Michael Smoak

As a child Smoak was overweight and struggled with body image; he later became fit and came to see the importance of showing up for himself.⁠[1][2]

Publishing health, fitness, and nutrition content on social media as HigherUpWellness, he has hosted The HigherUp Podcast since 2024. The show’s stated mission is “to share easily implementable ways to improve your life,” breaking complex health concepts into low- or no-cost steps through solo episodes and guest interviews.⁠[3][1]

On January 12, 2025, episode 113 of the podcast The Journey with Clayton Nelson, titled “Michael Smoak: How ‘HigherUp Wellness’ Was Created,” featured him discussing his path from being unhappy and overweight to working in health and wellness, along with daily habits, workout principles, and staying motivated.⁠[2]

On March 23, 2026, Hard Knocks Business published a short filmed in Austin, Texas, titled “2.1 MILLION FOLLOWERS How did he do it?”. The host addressed him as Michael and the description tagged his account @higherupwellness; the interview covered building a personal brand, becoming a better speaker, the biggest risk he had taken, and his father’s influence.⁠[4][4]

In the video he said that about three years earlier he had left a stable, well-paying job to bet on himself, and that he had not missed an upload in over two years.⁠[4][4]

He recalled recording a series of podcasts with his father during the last four to six weeks of his father’s life, asking what he would want to say on his wedding day and to his grandchildren; he said his father would say to him every day on the way to school to be a good person and the kind of friend a friend would want to have, which he tied to the Golden Rule in the Bible and his Christian faith.⁠[4][4]

On March 25, 2026, he spoke at the University of Florida’s University Auditorium in a Q&A-style panel hosted by the ACCENT Speakers Bureau. He was then 28, had been a health content creator for over two years, had founded a coaching community offering workout plans and coaching calls, and his podcast had more than 800,000 Instagram followers.⁠[1]

Under the slogan “Success is simple,” he encouraged students to find their “floors,” daily actions they can sustain, rather than chasing unrealistic “ceiling goals” such as the 75 Hard challenge or carnivore diets.⁠[1]

He said that a person’s innate essence is what makes them stand out, and that authenticity is the edge (video at 00:08).⁠[4]

He said public speaking and communication are like a callus that develops over time, that fear of speaking is really a fear of perception, and that overcoming it lets you have whatever you want in life (video at 00:22).⁠[4][4]

He advised anyone starting from zero to do the obvious thing, posting every day without missing, since creating a thousand pieces of content builds skill and an audience, and “repetition builds reputation” (video at 01:08).⁠[4][4]

Pointing to his father’s regret at the end of his life about not spending more time at home, he urged people to empty the tank on their lives and take risks so as not to be left asking “What if?” (video at 01:27).⁠[4][4]

His HigherUp Wellness website, under the tagline “It isn't easy, but it is simple. Don't overcomplicate it.”, offers the e-book Lifestyle Protocols Playbook and the paid HigherUp Coaching Community on Skool, which includes a training app, 12-week workout plans, and live coaching calls.⁠[5]

Personal website: https://higherupwellness.com/ (opens in a new window).⁠[5]

Instagram: Public account: https://www.instagram.com/higherupwellness (opens in a new window).⁠[5]

LinkedInLinkedInLinkedIn is a social networking platform for professionals. It was founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman and others, launched in 2003, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2011; after Microsoft acquired it for approximately $26.2 billion in 2016, it became a wholly owned Microsoft subsidiary. Its revenue comes from membership subscriptions, advertising, and recruitment solutions.Open the full entry: Public profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-thomas-smoak/ (opens in a new window).⁠[5]

YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry: Public channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu__phIWSW2OjigUscTEAGg (opens in a new window).⁠[5]

TikTok: Public account: https://www.tiktok.com/@higherupwellness (opens in a new window).⁠[5]