From Hustle to Legacy: Mike White’s Entrepreneurial Journey

At the April's Launch Mid-Valley Woodburn Coffee Club, local entrepreneur and venture catalyst Mike White gave a refreshingly honest and inspiring talk about the winding road of entrepreneurship. From early side hustles to managing multiple brick-and-mortar businesses, Mike laid out what it really takes to build something from the ground up —especially when you’re starting with nothing but grit, passion, and a big vision.

The full recording is available (listen here) — just know that it runs long, and you’ll occasionally hear a train rumble and horns through the background. Still, it’s worth the listen for any entrepreneur looking for real talk about the highs and lows of building a business.

Early Hustles and Hard Truths

Mike’s entrepreneurial instincts showed up early—very early. In eighth grade, he got into selling cell phones through a multi-level marketing scheme he didn’t realize was a pyramid scheme. Not long after, he was hosting purse parties for moms in Lake Oswego, selling knockoff designer bags. A few scoldings, a near-legal scare, and one very disappointed grandmother later, Mike learned the hard way that hustle needs a solid foundation.

That early exposure to buying, selling, and (sometimes) crossing legal lines taught him an invaluable lesson: the world of entrepreneurship is full of opportunity—but also full of traps. The difference, he realized, comes down to knowledge, discipline, and doing things the right way.

Climbing the Corporate Ladder Before Jumping Off

Before going full-time into entrepreneurship, Mike spent time at Bank of America, working his way up from teller to relationship manager. He credits this experience with teaching him customer service, sales strategy, and how to have high-stakes conversations with clients and stakeholders.

At the same time, Mike was earning his MBA and started his first formal venture—a nonprofit called High School Options, aimed at connecting students with career exploration and leadership opportunities. Despite its passion-driven mission, the nonprofit struggled financially, and Mike eventually let it go. “It wasn’t making any money,” he said bluntly. “But I learned a lot.”

From BBQ Sauce to Grocery Shelves

The journey took an unexpected turn when Mike found himself in a financial lull while waiting for a corporate contract to go through. Out of boredom—and inspired by a fridge full of half-used sauces—he decided to launch a BBQ sauce company. What started as a side experiment turned into a rocket ship.

Within six months of launching Best Damn BBQ Sauce, he was winning national taste competitions and selling out at farmers markets. Within four years, his products were in over 1,500 stores—including Safeway, Albertsons, Target, Market of Choice, and more than a hundred mom-and-pop shops across America.

But it wasn’t smooth sailing. Scaling the business required enormous upfront investment, and access to capital was hard to come by. Despite thousands in sales, Mike remained cash poor, struggling to find co-packers, investors, and partners fast enough to keep up with demand. A $5 million national rollout was within reach—but without the backing, it had to be turned down.

“There’s not a lot of support for food startups at the stage where you need to scale fast,” he shared. “It’s a capital-intensive game, and the window of opportunity is tight.”

The Human Side of the Hustle

One of the most resonant parts of Mike’s talk was his openness about the personal cost of entrepreneurship. At the height of his BBQ business’s momentum, his marriage nearly fell apart. He was working constantly, often seven days a week, pouring everything into the business and leaving little left for his family. “You're not even here,” his wife told him at one point—a wake-up call that led to marriage counseling and a total reevaluation of how he was managing both time and priorities.

“You can’t do it all at once,” Mike said. “You have to get really good at stacking projects, prioritizing, and managing your energy.”

Through it all, Mike credits one constant force that helped him stay the course: his wife, Nicole. “One of my biggest supporters throughout all of this has been my wife,” he shared. “I couldn’t have done any of this without her. Honestly, I’d probably still be working at Daimler doing product strategy if it weren’t for her belief in me.”

It was Nicole who not only challenged him when he was stretched too thin but also gave him the space—and the grace—to pursue ideas that didn’t always come with quick paychecks or clear outcomes. That kind of support, Mike emphasized, has been the difference between burnout and breakthrough.

Building for the Long Game

Today, Mike and his wife co-own two brick-and-mortar businesses in downtown Salem: Barre3, a fitness studio franchise focused on wellness, and White’s Restaurant, a beloved local diner he acquired—along with the real estate it sits on.

Owning the building was intentional. “That was 51% of the reason we did it,” he said. “For control now, and for retirement later.”

Beyond their businesses, Mike is still giving back. He works with Launch Mid-Valley and the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network to support startups, runs the Mid-Valley Angel Fund, and offers free one-on-one advising to new business owners navigating the early-stage chaos he knows all too well.

A Few Words on AI, Wealth, and What’s Next

Mike also touched on how AI is transforming the way he works. From generating cash flow forecasts and writing investor reports to helping him build an ERP system for manufacturing, he credits AI with saving him time, money, and stress.

“The tools we have now would have saved me tens of thousands of dollars early on,” he said. “It’s changing everything.”

Reflecting on his path, Mike is proud but still hungry. “We’re not rich,” he said, “but we’ll be OK. We’re building assets. And I don’t know if I’ll ever truly retire—I just like doing things too much.”

Final Thoughts

Mike White’s story is a reminder that entrepreneurship isn’t always glamorous. It’s messy. It’s exhausting. It can break your heart—and your bank account. But with enough hustle, faith, adaptability, and support, it can also build a life you never imagined possible.