Michael Ardelean

Former BMX pro, executive search firm owner, career advancement author

[Michael Ardelean @ArdeleanExtra]

@jordihays lol you misspelled Speciale but yeah

[Atlas @DentesLeo]

Your brain is under attack as we speak.

This week, your brain has received more useless information than in your entire life.

Your investment in politics when you play no major role in it only makes you a pawn.

It adds nothing to your life.
It costs you more than you imagine.

[Michael Ardelean @ArdeleanExtra]

Every time we speak to executive leaders, they all cite the same challenges within their workforce:

- Employees who are talented but lack the assertiveness to act

- Employees who remain complacent in their jobs, despite the current “job market”

- Employees with taste who can’t execute, and employees who execute the wrong things because they lack taste

- Employees who think posturing, gossiping and backstabbing are legitimate strategies for getting promoted

And the biggest one:

- Employees who fail to associate the PERKS they’re asking for with the BUSINESS OUTCOMES they were hired to create

Of course every organization has a few high performers who, in the context of the above, shine even brighter.

It’s a great time to be one of them.

[Michael Ardelean @ArdeleanExtra]

@jordihays Spreading tidings of truth and profitability throughout the realm

[Michael Ardelean @ArdeleanExtra]

HARD TO TEACH:
Energy
Curiosity 
Action bias 
Enthusiasm
Fast learning 
Proactiveness
Accountability 
Self sufficiency 
Positive world view
Resilience after failure

EASY TO TEACH:
(Insert job function)

[Michael Ardelean @ArdeleanExtra]

100%. Freelancing / side hustling is the best possible value add for a W-2 career.

Freelancers have 10x the contacts, are more resilient during tough markets, and have the “entrepreneurial spirit” that 9 out of 10 full-time job descriptions are asking for.

The two feed each other.

[du @thedulab]

Great lifestyle that isn't talked about much is being a perpetual side hustler. Where you have a job and another source of income, but don't have any plans to leave the former

Know a lot of people who actually enjoy what they do for work. Six figure salary, remote flexibility, attractive perks. Then in their free time, they provide a service or build something that simply makes them more

You get the financial peace of mind of knowing you have money coming in every two weeks, which allows you to pursue other things with more of an abundance mindset and capitalize on opportunities that may have been previously infeasible

Many find value in this. Lose your job, you have the side hustle while you find another one. Side hustle not doing well, you have the job while you try to grow it. Prevents a situation where you're forced to approach either through a lens of desperation

Even if there's a situation where your alternative form of income surpasses what you make through employment, you still like knowing that one of them is solely responsible for covering your mortgage, vacations, etc. That mental bifurcation can create subjective simplicity and eliminate worry

Of course you'll know if this is the right move for you or not. It is if this tweet calms you. For some, the idea of not going all in on something and having a backup plan is a torturous existence

End of the day it all depends on what you value. Know yourself well enough to just design your reality in the way that makes sense. No such thing as the way. With creativity, there's infinite ways and something for everyone

[Michael Ardelean @ArdeleanExtra]

@thedulab “I just love helping people”
(Needed a V12)

[Michael Ardelean @ArdeleanExtra]

If you have 10 minutes to describe how busy you are but don’t have 30 seconds to send a crucial text and put a plan in motion

You might not be busy... you might be suffering from self inflicted disorganization fatigue

[Michael Ardelean @ArdeleanExtra]

If it can be taught, it’s not unique

Absorbing > learning

[du @thedulab]

You know you're talented in something when thinking about it actually makes you worse. For those who don't have the sauce, it's the other way around

Socially gifted? Easiest way to sabotage yourself is to question the why behind it. People have always liked you. You don't need to know that it's because this or that specific thing you say makes them feel important

Aesthetically gifted? Your taste is just on point. Who the hell knows why you're able to make everything you touch look good. Don't need to dig into the mechanics of the swag when it's always been your default

It's only the stuff that doesn't come intuitively to you that requires an analytical approach. But with what does, the goal is not to find a way to get better. It's to just not question it. Stay as ignorant as possible to the inner workings of the magic

[Michael Ardelean @ArdeleanExtra]

@thedulab Currently living in this reality, highly recommend. Everyone’s invited

[du @thedulab]

The greatest energy shift will be marked by pessimism no longer being rewarded. Past few years was essentially the Super Bowl for sad fucks

Be hyper critical, share insufferable opinions, clown others. More you cope, more validation you get. The sarcastic whiner steals the show

But one day shit will get old. You'll be seen as cringe for calling things cringe. Time is legitimately ticking for losers. Not too far away from a reality where being fun and loving becomes the new wave

[Michael Ardelean @ArdeleanExtra]

Agreed. And one reason the $$ amount needed for retirement is so intimidatingly high is that it’s calculated in a way that assumes your earning will come to a dead stop at a certain age. If you’re not a professional physical laborer, that’s an outdated idea. Enjoy your work, transition to freelance, keep improving, charge more by the hour, taper off hours over time. Pretty soon you’re living it up as a 70 year old working two hours a day at something you enjoy. Cash flows, and you rely less on what you’ve accumulated

[Michael Ardelean @ArdeleanExtra]

There is no stronger desire
Than the desire of airline passengers
To board before they’re supposed to

[Michael Ardelean @ArdeleanExtra]

Here's a fun definition of success:

you can spend one hour per week

using your area of expertise

to help others

without trying to monetize it

[Michael Ardelean @ArdeleanExtra]

@thedulab LiKEd oR reSpECteD

[Michael Ardelean @ArdeleanExtra]

The irony of fake scarcity is that it it immediately reads “thirsty”

“We can’t keep these in stock” might fool the lowest common denominator in a paid ad

But if you’re offering a service to discriminating decision makers, “now accepting new clients” and “only 5 spots left” and “price doubles in 3 days” is just putting desperation on display

[Michael Ardelean @ArdeleanExtra]

Firm believer that deep work and collaborative work are two separate things that require two separate environments.

People always need you for something and there’s merit in being a person who picks up the phone and handles business in the moment, but as you grow in your job you should always be consciously moving toward more and more control of how you map out your own time.

Time blocking for flow state activities is a must

[Michael Ardelean @ArdeleanExtra]

@jordihays Judging by the exhaust notes of every Prius I hear, my neighborhood is very entrepreneurial

[Michael Ardelean @ArdeleanExtra]

@thedulab Don’t live near a walkable part of town? There’s your problem 🤣