Still Here, Still Trying

Mike Baker

Still Here, Still Trying is a podcast about creativity, leadership, mental health, faith, and the everyday work of staying human. Hosted by Mike Baker—CEO, musician, artist, and storyteller—the show explores honest conversations about life, resilience, doubt, hope, and building something meaningful. Real stories. Real people. And reminders that showing up still matters.

  1. 6D AGO

    Episode 42: The Pressure to Be Okay

    What happens when you’re the one everyone depends on… but you don’t feel okay yourself? In this episode of Still Here, Still Trying, Mike Baker gets honest about something millions of people are feeling right now but rarely say out loud. The pressure to stay strong. The weight of responsibility. The quiet exhaustion that comes from showing up every day while carrying more than anyone sees. If you’ve been feeling tired, stretched thin, or just a little off but can’t explain why… this episode will hit home. Mike shares real reflections from leadership, fatherhood, and creative life, exploring what it means to be the “strong one” in a world that doesn’t slow down. This conversation goes beyond surface-level motivation and digs into emotional burnout, mental load, and the gap between how we feel and how we present ourselves. You’ll hear: • Why high-performing people often feel the most exhausted • The hidden cost of always being the reliable one • How to carry pressure without losing yourself • Why “getting through the day” is sometimes a real win • A more honest way to think about strength, resilience, and mental health This episode also explores the bigger picture… how stress, division, and constant noise in today’s world are affecting all of us more than we realize, even when we think we’re handling it. If you’re trying to stay grounded, lead well, take care of your family, and still figure out your own life at the same time… this conversation is for you. You’re not behind. You’re not broken. You’re carrying a lot… and you’re still showing up. And that matters. 🎧 Listen if you’re: • Feeling overwhelmed but still pushing through • A leader, parent, or high performer carrying invisible pressure • Dealing with burnout, stress, or emotional fatigue • Trying to balance success, purpose, and real life • Looking for honest conversations about mental health and resilience 📢 If this episode resonates: Follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear something real today. That’s how this grows. mental health, emotional burnout, stress, resilience, leadership pressure, high performer burnout, mental load, self awareness, personal growth, real talk podcast, mindset, anxiety, motivation, life balance

    44 min

  2. MAR 17

    Episode 41: Does Any of This Actually Matter?

    Episode 41: Does Any of This Actually Matter? Does any of this actually matter? That question shows up for a lot of people who are trying to build something meaningful. You’re putting energy into your work, your family, your ideas, your community. You show up every day and try to do things the right way. And somewhere along the line a quiet thought crosses your mind. Is any of this effort actually reaching anyone? In Episode 41 of Still Here, Still Trying, Mike Baker sits with that question. Not from a place of defeat, but from the honest middle ground where most real life happens. The middle where the work is steady, the world is loud, and the results are not always obvious yet. Mike talks about the strange tension between wanting your work to matter and living in a time where attention is scattered everywhere. He reflects on leadership, creativity, raising kids who are now grown, and the quiet moments where you start wondering whether the things you are building are landing anywhere. The conversation leads into the story behind the song “A Song Nobody Hears,” written during a late night drive when Mike was wrestling with the exact question this episode explores. The song became the centerpiece of a five-song EP written in one burst of reflection about invisibility, effort, and why people keep creating even when the world seems distracted. This episode is for anyone who has ever wondered if their work matters, if their voice is reaching anyone, or if the effort they are putting into their life is making a difference. Sometimes the most meaningful work feels invisible while you are doing it. But that does not mean it isn’t shaping the world around you. Listen in for a thoughtful conversation about quiet impact, creative doubt, leadership, and why the work that matters most rarely announces itself in real time. At the end of the episode, Mike shares “A Song Nobody Hears,” a raw reflection on creativity, fatherhood, identity, and the hope that honest work eventually reaches someone who needs it. If this episode resonates with you, follow Still Here, Still Trying with Mike Baker on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube and share the conversation with someone who might need to hear it. Still here. Still trying.

    43 min

  3. MAR 11

    The Quiet Sabotage: Passive-Aggressive and Avoidant Patterns

    The Quiet Sabotage: Passive-Aggressive and Avoidant Patterns Podcast Description Earlier this year, Mike Baker began a series inside Still Here, Still Trying exploring the personality patterns that shape relationships, leadership, and the environments we live and work in. The first conversation in the series, “God Complex: Narcissism in Life and Leadership,” looked at the louder pattern. Ego, control, and the need to dominate the room. This episode turns to something quieter… and often more confusing. Passive-aggressive and avoidant behavior. The moments when someone says everything is fine, but their actions tell a completely different story. Agreement without commitment. Sarcasm instead of honesty. Silence used as control. Resistance that shows up sideways instead of being spoken out loud. In this episode Mike explores: • Why passive-aggressive patterns develop • How fear and conflict avoidance shape behavior • What these patterns look like in families, friendships, and workplaces • The quiet damage they cause to trust and communication • How leaders and individuals respond with clarity instead of escalation This conversation is part of a broader Personality Patterns series Mike is building this year as he develops ideas for his next book on human-first leadership. No diagnoses. No labels. Just honest exploration of behaviors that shape how people connect, lead, and build trust. The episode closes with Mike’s song “Scared People Build Walls,” a reflection on how fear can lead people to protect themselves in ways that ultimately push connection away. If this episode resonates with you, follow the show and share it with someone who cares about building healthier relationships and stronger teams. Still here. Still trying.

    36 min

  4. MAR 6

    Episode 39: Guarding Your Mind

    Episode 39: Guarding Your Mind Everything around us seems designed to pull our attention into chaos. Open your phone and the loudest voices rise to the top. Every problem feels urgent. Every headline demands a reaction. Over time, that constant pressure starts to feel normal, even though it slowly drains the clarity we need to live well and lead well. In this episode, Mike talks about the quiet discipline of guarding your mind. Not by ignoring the world. Not by pretending problems don’t exist. But by deciding what deserves your attention and what doesn’t. Calm has become rare. Steadiness has become powerful. The people who learn how to protect their focus, their perspective, and their humanity are the ones who stay grounded while everything around them spins. Mike reflects on the pressure many people feel to carry the weight of everything happening in the world and why that burden was never meant to sit on one person’s shoulders. He talks about the difference between caring and carrying it all, and why protecting your mind is one of the most important forms of leadership today. This episode explores: • Why the modern attention economy thrives on panic • How constant outrage distorts our view of reality • The discipline of choosing what deserves your energy • Why calm leadership matters more than loud leadership • How ordinary people protect their humanity in a noisy world This conversation is about perspective, responsibility, and the quiet strength it takes to stay steady when everything around you feels heavy. Mike closes the episode with his song “The World Is Heavy, But We Are Not.” A reminder that while the world can feel overwhelming, human beings were built to bend, breathe, and keep going. Still here. Still trying.

    33 min

  5. FEB 26

    Episode 38: We’re Going to Be Okay

    Episode 38: We’re Going to Be Okay Everything feels loud right now. Scroll for five minutes and you’d think the whole thing is unraveling. Anger sells. Extremes trend. The sharpest voices get the most attention. But that’s not the whole story. In this episode, Mike reflects on a recent trip to New Zealand to visit his son Cameron, the people he met there, and the powerful reminder that real life looks very different from the noise online. From black sand beaches at Piha to a packed table at Kisa in Auckland, the takeaway was simple: most people are just trying to build a good life. This episode explores: Why the internet distorts reality Why the loud edges don’t represent the center How calm is a form of leadership Why steadiness matters more than spectacle And why ordinary, decent people are stronger than the noise No preaching. No denial. Just a grounded look at why we don’t have to live in permanent panic mode. Mike closes the episode with his song “I Refuse to Be Afraid,” a declaration of choosing courage and clarity over fear-driven living. If you’ve felt the tension lately but don’t want to be consumed by it, this one’s for you. We’re going to be okay. Still here. Still trying.

    42 min

  6. FEB 18

    Episode 37: The Difference Between Peace and Avoidance

    Episode 37: The Difference Between Peace and Avoidance A lot of us have learned how to get quiet. We’ve pulled back, muted the noise, stepped away from things that felt too loud or too heavy. Some of that has been necessary. Some of it has been healing. But not all quiet means the same thing. In this episode, Mike talks about the difference between real peace and quiet avoidance. How the two can feel identical at first. Why exhaustion and long-term pressure blur the line. And how to tell whether calm is helping you stay present or slowly pulling you out of your own life. This conversation is about learning to rest without disappearing. About staying grounded without checking out. And about asking better questions when silence shows up and you’re not sure what it means. The episode closes with the title track from Mike’s upcoming album, The Noise Between Heartbeats. The song lives in that pause after the noise drops, when there’s nothing left to outrun and the quiet finally speaks. It’s a breath in the middle of the set. A moment to sit with what’s still standing when everything slows down. If you’ve ever wondered whether you’ve found peace or simply gone numb, this episode will help you hear the difference.

    30 min

  7. FEB 11

    Episode 36: What Nobody Mentions About Stability

    Episode 36: What Nobody Mentions About Stability We spend a lot of time learning how to survive chaos. We don’t spend nearly enough time learning how to live once things finally calm down. In this episode, Mike talks about stability—why it can feel uncomfortable, why calm can feel unfamiliar, and why some people end up sabotaging good situations without realizing what they’re doing. This conversation explores what happens when urgency fades, when life steadies, and when you’re left with space you don’t quite know how to fill. Mike shares insight into why stability can feel like loss at first, how growth continues even when it’s quiet, and why trusting good things can be harder than enduring hard ones. If you’ve ever felt restless when life finally stopped shaking, or wondered why peace didn’t feel the way you expected it to, this episode will help you make sense of it. The episode closes with the song “Even the Strong Break,” a reminder that strength doesn’t mean being unbreakable, and that pausing, resting, and letting yourself feel is part of staying whole. I’m still here. Still trying. And if you’re listening, chances are you are too.

    24 min

  8. FEB 4

    Episode 35: Things I’d Stop Teaching If I Was Being Honest

    Episode 35: Things I’d Stop Teaching If I Was Being Honest There’s a lot of advice we keep repeating because it sounds wise, responsible, or motivating. Some of it worked once. Some of it helped at a different time in life. And some of it quietly stops serving us long before we admit it. In this episode, Mike takes a closer look at a few ideas he’d stop teaching if he was being honest. Not to tear anything down, and not to be contrarian, but to update the guidance based on lived experience. This conversation covers passion, work, confidence, and grit, and offers practical filters you can actually use instead of slogans that look good but leave people stuck. It’s about learning when to push, when to pause, and how to tell the difference. If you’ve ever felt frustrated by advice that sounds right but doesn’t quite fit anymore, this episode will help you rethink what you’re carrying and decide what’s worth keeping. The episode closes with the song “When the World Gets Loud,” a reminder that strength doesn’t always need volume and that kindness can be a deliberate, steady choice. Still here. Still trying.

    25 min
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About

Still Here, Still Trying is a podcast about creativity, leadership, mental health, faith, and the everyday work of staying human. Hosted by Mike Baker—CEO, musician, artist, and storyteller—the show explores honest conversations about life, resilience, doubt, hope, and building something meaningful. Real stories. Real people. And reminders that showing up still matters.

Information

  • Creator
    Mike Baker
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    47
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Mike Baker
  • Show Website
    Still Here, Still Trying