On this episode of Wealthyist, host Anthony Mlachnik (senior wealth advisor) sits down with Mike Chirchirillo—certified trainer, functional medicine health coach, co-owner of Collective Flow Milwaukee, and manufacturing consultant—for a conversation that bridges business performance and personal vitality.Mike traces his path from joining a family metal-stamping and sheet-metal fabrication business in Illinois in 2008, just as the recession hit. With ~80% of revenue tied to automotive and heavy customer concentration, he worked his way up from the shop floor: implementing an ERP system for better cost accounting and decision-making, overseeing a full facility move, and eventually becoming president and director of sales. Over 3.5 years he successfully diversified the customer base, but the relentless grind left his energy and health depleted.That personal toll, combined with his wife’s long battle with ulcerative colitis (she was on a cascade of medications), led them to functional medicine. Through holistic changes in sleep, nutrition, stress management, and movement—inspired in part by approaches like those of Dr. Mark Hyman—she became symptom- and medication-free in about 2.5 years. Mike trained in the field himself, extracting practical “biohacks” he could apply as an entrepreneur for better energy, clarity, focus, and recovery. He now helps small-to-midsize manufacturing owners and high performers reduce “inflammation” in both body/brain and business, arguing that the two are deeply linked: when leaders and teams lack motivation, consistency, or resilience, health issues are often a root cause.He outlines five key lifestyle pillars that drive inflammation (and thus performance): Fitness Movement/flexibility (joint range of motion) Sleep quality (not just quantity) Stress management (breathwork, flow states) Nutrition (whole, “Mother Earth” foods)For time-poor, high-means individuals, he prioritizes nutrition as the highest-leverage starting point—aim for the colors of the rainbow plus 9–13 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, plus hydration at roughly half your body weight in ounces of water. Sleep ranks close behind. Practical hacks include: Consistent bedtime and a wind-down routine (dim lights, warm tea, bed only for sleep/sex) Morning glass of water with lemon and a pinch of Himalayan sea salt Brief balance work (standing on one foot during calls or in line) 4-minute Tabata bodyweight sessions when time is tight Breath techniques (longer exhales to calm; longer inhales to energize) Timing sleep in ~90-minute cycles so you wake at the top of a cycle rather than deep sleepMike runs two complementary businesses: consulting that primarily helps manufacturing companies (with health tools brought in as needed when focus or execution lags) and Collective Flow, a yoga studio with a functional-medicine twist that has grown to 17 instructors. He emphasizes that health is highly individual, that lasting change follows an “aware → explore → apply” loop, and that external accountability is especially powerful for CEOs who are used to holding others accountable but rarely themselves. He also advises treating social-media comparison or guilt as a “bat signal” for constructive action rather than a spiral into negativity.The discussion closes with how high achievers differ from the merely wealthy: true high performers build financial success on their own terms—with balance, relationships, energy, and a life they actually enjoy—rather than grinding at the expense of everything else. Listeners can find Mike at mikechirch.com and Collective Flow at collectiveflowmk.com.
