"Create Exponential Growth, Through Virtue Driven Leadership and Strategic Focus, Fueled by Ancient Monastic Principles."
Mike Ferrell is an award winning author, speaker, leadership and strategy coach and Benedictine Oblate who transforms ancient monastic wisdom and faith into powerful tools for modern strategic business growth.
Welcome to an Ancient Approach to Leadership & Strategic Growth
Think Strategically, Plan Effectively, Lead Virtuously, Improve Relentlessly, and Deliver Authentically—Fueled by Ancient Monastic Principles, Faith-Based Wisdom, and Positive Leadership.
In today’s fast-paced and ever-evolving business landscape, true success isn’t just about growth—it’s about sustainable leadership, strategic execution, and purpose-driven excellence. I help executives, entrepreneurs, and teams integrate faith-based wisdom, positive leadership, and proven organizational principles to unlock their full potential and build thriving, mission-driven businesses.
Through executive coaching, group coaching, and leadership training, I guide leaders in strategic thinking, disciplined planning, ethical leadership, continuous improvement, and authentic execution. My coaching framework is built on The Monk Principles, ensuring that you lead with clarity, resilience, collaboration, innovation, and authenticity, all while grounding your business in values that inspire long-term success and fulfillment.
The Monk Principles: A Blueprint for Leadership & Success
Grounded in the wisdom of ancient monastic traditions, strengthened by faith-based values, and reinforced by positive leadership and modern business strategy, The Monk Principles offer a transformational framework for business and personal growth. These five pillars help leaders develop long-term success, fulfillment, and impact while creating workplaces that foster dignity, excellence, and purpose.
1. Strategic Mindset → Think Strategically
Every great leader must first cultivate clarity of purpose, adaptive thinking, and long-term vision. Inspired by the wisdom of faith traditions and positive organizational scholarship, I help leaders navigate uncertainty, embrace innovation, and make high-impact decisions that drive sustainable growth and serve a higher purpose.
2. Stability → Plan Effectively
Just as monastic communities have thrived for centuries through discipline, structure, and perseverance, businesses must build strong, values-driven foundations for long-term success. Stability means faith-driven decision-making, ethical leadership, and consistent execution, ensuring that you have the right framework to turn vision into reality while staying true to your principles.
3. Community → Lead Virtuously
True leadership is about serving others, fostering trust, and creating a culture of dignity and respect. Rooted in faith-based values and positive leadership principles, I help leaders build mission-driven communities where people feel valued, heard, and empowered. By leading with integrity, generosity, and empathy, you cultivate a high-performing culture that thrives on collaboration and purpose.
4. Excellence → Improve Relentlessly
Excellence isn’t about perfection—it’s about commitment to continuous improvement and creating value beyond profits. Leaders and organizations that thrive are those who pursue growth, innovation, and disciplined execution while upholding ethical standards. By embracing a learning mindset, refining processes, and fostering a culture of excellence, you drive breakthrough performance and lasting impact.
5. Profound Hospitality → Deliver Authentically
Faith-based traditions emphasize radical hospitality—the ability to welcome, serve, and delight others with authenticity and care. Whether engaging customers, employees, or partners, delivering with authenticity fosters stronger relationships, deeper connections, and a culture of service that stands out in any industry. Businesses that embody servant leadership and genuine care not only succeed but also create a lasting legacy of impact.
Unlock Your Full Potential
If you're ready to align purpose with performance, strengthen leadership, and build a thriving business rooted in faith and excellence, let’s begin the journey.
Whether through executive coaching, group coaching, or leadership training, I provide the tools, insights, and accountability you need to transform your leadership, scale your business, and make a lasting impact—all while staying grounded in the values that matter most.
“We really appreciated the opportunity to partner with Mike Ferrell as he took our top leadership group through his Monk Principles. He is very knowledgeable of business and leadership principles, but also in tune with Catholic/Benedictine ways of thinking and working in the world. He was a big help in initiating fresh thoughts and steps for Madonna as we strive to reconnect our rehabilitation work with our Catholic Benedictine heritage.”
Creating Positive Deviance
Much like sunflowers naturally turning toward the sun, the Heliotropic Effect highlights how all living organisms, including humans, are instinctively drawn to positivity and light. When we harness this effect within a business or organization, we foster positive deviance—where individuals or teams, despite facing the same challenges and limitations as others, adopt unique but effective behaviors and strategies that lead to significantly better results.
The advantages of embracing positive deviance in a business are profound and far-reaching.
“Mike has demonstrated through his many years in business and research that a leader’s sustainable success is a result of the integration of his/her desire and ability to integrate best business practices, understanding of human behavior, and the pursuit of virtue. One does not have to be around Mike for any length of time to observe that this is a way of life for him”
Meet Mike
Mike Ferrell (The Monk Guy) is a Strategic Business Coach, an award winning author, speaker and trainer. Known for his insightful books and teachings, Mike blends business strategy, positive psychology, spirituality and Benedictine principles in his work.
Mike has walked in your shoes. He has been involved in 15 start-ups. For 37 years Mike has worked as a business coach and consultant. He has worked with hundreds of small and medium businesses, Fortune 500 companies, non profits and the U.S. Military. Mike has also faced the ups and downs of a divided life chasing profits and business success to the detriment of his faith, family and community. Several years ago he discovered the principles of The Rule of Benedict and since then has incorporated them into his work and his faith. These principles help guide entrepreneurs and leaders to achieve strategic growth while keeping them grounded on what’s important, faith, family and work.
Mike has training in the Benedictine principles and is a Benedictine Oblate. In addition he has studied philosophy and theology as a seminarian. He is also a certified business coach and trained in Positive Psychology, Positive Organizational Development and Virtuous Leadership.
Get To Know Mike
Mike appears regularly on Steve Azar’s In A Mississippi Minute. Steve is a modern-day Renaissance man, a hit songwriter, Grammy nominated recording artist, music producer, golfer, philanthropist, entrepreneur and now – radio host. His hits include I Don’t Have To Be Me til Monday, Waitin On Joe and One Mississippi, the state song of Mississippi. Steve is the culture and music ambassador for the State of Mississippi.
Mike and Steve talk about everything from golf to food to Steve’s new bloody Mary mix, I Don’t Have To Be Me til Monday Bloody Mary mix to Mike’s Monk Principles and the journey he has been on. Take a listen, I know you’ll enjoy!
“My pal Mike Ferrell “The Monk Guy” has become a favorite for me and my listeners throughout Mississippi and nationwide. How he weaves together morals with business practices so seamlessly, it’s inspirational and moving to say the least and so very insightful. Looking forward to having him on the next time and the next and the next! He’s a special guy.”
Who I Have Served
“I have had the opportunity to work with Mike on several occasions and his knowledge and expertise on leadership, entrepreneurship, and best organizational methods are some of the best I have seen. He has a tremendous amount of experience and practical wisdom that is extremely valuable to any organization. In addition, his unique content and approach to training our team and in the delivery of unique organizational models is a huge benefit to our team and organization that will yield a great deal of success for years to come.”
Mike’s Speaking and Books
Mike Ferrell is a popular speaker and award winning author that frequently speaks to organizations and industry events and groups. If you’re looking for a positive, faith based message in the areas of entrepreneurship, leadership, sales, innovation or hospitality Mike can help.
Mike’s books are: Ultimate Breakthrough Planning:The Business Funnel Approach, The Sweet Spot: Where Business Strategy, Positive Psychology and Faith Principles Converge and Sell Like a Monk: Timeless “Rules” For Modern Selling. All published by Calumet’s Wisdom Editions and available on Amazon. His newest book, More Thriving, Less Grumbling: Monastic Guideposts for Achieving Business and Personal Fulfillment will be released in 2025.
“Mike worked with the Minnesota National Guard to build a strategic plan for our Beyond the Yellow Ribbon program and my copy of Ultimate Breakthrough Planning has been highlighted, dog-eared, starred, underlined, and notes dress up many of the margins. His book assisted me in developing dozens of marketing, PR and recruiting strategies for both government and private projects since I got my hands on a copy. It has a prominent and permanent place in every office I’ve lead. I’m so looking forward to his next book! ”
