Photo by Katy St. ClairMike Brothers sits with Dori Grinder in the The Snug at Ty Iechyd Da Distillery.
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Advice and Whiskey with Mike Brothers
We sat down at The Snug with Mike Brothers, Public Relations Manager at Forvis Mazars, to talk about his career, his inspirations and his advice for the next generation.
By Dori Grinder
Mar 2026
Biz 417: What was your earliest inspiration?
Mike Brothers: I knew I wanted to be a writer of some kind. I grew up in the small town of Hannibal, and I was so inspired by Mark Twain. I have always known what I wanted to do, and I recognized later how rare that was. I was very fortunate to be able to jump right into that.
Biz: What’s your work day like?
M.B: I tell my kids, what does Dad do? My wife’s a nurse. She saves people’s lives. I send emails. That’s what I say. Dad sends emails. I feel really fortunate to be part of this national, now international organization, but we have this incredible center of gravity in a few places in the country, one of which is here in Springfield. So I get this great in-person office environment, but I can be on the phone with somebody from the UK or New York or Atlanta, and that growth in my network has been a really fun part.
Biz: What are your top five CliftonStrengths?
M.B: Communication, Includer, Responsibility, Harmony and WOO (Winning Others Over.)
Biz: What’s your advice for younger colleagues?
M.B: Have confidence in yourself. And what you don’t know, seek out a coach or a mentor and say “I need help with this,” and be honest about it. Those are moments when you grow, that’s something that took me a long time to learn because it’s uncomfortable.
Biz: What’s something you’re proud of?
M.B: I’m proud of my family, but some other things I’m proud of are projects that I’ve worked on with other people that will last a long time in our community. Leadership Springfield in its transition to an independent organization is an example. I also had the good fortune to be part of the facilities task force for Springfield Public Schools to help pass a bond issue. I raised my hand. I put my name in the hat. That group helped pass the next bond, and those are physical things, but they’re also intangible things that will help impact our students’ lives for years to come.
Biz: What does community mean to you?
M.B: Community means connecting to real people working on problems together. A Facebook comment section is not a community. An online forum is not a community. We could think it is, but it’s not.
Biz: What are your words to live by?
M.B: Always skeptical, never cynical.
Mike Brothers is Public Relations Manager at Forvis Mazars.
