About Me
I grew up splitting my time between divorced parents living in NYC.
I am the son of a second generation garbage man who dropped out of high school after 3 days.
I went to public schools all of my life and then went to a private high school in Westchester.
The financial and emotional burden of making payments in order for me to have a better education was felt by all of us.
I loved baseball but I blew out my arm. So I switched my obsession to sales.
I sold kitchen knives (Cutco) and home alarms (Vivint) to pay for college.
For someone my age, I made a lot of money and it brought me a narrow view on challenges and circumstances.
“If I could do it, so could anyone. And anyone who doesn’t, is just making excuses.”
Everything was binary to me. You succeed at all costs, and if you don’t accomplish your goals...it makes you a failure.
Eventually I reached a point where it was time for a change…
So I picked up everything and moved to San Francisco, without a job or a plan.
I didn’t really know anyone, but it felt like the place where growth was the highest priority. As it was to me.
While living in San Francisco, I struggled - struggled to make friends, struggled to make money, struggled to feel like I belonged.
I felt like the dumbest person everywhere I went, in a place overflowing with high achievers. Embarrassed to say where I went to school, timid to tell people I didn’t work at a big tech company, trembling at the thought of revealing that my life wasn’t perfectly in order like everyyyyy one else’s appears to be in San Francisco.
I didn’t have it figured out. I didn’t even know where to start. And I felt like no one had my back.
I couldn’t even get hired for jobs I was overqualified for because my resume was “unconventional”. I was too much of a “risk”.
I felt like I didn’t fit in anywhere.
At the nexus of not smart enough, not wealthy enough and what felt like not ANYTHING enough.
I reached a point where I recognized I’ll never be enough for everyone else. But what if I started with myself first?
I dedicated myself to figuring out who I was, what I cared about.
I began writing about it all along with my discoveries.
I’m still figuring it out...and here’s what I have so far.
My name is Michael.
I really care about people.
I care about making people feel included and supported.
Whoever I interact with, I hope they exit with more energy than they entered with. That’s always my aim.
I’ve had high highs and low lows.
It’s all a part of my journey, one I am going to share with you here through my writing.
I hope you join me on the ride.
