I help high achievers break corporate dependence and build beautiful Portfolio Careers for freedom, family and finances.

I help high achieving professionals BREAK corporate dependence and build Self-Directed Lives.
I believe that to transform our circumstances, we have to BREAK what's not working, on purpose. And do it smartly.

My Career Design Lab is where your golden handcuffs and unfulfilling career go to die, and where we reimagine work aligned with who you want to be, who you want to serve and what legacy you want to leave.

Like you:
I know what it's like to be burned out, unfulfilled and secretly DYING for new opportunities. 
I know what it's like to seek my identity and self worth from a job only to realize the mirage.
I know what it's like to sacrifice my health and family for "achievement."

The difference is I did something about it.

In 2018, work wasn't working for me, so I broke it and methodically designed a new life with intention.
I used my job as an investor in my future. I figured out my advantages and then built a side business that I took to full time corporate exit, then scaled to over $1m in revenue.

I built an entire process to help me figure out my re-invented career and now I use that to help other corporate pros smartly build futures that are Self-Directed, intentional and successful - that is my purpose.

Previous, my career spanned:

Financial Futures and Derivatives Trading
3 Startups
Freelance Consulting
Corporate Innovation

I infuse major lessons from these unique experiences to help you craft a dynamic, portfolio career that is adaptable, intentional, purpose driven and never dependent on the whims of corporate structures.

Michael Gardon

I used to think successful Architects were the ones working until midnight, surviving on coffee and sheer willpower.
Sound familiar?

After 17+ years in Architecture, I've watched too many talented designers leave the profession—not because they stopped loving design, but because the culture of burnout made staying impossible.

I've been the Architect working 70-hour weeks, the one questioning whether this career was sustainable, and the leader trying to prevent my team from burning out while managing impossible project demands.

Now I help Architecture firms and individual Architects build careers that don't require sacrificing health, relationships, or passion for design.

Since I burned out, I turned my life around.
I've lost 75 pounds, earned my Associate role while working normal hours, and started competing in Triathlons.

More importantly, I've helped dozens of other Architects and entire firms do the same. We're proving every day that sustainable practice isn't just possible—it's more profitable and way more enjoyable.

My Background:
🔵 Licensed Architect
🔵 17+ years of Experience in Architectural Practice
🔵 Mentor to Emerging Architects throughout my Career
🔵 Published Writer on Architecture Careers since 2015
🔵 Burnout Recovery in 2017 (Lost +75lbs, Changed My Habits and Life)
🔵 Burnout Prevention Coach and Speaker since 2019

Watching your best people burn out or struggling with burnout yourself?

I share practical strategies in my weekly newsletter and offer targeted workshops for firms ready to change.

Send me a DM to learn more.

Mike AIA

Here's my 2025 LinkedIn Rewind, by Coauthor.studio:

Architects, Happy 2026. 🎉

2025 was a year of action. 
Not just building—but proof that sustainable practice without burnout actually works.

———

Here's what that looked like:

🟦 January: Relaunched "The Resilient Architect" newsletter 
🟦 March: Deep-dive series on toxic firms 
🟦 April: Mental health series for Architects 
🟦 July: Ran 30 days of daily LinkedIn posts 
🟦 August: Watched the final steel beam go up on FeedMore WNY—200,000 sq ft, $100M, 5 years of my life 
🟦 September: Reflected on 10 years as a licensed Architect 
🟦 December: Delivered the SPACES burnout recovery workshop live

———

3 lessons I'm carrying into 2026:

VULNERABILITY BUILDS TRUST 
My most-engaged post this year? "I almost quit architecture in 2017." Honesty resonates more than polish.

CONSISTENCY COMPOUNDS 
A weekly newsletter + daily posts = more conversations, more Architects reaching out, more proof this work matters.

PRACTICE + TEACHING STRENGTHEN EACH OTHER 
Standing on a jobsite watching steel go up while coaching Architects through burnout isn't a contradiction. It's the whole point.

You CAN do meaningful work AND have a life.

———
Some posts that landed this year:

→ "I almost quit architecture in 2017." https://lnkd.in/edsin6gV

→ "Architect, your biggest stress isn't deadlines." https://lnkd.in/gvQmhRmY

→ "Be a Sponge." 🧽 https://lnkd.in/eyPKAEFp

———

Looking ahead:
More workshops. 
More writing. 
More buildings. 

And more proof that burnout isn't "just part of the job."

If burnout is holding you back—or you're watching it hold back your team—DM me. I'd love to help.

Here's to a resilient 2026. 🔥

👋 I'm Mike 
Helping Architects build sustainable, burnout-resistant careers.

PS: Shout out to Katelyn Rossier,’s post for inspiring this one.

Mike LaValley AIA, LEED AP

The Resilient Architect — I help ambitious Architects grow into leadership without sacrificing their well-being, and good firms retain top talent using proven anti-burnout frameworks.

taplio

The Battle

Michael Gardon

Mike AIA

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreMike AIA's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Michael Gardon

Mike AIA

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Mike AIA's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreMike AIA's LinkedIn Performance