Rejoin Media

As Chief Career Officer I coach high performing professionals how to break corporate dependence to build self directed portfolio careers that fuel freedom, family and finances.

CEO/ Chief Career Officer

I host one of the top career podcasts on the internet.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-break-powered-by-careercloud/id214060101

Podcast Host - The Break

American Family Insurance

The Innovation Team is focused on the future, both inside and outside of insurance. I work cross-functionally along side bright, forward thinking innovators, data scientists, M&A and venture capital teams to spin up new business models and test our hunches at an urgent cadence.

Innovation Consultant

Delta - Q Consulting

Clients included:
- Reviews.com (Soda.com)
- Piiku.com
- Smart Services LLC
- HGM Group
- ICON Labs
- Stellamar

Portfolio:
- Sequoia Practice Management
- Piiku
- Fishidy
- Peanut Butter

Founder

Soda.com

As a key member of the Leadership Team, I built teams and employed SEO and content best practices to drive growth. Throughout my time at Soda, I worked on all aspects of our businesses, from content, biz dev and analytics to marketing and linkbuilding. 

Some of the highlights:
+Total ownership and P/L responsibility for consumer facing personal finance website with 2.2 million visitors per month.  
+ Shaped content strategy and growth plan
+ Grew top line revenue 276% in 14 months
+ Increased y/y readership growth 69%
+ Negotiated key biz dev partnerships such as Chase, Wealthfront, Betterment, Bank of America, Capital One and American Express
+ Cultivated and executed key content partnership with Google for their Google Expert Answers platform
+ Successful exit

GM, The Simple Dollar

Stellamar

Stellamar is a semiconductor IP licensing and design services firm I co-founded while completing my MBA. We worked with top defense contractors and european government agencies, to deployed our patented technology on payload systems for space exploration and communication. Stellamar completed deliveries for missions to the moon and onboard the single largest satellite constellation in orbit today!

Co Founder

ITG Trading

Traded futures contracts in S&P 500, Ten Year note, Eurostoxx, Natural Gas and Oil.  Was responsible for my own execution decisions, research and risk management functions.

Futures and Derivatives Trader

I help high achievers break corporate dependence and build beautiful Portfolio Careers for freedom, family and finances.

I am a 3x entrepreneur and creator of The Break Community where I inspire, support and coach a community of 14,000+ to break their relationship with work and break their limits in order to build purposeful lives.

My mission is to become UNBREAKABLE: a state where nothing can touch me.

The irony, is to become unbreakable, we need to consciously break some sh*t.

Like our beliefs about ourselves, our limits and our relationship with work.

In 2018, I decided work wasn’t working for me, so I engineered my BREAK, taking my ‘side hustle’ from nothing to full time escape from corporate work, then I scaled it into a million dollar business that fuels my purpose for coaching high achievers get to the next level of freedom, happiness and financial reward. 

The framework I built to manage my career transformation is called Advantage Mapping and it serves as the foundation for supporting this community through their own work-life explorations.

Outside of LinkedIn:

 I'm an unapologetically undistracted father to three high energy boys.
An athlete and former distance triathlete.
An outdoorsman.
A husband.
A son.

And a raging outdoor fire builder :)

If you want to tackle the serious topics of pain, purpose, work and life with a lighthearted, self deprecating flare, follow me and get in touch.

If you've been laid off recently I need you to know something: 
 
Your layoff is a massive gift. 
 
I know it doesn't feel that way. 
 
But it is  
 
(speaking from multiple rounds of experience). 
 
You know you've been lulled into complacency with the paycheck. 
 
Apathy has crept in. 
You've questioned your path already. 
 
But you think you can't do something new because of all "you've invested" in this path. 
 
Well now you're forced to do something new. 
 
That same investment hasn't flowed back to you. 
 
This is your moment to begin to live a self directed life.  
 
One of intention and worth. 
 
If you use this moment, it can change everything 
 
For you 
Your spouse 
Your kids 
 
It can be your "break" moment. 
 
Let it be that moment.

Michael Gardon

I took a day and a half off this week cuz lil' dude was in the hospital. 
 
He's fine. 
 
Persistent asthma, so he had a procedure done to see if we can get to the bottom of it. 
 
Now, he's a mama's boy. 
He calls her "mama bruh" 🤣🤣🤣🤣 
 
So I miss out on a lot of small moments with him. 
 
But mama bruh couldn't be there for everything this week (she had patients of her own to see). 
 
Because I designed work around my life for these days, 
 
I was the one to be with him and I cherished every second. 
 
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱: 
 
Calmed him down when he was nervous 
Held his hand as he laid on the table 
Laid in his hospital bed together 
Woke him up with a smile 
Took funny pictures 
Watched cartoons 
Took a nap 
Laughed 
Cried 
 
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗱𝗼: 
 
Work 
Worry 
Scroll SM 
Make a ToDo 
Look for distraction 
Step out to take a call 
Text and IM from his bedside 
Send just one more email from his room 
 
Next time you say "family first" stop to think about the conditions you've created to actually put family first. 
 
Are you: 
 
There 
Present 
Attentive 
Undistracted 
Compartmentalized 
 
?? 
 
If not, we've got some work to do.  
 
𝗗𝗠 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵, 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗘. 
 


The top 5 reasons high achievers stay stuck and will NEVER escape corporate hell:


𝟭) “𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝗱𝗼?”

Truth is we have lots of options. We're scared of choosing. Here's what helps: Have the courage to be open + a proven process to ideate and decide.

𝟮) “𝗜'𝗺 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝘆. 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲.”

When is? Given how you feel, what's the cost of waiting on your relationships and your reality? Also, you can do this without quitting or doing anything rash.

(I broke corporate with three kids under 5)


𝟯) “𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁”

Why would you? You've never done this before. But everyone starts where they are, and the ones that succeed get the right support.

𝟰) “𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸”

No, you dabbled in passive strategies without redesigning your active income first. Passive is a mirage to frustration.


𝟱) “𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗲𝘄”

No one does, but that's why the first step is to  create time and space. You'd be amazed at what relief you get from saving 20% or more of your time at work.

What's your excuse?

-----------
If you want to take more chances in life, and you like soft warmth of a raging outdoor 🔥 follow me, Michael Gardon for more heat like this!


I got fired from a startup on its way to exit December 2015:

That event should have broken me.

Why me?
Who am I?
What am I gonna do?
What am I worth if I can't hold a job?

But it didn't.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗜 𝗱𝗼?

I booked a trip right back out to Seattle (where they were HQ'd) for April 2016.

I met with the CEO who fired me at a bar.
We had some laughs.

He said he was scared I would hate him.
But he also said I handled it all like a true professional.

I harbored no ill will. I could see the decision from his POV. I still didn't agree, but I could see why.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁?

I kept my equity in the company.
No one else who got laid off was able to.

That equity, sowed the seeds of my corporate break 2 years later.

It provided the support, capital and space for me to do the real work of architecting my future.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻?

Every bad event can break you.

But only if you let it.

If you can find the courage, stillness and sanity to operate from a higher place, you will 
plant seeds, even if you can't see what they will grow into.

That's the hardest part --> believing you have a future that is better than where you are now.



𝗣.𝗦. 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗽 𝗵𝗶𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗩𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘂𝘃𝗲𝗿. 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟭𝟲, 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟲. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝗮 𝘀𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲.

__________________
👍🏽 Like this?
🙋🏻‍♂️ I’m Michael Gardon 
✍🏽 Inspiring careerists to break work to find purpose
🔔 Click my name → Hit the bell → See my posts.
🗞️ Join 14k subs every Wednesday

I still remember walking alone on the dark streets of Seattle after I got fired. 
 
Distraught 
Bitter 
Jealous 
Pinball brain 
 
I walked to the Space Needle 
I ate cheesecake 🤣 
I mostly just walked 
Till 2am 
 
It was a massive blow in my life at the time. 
 
I didn't think I'd recover from it that night. 
 
but something changed in the next few days. 
 
I picked my head up to see my future, and the pathways this could unlock. 
 
Looking back that night was all ego. 
 
I was hurt, and cornered like a wounded animal. 
 
But my reality was much different: 
 
smart 
capable 
strong 
young 
family 
resilient 
flexible 
adaptable 
willing to fight 
options machine 
 
From this point of view it's easy to see the bright horizon. 
 
But when you're in that moment, ooooohhhhhh, that moment is dark. 
 
Before anything else can happen, you gotta be able to see the horizon line.  
 
There has to be that glimmer of hope. 
 
Your job in that moment of fear is to fight for higher ground. 
 
𝗣𝗦: 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱. 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄, 𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱.

No alternative text description for this image

Here's what I tell my kids every day when I drop them off for school:

"Attack the day with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind."

It's guaranteed to get eye rolls.
But it also gets laughs and jokes.

I'm programming them (and me) to be unbreakable each and every day.

Do bad things happen? Sure they do.
Is it ok to be sad? Sure is.

But I learned a fact of life a few years ago:

If I'm not:
default agressive
action oriented
enthusiastic
relentless

Then, why the hell should I expect my dreams to come true?

Each day is a gift, attacking it with enthusiasm is how you make sure the day is never a waste.

Go get it today.

h/t to Jim Harbaugh's dad for coming up with the phrase. His kids turned out pretty good.


-----------
If you want to take more chances in life, and you like soft warmth of a raging outdoor 🔥 follow me, Michael Gardon for more heat like this!


I saved my life when I chose to design my life through work. 
 
That moment I became unbreakable. 
 
𝗡𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: 
 
Corporate overlords directing my future 
Asking for time off like a child 
Life defined by my paycheck 
Fighting for recognition 
5 O'clock somewhere 
Promotional fights 
Murky objectives 
Veiled feedback 
Manic Mondays 
Scary Sundays 
Saturday call 
Hump days 
Meetings 
PTO ?s 
TGIF's 
 
Doesn't seem that bad?  
 
Well every one of those feelings is a rock hit to my windshield.  
 
Eventually I knew I was gonna crack. Maybe shatter completely. 
 
𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵: 
 
ADHD 
Bad health 
Low energy 
Poor self worth 
A broken marriage 
Anger management 
Missed sporting events 
Anxiety and deep depression 
The feeling I wasn't living a good life 
Kids who were shown work was everything 
 
 
Looking back, it's scary. I easily would have ended up broken, even dead. 
 
But I just believed that I could be the architect of my future.  
 
I could do anything, but I had to choose.  
 
So I started figuring out what I should choose. 
 
I built a map - an ADVANTAGE map.  
 
That map saved my life, and it's saving a few other's lives as well. 
 
Now I'm just lighting fires in people wherever I go. 
 
𝗧𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀: 
 
To change your life, all you have to do is to decide that your future is worth it. 
 
I'm here to listen. If you need an ear, DM me. 
 
 
 


How I helped 23 year old Brett go from $9/hr to $56k + benefits:

If you want to break your rut and come alive, keep reading:

Brett's story isn't unique. 78% of us don't know where to begin. We need a nudge . . . or a map.

Read the carousel below for a step by step guide on how we changed his life in 4 weeks.

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀, 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆.
(I'll show you how).

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗱-𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻, 𝗗𝗠 𝗺𝗲 and I'll show you how to create massive transformation in your career that will ripple through the rest of your life.


Brett G Case Study

Not happy, and wishing for more? I have good news: 
 
Your new life will cost you your old one. 
 
Perfect because you're already in pain and looking for escape: 
 
 
Netflix binges 
The Jealous Doomscroll 
Complaints of your state 
Count down to the weekends 
Hanging with friends who are lower than you 
 
That life sucks, so get rid of it and win. 
 
Instead of Netflix: 
Read + build 
 
Instead of jealousy: 
Admire + learn from 
 
Instead of Complaining: 
Gratitude + Ownership 
 
Instead of the Countdown: 
Get space + Plan 
 
Instead of the current crew: 
Mentors + Coaches + Supporters 
 
You're already hating on your current life, so start a new one. 
 
The price you'll pay is lower than you think. 
 
P.S. Epic family ski trip in Breck, CO. One of my favorite places on earth. 


In 2008 Mondays were groggy. 
In 2017 Mondays were anxiety filled. 
In 2024 this is what my Monday's look like: 
 
In 2008 I was trading through the Great Financial Crisis.  
 
I never slept on Sunday Nights. 
 
Monday was 5am wake up, at the office by 6. 
 
2017 I was in corporate drudgery. 
Frantically commuting to make the morning meeting. 
 
Then putting out fires instead of doing real work. UGH. 
 
Now here's a 2024 Monday: 
 
- 4:50 wake up 
- 5am workout 
- 6am journal/visualization 
- 6:30 snuggle time with the kids 
- 7am make lunches and get the kids to school 
- 8:30 sit down for a 3 hour writing session 
 
I went from stressed out and buttoned up to laid back and down for Monday Magic just by deciding to make my life the priority. 
 
𝗗𝗠 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰.

Staring down the barrel of a layoff.
Paralyzed, you don't know which way to run.

All at once, the dangers of the "safe" single path become clear.

Alone
Powerless
Fragile
Uncertain

How do you never feel this way again?

You stop relying on the corporate carrot and stick and instead build a portfolio career.

Take: 
Your skills
Your advantages
Your personality

Package them. Use them. As they are.

Build a confident approach you can use:

In corporate
In freelance
In projects
As a 'solopreneur'

Whatever the future throws at you,
You will be the most:

Flexible
Adaptable
Resilient
Unbreakable

human for your family, your freedom and your finances.

Under all that worry, you're a damn ninja.

Time to STOP under living.
And go get it.

Advantage Mapping can help. 



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If you want to take more chances in life, and you like soft warmth of a raging outdoor 🔥 follow me, Michael Gardon for more heat like this!

I have a pHD in self sabotage, but I still managed to go from corporate cube —> portfolio career. Here’s how you can too:

𝟭. 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁

You’re relying on your job for more than that paycheck.

Your identity, self worth, sense of progress is all wrapped in your job.

That needs to stop, so you have space to be a human being, and figure out the real work of your life.

- release your identity from titles
- stop chasing promotions
- protect your time
- delegate

Start to believe in possibility out side this frame.

𝟮. 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗽

Corporate has placed you in a box. You are so much more than skills and expertise.

An Advantage Map is an in depth way of understanding what you are truly good at and what you enjoy doing. This insight is crucial for building a career that not only pays but also fulfills you.

Having a Map of you is crucial to building a portfolio career.

𝟯. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗼

Your Map is a decision filter that allows you to both 

- reject fantasy opportunities (I’m going to day trade!)

- create aligned options that you’ve never considered before that have real odds of working for you.

𝟰. 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴

Corporate has taught you to think, plan, do.

That doesn’t work when we are creating the life of our dreams.

Instead we need to “do, think, plan.”

Take action by getting out of your own way. Then think about what the data is telling you. 
Do more of what works,
Less of what doesn’t.
That’s your Plan.

𝟱. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗻 𝗨𝗻𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁

Corporate has made you dependent, fragile to uncertainty and change.

A portfolio career is a path to unbreakability. 
That means we build the capacity to “find a way” through multiple pathways.

- We feel fear and go anyway
- We seek help through coaches and mentors
- We tap into a purpose larger than ourselves to sustain our journey.
- We visualize how our kids’ and our spouses’ lives are better BEFORE the result has landed.
- We design what we want and take action towards that vision.

The magic secret is that the path to an Unbreakable Spirit is where you will find everything you’re looking for.

Choose your quest.

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹, 𝗜 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗮 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆.

Portfolio Career

You don't need to become a go getter.


You don't need more grit.
You're not undisciplined.
You're not lazy.

You're not any other label.

There's only one word you need (and it's not outside of you. It's already there).

Alignment.

Stop lying to yourself about the sacrifices you think you have to make for "success".

And align what you do with who you are.

When you admit this, everything in life becomes better.

Less bullshit
More relationship.

Less worry
More glory.

Less under the gun
More fun.

Less anxiety
More family.

Less "what about us"
More purpose.

The work of your life is cutting away everything that isn't YOU.

Start today.



__________________
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🙋🏻‍♂️ I’m Michael Gardon 
✍🏽 Inspiring careerists to become unBREAKable 
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If you're in your 40s or 50s an got laid off, please, please don't settle. 
 
Every week a talk to several people in this predicament. 
 
"this is how my life is" 
"I guess I'm not going to fulfill my dreams" 
"I just need to sacrifice now for my kids. There's nothing left for me" 
 
It breaks my heart to see these dying stars. 
 
No matter what stage you are at, you can change your entire life in 6 months. 
 
The upside is beyond anything your imagination can handle: 
 
- Mood 
- Energy 
- Relationships 
- Freedom from expectations 
- Accomplishment  
- Self direction 
- Worth  
 
The "cost" is far less than what you've built up  in your head: 
 
- Time 
- Effort 
- Money 
 
The only thing you have to accept is that you're worth it. 
 
DM me to learn how you can take who you are to work how you want, and become UNBREAKABLE. 
 
 
___________ 
𝗗𝗼𝗻𝘁' 𝗴𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁, 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 ;) 
 
𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝟭 𝗻𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 - 𝗽𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗳 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 
 


I spent 34 years thinking $$$$ was the key to freedom and happiness. 
 
Then I found myself trapped by the very thing I thought would solve all my problems. 
 
Trapped by the pursuit of money: 
 
Fighting for the next rung on the ladder 
Never feeling good enough 
Other People's Opinions 
Showing up at the club 
Monday mornings 
60 hours of work 
Lifestyle creep 
Sunday nights 
Wine escape 
 
 
Then I realized money only works if you use it on the right things. 
 
So I decided to invest in myself: 
 
Bought assets 
Invested in courses 
Sought out mentors 
got a performance coach 
Joined aligned communities 
Learned to bleed on the page 
Built my first websites and products 
 
Now I have a portfolio career. 
 
It's not just that I make money in several different diversified ways. 
 
My portfolio career produces: 
 
Creativity 
Freedom 
Impact 
Finances 
and family moments  
 
that I would have missed in a one track corporate career. 
 
With the right approach you can transform you life too. 
 
Just decide to make it happen. 
We can help put the pieces in the right place. 
 
 
If you're stuck, don't 'like' this post. Instead DM me 'Unbreakable' and lets talk.

I secretly love cancel culture 👀 
 
 
Who do I want to cancel the most? 
 
Me. 
 
I'm canceling me, and upgrading today --> 
 
- the parts that don't serve me 
- the limiting thoughts 
- the disbelief 
- the scarcity 
- the fear 
 
I've done this before. I can do it again. 
 
2004: left my hometown to work in finance 
2009: quit that job to level up as a human 
2010: 365--> Positive Project (ask me!) 
2012: picked up the pieces from a biz failure 
2016: fired from a startup 
2018: Built $1M biz + exit corp. America 
 
Each stage of growth (and each setback) requires you to decide: 
 
1. Who you are 
2. Who you want to be 
3. Who you no longer want to be 
 
You chose to cancel the parts of you that aren't working so you can invest that energy into the parts that are. 
 
If I'm being completely honest, 
 
"cancel" is a soft word. 
 
The word I use is "BREAK". 
 
Choose to absolutely destroy that old version of you, that is anything less than what you want. 
 
Break your standards, and reset them. 
Break your limiting beliefs and try. 
Break society's rules for you. 
 
Then Break your limits and soar. 
 
---------- 
 
𝗜'𝗺 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗹 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗼𝗻 
𝗜 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸-𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝘀, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗜'𝗺 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗳𝘆 𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗵𝗵𝗵𝗵 𝗰𝘂𝘇 𝘄𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗮 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵. 
 
𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽, 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝗶𝗼. 𝗜𝗳 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲, 𝗜"𝗺 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻.

10 unavoidable work experiences I wish my 20 year old self knew were coming: 
 
 
1. You’ll be judged on stuff other than results 
2. You’ll fight with colleagues over credit 
3. You will get to the point of burnout 
4. You’ll seek self worth in your work 
5. You’ll question your career path 
6. You’ll have poor performance 
7. You’ll (probably) get fired 
8. You’ll have shitty leaders 
9. You’ll work weekends 
10. You’ll quit your job 
 
But, on the other side: 
 
1. You’ll find purpose 
2. You’ll love yourself 
3. You’ll build confidence 
4. You’ll find great mentors 
5. You’ll carve your own path 
6. You’ll learn to serve others 
7. You’ll build something great 
8. You’ll find great leaders to emulate 
9. You’ll learn work isn’t all that matters in life 
10. You’ll teach your kids how to be UnBREAKable 
 
That’s what I wish I knew at 20. Whatever you’re going through, I promise the second list is worth the pain. 
 
Everything worth doing lies on the other side of discomfort. 
 
Let’s do this. 
 
 
----------- 
If you want to take more chances in life, and you like soft warmth of a raging outdoor 🔥 follow me, Michael Gardon for more heat like this!

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