It started with a delayed flight…

... then another. Then one more. It was the summer of 2008, and Michaels spent more time stranded on the floor of San Francisco International Airport than he did flying. His string of unfortunate flight delays led to the publication of his first book, Please Hug Me--I've Been Delayed: The Only Guide You'll Ever Need to Survive the Not-so-Friendly Skies, a featured title at Hudson News and Pacific Gateway Airport retailers nationwide, giving fellow delayed travelers a taste for Michaels' heartfelt sense of humor, and his tips for keeping sane in trying situations.

Other books soon followed, including Please Hug--Me I'm an Office Monkey, a good-natured guide for surviving the agony of working in a cubicle, and years of successful blogging. Recently, Michaels has written a collection of children’s picture books, where he’s met his most terrifying audience yet, wide-eyed elementary schoolers.

Outside of writing, Michaels is a former piano bar entertainer and touring musician with music featured on MTV’s The Real World, VH1, and—thanks to algorithms not easily understood, streams regularly in London supermarkets.

Michaels is also an avid biker, helping to raise over $420,000 for Dana Farber and the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

Follow on X: @jmichaelsrocks