February 1, 2016

It’s only natural that Mike Baio would be the February spotlight. In February 2014, Mike and I enjoyed breakfast at First Watch so we could discuss his family’s real estate needs. Just a few months later, they closed on their dream home in the beautiful Wekiva community. Mike has also been an invaluable resource for me as he’s a top notch technical recruiter. Without further adieu, meet Mike Baio.

Name:

Mike Baio

mike baio

Company, Position and brief job description:

Green Key Resources
Executive Director
Green Key is a full-service Staffing, Recruiting and Executive Placement firm. We also have several divisions, like IT, Pharma, Office Support, Financial Services, Accounting and Finance and Healthcare. I am responsible for the IT Recruitment division. We focus on Information Technology positions of all levels, including temporary, contract, contract-to-hire and permanent placement

Family:

I have been married for 21 years to my beautiful wife, Kaylene. We have four children:
Mike – High School Baseball Coach
Nicholas – Freshman in college studying Mechanical Engineering and he works at Rebounderz
Jensen – High school junior who is on the dance team and the track & field team
Max – Middle school student

baio family

What do you do in your spare time? Provide a fun fact about yourself.

I am a yard work maniac. I love spending time in the yard planting, pruning and landscaping. My family was featured on the fyi Network’s 2015 show Outback with Jamie Durie, episode 3 – http://www.fyi.tv/shows/outback-nation/season-1/episode-3. It was an amazing experience. They spent a week at our house and with a budget of $100,000 they installed a basketball court, octagonal deck that seats 12, boardwalk, vertical garden and hundreds of plants and trees. It required hands-on work of the family and it was one of the most tiring weeks of my life.

What 3 bits of wisdom can you share with others?

Put yourself in other’s shoes
Be patient
Don’t compare yourself to others

If Hollywood made a movie of your life; who would you like to see play the lead role as you?

Billy Crystal – He’s a really funny guy and I have been told I look like him. My favorite movie of his is Running Scared

What is your favorite place to eat?

Caps on the Water

What are you passionate about?

My family – I am so lucky to have the family I have and I thank God for them every day.

If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the Title should be?
Never Give Up

What is the biggest challenge you have faced and how did you overcome it?

Starting the IT Division for Green Key Resources – We started the IT division from scratch 5 years ago with an empty database. There were 4 of us. We succeeded by surrounding ourselves with good people and working harder, not smarter.

What is your favorite app, social media outlet, or newspaper/magazine?

I scan through The Huffington Post and the Drudge Report daily and read at least 5 or 6 articles from each. Both are invaluable tools for getting the news behind the news. There is too much Dem vs. Repub for far too long and this attitude isn’t helping. I like to read different points of view and learn about the history / backstory of different situations/topics and then come to my own conclusion.