Michael Klassen is a seasoned media professional and the visionary co-founder of the 5AM Podcast, which he established in 2019 alongside Susan Klassen. With extensive experience spanning broadcast television, video production, and project management, Michael brings a wealth of industry knowledge to his role as host and producer.

As the voice behind the 5AM Podcast, Michael is dedicated to helping listeners thrive through purposeful early rising, cultivating gratitude, and developing an abundance mindset. His engaging interview style and practical approach to personal development have made the podcast a valuable resource for those seeking business insights, lifestyle improvements, and motivational guidance.

Michael's background in broadcast television has equipped him with exceptional storytelling abilities and technical expertise, allowing him to create high-quality content that resonates with audiences. In 2025, Michael & Susan expanded the 5AM Podcast platform to include audio-visual episodes available across major platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

A collaborative leader, Michael has worked alongside talented teams with collective experience in freelance writing, marketing, and entrepreneurship. Together, 5AM Podcast regularly publishes enriching content featuring insights from guest writers and industry experts.

Michael's mission extends beyond just podcasting—he's committed to providing practical tools and inspiration that empower people to seize each day and live their most fulfilling lives. Through the 5AM Podcast, he continues to build a community centered around personal growth, intentional living, and the transformative power of productive mornings.

Website:

• www.5ampodcast.com

Welcome to 12 Minute Converse with Jesus Believers.

God chose first to have a conversation with us, his creation.

Our prayer is that this listening space brings growth and transforms your life forever.

Praise God for you, Michael.

It's such a great pleasure to connect with you.

What part of the world are you in today?

Ah, yes.

Well, I live in southern Alberta, Canada.

So if people know where Banff and Calgary is, we're a few hours away from Banff.

To the south, we're just north of the Montana border.

And we live within an hour's drive of the ski hill.

So in the wintertime, we can head out to the mountains and enjoy the winter slopes.

We love being outdoors, and so we're thankful to live in a very beautiful part of the country.

If not the most beautiful part of the country, if not the most beautiful part of the world.

I had the opportunity to drive from Calgary to Vancouver, and I remember thinking to myself, how is it possible for someone not to believe in God when you're seeing what I'm seeing?

My wife and I have made that drive many times, and it's much preferable to flying.

When we did the 48 States and Canada road trip.

Yes.

I looked at that block continuously thinking, okay, 14 hours.

Oh, that has to be a huge pull, right?

14 hours, 14 hours.

And then I got there and it felt, and this is not an exaggeration, it felt as though I drove for two hours max.

Yes.

And you don't want it to stop.

It's fun to get to the coast, but the drive is so picturesque and so many waterfalls and the residue of mountain landslides and animals.

Yeah, the water falling, the snow melting.

So you've done it more than once.

I've only done it once.

Does it get boring at any point?

No, no.

And the beauty of the different scenes.

So we've driven it in February, in the middle of winter following.

The Lord really directed our steps on that trip because it's like we were behind the storm.

And so that was February.

We've done it in November.

We've done it in middle of summer, springtime.

And you, in the wintertime, you definitely have to pick when you want to go because the snow is going to hit you.

And there's something called the Pineapple Express where a lot of moisture comes up from Hawaii and hits the West Coast of Canada.

And there's a place called Blue River that's north of the route that we're talking about.

And they'll get 10 feet of snow through the winter.

Yeah, it was absolutely amazing, my friend.

I mean, just the blue of the river, it was nothing.

There's nothing I could compare the entirety of the drive of the 48 states and Canada to that experience.

The one thing that I didn't get that I wanted to see was a beer, right?

But didn't see a beer.

But in no way that I could say I wasn't full past the cup overflowing of experiences.

It was absolutely an amazing experience.

Yes, yes, 100%.

We're so blessed by the Lord to have that little pocket of creation right there.

So tell me about your podcast, Michael, and the 5am podcast, and how you came about actually deciding that after the experience of a 5am routine, that you would go and actually do a podcast.

Yes, well, it starts with the Bible verse in Proverbs that says he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

And so there was a period, multiple periods, pardon me, excuse me, sorry about that.

There's been multiple times I would say where my wife and I have, we've been looking for refreshment.

And we love the scriptures.

We know there's one book of Proverbs for every day of the month.

And this verse, we thought, well, if we need refreshing, there's other people that need refreshing.

And so if we refresh others, then we ourselves will be refreshed.

And so we bought the domain name back in 2019 for 5am podcast, Step of Faith.

Didn't have the equipment, but we knew we could start writing blog posts.

And we both liked to write.

I was working in television broadcasting at the time, or no, I hadn't started yet.

I was doing some freelance work and some residential construction.

And yeah, we just needed some blessing and some refreshment in our lives.

We bought that.

So it would have been either the end of 2018, beginning of 2019.

Within six months, then I started working at a Christian television station, which was a huge blessing for us.

And we kept just kind of acquiring.

We knew that eventually we wanted to do the audiovisual side of 5am podcast.

And the opportunity came when my position was terminated at the end of October 2024.

And that was a shocker, because I thought, the Lord did not give me direct insight that my job was going to be terminated.

The Lord had told me in April that there was going to be some layoffs coming.

I did not know that He was talking about mine, because mine was one of the first that came along.

And so the Lord prepares the heart and He prepares the way.

In fact, the Lord had given me a dream in September that I was going to ask for a raise and for the review that was coming up.

And the Lord said, no, take your boss's offer, it'll be better.

And I said, okay, I will wait.

And I didn't get a performance review.

Instead, I found out that my job was being terminated and I was able to say the Lord prepares the heart and He prepares the way.

And so Susan and I said, well, now it's time to do what our plan and our goal was, which is to start 5am podcast as people see it today.

And what a blessing it has been.

What a blessing.

And we want to share that blessing with other people, that hope that we have in the Lord.

And that's why we love to share stories of transformation, people overcoming things, people finding out how to make a business work, people finding out how to make their lives better, and to bring hope to those around them.

Tell me about your wife and what was her path to actually supporting you with what you were doing?

Yes, yes.

Yeah, very thankful for my wife, Susan.

And we had worked together many years ago in broadcasting.

We went to Bible college together.

That's where we met and got married after that.

And she's been a great support.

So very thankful for each other.

And I book the guests and get the questions and the research together and interview, but that's where it ends for me.

And then Susan picks up the torch and takes care of the graphics and a lot of the posting.

And so we work very well together and very thankful for that.

And so we both have a valuable component of getting the word out and the message out.

And she's also good at correcting my spelling too, because that's an issue that I have always had.

So good to have a proofreader in the house as well.

What is it like when it's time to edit the podcast?

Is she helping you improve the way you speak as well?

Does she do that?

No, she doesn't.

She doesn't really focus on that.

And I did a lot of script writing and some in front of the camera stuff when I worked in broadcasting.

So I'm very thankful that that's something that I love and enjoy.

And then we use Riverside.

So that's really helpful with the editing.

So how did you even get into podcasting?

What was the thing that pushed you over into podcasting versus going the traditional route?

Well, I would say I read a book called Loudest Voice in the Room, and it was an autobiography of the fellow that started Fox News.

The name escapes me.

I can picture the book cover in my mind.

And it was about how television basically destroyed newspapers.

And even in my broadcasting career, I was constantly talking to those above me and around me about social media and how we really had to formulate a plan to win the social media podcasting world.

And nobody really listened to me.

Or they would listen, but they didn't seem to act on the advice that I gave them.

So I knew that when my job had terminated, that podcasting was the way to go.

And one of the reasons for that is people are tired of the false idols on the silver screen.

They see the Instagram-ready, camera-ready faces.

They see the superstars on the red carpet.

And COVID kind of decimated even the film industry and the television industry.

And people want something that's real and tangible.

And I think that's why there are so many podcasts, because people have stories to tell, but also people want to hear a story from an actual person, not somebody that lives in a $27 million mansion and has had three spouses and five affairs.

They want someone like them that has trouble paying the bills, that has to go away to work, that has a life that they want to build and they don't know how to build it.

And they're tired of the silver screen lies.

What's been a life-changing experience of doing the podcast?

Oh, all the wonderful people that the Lord has brought to my path.

The number of people that I've met, the relationships that have been built, and just seeing how people have paid no attention or they paid attention to the trauma or the health crashes or the grief.

They understand that it's there, but they're not going to let that evil or difficulty or wickedness run their lives.

They're going to look for abundance and joy and peace through whatever those storms in life were.

And they're ready to face the day with a mindset of abundance and love and joy.

You talked about you and Suzanne going to Bible school.

How did you come to meet Jesus?

Oh, well, I was probably, I was in between five and six years old, growing up with parents that loved the Lord and wanted us to love the Lord.

And so my parents, we had this hi-fi cabinet, so it's about six feet long.

It's probably about two feet high.

It's this wood cabinet that had a record player and a radio in it.

And so we would listen to this show called Back to the Bible.

And this fellow Warren Wearsby was talking about a life following Jesus and serving Jesus and knowing who he was.

And so we were listening, me and my brother Daryl, kneeling in front of it, as we often did.

Thankfully, the television was off and we were focused on this.

And I asked my dad how to do it.

And he said, well, just follow the man's instructions and do what he tells you to do.

And that's how I asked the Lord Jesus to be, well, into my heart, but also to be my Lord and Savior and to guide me through life.

If you're listening to this conversation five years from today, message in a bottle comes back to you, right?

What's a message you'd leave for future you?

For future me, I would say Proverbs 3, 5, and 6.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding.

In all your ways, acknowledge him and he will direct your paths.

He will make them straight.

In closing, is there anything else you'd like to share with our amazing audience?

Yeah, just trust in the Lord with all your heart, mind, and soul.

Michael, a pleasure, a treasure.

Thank you for being on What Is Inspired by 12 Minute Converse.