Rising Stars: Meet Miguel Willis of Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Miguel Willis.

Hi Miguel , please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m from Atlanta — born at Grady and raised on Bankhead. My path ain’t been traditional at all. I came up around music early, working with producer K-Rab and being around records like “Walk It Out” by DJ Unk and “Buy U a Drank” with T-Pain, so I’ve been around real motion and seen how things get built from the ground up.

At the same time, I was learning trades. I’ve got over 10 years hands-on doing electrical, carpentry, and construction work. That’s what really built me — working with my hands, figuring things out, and making things happen for real. That’s what led me to start Coldsteel Tradesmen.

Being a father plays a big part in everything I do too. It keeps me focused and grounded. No matter what I’ve got going on — work, business, or riding — I still have to show up and be present. That responsibility pushed me to take everything more serious and build something solid.

Later on, I stepped into a whole different world with bull riding. It really started for me at JD’s Horse Ranch — that’s where I first got around horses and learned everything from the ground up. That’s where I built my foundation and understood the discipline behind it. From there, I just kept pushing and took it into competition.

Now I’m balancing both — running my business and competing in rodeo. It’s not easy, but I take pride in it. Everything I’m doing is about staying solid, representing where I’m from, and building something real that people can respect.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. One of the biggest challenges has been balancing everything — running a business, trying to grow, competing, and being a father at the same time. There’s only so many hours in a day, and a lot of times I’ve had to figure things out on the fly.

On the business side, I’ve dealt with people not paying, jobs going left, and situations where I put in real work and didn’t get treated right. That’ll test you, especially when you’re depending on that money to take care of responsibilities. But those situations forced me to tighten up how I move, how I deal with people, and how I structure my work.

Even just trying to pursue bull riding coming from Atlanta is a challenge on its own. It’s not a common path where I’m from, so I had to learn a lot without a clear blueprint and prove myself in spaces where people don’t expect to see someone like me.

There’s also the everyday pressure — providing, managing time, staying focused, and not letting frustration throw you off. But I look at all of it as part of the process. It built my mindset, made me more disciplined, and pushed me to keep going no matter what.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I run Coldsteel Tradesmen. I specialize in electrical work, carpentry, and general construction, but really I’m known for being able to handle a wide range of jobs and figuring things out when others can’t. Whether it’s installs, repairs, custom builds, or problem-solving situations, I take pride in doing the job right and making sure it’s solid.

What I’m most proud of is building my business off real skill and consistency. Everything I do is hands-on, and my work speaks for itself. I’ve built relationships off being reliable and showing up, even when situations get complicated.

What sets me apart is that I’m not just doing this as a job — it’s part of who I am. I come from a background where you have to learn how to adapt, solve problems, and keep going no matter what. I bring that same mindset into my work.

At the same time, I’m balancing that with bull riding, which adds another level of discipline and focus to my life. It’s not something you see every day — someone running a trades business and competing in rodeo — and I think that combination is what really makes me stand out.