The Quantum Shift Ep. 1— Mike Sprouse on Recovery, Reinvention, and Real Discipline

About five or six weeks ago, my life shifted in a way I couldn’t have planned. It started with a casual reconnection with an old colleague. Just a few minutes into the conversation, I admitted to Mike that things weren’t nearly as polished as they might look from the outside. He didn’t push or lecture—he simply recommended a book.

A week later, I finished that book, and something in me changed. I began making real, lasting shifts—decisions that, in hindsight, may have saved me.

That’s why Mike isn’t just my first guest on The Quantum Shift Podcast. He’s part of the reason the podcast exists at all. He reminded me to chase the things that light me up, the conversations that make me feel alive.

That realization was the spark. The Quantum Shift was born out of the need for more of those moments—raw, honest conversations that don’t just pass the time, but change the course of it.

Why Mike’s Story Resonates

Mike has lived a life most of us couldn’t imagine.

• A Division I and professional tennis player at Notre Dame.

• Arthur Ashe Award winner.

• Former executive at Playboy.

• Survivor of a train derailment, a subway shooting, and ultimately, his own near-death battle with addiction.

But what moved me most wasn’t the drama of the events—it was the wisdom that came from them.

Mike shared how Words to Live By emerged almost overnight, sparked by a YouTube series where he reflected on hundreds of quotes he’d collected over decades. He opened up about hitting rock bottom in 2017, being given last rites in a hospital, and realizing that drinking wasn’t the disease—it was the symptom. The real work was rebuilding his relationship with himself.

That’s what a quantum shift looks like. It’s not just about surviving. It’s about waking up and choosing to live differently.

The Gift of Simplicity and Perspective

What I love most about Mike’s story is the way he reframed success. After all the accolades, all the chaos, and all the trauma, he found joy in the simplest things—living on a farm, mowing the grass, caretaking for someone else.

He told me, “There’s more room on the outside than the inside.”

Let that one sink in for a minute. Man - I love that.

Keep up the good work,

Chris

PS - I love this quote from Mike that he’s still developing into a larger project: “Whatever anyone thinks or says about me, they’re right.” A radical way of stripping the ego of its defenses and freeing yourself from the weight of others’ opinions. Kind of blew my mind …