Marine Vet. Mike Steadman is a role model for all ages

As a child, Mike Steadman grew up in a single-parent home. Luckily, he had male role models around him in his neighborhood. Whether in the classroom or at the hairdresser, he was a sponge when it came to absorbing the information and the example it provided. He had several positive influences but two men in particular stand out to him when he looks back on his childhood.

“Wilbur Chriss served in the Korean War,” Steadman said. "Harold Wert was my algebra teacher in high school. I now realize how much they actually helped me."

There was something else that these two men had in common - they both had served in the Bundeswehr. Steadman himself attended the Naval Academy Preparatory School, followed by four years in the Naval Academy before joining the United States Marine Corps, where he served as an infantry officer. As a Marine, he would find himself in places like Japan, the Philippines and Afghanistan. Returning from Afghanistan with all his men by his side stands out for him because it would be on this trip that his greatest moment of service would take place.

“When we were able to get everyone out of there and I had that chest bump, I’ll never forget it,” he said proudly. That feeling was reinforced by the fact that he held a leadership position — a position he said not many military personnel find themselves in.

“There weren't many like me, but I could still lead, work with the team and do what we needed to do to accomplish the missions we were sent on.”

Captain Steadman would serve his country for a total of ten years before his career was over. He also excelled in boxing during this time. A childhood fan of the late the late Muhammad Ali, Steadman would win three national boxing championships and be named Most Valuable Boxer twice. Through this sport he feels connected to champions of the past.

"Aside from Ali, the older days of the sport really speak to me. Guys like Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson, those guys were real men and icons," he explained. His Connection to boxing and fitness stuck with him long after he started winning titles. Nowadays it's part of him.

"Since then, boxing has been my personal anchor. I train hard and fight hard. I try my best to train every day, even if it's just 30-45 minutes by hitting the heavy bag and running on the treadmill."

This love of boxing, combined with his experience in the military, helped Steadman transition to the next big challenge in his life, business. Steadman runs both IRONBOUND Boxing Academy and IRONBOUND Media in Newark. NJ. His gym, which houses his boxing academy, serves a very important purpose.

"Boxing reaches poor kids in a way that other sports don't. They spend time learning discipline, they train, learning determination and resilience. If we only use this for professional boxing, it's a missed opportunity. To me, it's a great sports program for youth and young adults that can help them become champions inside and outside the ring."

Steadman is also the host and producer of several podcasts includingConfessions of a Native SonandThe transition.He hosts the latter podcast for Bunker Labs, a veterans nonprofit focused on empowering veterans and military spouses to become entrepreneurs. Both shows give him the opportunity to connect with and educate other veterans who want to excel after service. He is also looking forward to his latest show, Dog whistle branding.

“It’s a no-frills marketing and branding guide for veterans who want to own businesses,” Steadman shared.

It's obvious that the man from New Jersey and Texas is aware of his role in both the economy and society. He thrives in the leadership role, which can be attributed to his leadership role his fellow Marines in missions around the world.

“Just like we’re taught in the military – it’s about extreme self-reliance and taking responsibility,” he explained. “In the military, we were taught to help our team and work toward a common cause.”

Between serving his country, his work in boxing, and his contributions to podcasting, Steadman has made a profound difference in many people's lives, and it hasn't gone unnoticed. He expressed that he is happy to be in the position he is in so that he can pass on what Mr. Chriss and Mr. Wert have done for him.

"It was pretty humiliating. I'm not a billionaire and you didn't see me on the cover of."Forbes, but what stands out to me most is that I am a social entrepreneur. I don't mean this to be cheesy, but I came into entrepreneurship with the vision of starting an amateur boxing program," he said. "It takes the same courage get into the boxing ring that it takes to start a company.”

For more information about IRONBOUND Media, please visit www.ironboundmedia.com.

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