I don’t know Michael Arcieri, heck I only know a few people still working in the front office of the Knicks since my time there over a decade ago, but in reading this Thanksgiving Day story by Chris Iseman I know enough of what Michael has done to make it relatable to what success can be.
It is a great example of grit, hustle, showing up and always trying to figure out an answer vs saying no.
There are some really good points made that apply to everyone trying to move forward, no matter where you work or what you do.
First is build relationships that are positive. The people mentioned in the story like Willis Reed and Jim Lampariello were basketball lifers at the then New Jersey Nets, and Michael, through people that he knew PERSONALLY, got him in the door. He used those relationships to prove his ability to help in whatever way, and he slowly grew both trust and skills, never really knowing here it would take him.
Second, show ability first, passion second. Michael loved hoops, that’s for sure. He didn’t know what that would translate into, but he knew that if matched proved his worth to what the organization needed, it would hopefully get him through to another opportunity. Where did it start? The Nets were struggling and needed sales help. That was the way in. It’s a very tough way in in some places, and may be not that lucrative at first, but it opened a door. Volunteering is another way to start the way in. No matter what, we are always selling…selling our worth, our passion, our relationships, our skills…he just started selling tickets. He proved he had value, and went from there.
Third, find a way to make some money. You can’t live in poverty and succeed. You have to make basic ends meet. Be a Barista, work in an Amazon store, wait tables. Do something that gives you some dollars and some flexibility to work your way into a situation to advance elsewhere. I tell young people they need to create their own narrative, and using the skills literally in their hands, to help tell their story best, is a forgotten and valuable asset. There are plenty of sites and opportunities to self storytell, from social media to LinkedIn, and if you do it well and help create a narrative, even for no money or as a hobby, you can build something that makes you “that person who knows about this.” However as you do that, fins a way to bring in some dollar. Michael, while he chased his next job, worked at a school. Those skills, probably for little money, gave him the ability to keep moving forward without being homeless.
Fourth. Don’t say no, find a way. We live in a world where the first answer, the easy one, is “no” or “can’t” and everything else becomes a pleasant surprise after that. No is easy. What’s harder, and frankly sometimes is more fun, is maybe. Michael dealt with rejection and looked to build, not stop. Helping find simple solutions to the most complex problems requires listening, thinking and being positive. It’s not easy to take a breath and move ahead, it’s easy to get caught up in negative gossip. Use maybe when others say no.
Fifth. When the opportunity presents itself, make chicken salad. There is some talk of “dream job” in the story, which frankly makes me cringe. Every opportunity I have had at one point was part of a “dream job,” but all had their challenges and opportunities. I have worked for great organizations, often at really tough times. The goal was to reshape and extract the good and minimize the bad. Anyone, almost anyone, can take an A level position and make it A plus with the right assets. The challenge, and the fun challenge, is taking an opportunity that has warts, big ones, and making it work better. That takes stick-to-itiveness and vision and the ability to keep moving. Sometimes it works, sometimes it fails, but you keep learning. So back to Michael again. He is now at the Knicks, an organization that is usually in some form of transition. However he is there at what seems like another critical point in time, and can help shape success for the future. Is it easy? No. Will it work this time? Who knows? Does he have the ability to have learned from past failures and successes in other places he has been and apply that to what he does today? Yes.
If it was easy, the chances are the job would not be there. Since it’s hard, the opening came along.
Sixth. You define the job, not the other way around. Again, I don’t know Michael. But it seems like in the story he has taken the skills and lessons learned and built one step on top of the other. He has not let one job define who he is as a person and a professional. In a “look at me world” that is sometimes very easy to forget. You become known as x person from x company, and you have a hammer that goes with that title. If that’s true, use the hammer as a velvet tool, not as as a sledgehammer. The personal capital you guild, those relationships and skills, the empathy and work ethic you have, s what lasts, not the business card.
Now will Michael Arcieri be the key cog that helps lead the Knicks to the Promised Land? Who knows? Is he a great example of what relationships and grit can bring you? Seems like it. Even if it is just on the surface, this one story had a wealth of examples of how you move along the journey. He is already an example of success, title or not.
