Mike DeVolld

I made close to $80M in the NFL and never spent a dollar of my salary. I retired at 33 and live off what the market pays me. Most guys who hit that number are broke a few years after their last check. I've watched it happen up close. I grew up in Berlin, New Jersey, with two loving parents who worked hard and were always home for dinner. But I got drafted 14th among corners in 2013, and that chip never left. It made me suspicious of any dollar that felt too easy to spend. So I never touched the paychecks. I live on a strict budget off my portfolio, and I still ask my financial advisor more questions than anyone else on his books. Here's the part people chasing a big number keep missing. Chasing a big number was never the point. What actually bought my freedom was saving relentlessly, year after year, while everyone around me spent. I retired at 33 and answered to no schedule but my kids'. For those working toward financial freedom, remember what that freedom is really for.

This menu is far more dangerous than it looks. Everyone ordered the outcome they wanted. Imagine if leadership was on the menu. "I'll have a high-performing team." "Of course." "And for you, sir?" "I'll have people taking ownership." "Excellent choice." The waiter smiles. "Would you like the leadership that goes with it?" ... That's the only part nobody orders. We all like the outcome. The interesting bit is what quietly produces it. → Some leaders order agreement. Then wonder where all the ideas went. People usually serve exactly what's been on the menu. → Some order speed. Then miss everything nobody had time to mention. Fast decisions and informed decisions aren't always the same meal. → Some order certainty. Curiosity quietly disappears from the table. → Some never change their order. Years later they're still surprised the culture tastes exactly the same. Funny how the menu looked fictional. The choices didn't. The waiter never judged anyone's order. She only reminded them what came with it. 📌 Save this before your next leadership conversation. ♻️ Repost it if you've ever realised the outcome wasn't the first thing that needed changing. Video credit currently unknown. Please reach out for attribution or removal.

I've made almost $140 million in the NFL. Instead of paying people to manage it, I went back to school. In the offseason, while other guys are training or resting, I take finance classes at Clemson. A 13-year vet sitting in a college classroom, learning how money actually works. Early in my career, it didn't dawn on me that you have to educate yourself before you hand your money to someone else. I watched teammates make fortunes and lose them because they trusted the wrong people and never learned the game. I didn't want to be one of them. So now I do the work myself. I read the deals. I ask the questions that make me look like I don't know anything, because that's how you actually learn. I'd rather understand every company I'm in than trust that somebody else does. This isn't only about sports. Anybody who earns money eventually decides whether to understand it or hand it off and hope. I chose to understand it. That's the work that turns an athlete who invests into a real one, and it's how I'll build my own fund.

I am a few weeks tardy with this post, but excited to announce that I have started a new role at CVS Health as Lead Director, Retail Pharmacy FP&A. It has been an amazing two weeks so far and I'm thrilled to be working with such a great team. Here's to the exciting challenges and growth that will come from learning a new industry! I wanted to give a huge shout out and thank you to everyone from my IGT / GTECH / Brightstar / Everi family that supported me in some capacity throughout my career, since starting as an intern half a lifetime (literally) ago. I wouldn't be the person I am without the experiences, mentors and colleagues I met along the way.

A creative legend made this ad. Kentaro Kimura. He founded Hakuhodo Kettle in 2006 and is now Chief Creative Officer of Hakuhodo International. His agency has won 150+ international ad awards and 10 Grand Prix prizes with a stacked client roster that includes Toyota, Sony, Google, etc. I came across a Q&A where he dug deep into he approaches creative including how he pitches creative work to clients. Let's start at the top. How Kentaro pitches: "I always try to convince my clients from both an emotional and logical perspective. First, I emotionally move and empathize with the client as a single target audience. Next, I turn the emotion into conviction by logically proving that the emotion and empathy will efficiently and effectively realize the business goals. In other words, I encourage the drama of the client's decision making from both the right brain and then the left brain. In order to conquer people's hearts and minds, to dictate their behavior and create a lasting effect, I believe you have to do something crazy. It could be an innovative idea, a bold challenge that challenges the traditional way of thinking, incredible mastery and elaboration of even the smallest detail, a previously unimagined way to use technology that changes our lives or completely reverse the perception of a brand. The key to success in my opinion is creating those crazy points" First, love this POV. I'm all about that big crazy energy. Quick aside: the whole right v left brain thing is more myth than neuroscience. Yes there is brain "lateralization" where some functions process more on each respective side. Ex: left is more prominent in language and processing details whereas the right hemisphere processes more visual and spatial relationships. But they always need to operate together. Just like great creative strategy because it looks at the whole picture bringing art and science together. That's what it's all about. Now let's get into the ad brief for this spot. The product brief for Loving Eyes was about as sterile as it gets. Toyota wanted to promote Safety Sense, their anti collision sensor system. A piece of safety hardware. The team had to figure out how to brand a feature that prevents accidents you cannot see and brakes without you asking. Kimura on how the team got past the obvious brief: "A father's love for his daughter is invisible but always on and working, which is the same as the anti collision safety function of the car. And that invisible love is recorded in their eyes as previous exchanges taken place in the car. The team discussed for so many days until midnight about love and safety and reached this insight" This was my fav advice from all his Q&A. What advice would you give to people who are just starting out in advertising? "I believe you should value your inner urges that are always there. Imagine you are a volcano. You should allow yourself to erupt. That is how you can leave a bright mark on the industry."

I’m excited to share that I’ve stepped into a new role as Director of People Analytics and Workforce Strategy at IGT. This opportunity represents a meaningful step in my career and a chance to lead work I’m deeply passionate about—connecting workforce strategy to real business outcomes through data, analytics, and thoughtful decision-making. In this role, I’ll be focused on advancing how we use people data to move beyond reporting and toward predictive, actionable insights—helping the organization make smarter, more informed decisions across hiring, retention, performance, and compensation. What excites me most is the opportunity to help build and scale a capability that brings together People & Culture, Finance, and the broader business—ensuring that workforce decisions are grounded in both data and impact. I’m incredibly grateful for the support, mentorship, and collaboration from so many colleagues along the way. Looking forward to continuing to partner, learn, and build what’s next.

We are excited to welcome Kalli Martin to M+B! As a Senior Executive Recruiter, Kalli will lead candidate research and recruiting efforts while managing pipeline strategy and flow to support the delivery of exceptional results for the Financial Services practice. #MBExec #Recruiter #WereProYou