Ed Latimore is a writer with over 10 years of experience in creating engaging and insightful content for various platforms and audiences. He has a B.A. in Physics from Duquesne University, a MOS certification as a Land Combat Electrical Missile Systems Repairer, and a Secret Clearance issued by the US Army.

As a self-employed writer, Ed shares his unique perspective and wisdom from his diverse background as a former heavyweight professional boxer, a veteran of the United States Army National Guard, and a physics graduate. He teaches the lessons he has learned through his blog, his newsletter, and his Twitter account, reaching millions of people who benefit from his advice and stories. Ed's mission is to help others overcome their challenges, improve their lives, and achieve their goals.

Ed Latimore

Don't let stupid people gaslight you into thinking you're the dumb one.

Professional boxer (14-1-1) | Stuck at 1800-ish chess rating | Keynote Speaker | Author of “Hard Lessons From The Hurt Business: Boxing And The Art of Life

"Saying 'my bad' went a long way in keeping an accidental brush on a crowded bus from turning into an all-out brawl.

Even if the other person was wrong, swallowing my pride prevented countless unnecessary fights that could have ended badly.

People respond better to humility and respect, even amid chaos. Good manners and emotional control never make a situation worse.

Staying disciplined with my emotions granted me inner resilience and social capital that have paid dividends throughout my life."

From my book Hard Lessons From The Hurt Business: Boxing And The Art of Life—>https://amzn.to/45Prvnx

Sometimes the best way to help someone is not only let them fail but also to offer no assistance in their recovery.

Compassion has robbed many people of valuable lessons that can only be learned the hard way.

And when that happens, it's not a matter of if, but when they will make the same mistake. And you may not be able to help them, but now they're in a genuinely bad spot.

Much worse than if they hadn't been robbed of the opportunity to learn the first time.

I took all the SEO skills I've gained over the past 13 years and started working in a retainer/freelancer role at a startup.

Here is the week-to-week progress of the organic traffic from their analytics.

I'm happy, and this week is already on pace to be a bit higher than last week.

"You can waste a lot of time and energy trying to change things that aren’t yours to change, no matter how much you work at it. 

While you’re engaged in those pointless battles, you’re depleting resources that could impact those aspects of your life that would yield to your efforts if you could only see them."

From my book "Hard Lessons From The Hurt Business: Boxing And The Art of Life"–>https://amzn.to/3LVfkyV

In 2011, I had a fight that changed my life and saved me from being homeless in 2 weeks.

It was an amateur fight, so I didn't get paid for it either. But I was hurting for cash and 2 weeks away from my apartment lease being up.

The fight was against Dominic Breazeale in the 2011 National Golden Glove tournament. I won a decision and impressed his sponsors so much that they recruited me.

I couldn't control who I drew in the pairings. I could only control how I trained and how I fought, despite the distraction.

Learn more about the fight and what came of it in Hard Lessons From The Hurt Business: Boxing And The Art of Life–>amzn.to/4pRCBQi

"Among the many reasons to be kind to people is that you never know when you’ll need to rely on the kindness of others.

This doesn’t mean you’re only helpful because you expect others to help you. That approach will set you up for bitterness and disappointment.

Karma is a sloppy art that doesn’t always get it right, but you gain nothing by not helping when it would be easy for you.

You should be kind because it genuinely makes you feel better and makes the world a better place to live.

However, when karma does occasionally get things right, and you desperately need assistance, it’s amazing how it can turn a bad situation into something good or take a good situation and make it something great."

From Hard Lessons From The Hurt Business: Boxing And The Art of Life

https://amzn.to/4qBcUnS

Teaching my son how to read has taught me an important distinction between the childish and mature mind.

When he isn't in the mood, no bribe works. He just won't focus.

But when he wants to, I can't get him to stop.

Kids rely on motivation.
Adults thrive on discipline.

The opposite of love is not hate.

It's indifference.

And it's only in rhat indifference that freedom to choose exist.

"And of course you can't become
If you only say
What you woulda done"

The best way to keep from falling off the edge is to stay as far away from it as possible.

Unfortunately, this is also the best way to lose it.

Crackheads are a relatively peaceful bunch, unless there's a full moon and they haven't fed in 72+ hours.

Learn more about crackheads and my experiences with them in Hard Lessons From The Hurt Business: Boxing And The Art of Life–>amzn.to/45LXiWy

The biggest lesson from 2025 that is already paying dividends in 2026:

You win creative work when you figure out your *own* personal, repeatable, profitable process.

You can't buy someone else's tactics, and you can't copy their strategy.

By all means, learn from it, take what works, and discard the rest...

But your biggest wins will come when you build what works for *you* and ONLY you.

Because in creative work, the process is simultaneously separate AND indistinguishable from the outcome.

Looking at what AI has become—along with the rest of the internet, in general—I have a serious question.

Well, two, actually:

1) How long before colleges actually collapse? I have said several times that I can't see the university system failing, but something will have to give for 95% of majors.

The cost to reward ratio is already lop-sided, and it's only going to get worse.

2) How long before compulsory schooling is just not a thing? This one might take a little longer, since school functions as de facto, state-funded childcare.

But, at the very least, the old models of teaching and assessing skills are dead men walking.

Which also means that in about 20 years, people are almost certainly going to be living in an Idiocracy.

If you think critical thinking is bad now, wait until the first group of job seekers who were raised on AI "graduate."

AI writing is how I really learned what "voice" is.

Because AI all sounds the same.

The structure is so predictable and the lack of creativity so obvious that it's painful to read—even if it's free of errors.

You don't make your writing seem human by adding mistakes. That's stupid.

You do it by being unpredictable, asymmetrical, and making references that are personal yet presented universally

You make new connections between ideas that people haven't heard before.

In other words, stop being lazy, learn something, and— just for flavor—maybe stop watching or reading anything created after the year 2010 for a while.

It's easy to have faith in the future when you take responsibility for the present and learn from the past.

Many times, the best way to help someone is to force them to do what they don’t want to do and tell them what they don’t want to hear.

I learn just as much by the end of a debate as I thought I knew at the start of it.

Experiences gives you stories to tell.

Craft gives you the ability to tell them.

"Alonso Quixano’s goal of helping people is a noble one but his method is all too common among people who are trying to be good:

They do easy things that they think should help rather than hard things that actually will help.

What this amounts to is that they want to be good on their own terms. 

But being good is something that we cannot do on our own terms, because being good means conforming ourselves to reality."

https://
https://lnkd.in/eRXayrh2
-quixote-easy-virtue/

Aussie writer with 1B+ content views in 10 years | I teach people to use writing online to create career opportunities | Let's connect: tim@timdenning.com

I quit my eCommerce startup with 100+ employees. Then got depressed, developed an eating disorder, and got a minimum-wage job in a bank. I now work for myself and make 7-figures writing.

I'm not that smart and have no college education. The way I used the internet made the difference.

And going to a Tony Robbins event changed my mindset. He taught me to go from being a victim to be in control.

This led to:

• 1B+ content views
• Financial freedom
• Book deal with a major publisher
• Meeting my heroes (like Tony Robbins)
• Quitting my banking career forever in 2021
• Multiple successful businesses fuelled by obsession

My mission: Help 100,000 people start online businesses. 

My beliefs that drive everything I do:

- Anything is possible
- Positivity above all
- Ego is the enemy
- Challenge the status quo
- Chase obsession, not passion
- Always be kind, grateful, and a good person

How can I help you?

• Social media audience building
• Starting or growing an online business

Join my email list with 200,000+ other high performers for more helpful insights:
https://timdenning.com/start-social-hustle-linkedin-bio/

Tim Denning

Most individuals get a degree, enter the workplace, then cease learning

Accomplished individuals turn after-work education into a routine. They enjoy learning and challenging themselves.

When I initially worked in finance, I considered my position dull. One day my supervisor during our meeting showed some Ted Talks on his tablet.

He motivated me to gain knowledge from people outside of finance. He provided me a collection of books to study, conferences to participate in, and individuals to observe.

During the following 2 years I took his guidance. My professional advancement accelerated. Because of him I attended a Tony Robbins seminar.

It transformed my mind. I was permanently changed. It assisted me in recovering from psychological struggles. Education isn't a single-time event.

Utilize self-education to enhance your profession and boost your worth.

<<<>>>

♻️ Share this if you recognize a self-educator.

If you want to level up your career faster, then join my unconventional Substack newsletter with 166K others: https://lnkd.in/gMkRFmj9

Aussie writer with 1B+ content views in 12 years | Teaching high performers to build million-dollar digital businesses | Let’s connect: tim@timdenning.com

If you need 36 interviews to make a hiring decision, you don't know what you're looking for.

The best candidates won't wait for your corporate theater.

━━━━━

Friend just withdrew from a Google process after round 12.

4 months. 12 interviews. 6 take-home projects. 3 presentations.

They offered him 10% less than his current role.

He took a startup offer instead. 2 interviews. 1 week. 40% raise.

━━━━━

The hiring circus exposed:

Round 1-3: "Getting to know you" (Could be one conversation)
Round 4-6: "Technical assessment" (Should take 2 hours max)
Round 7-9: "Culture fit" (You mean politics?)
Round 10-12: "Final stakeholders" (People who won't work with you)

It's not thoroughness. It's incompetence hiding behind process.

━━━━━

What long interview processes mean:

• Nobody wants to make a decision
• Everyone's covering their ass
• The role isn't clearly defined
• Too many cooks, no chef
• They're hoping you'll drop out so they don't have to reject you

Companies that can't hire efficiently can't operate efficiently.

━━━━━

I hire in 2 weeks. Always.

Day 1: Phone screen (30 minutes)
Day 3: Real conversation with me (1 hour)
Day 5: Meet the team (90 minutes)
Day 10: Final decision

That's it. No committees. No consensus building. No theatrical performances.

Success rate? 85%.

━━━━━

The top talent timeline:

Week 1: They're interested
Week 2: They're engaged
Week 3: They're questioning your competence
Week 4: They're interviewing elsewhere
Week 6: They're gone

Every week you waste, your competition gets stronger.

━━━━━

Real story from last month:

Candidate had 8 offers. EIGHT.

The companies with 2-week processes got her attention.
The companies with 6-week processes got ghosted.

She chose the company that respected her time. Made $300K first year.

━━━━━

The interview marathon red flags:

• "We need buy-in from everyone" = Nobody owns anything
• "Just a few more stakeholders" = Endless politics
• "One final round" (for the third time) = Disorganized chaos
• "Take your time with this project" = Free consulting
• "We're being thorough" = We're terrified of decisions

Run. These companies are where careers go to die.

━━━━━

Here's what actually matters in hiring:

Can they do the job? (One technical interview)
Will they fit the team? (One culture conversation)
Do they give a sh*t? (You'll know in hour one)

Everything else is corporate masturbation.

━━━━━

To every hiring manager:

Your 36-interview process isn't finding better people. It's filtering out anyone with options.

You're not being selective. You're being stupid.

The best people have choices. Respect their time or lose them.

━━━━━

To everyone in interview hell:

A company that takes 6 months to hire takes 6 years to promote.

Find companies that move fast. They're the ones actually going somewhere.

What's the longest interview process you've endured? 👇

Join my unconventional Substack newsletter with 165K others: https://lnkd.in/gMkRFmj9

Just f*cking do it.


If you want to level up your career faster, then join my unconventional Substack newsletter with 171K others: https://lnkd.in/gMkRFmj9

Most bosses manage your output. The rare ones manage your potential.

One builds careers. The other builds empires.

━━━━━

Had 2 bosses in the same year. Same company. Different universes.

First boss: Tracked my hours. Reviewed my work. Gave me raises when HR approved them.

Second boss: Introduced me to CEOs. Pushed me into speaking gigs. Fought for my promotion when I wasn't even asking.

Guess which one I still text on holidays?

━━━━━

A boss who actually gives a sh*t does things differently:

They don't ask "What did you accomplish today?"
They ask "What do you want to accomplish in life?"

They don't manage your calendar.
They manage your trajectory.

They don't protect you from failure.
They ensure you fail at things worth failing at.

━━━━━

The VP who changed my life did 3 things no other boss did:

1. Told other companies about me (while I worked for her)
2. Connected me to her competition
3. Said "You're going to outgrow this role. Let's plan for it."

She knew I'd leave eventually. She accelerated it.

I've sent her millions in business since.

━━━━━

Bosses who don't care about your future:
• "That's not your job"
• "Stay in your lane"
• "You're not ready"
• "Be patient"
• "We'll revisit next year"

Bosses who do:
• "You should meet..."
• "Have you considered..."
• "I nominated you for..."
• "Take my spot at..."
• "You're ready for..."

One keeps you small. The other makes you unstoppable.

━━━━━

Real conversation with my best boss:

Her: "You're going to quit in 18 months."
Me: "What? No, I'm happy here."
Her: "You will be. But not in 18 months. Let's make sure you leave for something incredible."

She was right. Left after 20 months. For a role she helped me get.

━━━━━

The compound effect of a boss who cares:

Year 1: They teach you their job
Year 2: They introduce you to their network
Year 3: They push you toward bigger things
Year 5: You're running something they helped you build
Year 10: You're hiring their other protégés

Every great leader has this tree of success beneath them.

━━━━━

The test for whether your boss cares about your future:

Ask them: "Where do you see me in 5 years?"

If they say "Right here, killing it!" - they care about themselves.

If they say "Running your own division, maybe your own company" - they care about you.

The answer tells you everything.

━━━━━

To every manager reading this:

Your job isn't to keep your best people. It's to prepare them for what's next.

The ones you develop will build your legacy.
The ones you trap will destroy your reputation.

Be the boss people thank at their IPO.

━━━━━

To everyone with a boss who doesn't invest in you:

They're not going to change. You are.

Find someone who sees your potential and fights for it

Your career is too short for bosses who keep you small

♻️ Repost if great bosses build futures, not just teams

If you want to level up your career faster then join my unconventional Substack newsletter with 169K others: https://lnkd.in/gMkRFmj9

9 uncomfortable career truths people lie to themselves about:

━━━━━

1. A salary won't make you wealthy

Your $200K salary? It's keeping you comfortable enough not to quit.

Meanwhile, the guy making $60K with three rental properties is building actual wealth. The freelancer with equity in 5 startups. The consultant who owns her business.

Wealth = ownership. Your paycheck is designed to rent your time, not build your empire.

━━━━━

2. Your boss doesn't care about your career growth

They care about their quarterly bonus. Their next promotion. Their ass staying covered when sh*t hits the fan.

I had 7 bosses in 10 years. Know how many checked in after I left? Zero.

Your growth threatens them. Your success makes them nervous. Your potential reminds them of what they gave up.

━━━━━

3. Company loyalty is a dumb decision

25 years at the same company? Congrats, you left millions on the table.

Job hoppers make 50% more over their careers. While you're waiting for that 3% annual raise, they're getting 30% bumps every 2 years.

Companies are loyal to shareholders. Not you. Act accordingly.

━━━━━

4. People go to jobs cause they don't know what else to do

"I love my job!" No, you love the security of not having to figure out your actual purpose.

━━━━━

5. Most people have no idea what their passion is, so they lie

"I'm passionate about supply chain optimization."

Really? That's what you dream about? That's what you'd do if money didn't matter?

Passion isn't found in job descriptions. It's discovered by doing sh*t that scares you.

━━━━━

6. Hours worked has nothing to do with value created

I worked 80-hour weeks for 5 years. Know what I accomplished? The same as the guy who left at 5 PM sharp.

One good idea in the shower beats 20 hours of busy work. One strategic "no" beats 100 tactical "yeses."

Time in chair ≠ value delivered. Stop confusing motion with progress.

━━━━━

7. Job titles are meaningless. They're just ego

Vice President of Nothing Important. Senior Director of Bullsh*t Nobody Cares About.

I've met "executives" who can't execute anything. And "junior associates" running entire departments.

Titles are participation trophies for adults. Cheap ways to make you feel important without paying you more.

━━━━━

8. You're not entitled to a raise, promotion... or anything

The market doesn't owe you sh*t. Your company doesn't owe you sh*t. Your boss definitely doesn't owe you sh*t.

You get what you negotiate. What you have leverage for. What you make yourself irreplaceable for.

Expecting fairness in business is like expecting honesty in politics.

━━━━━


9. Most of the stuff you buy keeps you tied to a job

That BMW lease. The house that stretches your budget. The lifestyle you can barely maintain.

You're not working for freedom. You're working to pay for sh*t that imprisons you.

Simplify your life. Watch your options explode.

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Tim Denning

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