Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Mike Arseneault of Old Town Scottdale

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Mike Arseneault. Check out our conversation below.

Mike, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
I think all these qualities are desirable but integrity is most important to me. I believe living a life grounded in strong ethical moral principles which were instilled from my upbringing, and treating others with fairness, honesty, and compassion, have helped me build long term trust and reliability in my relationships in work and in life.

Having a curious mind, strong educational background, and a desire to learn and discover, instills energy, enthusiasm, as well as smart thinking and decision making in everything that I do.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Mike Arseneault and I’m a freelance marketing consultant operating RECREATENOW LLC based in Scottsdale specializing in marketing strategy, brand identity, brand design and marketing communications. I’m also the founder and Executive Artistic Director of Scottsdale Old Town Theatre Co., which is a new community-based theatre group that creates fresh theatre from historic plays, musicals, film classics and iconic songs from cinema. We are in the process of staging our first production in January 2026.

As a brand marketer, my career has spanned over thirty years with leadership positions at Nike Inc., HMV (global music, books, movies, and games retailer), Second Cup (one of the world’s leading specialty cafe chains), and Levi’s where I helped lead all advertising for Canada at their Toronto creative agency. RECREATENOW was formed in 2017 and I have worked with a variety of progressive businesses and arts and heritage non-profits in Canada and the U.S.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
I’m a big believer in mentorship and love to create opportunities for people and provide encouragement and coaching to help other realize their unlocked potential.

While completing my business administration undergraduate degree, I applied to be the research assistant for one of my professors who was a renowned PHD, UK-based scholar and academic, researcher, and author (The Creatively Gifted, etc.). He was highly regarded by the University, and internationally, and had successfully published many articles dealing with challenges impacting creatively gifted young adults.

He accepted my application without hesitation and I dived into my research with vigor. Once my comprehensive research was complete, I submitted my insights and detailed findings to the professor. He was so impressed by the quality of my report and work ethic that he insisted that the article be co-authored by both of us, rather than just him, which was the norm. Being in my early 20s, I was super proud and could not believe that a man of his calibre believed so much in me. The article was completed, submitted, and published in an International Trade Journal. That was one of the earliest incidents of mentoring that I experienced and it changed my life. Across my career I have been mentored by several key leaders that have empowered and believed in me which only inspired me to work harder, push my limits, and deliver consistently high-quality work that I was proud of. Work that I would want my name on. This experience ignited my passion for storytelling which I have pursued in many aspects of my life.

I have taken these mentoring moments and used them to mentor and support many others in my life. I think mentoring is a critical skill and tool to help drive personal and organizational success. It needs to be used and applied more today than ever.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
“Never, never, never give up.” In fact, I have a magnet on my fridge with this quote from Winston Churchill that always reminds my of my determination, resilience, and positive approach to life.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
We are stronger together as a “community”. Community to me is everything. I have spent a large part of my life building, nurturing, supporting and defending community. We can accomplish more if we come together, support each other, and create opportunities for us to connect and learn.

As a lifelong marketer, I have used communications and storytelling to inspire and bring together different tribes with common interests and goals to gather and find inspiration and build connections.

As a leader in theatre arts leader, I have used live theatre to create community (where it didn’t exist) and bring together people of different ages, races, and levels of experience, who bond around a common love of the theatre experience, whether on-stage and back-stage. Together, an a connected arts community, we collaborate using innovative theatre storytelling and grow from the shared collective talents of each other.

I also use my love of food (cooking and designing, food styling and photography) to tell stories, bring together neighbors who have never met, and help grow and support the broader food eco-system (farmers/fishermen, growers, chefs and restaurants). Working with local restaurants, I have created, curated and marketed over twenty communal dining events to connect strangers who are food lovers and those wanting to be part of a caring and compassionate community.

In Scottsdale, I have used social media to elevate both the food and arts and culture scene through two Facebook groups that have close to 38,000 members and growing.

Be part of building these elevated communities and join us at Scottsdale AZ Happenings and Scottsdale AZ Foodies.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/scottsdaleazhappenings
https://www.facebook.com/groups/scottsdaleazfoodies

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope they say “He worked hard, he cared a lot, he created with passion, he made a difference, and he never, never, never gave up.”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.facebook.com/recreatenow/ and www.recreatenow.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recreatenowmarketing/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikearseneault/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/recreatenow/
• Other: Scottsdale Old Town Theatre: https://www.facebook.com/groups/scottsdaleoldtowntheatreco
  Scottsdale AZ Happenings: https://www.facebook.com/groups/scottsdaleazhappenings
  Scottsdale AZ Foodies: https://www.facebook.com/groups/scottsdaleazfoodies
  Scottsdale AZ Foodies Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottsdaleazfoodies/

  Actor:
  https://www.facebook.com/PerformingArtsActorSinger