About

WHAT IS EDSPIRA AND WHY IS THIS ALL FREE?

Hi, I’m Michael, the creator of Edspira.

When I was 17 years old, I lived by myself in a campground.  I experienced physical abuse as a child, such as being knocked unconscious and having my face scarred, so I didn’t have many people in my life who cared about me.  I struggled to get by, living without running water or heat during the winter and eating Spaghetti O’s out of a can.

Sometimes I wondered if my whole life would be like that, just barely making a living and going to bed cold each night.  I dreamed of a better life, and told people I would one day graduate from college.  Unfortunately, people told me that my dream was not realistic.  Some people even said I was a bum and would never amount to anything.

But I didn’t let other people’s opinions bring me down.

I plugged away at my education, attending 3 different community colleges over a period of 8 years.  In 2004 I finally earned an associate’s degree, which was one of the proudest moments of my life.  I was fortunate to meet several inspiring mentors who encouraged me to continue my education, and today I have 7 college degrees – including a PhD from Washington University in St. Louis.

I now teach at the University of Illinois at Chicago and am privileged to have a wonderful wife and 4 playful cats.  But I have not forgotten my roots, and want to ensure that all people have access to a high-quality business education.  This is why I created the Edspira video tutorials, the Scheme podcast, and my email newsletter.  Education changed my life, and I want to use whatever time I have left to change the lives of others.

I want to make sure you get the chance to achieve your dreams.  No matter where you were born, no matter how much money your parents made, no matter what your gender, race, or ethnicity, I believe in you, and want to see you do great things with your life.

You can contact me anytime by clicking here.