The New HireAbout 2 years into my job in clinical research at UAB Medicine, a new hire came on the scene. Back then I was usually the guy to help onboard people, so I got ready to have him follow me around. I heard he had played football at JSU, got his degree from Auburn, and had moved to Birmingham recently. He & I both had degrees in kinesiology (hence how he got the job). First ImpressionsThe day starts and I meet the new hire. I was used to having big homies, even though I didn’t play football. In college, I’d let God decide my roommates each year when I moved into the dorms. He decided, every year, I would live with linemen, receivers, and linebackers twice my size. Still – seeing a brick shithouse with dreads come to clock in was a shock. My survival instincts kick in and I instantly find ways to befriend him. Turns out, this guy played football with other guys I used to live with at JSU. So by the end of the day I could relax—I had another big homie. A Mismatch at WorkEven though we hit it off well, he didn’t really fit in at the job. He had a huge presence and was unapologetically himself in an atmosphere that was… well, fake as hell. He told me one day he had a side hustle but wouldn’t let me know what it was. Usually this guy would talk about whatever, but he was reluctant to talk about this side hustle. It was like he was embarrassed but proud at the same time. Like he wanted to tell me but couldn’t because… I don’t know. It didn’t make sense to me. SuspicionsAt first, I got the impression he was having to hustle an overnight shift somewhere like Wal-Mart or a gas station. But after his response, he gave me that look afterwards like “you know what’s up”, so I thought “this guy sells weed.” He was constantly on his phone, after all. But something wasn’t adding up. This wasn’t my first rodeo with a weed dealer or an overnight stocker at Wal-Mart. This dude felt like neither. But the more I worked with him the more I began to believe both my suspicions about his side hustle were correct. A Not-So-Great Fit for the JobI thought this because he was terrible at the job I was training him for. He was one of those people who always had to put his spin on things, always trying to do too much. In clinical research, it’s pretty important to stick to the plan. When conducting an exam or gathering data, if you sway outside the lines, you’ll sway the data. It’s pretty straightforward. You just ask questions, run the test, etc. If you do anything outside protocol, you’re running a different experiment. Since this guy constantly did things his own way with no regard to protocol or procedure, every exam was different — which was absolutely not how things are supposed to go down. You have to almost be robotic to continuously carry out research examinations on a daily basis. He couldn’t do it. He wasn’t the “employee” type. I thought he was one of those people who are too smart for their own good. The type that constantly overthink things and end up sabotaging themselves by doing so. A Strange RevelationHowever, I grew to love working with him just because I wanted to see how bad he would botch each exam. It was pure comedy, I tell you. You never knew what he was going to say. He lasted probably 6-8 months before being transferred somewhere else. (Being transferred is the liberal version of being fired) We were cool but I didn’t stay in touch with him. I’d see him every once in a while at his other job down the street and say what’s up. I wished him the best and didn’t think much else of it. Then I see someone who looks just like this guy on Fox News. Then I see the same guy on Timcast IRL. I see him on other shows and podcasts. I thought, “No fucking way.” He was going by the name Malcom Flex. This was not his real name. I started to put the pieces together. I dig deeper and come to the conclusion it is 100% the guy I thought worked the overnight shift at Wal-Mart. The Real Side Hustle RevealedThe same guy who couldn’t read a script to deliver a research exam was giving his opinion on a major news network. I see he has social media accounts with over 300,000 followers across networks. He didn’t sell weed… He was a content creator. This was his secret job he didn’t tell me about. I instantly understood why he didn’t tell me about this job once I dove into his content. He wasn’t just a content creator—he was a black conservative influencer working at the most liberal institution in Alabama. He knew exactly what he was doing. He had a massive following online, and he built his audience in complete silence while working his main job. My TakeawayWhen I discovered all this, I was mind blown. I didn’t know what to think. One thing I did know—seeing my friend succeed in the content creation game gave me a huge boost of confidence and inspiration. “If this guy can do it… I can do it”, I thought. This was around the time I started seriously studying content creation as an alternative to my current job. I had a long road ahead of me, but eventually I would leave my job with the income I’d receive from helping others create content online. Last week, I mentioned I was working on a massive blog post. I probably spent over 80 hours collectively on this thing and it’s still not in its final form. It will turn into an e-book or a course later, but right now it’s up on my website for free. The post is a guide designed to help people start thinking about how to enter the creator economy, whether alongside a current job or as a long-term transition. It contains all the ideas and strategies I needed to finally say “f#%$ this” to my last job. If you’re into that sorta thing, you can check it out here. I’ve also started vlogging on YouTube. My plan is to vlog this journey I’m taking into full time content creation. Even if I fail, it’ll still be entertaining. You can subscribe to that here. Honestly, I had forgotten all about this story until I saw my friend again on Fox News the other day. I wanted to share it with you because… well, it’s just a wild story. Looking back, it makes so much sense how he botched all those research exams. He wasn’t a scientist—he was a political commentator and professional shitposter. I never would’ve guessed that my coworker was quietly building an empire as a black conservative influencer. But he did it, and discovering his success lit a fire under me. It made me rethink my own path and take content creation seriously. And now, here I am, sharing this story with you. If there’s one takeaway from this story, it’s this: Don’t underestimate your side hustle, your passion project, or your hidden talents. In the digital world, the possibilities to make a living on your own terms are almost endless. The world is literally at your fingertips. Talk to you next week, Eli TOOLS I LIKEWebsite Builder (WordPress Plugin): Hosting Service: Productivity App: Creator Email Marketing: WHERE TO FIND ME
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The Day I Discovered My Black Coworker Was a Secret Conservative Influencer
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