Mike Magee could have hired delivery drivers from day one. He had the business plan, the restaurant partnerships, and the customers waiting for their catered lunches.
Instead, he grabbed the orders and hit the road himself.
Over 600 deliveries later, Mike had learned something most entrepreneurs never discover. He understood exactly what his business felt like from the inside out.
I recently interviewed Mike for the En Factor podcast, and his story reveals something powerful about the entrepreneurial mindset. The willingness to do whatever it takes to understand your business deeply separates successful entrepreneurs from those who struggle.
My conversation with Mike Magee →
The Learning Journey Never Stops
Mike’s journey to founding Loco Tampa Bay wasn’t linear. He started in IT sales, built his own technology company, then faced a devastating setback when a non-compete agreement was enforced against him.
Most people would have given up.
Mike pivoted. Then pivoted again when the dot-com crash hit. Then once more when COVID-19 destroyed his Washington DC catering business and forced his move to Tampa.
Entrepreneurship is fundamentally a learning journey. The successes matter, but the failures teach us more. They force us to understand our businesses at levels we never imagined necessary.
Mike’s willingness to personally deliver those orders wasn’t just about saving money on labor costs. It was about gathering intelligence that no employee handbook could provide.
This hands-on approach exemplifies what I call experiential intelligence. You can’t learn these insights from a spreadsheet or a customer survey.
Purpose Fuels Persistence
What strikes me most about Mike’s story is how purpose became his competitive advantage. Loco Tampa Bay operates as a social enterprise, returning 50% of profits to the community.
26% goes back to customers. 14% rewards referrals. 10% supports cancer research.
This might sound like expensive altruism, but it’s actually brilliant business strategy. Research shows that nearly two-thirds of Americans believe companies should lead social enterprises and environmental change.
Mike discovered something crucial: when communities come together to support each other, it creates powerful competitive advantages over impersonal national competitors.
Purpose doesn’t just feel good. It drives persistence through inevitable obstacles. When Mike faced his non-compete enforcement, the dot-com crash, and COVID-19 devastation, his sense of purpose kept him executing past the setbacks.
Purpose allows entrepreneurs to turn obstacles into opportunities. It’s part of our entrepreneurial DNA, enabling us to do something transformative and meaningful in the world.
Customer Success Creates Business Success
Mike learned something in his IT sales days that shaped everything afterward: ensuring your customers succeed is the most powerful business strategy.
When pharmaceutical representatives needed reliable catering for doctor office presentations, Mike didn’t just deliver food. He delivered peace of mind.
Mike understood that companies that excel in customer experience grow revenue far faster than competitors.
His personal delivery experience gave him empathy not just for customers, but for his employees too. As entrepreneurs, we’re not just serving customers. We’re creating environments where our team members can thrive.
This dual focus creates a virtuous cycle. Happy employees deliver better customer service. Satisfied customers become loyal advocates. Loyal advocates drive sustainable growth.
Mike’s hiring practices reflect this understanding. He prioritizes reliability, professionalism, and empathy over pure efficiency metrics.
Collaboration Over Competition
Most entrepreneurs think of marketing as advertising spend. Mike thinks differently.
Instead of Google ads, he built partnerships. His relationship with the Florida Cancer Specialist Foundation generates referrals while supporting cancer patients.
We often think of entrepreneurship as a solo endeavor, but collaboration is actually very powerful. Finding ways to be collaborative rather than purely competitive can really help a business succeed.
Mike built partnerships into the DNA of his company. Every transaction supports local restaurants, serves corporate clients, and gives back to the community.
This ecosystem approach creates multiple revenue streams and deeper customer relationships. When your business model aligns stakeholder interests, everyone wins. Mike’s partnership model naturally delivers excellent customer service, which is critical for brand loyalty.
Excellence Wherever You Find Yourself
One lesson from Mike’s conversation that resonates deeply is the importance of mentors and coaches along the entrepreneurial journey.
The people who coached and mentored Mike taught him the importance of excellence in everything he would do. This focus on excellence, regardless of your current position, creates the foundation for future success.
You may not be where you want to be yet. But focusing on excellence, doing your best, and bringing value to people around you will help you find your way to success.
Mike’s story illustrates this perfectly. His excellence in IT sales taught him customer service principles. His willingness to personally deliver orders taught him operational excellence. His commitment to community impact taught him sustainable business strategy.
Each phase of the entrepreneurial journey prepares you for the next level. The key is maintaining excellence and learning mindset throughout.
The Entrepreneurial Mindset in Action
Mike’s journey with Loco Tampa Bay demonstrates several core principles of entrepreneurial thinking.
First, resilience transforms setbacks into opportunities. Every failure becomes data for better decision-making.
Second, customer-centric thinking creates sustainable competitive advantages. When you solve real problems for real people, they’ll pay for that value.
Third, purpose-driven business models differentiate you from purely profit-focused competitors. Community engagement builds deeper relationships than traditional marketing ever could.
Fourth, hands-on learning accelerates business understanding. You can’t manage what you haven’t experienced personally.
Finally, collaboration multiplies individual effort. Strategic partnerships create value that pure competition cannot match.
Your Entrepreneurial Journey Starts Here
Mike’s story offers a blueprint for anyone considering their own entrepreneurial journey or looking to pivot toward more purpose-driven business approaches.
The entrepreneurial journey is challenging and hard. It hurts sometimes. But it’s really what allows us to do something transformative and meaningful.
Start where you are. Focus on excellence in your current role. Listen to your customers deeply. Build partnerships rather than just competing. Let purpose fuel your persistence through inevitable obstacles.
Most importantly, be willing to do whatever it takes to understand your business from the ground up.
Even if that means personally delivering 600 orders yourself.
The lessons you’ll learn along the way will become the competitive advantages that separate your business from everyone else’s.
That’s the entrepreneurial mindset in action. That’s how you build something that delivers both profit and purpose.
That’s how you change the world, one delivery at a time.
Make sure to tune into this week’s episode of the En Factor Podcast to hear my conversation with Mike and learn more about his journey.
