Balancing the Grind with Michael Nuciforo, CEO ‘Chief Elimination Officer’ at Thriday

Michael Nuciforo is the CEO ‘Chief Elimination Officer’ at Thriday, an all-in-one financial management platform that eliminates financial admin by automating banking, accounting and tax.

1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?

I started as a graduate at ANZ, and I found my niche in digital and mobile banking. I then moved to the UK for a total of five years, and was Head of Mobile at RBS, and then Lloyds Bank.

I left banking to start a business called Parkhound, which I ran for 4 years, and was acquired by a company called Spacer. After the sale of Parkhound I moved to the US and was Head of Digital at Fareportal, a large US travel site.

I returned back to Melbourne in 2019 to start a family, and then started Thriday in 2020.

2) What does a day in your life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?

I usually wake up at 6:30 – 7:00 am with my two toddlers by the alarm clock. I take care of the breakfast routine, which usually consists of a full continental breakfast of toast, yoghurt and fruit! Lucky for them.

My wife and I rotate on taking them into childcare, and then after I drop them off, I start work. I usually work from home most days, and I only go into our office once a week. 

My day consists of mostly meetings and sometimes I block out to work on something specific. I have a mixture of internal team meetings, external partnership meetings and one-to-ones with my leadership team.

3) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?

I really enjoy my job, and I wish I could do more of it. So, for me the ideal work-life balance, does skew more towards work.

Because the kids are at childcare during the day, I’ll work during the day, then after picking them up, I’ll spend time with the family between 5:00 pm and 7:30 pm.

Once the kids go down, I’ll usually jump back online to work on some things or catch up on some emails.

I love the flexibility of working from home, and being able to control my schedule, so that gives me the work-life balance I need.

4) In the past 12 months, have you started or stopped any routines or habits to change your life?

After I had my second child, I needed to set some clearer boundaries around my workday. I now don’t do any calls before 10 am, and after 5 pm.

I have set this expectation with my team, and it works. This has allowed me to help out with the kids, and spend quality time every day with my family.

5) Do you have any favourite books, podcasts or newsletters that you’d like to recommend?

I’ll read a few go-to news publications each day to keep up with current affairs, but I’m not a prodigious reader beyond that.

This year I have read The Catalyst, which is about negotiating and changing people’s minds (in a good way), The Platform Delusion and Profit First.

Profit First explains a new methodology for structuring your finances as a small business, and is a must read for any business owner.

6) If you could read an interview about work-life balance by anyone, who would that be?

I think work-life balance is a very personal thing. What it is for me, could be very different to someone else.

In my life, I have always gravitated towards admiring people who are known for being hard working, because I really resonate with a ‘leave no stone unturned’ approach.

I actually enjoy understanding the mindset of an athlete, and I find a lot of it can be applied to business, so I would probably have to say Kobe Bryant.

7) Do you have any last thoughts on work, life or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?

I really believe it’s important to find a vocation that you enjoy, because then it doesn’t feel like work.

Don’t base your approach on what others are doing, but most importantly, what feels right to you.

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