THE REAL REASON I QUIT MAKING FASTER WITH FINNEGAN! 

Thank you all for the kind words. It really means a lot. Life is good and it's just going to keep on getting better. :)

You will never regret choosing family time over anything else. I’m sure it wasn’t an easy call, but it was the right call.

It's hard as hell to keep pace with a channel this size when you're doing it alone, but making time for yourself and your family is a must, both for them and your own mental health. Keep kicking ass Mike, and take a break when ya need one 🤘

It's one thing to leave a legacy that will be remembered by fans and strangers, it's a whole other thing to leave a legacy and precious memories for those that you love, and more importantly, that love you. Good on you, man. From a fan and total stranger, I am so happy for you and your loved ones.

Happy to hear you're doing better now you've got less on your plate. Don't feel obligated to churn out videos just for the sake of it, so many youtubers are getting burnt out because of it. Do what makes you happy, film when you want to and go for quality over quantity and we'll be right there with you. I've enjoyed so much of your content over the years and happy to hear roadkill is still going and so is the caddy project.

Honestly you are setting an example to so many people. I am 44 and I have burned out twice because I didn't learn my lesson the first time. The culture of work, work, work, hustle, hustle, hustle breaks people and your kids are gonna remember this, not just that you spent more time with them but the lesson you taught them about spending time for themselves and their families when they are all grown up.

Mike, be glad you had clarity to step back from the schedule. As a dad of six, an Emergency Room Nurse, determined motor head and husband, I am well aware of being pulled by the anguish of not being avalible for those lost opportunities with my children. Going to school to furthering my education as well as maintaining a fleet of vehicles, updating the home and picking up an overtime shift to afford all of these things put me on the edge of collapsing. I told myself that those "bedtime stories" are never going to comeback and my oldest, then 13, needed his dad while he matured and my daughters needed a solid figure to base their future husband's on. I changed my job, ended up with a substantial pay raise, didn't have to work any overtime. Decided that I didn't have any real benefits continuing schooling and stopped. For 2 months I was on this mental clarity that felt uncomfortably easy, but it has been such a blessing. That was 7 years ago and ,I can't stress how quickly they grow after that. You are a great dad and husband and will never regret being there for them. Way to go buddy.

I'm glad you recognized it before it was to late man. It was obvious you were burning the candle at both ends a few years ago. So much content only means the family is missing out. Good luck with all your future endeavors.

Thanks for sharing this, Finnegan. We only post about once a month, which is stressful when we watch the channel dip off after a couple of weeks, but it's a sustainable rate that doesn't burn us out. I appreciate hearing your candid view. One of the reasons I left Monster Jam was to spend more time with my family... I was missing out on my kids' sports and weekends in particular. I've been there! Your family will never resent your decision! Hang in there and keep the balance!

6:00 for the quitting talk.

You're a good dude Mike! Don't sweat it one bit. When the kids get older and are well developed and adjusted and good kids, you'll be happy with your decision. You've spread your positivity all over the interwebs, and for that, we thank you! Love ya brother! Keep up the great work!

That kills my twins theory about how you can do so damn much. Glad to hear you are cutting back for the wife and kids, you'll never regret the time spent with your family. Stay happy and healthy Mike and keep up the great content.

Tony Angelo discovered how crappy corporate tv is and ditched haggarty to go solo. Mtod killed roadkill and everything good about what you were doing with David. Locking u into contracts controlling anything u did with copywriting laws and black listing content if u live outside the USA. I congratulate Tony on not going to the dark side and loosing what he has built already free on RU-vid.

I love Newbern and Cotten's Laurel and Hardy antics. I have always enjoyed the way they play off each other!

A genuine man that share his passion in a natural an enjoyable way, really pleasant to watch! I have followed Finnegan and the guys around him for many years now, from Sweden😃 And you have a great voice and the fact you don’t like to hear it recorded is pretty sane, not many “normal” people enjoy hearing and seeing them self recorded.

Hey I appreciate all you have done and sacrificed to make your videos. Long time subscriber and will continue to watch whatever you post. When it comes down to it, you're nothing if you don't have your family behind ya! Keep up with what you are doing all of us will continue to watch and support you Mike. Thank You. Many memories of watching RoadKill with my girls as they fell asleep! ❤

Mike, you did right, you'll never regret shedding the stress of the show's schedule for the stress of being a more involved dad. You're still here and making content that inspires us to follow along and hopefully missing the first day of your episodes because we are out doing our own adventures. Cheerios, cheese & crackers.

Happiness and family is all that really matters at the end of the day. Keep on keeping on and being happy. Will always watch, follow and support. Also I’m the same way with starting stuff it takes off I pass it off. I think it’s a love of the challenge of starting something new making it good and flow then ready to pass off to the ones you trust and start something new.

I can't stress enough how much I look forward to everything you do! You're such a personable and professional guy but still manage to make us laugh and teach us something enlightening every video/episode. Keep up the good work and know I'm here for everything you do, alone or with really anybody, for as long as you put out content. 🤙

It’s weird when you think about it but I have been watching you since 2011 and seen your videos and your life on screen for a decade and more and the thing about you is that not only do you make great content but you are truly a great guy that’s so easy to like. Thanks for everything you do and it’s so understandable that you think about your own family and friends. We truly appreciate you

Mad respect for this man. People capable of this level of self-reflection are rare. I sincerely hope you find the best balance. Keep feeding the beast. Take care of yourself and family first.

Thanks for the explanation Finn! It’s interesting to hear the backstory and behind-the-scenes details of your life. That makes you all the more human and relatable to the rest of us. It’s not always easy to say “no“ when you’ve got a good thing going, but it certainly sounds like it was the wise thing for you to do. Newburn too, for that matter. The struggle of stress is real and the fact that you shared with us your struggle will probably make you all the more popular. God bless, and I look forward to more of your content, both on RU-vid and Roadkill!

Much respect that you put your family first. Thanks for doing what you do. Keep putting out what content you can. Hope to catch you at another event sometime. It was awesome to meet you in K.C. at the World of Wheels. P.S. Thanks for shooting the short video with my buddy's missing water bottle!

I'm here to see you smile and have fun. I enjoy this relaxed video as much as your builds! Take care of yourself, we love you...

Thanks for posting videos here on RU-vid. Although I currently do still have a MTOD account, and probably will as long as Roadkill exists, a lot of my favorites have been getting canceled. It's just nice to have the option for content here on RU-vid.

Sooo much Respect for you and what you have done. ❤Keep killing it sir.🤙

Honestly really like the unboxing videos it's pretty cool to see what people send, the generosity of people around the world amazing

We are getting Roadkill season 6 here in Canada on cable now and we love every minute of it. Good for you taking time to be a dad. I got hurt and the best thing was having time for my kids after working too much for years. Luv your channel and watch everything you start and walk away from lol

Thanks for being so transparent. This message is so important for husbands and dads. While I will miss you in Faster, I wholeheartedly believe you made the right choice. Blessings to you and your family!

I admire you for knowing something needed to change and putting your family first. I do miss you on fwf but 12 volt and Cotten are doing great with it. I hope you would be able to race them again so you can still school them. I love your content on here and don’t mind watching the boxing videos. It’s fun because you give us story’s as well. As someone who want to start a RU-vid channel I like hearing how your learning to balance life. Thank you Finn and keep it up

Totally respect your decision. I grew up reading your articles, watching your shows, seeing you at events. Your content is always entertaining and informative. I’m glad to see you are taking a step back to evaluate what’s more important.

I totally understand how you feel, and it’s honestly refreshing to hear that someone that’s in a better position than I am goes through the same thing. I appreciate your channel, and your work in Roadkill.

We all appreciate all of your hard work and the thousands of hours that you’ve spent making great content. Family is very important too ! If you’re ever on holidays in the Yukon/ Alaska , pls let me know so I can show you some great places to hide out

I can't even imagine how big this channel would be if you were doing all those things on your personal channel instead of making the TV producers millions. Glad you get to do what you love, what and when you want to. Looks like you're having fun now and that's what matters is you getting to enjoy life and not just living to work.💯🤜🤛

I respect your decision very much! I'm a big fan, and with all the other brothers from different mothers, we're sure things will open up in a way that's better for you and your family. Thanks for all the laughter and fun!

Much respect for you Mike . A lot of people like to work too much . You have to remember the things and people that make you who you are and make you feel good . Keep up with RU-vid and Roadkill that's all we need from you . God bless you and your family .

Hey Mike I have worked in television locally all my life, also have produced a few shows. When I first started watching you on tv I thought, how does this guy do it, you were everywhere! People just do not realize how hard it is to do 1 show let alone 3. You and Freiburger have changed the genera for the better. Spend your time the way you like, life is way too short!

You saying spending more time with your family was all I needed.

Glad to hear you are taking time for your kids Mike, they are only small once.

Mike, I have followed you from season 1 of road kill. I am just as entertained watching you unbox your packages as you working on cars. As long as you make content, I will be watching. Stay strong, be with your family and have fun. We all love you brother!

I can relate. I lived in Denver for 17 years and for 13 I worked 2 full time jobs and for 2 of those I worked 3 jobs. I finally burned out and sold most of my stuff and traveled for 10 months. It’s amazing when you work that much how fast your life passes by.

Love you Finn and I understand you need time with your family

The REAL life discussions like getting burnt out is what changes people's lives man. I think everyone at some point or another feels this way and sometimes you can feel alone but you telling your story helps us all. Thank you Sir and God Bless!

Been following you and the rest of the guys since magazine days. Will miss Faster with Finnegan but your mental well being and the time your family gets with you is far mor important and valuable. Thanks for all your hard work and sacrifice it is greatly appreciated

You gotta do what's best for you and yours. For me on the outside, about the time you got back into drag boats and the huge time sink that is with travel and all was about the time the screws got turned just a bit too tight on managing everything.

God bless you and your family. I've loved every show you've done over the years. Its so easy to allow your work life to take priority over every other important aspect of your life. Glad to see that you're adjusting priorities to find that right balance. Keep up the great work.

Dude. So much respect! I am also a father and small business owner, I know were you are coming from. I know how difficult these tipe of choices are, but I also know the relief and regards that come with it. So much respect. A fan always

Good morning Mike! I think we are just happy that you still do RU-vid content.

I always used to say to my wife that I didn’t know how you (and Frieburger) had time to do all the things you do, so it’s no surprise that you had to dial it back somewhere. Well done for recognising that you were burned out and dealing with it. I’m actually glad that Newbern and Cotton have the opportunity to make Faster all their own, they’re funny and do great builds and they deserve the success.

Really appreciate you sharing this, Mike. Maintaining balance has been an ongoing challenge for me. Sometimes I've got a bad habit of letting my mouth overload my back.

Glad you are taking time for family. We enjoy seeing you guys on Roadkill. Love it when you say, Best day at work ever!

You gotta do what you gotta do man. I'm waiting for a lot of people juggling things like this to burn out, Derek Bieri is definitely on that list. I don't know how y'all keep up with the crazy juggling so much stuff. Newbern and Cotten can carry the torch.

Never turn your back on family

Thanks for sharing this. You will never regret the time you spend with your family. I’ve seen “grind culture” ruin people’s lives and relationships. You are absolutely doing the right thing by slowing down and I will keep watching your channel no matter how frequently you post.

Happy to hear you're doing better now! I've burned out 11 years ago and for me it's been quite a struggle. When i was burning out (let's put it like that) i was way to stubborn to admit i was far too tired to do my job and everything else you need to do in life. Then one day i came home from work and i fell to the floor. Got back up and fell down again. Literally collapsed. That was the start of a long difficult time, took me 2,5 years to recover. And like you Mike, i also decided to slow down a bit. I used to work 6 days a week before i burned out, but not anymore. 4 days a week is enough. I'm self employed so 4 days of work, 1 morning of doing the paperwork that comes with self employment and that's it. Before burning out i had a job and i was happy working there. But when i tried to come back during and after recovery it didn't feel good. Don't know if i was scared to fall back into old paterns or whatever but i needed to change things and i ended up being self employed. Long story short: People, listen to your body and have some rest if your body gets exhausted. You don't want to go through that.

Can I email you my ex-wife? And if so, will I get a free sticker?

you and Dave and all the other guys inspire me to have more fun in life and do some projects on my truck to you and the roadkill family thanks for getting me through some tough times I enjoy the channel and understand family is important I’ll always be a fan hope your having fun with your family

I feel ya on the eyeball aging thing. I'm 45 and just got bifocals. It still beats my 35th birthday present, my Young Onset Parkinson's diagnosis. Still doing everything I can on our vehicles and home maintenance. Just gotta keep on keepin' on. Keep the awesomeness coming.

the oddity of capitalism.. once you get rich and famous, everyone gives you free stuff..

Hey Mike, good on you for choosing family over career (although you’re well established anyway). You will never regret being able to spend time with the kids and their interests. Your kids will never forget that their dad was there for them. Good for the “wifey” too!Been a fan since the first episode of roadkill. Best car show s/content ever.

I'm glad to hear that you're taking more time for your mental wellbeing and family. Your true legacy is your family, not your fans. As a fan, I applaud you and all that you have accomplished.

Hey man. You do you. Whatever content you put out, I'll find and watch. I like your builds. I learn things and am entertained every time. Family should be your top priority, don't let anyone or anything tell you otherwise. Enjoy yourself, I'll be here.

Mike, love watching what ever you do. Just remember family are your number 1 priority. Keep making decisions best for you and your family!!

Family is ALWAYS #1. Took me until my 40's to figure out how to put that into practice. It's tough balancing work and family life, and I applaud you for taking the steps needed to put your family first!

Good thing you able to spend more time with your family, you need look after yourself too. Hope you, Dave and Cotton can do something together now and then. Glad you still keeping in touch with them.

I kinda knew everything was fine all along. Everyone is doing the right things and doing them very well. Love all you guys and will keep watching it all.

Keep following your gut MIke. It's great that you have been able to share so much knowledge, fun, and inspiration with us motorheads. So glad that you are reflecting on your priorities in life and selfishly Im glad you sticking with the OG Roadkill!!! Forever forward, never straight :)

Mike, I'm glad you're doing better. Thanks you for talking about this. I've found myself starting to fall into the same over-worked stress-ball that I was last year again. You seem like a really genuine guy, and I'll be honest: it kinda hurt to hear that you were going through this. I enjoy what you put out into the world, but I can't enjoy it if I understand (at least to some extent) what the cost of my enjoyment is! Anyway, you're a grown man. You clearly understand your limits. Thanks for letting us know about them too! I enjoy seeing you when you feel at best! Keep on keeping on man. I appreciate what you bring into the world. It's just really nice to know that you do too...

I went through similar, but with racing. Spent 1000s of hours in the garage, would miss kids school activities, and other family time because I was too busy working on the car either fixing it, tuning it, or getting it ready for a race. It started to take over my life. So I quit. Changed the whole car back to street. Now I just cruise, and race autox once a month for fun. I completely understand the stress. I feel so much better nowadays.

I would sit through a 3 hour mail opening episode. I enjoy listening to your knowledge and stories. Take care.

Mike, thank you for always being such a humble dude. I met you and freiberger at goodguys in Scottsdale a few years back and you guys were very kind to us. Family first man, loved the channel while it lasted.

Very relatable! not with my youtube channel or TV shows but with taking on so much as the head of household and not being able to spend time with the family as much as we want to... Keep on keepin on brother!

It’s all good here with us, your loyal fans as well, Mike. When you get to that point of burnout, you have to step back and look at your life. You made the right decision. Roadkill has been a big part of my life since 2017, and I’m happy you are keeping on with it! Thanks Mike, keep it going, can’t wait for the next Roadkill!

I thank you for the things that you shared about how much work and time goes into starting and keeping a RU-vid channel alive an growing. Thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts about having a channel.

Thanks for sharing the FWF explanation, Mike. Definitely family first! Glad you're still happy making Roadkill as I love the show. You and Freiburger are a total team. I even watch reruns! I think FWF is in good hands with Cotten and 12 Volt Dave!

thanks for the Fun vids and good on ya for making more time w family hope y'all continue to have fun!

Good for you for setting priorities. Truly a great father, host and gentleman.

I totally love watching everything you do, but I am VERY happy you are making time for your family. That time is the most important thing.

Great work, we will support any fun shenanigans you do. Speed parts killer!

You are making good life choices! When I watched "Faster" I always felt that you had an almost impossible amount of work to be done in 2 days, and then with normal setbacks of fabricating anything you had real "drama" that didn't have to be scripted. Thanks to you and Freiburger for traveling through Nebraska once in awhile, because that's about as close to meeting you as I will ever be. Take care and travel safe!

Always put family first and you’ll always win! How u and Dave survived the roadkill stuff is amazing but I remember being worn out after watching a few of them and I had to say…Hell no! That alone was major burn out and I wasn’t even there. Be there for the wife and kids and everything else is a distant second place. Enjoyed all your years of fun stuff!

Family is where its at .. love your candidness and honesty ... were on the earth for a short period - great decision.

Thanks for being you n sharing this with us, I'm 33 n as soon as I had my lil girl I realised screw working full time n took the financial hit to be with her more, I'm happy for you... 4 jobs tho? Roadkill... faster with finnegan.. and this youtube?? What am I missing? Anyone? ❤

Mike,always loved your take on wrenching and safety. Glad you are own a path to give you more clarity. Good luck on future ventures. Northwest Indiana bench racer.

Wow,..Love the honest updates...and so true! Life will pass you by before you know and next thing you are saying goodbye to the kids as they go off to college... Love what you do and keep doing what you do,..Family First, however you need to make that happen.

You dropped it to get time with your family. Enough said right there Mike. Did the same years ago as well, for the same reason, when my daughter was 8, and never regretted it. Husband and dad, to husband and dad. Respect.

I, like many of us, can relate, although I don’t have the luxury of being able to walk alway. Having said that, good for you man. Recognizing that you are missing family and deciding to walk away for the better, good on you. You made the right call. It’s great that the show isn’t a person, it’s the show. Newbern and Cotten are killing it!

Mike, no one can blame you for choosing family first. You have an amazing audience who recognizes what it takes to juggle it all and we’re just glad we still got you and know where to find you! Keep on truckin’ brother..

As long as youre having fun thats what counts the most. Especially in this world we live in now its not easy to just do the things your really love or are passionate about. Be thankful for what u do have because remember someone would always dream to be in your position.

Definitely gotta take time out for yourself and your family! I don't blame you one bit for that. I will continue to support your channel and whatever other shows your on!

Good for you Mike. In the mid 90s, I was fortunate enough to talk with Sam Foose (Chip’s dad) at SEMA about the beautiful 57 Chevy Conv in the Hot Rod Booth. Told me that he built it in his home garage. I asked if he was tempted to work long hours. He said no, family was too important and that he worked M-F 8-5 & never on the weekends. It made a big impression on me then and even now.

Thanks for filling us in with everything, i feel like to many RU-vidrs split and never give a clear answer to what happened.

I fully respect that decision and support that wholeheartedly. I lived all over the Atlanta area for 20 years. Keep up the good work and take care of your family.

We love your work and now you can do anything you want and we will still be happy to follow

FWF was awesome. Hopefully someday that kind of show/format can come back. Really enjoy watching you on roadkill. Your motortrend shows are ones I can put on that my 2 year old will watch. He goes "vroom vroom" all the time when he wants to watch cars. It's easy to understand your perspective here. Big fan of your work. Family always comes first, and you're blessed to be in a position where your job can just be a job and you can focus on family so take advantage! Cotton and Newburn were great too! My son and I do watch the monster truck episode frequently though.

Glad you made the right decision Finn! I too left my main job to start working for myself. Your kids are only young once… it’s important to be there and help raise them. God bless, fan forever!

thanks for the honesty and we don't want to see anyone get burnt out you keep ur head up family first and the pay checks will come.

at 53, I've had a few burnouts, and I still haven't mastered the art of not taking on too much. I do for a while, then my anxiety gets worse and worse, I start being more of an assbutt, the depression hits, and eventually my brain just hits reset. Not having had kids at least means I'm not taking any of it out on them, or neglecting them, but the same can't be said about friends and family. I wish you luck in learning the lesson better than I have. This is the first of your yt shows I've watched in a while, but saw you quit, and wanted to see what was up. Thank you for drawing my attention to something other than the next thing that "needed" to get done. Be well!

Hats off. Grew up with same father and only remember three days of fishing and one week of vacation in a camper. I did learn very good skills from working every day with him but was anti social. Was super dad to my son surfing, fishing and camping our brains out and though I didn't save any money during those years it was worth it. Just worked hard after he grew up and retired at 55 with a boat load of great memories.