Meet Michael Blackard

We were lucky to catch up with Michael Blackard recently and have shared our conversation below.

Michael, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?

My optimism comes from watching the chain lightning of brilliance and smiles jump to surrounding groups, multiplying like popping corn kernels. Even as a kid, I have watched how people laughing in a room makes the air feel lighter.

Throughout my career, I have helped support many people stretch into areas they didn’t think they’d be able to, watching the days turn to into weeks and seeing the changes: how one conversation leads to not just that person feeling more confident, but seeing that confidence giving space for other teammates to seek out those same growth-led journeys for themselves.

I adopted a team at a previous position. There were numerous systemic problems to overcome and so few of the teammates felt like they had a voice to make things better. I came in and asked everyone to talk about the most pressing issues they had – big and small. I ended this gathering by setting up a battle plan for what we were going to tackle and what I was going to tackle on their behalf. Each item knocked off the lists was another held breath released which meant there was more space to tackle another problem. The more people felt like they accomplished, the more excited people became. The easier problems were able to be solved, the bigger puzzles we were able to set our sights on. By the time I left that team, there was still a lot of work to be done but those smiles were ever present, spreading like wild fire, and they were doing more fulfilling work..

My optimism comes from people being in their bliss!

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Hello! I’m Michael and I am the founder of Friend’em. The mission is to transform lives by helping people make new friends, be better friends, and be better friends to themselves.

My background is in video games where I am a producer and I’ve worked on games like Marvel’s Midnight Suns, Wayfinder, Saints Row, and many others. It’s my job as a producer to keep people aligned so we can solve highly complex and interdependent goals. My favorite part of the job is helping establish healthy work cultures that allow teammates more time to do the things they love to do the most. When people are doing what they love the most, they make cool things, which then inspires other people and next thing you know, the snowball effect leads us to so much jaw dropping experiences.

Unfortunately, I was impacted in a layoff some time ago, but I was lucky enough to receive support from my friends and former teammates while I navigated a completely new experience. It dawned on me that the amount of support I was receiving, job wise and emotionally, was not what most people had in these situations.

I went to investigate my theory.

I found the former surgeon general’s report on the loneliness epidemic. I found post after post from people on socials talking about how hard it has been to make friends as adults. I recollected on how many of my former teammates would hesitate to reach out to other coworkers for help. Then I talked to a therapist. The more I looked, the more I found people struggling and I knew I could use my unique talents to share what came easily to me.

Friend’em takes the approach of helping people practice the skills around connecting to others and self. Through 1 on 1 coaching and consulting, we talk about what you need. At our workshops and speed friending events, we do activities and games centered on learning and practicing ways to engage and connect – and, of course, make new friends! I give keynote speeches at various events centered on the data of loneliness, philosophies, personal stories, and more. I am excited to share each and every service because everyone needs friends.

December is going to be a great month as Friend’em has 3 in person events in Austin, Texas and the launch of our virtual speed friending work shops. Find out more information at www.friendem.net/events.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Honesty, experience, and simply caring about others.

A lot of work I do revolves around talking about hard subjects: Why do people feel like they are too much or not enough? Why are we so afraid of conflict and rejection? What do we truly want?

In order to talk about these things, we have to be able to be honest with ourselves and have experiences to say ” I really liked it when…” and “I did not like how I felt after…” There’s a lesson in almost every journey we take – big and small. “Connection is a choice, not a skill…” was said by one of my favorite TV characters Captain Michael Burnham from Star Trek: Discovery and I wholeheartedly agree. When you’ve been through something and you can empathize with someone going through something similar, it can be so validating to see them and to be seen. It can evaporate vast amounts of loneliness. The catharsis of being able to share your story and know the other person gets it and gets you is nourishing!

I urge everyone to do the hard work of being honest. “The truth will set you free” isn’t just a “fanceh” idiom. In many aspects, it allows more space for bigger and better problems to solve.

I challenge people to go out and experience more life with more people. New adventures. New experiments. New worlds. New cultures. There’s so much beauty. There are so many laughs to be had.

I encourage people to care for others and aim to be a “friend for the moment.” A moment may not be a long time, but it can be a life time for someone in need. Choose to care. You’ll be surprised how much you grow and gain while giving to others.

If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?

Letting people know about Friend’em and how I can help make life easier.

Everything is so hard right now. There is a lot going on. It can be difficult to admit you need help sometimes. It can be hard to search for the help you want. It is scary to make the leaps of faith and put yourself out there.

I am here to help when it comes to practicing making friends and seeing platonic relationships in a new lens. I offer a wide array of services including being able to hire me just to sit with you and be a friend for the moment. I’d love to talk with you!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.friendem.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/letsfriendem?igsh=ejUzb3lzNHhjbTU3&utm_source=qr
• Linkedin: https://LinkedIn.com/in/mblackard

Image Credits

Michael Blackard, Bradley Matthews, Chibuzo Aguocha