Standing at the door of Elixir, one of San Francisco's oldest bars, I was the picture of short-sightedness. 

Muscled up & taking shots while checking IDs - I'd mastered that perfect mix of party and security.

This was my "Free Chicken" job - military slang for a sweet deal that seems too good to pass up. 

Minimal pressure, maximum tequila, and just enough responsibility to feel legit.

“It’s Good to be Better. It’s Better to be Different” - Sally Hogshead 

Like many dyslexics, I convinced myself this was my ceiling. Why reach for anything that required more from my brain than my bicep?

But here's where legendary baseball maverick Billy Beane would see something different. 

Billy Beane built championship teams by finding talent in unexpected places - backing players whose methods looked unusual but delivered results, just like how dyslexics succeed through unconventional approaches. 

Using both data and instinct, he transformed baseball by turning so-called misfits into All-Stars, proving that the best talent often hides in plain sight.

Disco Chicken

In the UK, they call peacocks "Disco Chickens" - those ordinary birds with extraordinary potential, just waiting to show full plumage.

Standing at that door checking IDs night after night, I thought my fate was sealed - bouncer for life. 

No Spring Chicken, I was already in my early thirties without a roadmap for the future.

So when an old friend offered me a job downtown, I said yes to the Opportunity despite my fear, uncertainty and doubt.

Within weeks, I'd go from bouncer to Account Executive, beginning my career in financial services.

The Three-Way Trap 

What keeps capable dyslexics stuck in "Free Chicken Jobs” is a complex three-way trap.

• First, there's the draw of low expectations, where nobody pushes you beyond your comfort zone. Science calls this "behavioral lock-in" - where familiar discomfort actually feels safer than unfamiliar opportunity.
  
  

• Second comes the constant whisper of untapped potential - that nagging voice reminding you that you're meant for more.
  
  

• Finally, there's the paralyzing self-doubt and the toxic questions that keep you stuck like Chuck: "Who would even hire me? What if I can’t get past the forms? How will I learn entirely new systems?”

If It’s Good Enough for Brad Pitt 

Billy Beane challenged baseball's old guard by valuing what others dismissed - he proved that unconventional paths often lead to extraordinary results.  

His methods not only won championships but transformed baseball, creating a legacy that continues today.

They even made a movie about it (Moneyball) with the lead, Brad Pitt, receiving a nomination for Best Actor in 2012. 

From Free Chicken Jobs to Disco Chicken Living 

Watch Out for “Free Chicken Traps”: These are the moments when you find yourself settling. 

Keep track of:

• Times you say "at least my job is easy"

• When you catch yourself thinking "I'm lucky they don't expect much from me"

• Situations where you purposely fly under the radar

• Days when you feel Overqualified but Under-challenged

• Moments you know you're holding back

These are signs your Disco Chicken wants to plume out! 

Listen to the Whispers: That feeling of untapped potential that won't let go? That’s your inner talent scout speaking up. 

Here's how to tune in:

• List 3-5 skills you use daily that others find impressive

• Note tasks you do differently (but more effectively) than others

• Identify talents you use "just naturally" without thinking

• Spot patterns in compliments you receive

• Pay attention to problems you solve easily that stump others

For example: A bouncer's ability to read people and diffuse tension? That's high-level emotional intelligence, valuable everywhere from leading teams to building communities.

Build Your Evidence: Don't just know your value - prove it. Keep a running list of your wins, especially the unconventional ones you don’t think matter:

Try this:

• Screenshot positive feedback emails and texts

• Write down moments when you solved problems differently than others

• Note situations where your "weird" or unconventional approach worked better

• Track compliments about your unique qualities - even casual ones

• Save projects where your different perspective led to better results

Things that seem weird to you about yourself, might be fascinating to others. 

The Voice of Treason vs. The Voice or Reason 

"Free Chicken" in military context represents something that seems too good to be true, or an unexpected benefit that people might be suspicious of. 

This connects to how many dyslexics view their own potential or opportunities - with skepticism, wondering what the "catch" is = TREASON 

Disco Chicken Jobs don’t come easy.

That’s why so many entrepreneurs are neurodiverse.

Being able to plume out and operate on our own terms is freeing.

But maybe it’s not all about changing your job, switching careers or making a sudden and ill-planned U turn.

What if - instead, it’s about finding the Disco Chicken in the job, the career, or the life that you’re already in - right now? = REASON

🐔 Free Chicken Out - Disco Chicken In 🦚