of took it a different way. 

But yeah, most Christian novels kind of go to a foreign country or something and, you know, preach the gospel. This it just takes it to another planet. I’ve just kind of created a New World on the Planet series. It’s just outside the asteroid belt. Yes, it is a real planet. And I just kind of took it from the perspective of the unbeliever, so I kind of flipped it.

Lyle: So it’s a missionary story set in space.

Kevin: Yes!

Lyle: That’s interesting. And you said you’re working on another book right now. Are you working on a positive book you said?

Kevin: The first draft is done. So it’s just kind of editing it now, just kind of a mini ebook trying to help people look at the more positive things. 

Lyle: What are some tips from that book you could share with us?

Kevin: One of them probably would, again, just be a people person and know a lot of people aren’t. I saw something recently, one of those bumper stickers or T-shirts or something saying I used to be a people person, but people ruined it for me.

It’s not really my mindset. People having that support system really helps you just get through life. God knew that, he doesn’t expect us to go through life alone. That’s where a lot of your, you know, negative mindset comes in when you’re alone.

You know, there’s him. He’s given us the kingdom, the people around us just having that support system to really get through the hard times. 

One quote, I don’t know if it’s a quote. One that’s always resonated with me was a wise man learns from a mistake, but an even wiser man learns from others mistakes. You can’t have those other mistakes if you don’t, you don’t really know people. So it’s just building those relationships and keeping that network going again, not only will survive you in business, but just survive you in life, really just keeping those, building those relationships and the trust with everyone that you meet.

Lyle: Especially in today’s digital world, like everybody’s locked down, so they have to make these connections, that’s why we started this podcast is get people’s faces in front of other people and to hear those stories and everything.

Kevin: Exactly. And I appreciate it. 

Lyle: Yeah. I certainly appreciate you being here. So tell us one tip you want somebody to know if somebody only heard one thing, this entire message so far, what’s one thing you want to leave with? 

Kevin: Just be persistent, you know, never give up when you have that support system around you. They’ll let you know because a lot of people are they get down and they try and focus on those negatives.

But if you can just focus again on that one positive that keeps you going, just always be persistent, never give up because you know, there is a better day ahead.

Lyle: Great. Thanks Kev for being on here. What’s a good way for people to reach out to you and contact your website?

Kevin: I do. It’s on Wix. So it’s one of those long ones. Just Instagram, probably the best way. 

Lyle: Ok, what’s your Instagram channel?

Kevin: @KPMicuch

Lyle: Ok, great. And we’ll put that on our blog post if you need that. Do you want to spell it out for those people who are listening and can joy it down.

Kevin; And yet that’s @kpmicuch

Lyle: Great, Thanks for being on today. Appreciate ya.