“People are the ones that take things from here to there,” Mike says simply. “That’s all. It’s just people. It’s no magic.”
As the founder of Royals Run Club and the creative force behind LoveBars, Mike has built a rapidly expanding movement centered around wellness, active living, and genuine connection. But if you ask him how he went from pulling a single friend out for a jog to mobilizing hundreds of young individuals across multiple cities every Saturday, he will tell you there is no secret formula. It comes down to a deep love for human connection and a relentless, daily commitment to starting from zero.
From Lagos to the Hustle of Houston
The journey to founding one of the most vibrant running communities didn’t start with a grand corporate blueprint. It began with a change of scenery. When Mike relocated from Lagos to Houston, he dropped into a fitness culture that caught him by surprise.
“When I started playing out in Houston, they were running like crazy. That’s how I got into running,” he recalls. What began as a natural habit quickly morphed into something bigger, driven entirely by proximity and momentum. “It was just me building something off what I do already. I pulled one person, the one person became three, three became… that’s how it grew. It wasn’t like a specific moment where I was like, ‘Hmm, I’m about to get hundreds of people running.’ Nah, it was just pulling the next person over and over again.”
For two years straight, Mike showed up every single Saturday. Maintaining that consistency isn’t easy, but he stays locked in by maintaining a short memory regarding his own success. “Whatever I did yesterday doesn’t matter anymore,” he says. “Today, everybody starts from zero. I wake up and I haven’t done anything yet. I have to do something today to feel accomplished.”
Leaving Nothing in the Tank
That same high-octane mindset fuels Mike’s approach to creativity. When it comes to planning events, designing for the community, or launching new initiatives, he refuses to play the long game of hoarding concepts for a “perfect” moment.
“I max out every day creatively,” Mike explains. “One thing I’ve learned to do is give it everything, because I don’t save anything for tomorrow. If I have an idea now, I try to just bring it out right now because I trust that another one will come tomorrow. I won’t save it for a bigger event or a bigger thing. I’ll just knock it out right there and then.”
This relentless execution is exactly how a local Houston meetup expanded into a statewide movement. Royals Run Club organically caught fire, spreading to Austin and Dallas. Mike is quick to shift the spotlight to the core teams on the ground—crediting leaders like Chuma, David, Fulla, and Adrian in Austin, alongside Tito, Noy, Olaka, Salim, and Miriam in Dallas—for keeping the weekly energy alive and proving that the community belongs entirely to the people who show up for it.
Bottling the Environment: The Genesis of LoveBars
Spending every weekend surrounded by runners didn’t just expand Mike’s network; it changed how he viewed himself. He recognized his own innate ability to make strangers feel comfortable, bringing a distinct level of care and openness to the pavement.
It was this exact environment that birthed his newest venture: LoveBars.
“Royals, if you show up, you’ll notice it’s just a lot of people that don’t really know each other, but there’s a level of kindness and care without even really knowing their names,” Mike reflects. “To me, that’s just love. Showing up for people. LoveBars is just a product of the Royals environment, simple.”
A clean, healthy snack brand, LoveBars is Mike’s way of bottling the community spirit of the track and sharing it with the wider world. It represents an active lifestyle that transcends the club itself—a tangible extension of mutual care, wellness, and togetherness.
Ultimately, Mike’s advice for anyone looking to change their life or find their footing is incredibly straightforward: stop overthinking the metrics and just get moving. “For being healthy, you just have to do something. Whether you’re working out, walking, running—just keep doing that. Join Royals or join any community out there. Go out there, meet people. It’s literally free. And yeah, just have a good life.”
Catch the full interview with Mike on What Not TV via YouTube to hear more about the journey behind Royals Run Club and the upcoming launch of LoveBars.
