If you’ve spent any time in the electrical trade, chances are you already know the name Mike Holt. For decades, he’s been one of the most trusted voices in electrical education—helping electricians understand the National Electrical Code®, pass licensing exams, and level up their careers.
Over the course of his career, he’s taught more than 1,000 classes on electrical topics to tens of thousands of students and written hundreds of training books and articles that are widely used across the trade.
At IEC Spark in Phoenix, Trade Hounds’ Jeanette Abrahamsen sat down with Mike to talk about the surprising way his career began, his advice for succeeding in the trade, and why—more than 50 years later—he’s still as energized as ever about teaching electricians.
I’ve been training electricians for over 50 years, and I have a wonderful organization, Mike Holt Enterprises. We produce books, videos, and curriculum for apprenticeship programs, for individuals passing exams, and for people learning the trade. That’s fundamentally what we do.
“I was an electrician, and I got a young girl pregnant when I was 17. I was in a gang in Miami. I wanted to be an astronaut, and now I had to be a dad. A friend of mine lied to get me a job as an electrician, so I had to get a career of some kind.
Then I found out there was licensing and journeyman licensing, and that you could make more money. So I started studying, but there were no books, no videos—obviously, there was no technology. I started studying with a couple of other individuals, and the three of us passed.
But I had been told you couldn’t pass the test because it was rigged. It was all set up back in the ’60s or ’70s, and I didn’t know that. But I passed.
My wife at the time was teaching an adult education class at night. When we passed, we were all shocked—my buddies passed, too. I remember thinking, ‘Man, I feel bad, because these other electricians could get licensed and make more money, but they’re all told they can’t, so they don’t even try. And there’s no training material.’
She said, ‘Why don’t you teach a class?’ And I was like, ‘I’m an electrician, not a teacher.’
“So she said, ‘Come to the university.’ I went there and said, ‘We can advertise it and see what happens.’
My very first night, we met in the cafeteria. I got there early, and I’m sitting there by myself. I was 22 years old and completely freaking out.
People started coming in, and they’re all asking, ‘Who’s the teacher? Who’s the teacher?’ I’m just sitting there. I didn’t even have a mustache at the time—I grew one that night because everyone was so much older than me.
Around then, they had just passed a requirement that inspectors had to be licensed, and a lot of them weren’t. They had a limited amount of time to get licensed.
I ended up with 12 electrical inspectors in my class and 80 students total—my very first class. Within three months, I wrote a book on exam preparation. I still have the original pages with the correction fluid and everything.
Then I became an electrical contractor. I went to the University of Miami for an MBA. I came back and looked at supply and demand curves and economics, and I realized, I think I can do things in training. That's what I felt, the passion to help people. So it started there.
Then I got with EC&M magazine in 1980. I'm still with them 45 years later. I started writing books. Overnight, I became a publisher. So it's been this crazy story.
I didn’t realize that after the very first class I taught, someone contacted me about leaving the school at night—two nights a week for free—and going to work for them on Saturdays.
I went back to my classroom and sat on top of this oak desk, wearing cutoff shorts and a T-shirt straight from the job site. I said, ‘Hey guys, listen, I’m going to be leaving after this semester.’ And they kept saying, ‘You’ve got to go into your own business, Mike. You’ve got to.’
After the break, all the inspectors were telling me I had a gift for teaching and that I should start my own business. So I came back into the classroom, sat back on the desk, and said, ‘Everybody’s telling me I should go into my own business.’ I made up a number and said, ‘If I charge $150, and there are 80 people in this class, how many of you would actually take it?’
Fifty people raised their hands. And I remember thinking, if it had been three people, that would’ve been one thing—but it was over 50.
I went home and did the math. Fifty people at $150 was $7,500, which was about a third—maybe almost half—of my income. So I went back and told them I was going into business on my own. I organized the class and wrote the book for it in three months.
When the first class came around, I didn’t know who was going to show up, so I said, ‘Come to the first class for free. If you come back the next week, then you pay.’
That first night, 50 people showed up. The following week, every single one of them came back and handed me $150 in cash. I went home, went into my closet, took the money, and threw it up in the air. True story. I closed the door and just threw it up like I was rich.
Then I realized I had expenses—I had to pay for coffee, the meeting room, and printing costs. When you first go into business, you don’t realize how many costs are involved. But I had a natural desire to serve.
When I started writing, I wanted to write as an electrician for electricians. That passion is still there today.
I want to reach the next generation. There’s nothing wrong with today’s generation—they want to know what’s relevant right now. That’s why we’re still relevant as a company. I love Generation Z and Alpha. I think they’re cool. There’s a lot of energy there.
I tell Brian, who works with me, it’s crazy because I’m an Instagram guy. You’d think I’d be more of a LinkedIn person, right? I’m not on LinkedIn, I’m not on Facebook, and I’m not on TikTok. I’m into Instagram. I want to see the jobs. I like the energy there—the youth.
I really do feel that connection when I see young people.
I’m still a little confused. They want to take pictures with me, they thank me, and a lot of times they’re crying. They bring their families and show me their kids. It’s a very moving thing, especially when it’s people I don’t even know—people I don’t have a physical connection with—who’ve watched my videos.
I’ll post crazy videos sometimes. the other day I went into a tree, I got all bruised up while mountain biking. I said, “Hey, this is what happened. Don't give up. I'm 74 years old. I'm on fire. No excuses. Let's just keep moving. If you’re not licensed, get your license.’
I post that, and then I’ll get messages saying, ‘Mike, I needed that.’ Even if I can’t physically be in a classroom with someone, I’m still teaching.
Our classes in Florida are typically 700 to 900 people, which is pretty large for most organizations. Some people have been taking my classes for 50 years—still showing up all these years later. It’s a family. I get to connect with them, and the young people are direct messaging me or leaving comments. I still feel that connection.
My daughter asked me a couple days ago, ‘Dad, you’re always on fire, but why are you so on fire right now?’
And it’s true—I’m probably a little more on fire than I normally am, and technically I’m sharper than I’ve ever been. I think part of that is because some of the mechanical work I used to do, I’m not having to do anymore. I’ve got a little more free time.
I told her, ‘I’m bored doing some of those things.’ Now I can explore. I can push. I can do more social media, try new things—and I just get excited.
I’ll tell you how you can make the most money in your entire life. The number one thing you can do to make the most money—people ask me all the time what it is—is to stay healthy.
I eat well. I take care of myself. I’ve always been relatively fit, but my fitness has gone to another level. I’m an eight-time national barefoot water ski champion, and I’m a downhill mountain biker. I’ve always been into that edgy, adrenaline-rush stuff.
But my fitness has improved, and that’s what I’ve been working on. It allows me to think better. I can bend over, twist, do things, make an effort—and it feels like no effort at all.
If people take care of their health—get your sleep, eat well—you’re going to make more money.
For decades, Mike Holt has helped electricians build their skills and advance their careers. His practical, hands-on approach has left a mark on the trade that goes beyond the classroom.
Teaching isn’t just a job for Mike; it’s a way to keep the industry moving forward and make sure the next generation is ready to step up. From his first classroom to thousands of students and followers today, he’s proof that passion and dedication can make a real difference—on and off the jobsite.