Michael Yost is an avid outdoorsman, entrepreneur, scientist, and sometimes armchair philosopher of the human experience. With a career defined by building life science ecosystems—from university incubators to commercial startups—he has spent decades turning complex biological concepts into reality. A true outdoorsman and "student of the game," Michael applies that same rigor to his personal passions, whether he is deep-diving into the physics of golf, hunting turkeys, training in martial arts, or traveling to the remote corners of Botswana and Banff.
While he has authored over 100 scientific publications and holds multiple patents, Field Notes from Life: One Man's Journey from Trauma to Peace is his first exploration of his inner self. He resides in Charleston, South Carolina, where he shares his life with his wife, Kristen, their sons, and their dog, Stella.
meet
MICHAEL YOST
Using real-life observations and reflection exercises, Mike Yost’s guide helps readers navigate trauma, build resilience, and move toward presence—one insight at a time.
from trauma to peace
In Mike's words: Peace is not something that happens to you. It is something you build deliberately, imperfectly, from the inside out.
Mike is the kind of person who can talk about a hunting trip and heartbreak in the same breath, and make both feel completely natural. Wickedly smart, disarmingly honest, and with a gift for expressing things about the human condition that most people feel but rarely know how to say, He writes about it the same way he lives: with humor, humility, and zero pretense. From a duck blind to a boardroom to the hardest chapters of his own inner life, his stories have a way of making you feel less alone in your own.
As a scientist, entrepreneur, and speaker, Mike brings that same openness and hard-won wisdom to every room he walks into — whether that's a corporate retreat, a university stage, or a conversation with someone who just needed to hear that it gets better.
praise for
FIELD NOTES FROM LIFE
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"Field Notes from Life is the book I didn't know I needed. Mike offers the wisdom of a survivor who has walked through Hell and come out stronger and a better person because of it. He writes not from the perspective of an expert who tells you what you need to change in your life. There are plenty of other books for that. What Field Notes offers, instead, is the rawness of the human experience we can all relate to and the reflections of a generous man who nudges readers to consider what we can change and improve in our own lives. Reading this book and engaging with it is a transformative experience."
— Heidi Scott Giusto, PhD
Bring Field Notes from Life to Your Organization or Group
Mike Yost is available for keynotes, workshops, and interactive sessions designed to help individuals men and organizations explore resilience, leadership, and personal growth. Drawing on the lessons in Field Notes from Life, Mike combines personal story, actionable insights, and guided reflection exercises to create experiences that inspire real change.