For 14 years Mike had positions at Raleigh Cardiovascular Center, Raleigh Community Hospital, Wake Medical Center, Duke University Medical Center, and Veterans Affairs Medical Center. These positions involved working in various capacities in Clinical Exercise, Health Promotion, Cardiac Rehabilitation, and associated research programs. He was an Exercise Physiologist on the team that provided hospital-based, clinical exercise programs. Several of these programs also had research components that served to document the effects of exercise/health promotion on participants.

In 1995 Mike started his career change working with a hands-on builder, who did most all of the carpentry associated with the building of his houses. This included framing, trim, floors, and eventually led to some built-in cabinetry. Prior to these experiences Mike was a hobbyist woodworker, but his skills as a woodworker improved during this period.

Mike also had an opportunity to help out a portable band sawmill operator, which led to the purchase of his own sawmill several years later. During this time, he read a great deal on various woodworking subjects and took several classes, which included a lumber grading class sponsored by NCSU and National Hardwood Lumber Association, and Kiln drying classes at Haywood Community College.

During the process of sawing logs for customers, selling and kiln drying wood, and making custom furniture, a unique niche seemed to evolve that was initiated by seeing some of the work of George Nakashima. His use of natural edged slabs, distinctive butterfly joinery and refined (but rustic) artistic furniture, seemed to be a very good fit for Mike's situation. Several of Mike's customers have been Nakashima admirers. One coined the term "Artistic Sawyer", which describes his style of sawing character-filled logs, to best showcase the results of nature in wood. With the ability to control the full process, from the chain sawing of the tree, to the selection of the sawing faces exposed by the sawmill, including the drying of the wood and the design of the furniture, unique artistically functional pieces of furniture can be created. Additionally, Mike likes to incorporate iron into the pieces, as well as glass, which serves to formalize his work, possibly opening up its acceptance into many architectural styled settings.