Mike Robertson

Mike Robertson is a professional speaker, writer, musician, and storyteller based in Austin, Texas.

His first book, 'Shiny Spots In The Rust,' was a collection of inspirational and humorous essays which find significant messages in some seemingly trivial everyday objects.

'This Is Where I Came In' is his first novel and deals with a woefully-underappreciated era: the birth of the motion picture industry. "When most people think of silent film, they picture Charlie Chaplin or the Keystone Kops," Mike says. "But the movie business was 20 years old by the time Chaplin stepped in front of a camera." This novel required much historical research and is now part of the permanent collection at the Austin History Center, where Mike did much of the necessary research.

Mike's third book, 'The Pizza, the Peach & the Platypus,' is an accompaniment to his signature keynote speech on creativity. Packed with stories from his fascinating life, this volume is an intensely-readable romp which provides vivid examples of the many different ways we can benefit from learning to think more creatively. The book features a couple of special creative touches, including a secret message "treasure hunt" which will reward observant readers with a unique prize.

"Pearls in the Pigpen" is a follow-up to "Shiny Spots," consisting of mostly short inspirational essays.

In late 2024, Mike published "Rhyme & Punishment," a collection of lyrics from his original songs, as well as a number of humorous poems written to entertain and honor many of his coworkers. It was a surprise to Mike that he had written enough rhyming things to fill a book, but it turned into an enjoyable project which will help his songs and poems endure long into the future.