Lifestyle

“Mike the Connect,” AKA Mike Alexander has Gained Legend Status for Connecting Artists with Opportunity

Published

3 years ago

June 10, 2022

What is the one thing Steve Aoki and Floyd Mayweather have in common? Aside from their relentless ability to remain in the spotlight, these two women have both worked with the same tireless entrepreneur and industry connector: Michael Alexander AKA “Mike the Connect.” An entrepreneur and entertainment industry specialist by trade, Mike has dedicated his life to connecting the entertainment world’s brightest stars with sponsorships, events, and one another. While Mike gained most of his success behind the scenes in the entertainment industry, his unique ability to connect with others has quickly catapulted him into a spotlight of his own.

During his 10 years in the entertainment industry, Mike has traveled to over 70 countries as a full-time entrepreneur. Having made the essential connections that could possibly help expand a brand or audience, Mike has worked behind the scenes with names like Steve Aoki and Floyd Mayweather. Mike’s Instagram account depicts him backstage with Justin Bieber, handling Elon Musk’s flamethrower, and boarding a private jet for a client.

The role of the industry’s go-to connector isn’t all fun and flamethrowers, and Mike regularly encounters serious obstacles when trying to connect with new artists: “One of the biggest obstacles is making an artist feel comfortable enough to trust that my best interests are always my highest priority.” A lot of artists are taken advantage of and find it hard to believe that I am trying to help them grow their business and their brand.”

Mike believes that the best way to gain the trust of his clients is to put in hard work and produce results. Mike prefers to put his nose to the grindstone and start producing results right away, rather than talking big or flashing shiny deals before potential partners. Mike’s work ethic, combined with his seemingly innate ability to unite even the most dissimilar strands of humanity in the entertainment business, has allowed him to form relationships with many of the world’s biggest stars.

Mike’s words reflect his work ethic perfectly when asked what advice he would give to those interested in following his career path. “My advice for anyone that may be trying to enter the entertainment business, is to do your research on every angle of the business so that you truly understand what you’re diving into,” says Mike. “A whole lot of people think that this business is just hanging around with celebs, partying, and traveling the world, but it’s not as easy as it seems. You will be putting in a lot of long work days, especially when you are touring, and you have to be prepared for that non-stop aspect of the job.”

Of all people in the entertainment business, Mike the Connect knows what it means to work long days on tour. Mike currently works alongside names like Steve Aoki, who has broken the Guinness World Record for most days spent touring five years in a row. While touring the world may seem like the experience of a lifetime, Mike knows that every day on the road is grueling work both for the artist and those around him. Mike has to stay one step ahead at all times, understanding the local music scene and keeping up to date with all industry trends.

In the midst of the current pandemic, however, even Aoki’s tours have slammed to a halt. As Mike puts it, “a lot of touring and events are on pause at the moment, but that doesn’t mean that I stop connecting. Instead of touring, I’m shifting my focus to connecting artists with other artists, helping them produce some incredible projects together while the world is on pause. My hope is that these collaborations allow musicians to bounce back even faster after COVID-19, showcasing big names and bringing new artists into the mainstream.”

In other words, not even coronavirus has slowed Mike the Connect down as he continues to connect artists the world over. Although Mike may not appear on stage next to Aoki or in the ring with Mayweather, his expertise and connections allow such artists and athletes to take the spotlight and share their talent with the world. Alongside Mike, the next generation of artists and athletes is ready to take the spotlight with his help.

Looking for more behind-the-scenes content from your favorite artists?

Follow Mike the Connect on Instagram and Twitter for the latest news and exclusive backstage clips.

Lifestyle

Derik Fay: The Quiet Architect of Impact-First Entrepreneurship

Published

1 week ago

May 8, 2025

Michelle Langton

In an era where noise often overshadows results, Derik Fay is quietly shaping a different kind of legacy — one built not on showmanship, but on undeniable substance. For more than two decades, Fay has engineered the rise of over 30 companies across industries as diverse as real estate, technology, healthcare, and entertainment. Yet his name rarely leads headlines — not because he hasn’t earned it, but because he never needed it to validate his success.

Growing up in Rhode Island, Fay learned early that the world rarely hands out opportunity; it must be seized, created, and multiplied. While many of his peers pursued traditional paths, he took a risk that would define the rest of his life: at just 22, he founded 3F Management, a venture firm with an entirely different mission — to build companies that would outlast trends, outperform markets, and, most importantly, out-impact their competition.

Instead of obsessing over short-term wins, Fay approached entrepreneurship like a craftsman. Much like Henry Ford, who famously said, “A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business,” Fay built companies that weren’t just profitable — they were purposeful. Every venture was designed to create real, sustainable value, both for shareholders and for the communities they served.

Through his relentless focus on structure and leadership, Fay’s ecosystem of businesses now touches thousands of lives daily — from employees finding new opportunities to entrepreneurs gaining the mentorship they never had before. But unlike typical moguls who boast about headcounts, Fay views every job created as a ripple in a larger mission: empowering individuals to write better futures for themselves.

Where others have scaled fast and crashed harder, Fay’s model thrives on foundations few are patient enough to build anymore. His method is slower, smarter, and almost surgical: find what others overlook, fix what others fear, and grow what others abandoned too early. It’s this principle that led him to not just build companies — but to resurrect them, reimagine them, and sometimes even walk away if the mission no longer aligned with the impact he envisioned.

Fay’s philosophy extends far beyond boardrooms. Philanthropy isn’t a checkbox at the end of his success story — it’s embedded into the way he scales. His ventures are built with giving back written into their DNA, from local community initiatives to broader mentorship platforms that help emerging entrepreneurs get their first real shot at success. His life’s work is proof that wealth and generosity are not mutually exclusive — they are, in fact, essential partners.

Today, while newer generations of entrepreneurs hustle for likes and magazine covers, Fay’s name is whispered in rooms where real power moves. His reputation — built quietly but relentlessly — is that of a man who delivers, builds, and elevates without the need for public validation.

In a business world increasingly built on spectacle, Derik Fay reminds us that the most lasting legacies are forged not in the glare of the spotlight, but in the thousands of lives changed quietly along the way.

For more insights into Derik Fay’s ventures and philanthropic efforts, visit www.derikfay.com and follow him on Instagram @derikfay