Meet Mike Bazell | Founder, Director, and Mentor of AYM-Ambitious Young Men Incorporated

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mike Bazell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mike, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
How can I help my community? That was the first question I asked myself when I started having strong feelings of wanting to do more with my life. I always wanted to help more within my community but I had so many excuses why I couldn’t. I chose to stop talking about it and being about it. I did not know where to start but I prayed and I fasted. After discussing my plans with God, my family, and my spiritual leaders, I started walking by faith and never looked back.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have been in the criminal justice field for seven years. I have worked as a counselor, case manager, juvenile probation officer, and adult probation and parole officer. Prior to my criminal justice career, I was in the United States Navy. I decided at the end of my military career that I wanted to help guide young people from going through what I went through, so I decided to go to college to become a juvenile probation officer. During my time as an officer, I saw a need for more resources in my community. In 2018, I started AYM-Ambitious Young Men Incorporated. Its mission is to steer young men on the right path to success. The program provides the basic life skills the young men will need to succeed in life. I am a single father of two young boys, a Criminal Investigator, and a Founder/Mentor for the Ambitious Young Men mentoring program. I wear many hats that keep me busy, but I wouldn’t change a thing. I will continue to help my community in any way that I can. Our motto at AYM is: “I plan to AYM high. I will make mistakes on the way, but I will learn from my mistakes. I will become a successful man.” That motto helps the young men understand that no matter what mistakes they make along the way that they can still be successful if they learn from it and continue to press forward in a positive way.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m not from Atlanta, but when I visit my friends there we visit Harold’s Chicken and Ice Bar on Edgewood. The chicken and waffles are my go-to dish. We also hike Stone Mountain. I love hiking mountains so that’s always a good time. If my friend would visit my city which is Douglas, Ga then I would take them to Taste of Georgia, Fireside’s Pizza Shop, Reed’s Snack and Shack, Holt’s Bakery, and Johnny’s Pizza. I promise they would leave with a full belly. We love to eat in the country. I would like to show my friends how to enjoy the country, so I would turn up the music, fire the grill, and ride some four-wheelers on the dirt roads.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to Shoutout my family who has had my back since returning from California to Georgia in 2014. I was lost and in so much pain, but they helped me get back on my feet. I would like to Shoutout my leaders and family of Greater Destiny International Ministries because without their leadership and love I would have been lost on this journey. I would also give a Shoutout to my friends who I consider family for always support me and my organization. Last but not least, I would like to give the biggest Shoutout to God for guiding me and showing me purpose during the times of my life when I couldn’t see who I was or where I was going.

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Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCchwBPBBzewTiE03S6oxTFg