Q&A with Mitchell Miller, Forty Under 40 Winner 2021; CEO, founder and director, Atlas Power Technologies Inc., Age 38
Who or what is responsible for your work ethic?
I grew up in an entrepreneurial family, my parents having built many different businesses throughout my childhood, some successful and some that for one reason or another were not.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Coffee, lots of coffee.
What is the best book you would recommend?
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.
Now that you are (or are close to) entering your forties, what goals have you set for yourself?
Build APT into a global company that makes a significant impact in our collective clean technology transition, in order to leave my children with a healthier world than the one that I have occupied.
What was your childhood career dream?
Become a chef and travel the world.
Name your happiest place.
Disneyland with my wife and children.
What was your toughest business or professional decision?
Having to fire people I personally care about because of the inappropriate decisions they make.
What advice would you give your 20-year-old self?
Aim higher, focus only on businesses with the core structure to scale and value genuine friendships and partnerships as they are the ones that last and truly matter.
What is your best habit?
Always thinking about my business, which also happens to be my worst habit.
Tell us one improbable fact about yourself.
I have built multiple businesses, worked incredibly long hours and have been married to the same wonderful woman for 19 years.
Best piece of advice ever received?
Always negotiate everything up front, own your own property and improve everything you own.
Biggest learning (about life or business) during the pandemic?
Even during a global pandemic the right businesses will grow and thrive.
What career highlight are you most proud of?
Making a breakthrough with state-of-the-art technology, which has the global mining infrastructure and technical capabilities to give our civilization a clear path to reaching a 100% renewable electrical grid in your and my lifetime.
