Rejoin Coaching

Rejoin is a holding company for my digital brands and businesses that I started while designing my way out of my corporate job. We own a few small online businesses: Careercloud.com, Quotebook Journal and my Rejoin Coaching business.

CEO Rejoin

Edgewood College

Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship

I help advise the School of Business on learning and curriculum. I am particularly interested in how we support students to be resilient, adaptable and self staring individuals.

Looking to build Higher Edpreneurship.

Advisory Board Member

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

I help high achieving professionals BREAK corporate dependence and build Self-Directed Lives.
I believe that to transform our circumstances, we have to BREAK what's not working, on purpose. And do it smartly.

My Career Design Lab is where your golden handcuffs and unfulfilling career go to die, and where we reimagine work aligned with who you want to be, who you want to serve and what legacy you want to leave.

Like you:
I know what it's like to be burned out, unfulfilled and secretly DYING for new opportunities. 
I know what it's like to seek my identity and self worth from a job only to realize the mirage.
I know what it's like to sacrifice my health and family for "achievement."

The difference is I did something about it.

In 2018, work wasn't working for me, so I broke it and methodically designed a new life with intention.
I used my job as an investor in my future. I figured out my advantages and then built a side business that I took to full time corporate exit, then scaled to over $1m in revenue.

I built an entire process to help me figure out my re-invented career and now I use that to help other corporate pros smartly build futures that are Self-Directed, intentional and successful - that is my purpose.

Previous, my career spanned:

Financial Futures and Derivatives Trading
3 Startups
Freelance Consulting
Corporate Innovation

I infuse major lessons from these unique experiences to help you craft a dynamic, portfolio career that is adaptable, intentional, purpose driven and never dependent on the whims of corporate structures.

If you want to build a business in 2026, you need to do these 4 things.
(hint: none of them is quit your job or find the "right" idea)


I'm so sick of logging onto social media and being bombarded with:

"Here's how to make money in 2026"
"100 Passive income strategies for 2026"
"How to make money on Facebook"
"Sell your custom GPT's for millions"
"If you're not creating content, you don't have a business"

It's not that these are wrong. Some of these tactics may actually work.

It's that they are DISTRACTIONS that get you down rabbit holes instead of answering the right questions first.

The tactics and strategies are out there, and they will remain there. For you to find and learn at the right time.

But if you don't take these steps first, the tactics don't matter, and you'll stay stuck, dependent on that corporate income.

#𝟭. 𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟭. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄.
Jan 1 is artificial. Why wait? Waiting serves no one.

#𝟮. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹, 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸.
My clients get 20 - 40% of their time back from their jobs. No joke.

#𝟯. 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝘄𝗵𝘆? 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵.
Why do you want to build a business? If it's to just make money, you'll fail.
But if its to live as the highest version of yourself, transcend your circumstances and be there for your family, then you have a real, high odds shot.

#𝟰. 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀.
Get to the truth of how you uniquely create impact on people and deliver value. 
(not the limited version you have of yourself)
(not just your "strengths")
What is the unique intersection of you that is uncopyable?

Only then do you have a foundation of a business that will fuel you for a lifetime.

The kicker? By figuring this out, you're already 80% of the way to building that unique, impactful business that makes your future hopes and dreams a reality.

Light that 🔥,

Mike

𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲? 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘄𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀. 𝗗𝗠 𝗺𝗲 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗗𝗢𝗠 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝟯𝟬 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹. 𝗡𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀!

Michael Gardon

Talks about #careers, #investing, #lifedesign, #remotework, and #entrepreneurship

The next level of corporate success is entrepreneurial emergence —​> live the life you deserve by building the business of YOU | I follow my own path + light 🔥’s | Pod: Breaking Work 🎙️

A burned out corporate executive asked me why I walked away from a $225K innovation role...
I showed him the 4-part framework that helped me build a business working 20 hours per week.
Now he makes more money than his old VP salary (by doing work he actually cares about)

Here's the truth: Most corporate professionals approach escape velocity ALL WRONG.

They're chasing:
• Cookie-cutter business models
• Surface-level tactics
• Quick-fix solutions that don't last

But there's a deeper path.

One that starts with getting crystal clear on:
• The work that truly lights you up
• The impact you're meant to make
• The life you actually want to build

I've helped 100+ corporate leaders build authentic, profitable businesses by focusing on what matters first - the transformation they want to create, not just the mechanics of "how."

This works because it starts with WHO YOU ARE, not what everyone else is doing.

✅ No forcing yourself into trendy business models
✅ No copying what "worked for others"
✅ No sacrificing your values for profit
✅ No pretending to be someone you're not

Ready to build something real?

𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 ;)

When I built my way out of corporate, I was tired of someone telling me I needed to travel next week.
So I designed my life to only travel when I want.
(It's a high bar to meet) ->


I was sick of being pulled away from my kids:
Our routines
Our bedtime traditions
Missed practices and coaching opportunities

But this weekend I traveled to Charlotte for an intimate coaching retreat put on by my dear friend Matt Doan.

Small group
New friends
Deep learning
Beautiful scenery
Deep conversations
Strong signal to noise ratio.

And of course, evening fires ;)


That's the thing about Breaking Corporate Dependence, 
It's not just about taking your skills and building a business that's just the same as your job.

You get to design out what you're no longer willing to tolerate,
And design in what you've always wanted.

For me it was travel - "I only want to travel for work if I want to."

Well worth the tradeoff: for my soul, my sanity and my growth.

The path to doing the same is simple, but not easy:

1. Own your time, first
2. Find your AdvantEdge
3. Then build your LeverEdge

What comes out of this simple process is nothing short of magical.

Light that 🔥,

Mike

𝗣.𝗦. 𝗜'𝗺 𝗽𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝘁𝘀. 𝗧𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱, 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗠 𝗺𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽!

In 2018 I traded in my suits and slacks for hats and hoodies, 
by NOT following the normal startup advice.
Here's what works instead:


"Guru" startup advice (for corporate employees):

1. Find the "perfect" idea
2. Build a cheap info product by copying others
2. Cast a wide net (so you don't miss customers)
3. Get the latest marketing hacks (from freebie accounts)
4. Print money without working

I got caught up in this playbook more times that I care to admit,
but it rarely works.

All it did was get me running around like a chicken with it's head cut off.
Sucking valuable time and energy away from my family,
and made me feel like a constant failure.

So here's what I did instead:

𝟭. 𝗣𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗯𝗼𝘅
I stopped doing everything for everyone at work.
I got out of the building.
And created conditions to focus on my future.

Nothing bad happened. Actually I was more valuable ;)

𝟮. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝘁.
I shut social media off.
I closed my eyes and described how I wanted the next 15 years of my life to look.
More importantly, I figured out WHY I wanted that.

𝟯. 𝗚𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀
Before this, I was unsure of what I was really good at.
A constant imposter. Why would someone listen to me?
But then, I figured out where no one can compete with ME.
And I decided to leverage that intersection.

𝟰. 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗜 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 "𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁" 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀
One that leveraged my advantages to impact others
One that fit within my lifestyle and how I wanted to feel in the future
One that could create the income I needed
And one that deeply mattered to ME.

What I didn't know at the time was by doing steps 1-3, I was already 80% of the way there!

It wasn't easy. I didn't have a guide or a playbook.
But now I am the playbook, and I get to help people like you and me discover more about themselves in 1 month than they have in 10 years on their own.

Yes, I built a business, but the real payoff for me is the discovery - helping people push through pain.

Each time I'm reminded of my own past pain and shortcomings, and I remember how far I've come.

Light that 🔥,

Mike 

𝗜𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲, 𝗜'𝗺 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲. 𝟯𝟬 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸. 𝗡𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀!
https://lnkd.in/gmFbPFW4

I hated my past self for a long time.
Then I realized: Future me was going to hate current me even more.

Here's what nobody tells you about change:

We are FAR more different from who we were 10 years ago than we can imagine.

And we'll be FAR more different 10 years from NOW than we can imagine.

But here's the problem:

Remembering is easy. Imagination is hard.

It's easy to SEE who I was - angry, wound too tight, not a pleasure to be around.

It's far harder to SEE who I'll become.

So for years, I made decisions for my CURRENT self:
→ Took promotions for more money NOW
→ Stayed in my lane for safety NOW
→ Built a life that worked for TODAY

Meanwhile, Future Michael - with different values, different energy, different priorities - would have to live with choices made by someone who no longer existed.

My 21-year-old self picked my career with LIMITED information.

By 30-something, I was a different person living in a prison that stranger built.

And I was doing it AGAIN.

Making choices for TODAY that would trap TOMORROW.

I see this everywhere now:

People wake up at 45 in a life their 25-year-old designed and think "who the f*ck chose this?"

You did. By not choosing.

Here's what I learned about Future Proofing:

Change is INEVITABLE. You WILL be different.

The question isn't WHETHER to design for change.

It's whether you do it INTENTIONALLY or let it happen TO you.

Next Monday (Nov 24), I'm hosting a free workshop where I'll walk through the 4 outcomes of how to Break Work and design an intentional work-life:

→ Time Sovereignty (stop renting your time)
→ Future Proofing (build for the person you'll become)
→ Unfair Advantage (leverage what makes YOU unique)
→ Business Foundation (create income independence)

This isn't about predicting the future.

It's about building OPTIONALITY now so Future You has room to breathe, pivot, and become whoever they need to be.

Comment or DM me 'WORKSHOP' below and I'll send you the registration link.

I stopped building prisons for people I haven't met yet.

You should too.

Light that fire🔥,

Mike

7 years ago I had to ask permission to attend my son's baseball game...
At 37 years old, making 6-figures, I still needed another adult to approve my schedule.
That's the moment I realized: I wasn't successful - I was just a well-paid prisoner of someone else's calendar."

But that day changed everything.

While others were fighting over who got credit for innovation projects, I discovered something more valuable than a promotion, more precious than stock options:

Time Sovereignty.

Not time management.
Not productivity hacks.
Not another "system."

Real sovereignty over your time and decisions.

Today:
• I teach entrepreneurship when I want
• Build memories with my kids
• Work from wherever I choose
• Take afternoons off without asking permission

The craziest part?

I help others do the same. Not by teaching trendy business models or quick-fix solutions.

But by showing them how to become the sovereign ruler of their own time first.

Because here's the truth:
Since the Industrial Revolution, we've been trapped by two words: efficiency and optimization.

These are the very words that keep you trapped in meetings about meetings.

Want to know the exact framework I used to transition from corporate prisoner to Time Sovereign?

👉 I'm putting a free training this week where I'll show you:
• The Houdini Formula for reclaiming 10+ hours/week
• How to decline commitments without burning bridges
• The counterintuitive way to become MORE valuable while working LESS

DM me "free" and I'll notify you when it's happening.

Your time belongs to you. It's time to take it back.

Light that 🔥,

Mike

Two VCs spoke to my class last week. 
Their message cut to the heart of what prevents millions of people from even starting a business:


Complexity kills.

BUT that's exactly what corporate trained us to do.

For years, I thought business success required:
→ Sophisticated funnels
→ Complex operating systems
→ Multi-stakeholder alignment frameworks
→ Endless optimization and efficiency plays

Because that's what corporate rewards.

In corporate, you prove your value through COMPLEXITY.

More decks. More frameworks. More meetings.
You learn to overexplain everything to appear strategic.
You build systems to show you're thinking big.

I even pitched a meeting cost calculator at a Fortune 500 once - a tool that would save millions by showing the true cost of unnecessary meetings.

They laughed me out of the room.

(Shopify built it years later and it became a headline story. But I digress.)

Here's what those VCs made crystal clear:

The best businesses aren't complex. They're simple.

Solve one problem.
For one specific person.
In the clearest possible way.

We don't fail at business because we lack skills.

Corporate gave us MORE skills than most entrepreneurs:
→ Managing up = client management
→ Stakeholder alignment = sales
→ Project management = delivery systems

We fail because we bring corporate COMPLEXITY instead of entrepreneurial SIMPLICITY.

We overcomplicate to prove we're smart.
We optimize before we validate.
We build systems before we have customers.

The irony? Our corporate training is an unfair advantage.

We just need to strip away the bloat.

𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 (𝗡𝗼𝘃 𝟮𝟰), 𝗜'𝗺 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗜'𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟰 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀:

→ Time Sovereignty (stop renting your time)
→ Future Proofing (build for the person you'll become)
→ Unfair Advantage (map what makes YOU unrepeatable)
→ Business Foundation (build simple, not complex)

I'll show you how to leverage your corporate skills without bringing corporate complexity.

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗿 𝗗𝗠 𝗺𝗲 '𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗣' 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜'𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸.

Stop building like a corporate strategist.

Start building like an entrepreneur.

Light that 🔥,

Mike

P.S. Thank you to Mike Mansell and Cooper LaRue from Amfam Ventures. Appreciate you bringing your expertise and perspective to Edgewood University.

You know what's wild about the holidays?
Everyone asks what you're grateful for.
But nobody asks what you're tolerating.


I was at a holiday party last week.

Guy next to me - VP at a Fortune 500 - was talking about gratitude.

"Grateful for my health. My family. This amazing job."

Then his phone buzzed.

He looked at it. Sighed. Excused himself.

Came back 20 minutes later, visibly drained.

"Sorry. Urgent email from my boss."

At 8 PM. On a Saturday. During the holidays.

This is what we've normalized.

We're grateful for the paycheck.
But we're tolerating the erosion of our TIME.

We're grateful for job security.
But we're tolerating the loss of our ENERGY.

We're grateful for the title.
But we're tolerating the death of our CREATIVITY.

Gratitude is important.

But so is radical honesty about what you're sacrificing.


If you're done tolerating work that drains you, I'm running a free workshop on reclaiming your time and energy. Link in featured section.

Stop tolerating. Start designing.

Light that 🔥,

Mike

I used to hide in the bathroom at work.
Not because I needed to go,
Because it was the one place no one could get to me.

I was a Time Renter, instead of an Owner.

Not just my schedule.
My sanity.

You can't remember the last time you made a decision about your own time.

Your PTO gets burned on laundry and grocery shopping because there's no space during the week.

Your weekends aren't "recovery" anymore—they're triage.

And Sunday? Sunday is just pre-grief for Monday.

80-90% of professionals are time renters.

They believe time is abundant.
They sell it at a fixed price.
Their only path to more money is doing MORE or learning MORE.

But there's never capacity for either because all their time already belongs to someone else.

I was a time renter for 15 years.

Then I became a time owner.

Not by quitting my job.
By designing my Perfect Week INSIDE my corporate role.

And everything changed.

Because Time Sovereignty isn't about having more time.

It's about treating your time like the finite stockpile of gold it actually is.

Next Monday (Nov 24), I'm hosting a free workshop where I'll walk through the 4 outcomes of Breaking Work:

→ Time Sovereignty (stop renting, start owning)
→ Future Proofing (build real resilience)
→ Unfair Advantage (leverage what makes YOU unique)
→ Business Foundation (create income independence)

This is the exact blueprint I used to escape the corporate distraction vortex and build a multi-6-figure business on MY terms.

DM me 'WORKSHOP' below and I'll send you the registration link.

Stop hiding in bathrooms.

Start owning your time.

𝗣.𝗦. 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗲

I kept telling myself "next year will be different."
For 5 years.
It never was - because I was solving the wrong problem.

𝗜 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿.

Still burned out - just with a color-coded calendar.

𝗜 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀.

Had certifications I never used because I had no capacity to deploy them.

𝗜 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀.

Lasted 6 weeks before I couldn't sustain it alongside my corporate job.

Each approach kept me stuck in a different way.

For years, I thought I just needed to fix ONE thing:

"Just get better at time management."
"Just pick up that new skill."
"Just start the side hustle."

But that's not how this actually works.

Here's what I finally figured out:

Building freedom (creative, time, financial) aren't separate problems.

They're ONE interconnected system.

You can't build a business without time to build it.

You can't future proof without knowing what advantages to leverage.

You can't create your unfair advantage if you have no capacity to use it.

And you can't sustain any of it without a foundation that actually works.

Trying to solve them one at a time is why most people stay trapped for YEARS.

I see it constantly:

People optimize their calendar but still feel owned by their job.

People collect skills but never monetize them.

People start businesses but abandon them because there's no room to breathe.

We've been conditioned to think transformation comes from fixing ONE thing.

It doesn't.

It comes from building all four pillars simultaneously - as a system that reinforces itself.

That's what I'm walking through this Monday (Nov 24) in my free workshop.

The 4 outcomes of the Freedom Accelerator Lab:

→ Time Sovereignty (stop renting your time)
→ Future Proofing (build for the person you'll become)
→ Unfair Advantage (map what makes YOU unrepeatable)
→ Business Foundation (build simple, not complex)

This is the exact system I used to go from trapped corporate employee working 60-hour weeks to running a multi-6-figure business on my terms.

If you've read posts 1-4 this week and haven't registered yet - what are you waiting for?

Comment 'WORKSHOP' below and I'll send you the registration link.

Stop trying to fix one thing at a time.

Start building the system that sets you free.

Light that 🔥,

Mike

Scrolling again on Sunday?
It's not anxiety about tomorrow, 
It's grief from last week.


Grief for another week you'll spend building someone else's dream while yours collects dust.

You feel it in your chest every Sunday around 4pm.

That slow-creeping dread.

The pit in your stomach that wasn't there Saturday morning.

We tell ourselves it's "just work stress."

But it's not.

It's your body's alarm system screaming that you're living a life you didn't choose.

Every Sunday, we mourn:
→ The business we haven't started
→ The time we'll never control
→ The person we're not becoming
→ The dreams we keep postponing

And every Monday, we go back anyway.

Because "next year will be different."

Except it won't.

Not unless you build the system that sets you free.

This Tomorrow (Nov 24), instead of dreading Monday, join me for a free workshop where I'll walk through the 4 outcomes that eliminate Sunday Scaries forever:

→ Time Sovereignty
→ Future Proofing
→ Unfair Advantage
→ Business Foundation

Comment or DM me 'WORKSHOP' below and I'll send you the registration link.

Stop grieving your Sundays.

Start owning your Mondays.

In your 40's you should be on top of the world,
but it's the decade that breaks most people.


You're in the highest career earning years, yet:

❌ lowest reported happiness
❌ Work pressure through the roof
❌ Kids getting ready for college
❌ Aging parents
❌ Body giving out

Meanwhile it's the natural time where you feel the clock ticking.

And you're stuck between the person you've been, and the person you wanted to be.
(You've put him off for too long already).

You can't manage the squeeze decade, you have to design it.

Click through the carousel to find out how.

Light that 🔥,

Mike

Need help? Book your free 30 minute call. No sales pitches, just listening.
https://lnkd.in/gmFbPFW4

How to thrive in your 40's

I spent years trying to be world-class at ONE thing.
I failed every time, because being the BEST at one thing is nearly impossible ->

And it's soul-crushing to try.

Here's what changed everything:

I stopped trying to be #1 at anything.

Instead, I stacked skills I was top 25% at.

Content marketing + corporate strategy + systems thinking + teaching.

Suddenly, I wasn't competing with millions.

I was 1 of 1.

We've been sold a lie about specialization.

"Pick a lane."
"Niche down."
"Be known for ONE thing."

But that's not how unfair advantages actually work.

Your advantage isn't being the best copywriter.
Or the best strategist.
Or the best anything.

Your advantage is the COMBINATION nobody else has.

When we stack 3-4 things we're top 25% at, we become unrepeatable.

This is exactly how you unlock yourself from corporate shackles.

It's not just skills either.

It's our complete picture:
→ Natural curiosity and genuine interests
→ Personality alignment
→ Life experience and background
→ Learning preferences
→ Decision-making styles

No one has your blend.

Which means no one can truly compete with you.

They can copy your content.
Your messaging.
Your offers.

But it will ALWAYS be a knockoff.

A lesser version of something that's uniquely yours.

Next Monday (Nov 24), I'm hosting a free workshop where I'll walk through the 4 outcomes of building your unique Advantage:

→ Time Sovereignty (stop renting your time)
→ Future Proofing (build for the person you'll become)
→ Unfair Advantage (map what makes YOU unrepeatable)
→ Business Foundation (create income independence)

I'll show you exactly how to identify and stack your advantages so you stop competing and start being 1 of 1.

Comment or DM me 'WORKSHOP' below and I'll send you the registration link.

Stop trying to be the best at one thing.

Start being the only one who does what you do.

You should be on top of the world in your 40's,
but for most it can feel like the walls are closing in.

I recently sat down on The Assist Podcast to share my perspective on:

- work
- meaning
- fullfillment
- and using pain as a catalyst

Grateful to Scott Brinen and Charlie Wills of The Assist Podcast for letting me pour my heart out!

https://lnkd.in/gdq_5pnx

Light that 🔥,

Mike

30% unemployment for recent college grads, and AI destroying entry level jobs.
We are failing our students (every college student should read this):

𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀:
The supply of jobs is dwindling.
The value of a diploma is waning.
Companies want "efficiency."
Social media robs kids of deep focus.

It's the perfect recipe for high unemployment and a low hope generation.

Yet we keep telling them to:
Pick a major
Apply to any internship
Build a resume
Go to job fairs
Follow the hiring process

"Volume wins" they say.

It's the old playbook, when circumstances have changed.

Instead, here's what I teach my students in our entrepreneurship class:

𝟭. 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲
Discover what is unique about you as an individual.
How your talents, skills and motivations work together.
With depth and clarity.

You'll have more confidence, and be able to filter high odds opportunities from low odds ones.

𝟮. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 
Forget your grades.
Forget your resume.
Go out and BUILD actual work product that showcases your skills, intellect, passion and motivations.

- A website
- A project
- A tool
- A case study

Action will set you apart.

𝟯. 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆
Who are you?
That's a tool you can use to set yourself apart.
Lean into it.
Then let the world see it.

(LinkedIn is a great way to do this)

𝟰. 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿
Once you've done steps 1-3, you'll have learned a lot about yourself, what you want and how you provide value.
Then, instead of going for volume,
Make a targeted list of companies you want to work for and that align with your values.
And use your creativity to build stronger inroads with those companies.

It could look like this:
- Talking about who you are and what you want
- A walk through video of a project you built
- Finding 5 - 10 people at that company
- And building a real relationship with them
- Offering to help them (yes, even for free)

You see, you're in the "people business."
And people invest in lines, not dots.

When you submit your resume (following THEIR process), you're just a dot.

But when you do the steps above, you become a line with a story.
And hiring managers will see that line on a massivly upward trajectory.

Light that 🔥,

Mike

𝗣.𝗦. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗗𝗠 𝗺𝗲 𝗔𝗗𝗩𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜'𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗴𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀.

Entrepreneurs - don't fret about your first hire. Here's now to do it step by step:

I hadn't made a real decision about my own time in 7 years.

Every hour accounted for.

Every block claimed by someone else.

Every "gap" in my calendar immediately filled with another meeting.

I used to think this was success.

Busy = important, right?

Wrong.

I was a Time Renter.

Paying with my life energy for someone else's priorities.

Trading my creative potential for a predictable paycheck.

Saying 'yes' to everything because I got paid the same regardless.

The day I realized I couldn't remember the last time I chose what to do with my Wednesday afternoon?

That was the day everything changed.

Here's what nobody tells you:

The price of not claiming sovereignty over your time accumulates silently.

It didn't seem like a big deal to answer your boss's late-night email.

But now you're responding at the dinner table.

Taking calls during what any sane person would call personal time.

Years pass with you rationalizing "always available" as a cultural norm.

Until one day the simmer of discontent boils over:

"I've invested twenty years of time and energy into someone else's vision."

You can't optimize your way out of the wrong game.

You have to design a different one.

One where YOU become the gatekeeper.

Where your time goes to things you actually care about.

Where Wednesday afternoons are yours to design.


I'm running a free workshop on breaking free from corporate handcuffs and reclaiming sovereignty over your time. 
𝗗𝗠 𝗺𝗲 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗣 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜'𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀.
The choice is yours.

Keep renting.

Or start owning.

Light that 🔥,

Mike

First time entrepreneurs struggle to find their first few hires. Here's exactly where you should be posting.

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