Insights To Live By

Closing out this four-part series on entrepreneurship is an inside look at the investment side of startup funding. Guiding the way is serial entrepreneur Chris Halligan, co-founder of Good Human Investment Partners. He breaks down what angel investors look for in early-stage companies and why founder character can matter as much as metrics. Then he turns the tables on Matt and puts him and MindRev to the test. Chris also shares stories from his early days of Dell, along with practical guidelines for making meetings matter and several sage Insights to Live By. Here you'll find a sharp, human...

Launching a new company is among life’s greatest challenges. It demands resilience, decisiveness, adaptability, vision and resourcefulness. The founders who succeed know they cannot do it alone. This is where a strong startup ecosystem can make all the difference. Here to unpack those forces and share a ground-level view of Charlotte’s entrepreneurial landscape is Juan Garzón. He is the Managing Director of Innovate Charlotte, Head of Innovation-Led Entrepreneurship for the City of Charlotte and Executive Director of PitchBreakfast, the Queen City’s premier startup pitching event. Join the conversation for a fascinating inside look at everything from ec...

North Carolina is becoming one of the fastest rising tech hubs in the country. Matt sits down with Brooks Raiford, CEO of NC Tech, to unpack the forces shaping the region’s innovation economy. They get into hiring trends, the truth about the AI skills gap, why non-tech companies now dominate tech hiring, and the surprising drop in computer science majors. Brooks explains how employers are navigating rapid AI transformation and why soft skills still matter. They also talk leadership, communication habits that elevate influence and the challenges start-ups face. It’s a grounded, wide-angle look at tech, talent and...

From perfectionism at age ten to coaching CEOs who quietly wonder if they belong, Gary exposes how comparison, credentials and hidden shame steal confidence. Join this lively conversation as Gary gets brutally honest about the sneaky scripts that fuel imposter syndrome. He also shares personal stories of betrayal, resilience and finding freedom through vulnerability, purpose and service. If self-doubt ever whispers you’re not enough, this episode gives you the means to silence it and step into who you’ve earned to be.

TIME-CODED TOPIC GUIDE

0:00 — Matt intro and North Carolina series setup

02:30 — Who is G...

What does it take for an underdog to win their face-off against adversity? Former NHL enforcer and Stanley Cup winner Mike Hartman joins the show to share his journey from house league long shot to professional athlete and how mindset made all the difference. Now as founder of the Healthy Mindset App, Mike is guiding both corporate and professional athletes to lead with purpose and mental toughness. He’s also trained an AI version of himself to deliver real-time coaching anytime, anywhere. With Matt also a lifelong player, the episode includes behind-the-scenes moments with Gretzky, leadership insights from Messier, an...

As the mind-boggling pace of AI continues, how can a self-respecting HR professional keep pace? More to the point, how can one find ways to thrive rather than just survive or, worse yet, become irrelevant? Joining the show for this powerful conversation, Jason Walker and Rey Ramirez, co-founders of Thrive HR Consulting, unpack how artificial intelligence is reshaping everything from recruitment and workforce planning to learning and development along with the increasing role of AI for mental health support. We take on the rise of agentic AI and HR chatbots, job displacement and how professionals can stay ahead by...

In this high-energy episode, award-winning speaker, TEDx powerhouse, and leadership igniter Heather Hansen O’Neill talks about how to stop letting fear run the show and start leading with fire through purpose, passion, and action. From literally flying on the trapeze to metaphorically helping leaders leap into their fullest potential, Heather shares her unconventional path to becoming a best-selling author, adventurer and creator of the Elements of Adventure framework. We explore how to build resilience through uncertainty, inspire teams in the face of apathy and reframe leadership as a human-first, joy-driven experience. Whether you're a team leader, entrepreneur, or so...

What does it take to become a truly limitless leader? Joining the show is Dr. Mary Hemphill, a global leadership strategist and founder of The Limitless Leader. Mary shares game-changing insights about self-leadership, human-centered growth, and the courage to unlearn what no longer serves us. From conducting a “human audit” of your life to redefining the role of tech in personal well-being, she offers a powerful framework to help leaders thrive in all areas of life.

00:07 – Welcome & Guest Intro
Matt welcomes listeners and introduces Dr. Mary Hemphill and her background.

01:22 – Setting the Tone
Mary sha...

BOOK CAPSULE: Richly authentic, deeply personal and highly motivating, Z-isms offers new ways to better ourselves, our experiences and our encounters.

Matt keeps it casual, as though in private conversation with readers, freely sharing his life experiences as an entrepreneur, athlete, single parent, caregiver and nonprofit founder with practical insights and ways to help navigate and overcome common challenges we all face.

TRACKS BY CHAPTER:

00:17 - BACKSTORY
06:41 - INTRODUCTION
22:46 - EARNED CONFIDENCE
57:57 - BE AWARE OF SPIDERS
1:40:34 - A DOSE OF PREVENTION
2:22:44 - PERCEPTION IS
3:00:11 - MINDING...

The show is BACK! Following a record hiatus, Matt reemerges to explain where he’s been, what’s happened since, what’s occurring now and what lies ahead. These include his relocation, progress with THE BRIGHT SIDE (newsletter for LinkedIn), two high-profile upcoming presentations, show plans for 2025-2026, and a special announcement in concert with Z-isms turning 5. The reveal: the audiobook is about to grace the podcast.

0:00 – The ITLB Sabbatical

1:30 – COVID Reflections

2:32 – The Queen City

4:20 – Looking on The Bright Side

6:43 – The Big Events

9:18 – Anniversary Announcement

10:25 – Matt’s Focus

1...

Though the show is on break until Fall, there’s no shortage of opportunity to enjoy the old and new. This brief recording gets right to the point with some special announcements and recommendations to navigate whatever content and format you like most. See you soon – ENJOY!

https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/the-bright-side-7153431826336759809/

Few professionals enjoy giving presentations. In fact, most people find public speaking to be anxiety-ridden, yet necessary to advance their career. Here to help make that happen is Shawn Doyle, a Certified Professional Speaker (CSP), Executive Coach and a prolific author of 24 motivational books. He is also a contributing writer for Inc. Magazine, The Huffington Post, and Entrepreneur Magazine. Shawn’s “Presentation Power” training program provides sage insights that embody his decades of experience in serving some of the world’s leading companies. If you speak, you’ll be glad you listened.

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0:50 – Introduction...

The show takes an investigative yet practical slant in the heart of Mental Health Month. Joining the conversation is Dr. Alice Feller, author of the newly released book, “American Madness: Fighting for Patients in a Broken Mental Health System.” She’s seen it all through five decades of work within hospital wards, private practice, public clinics and beyond. Among that discussed: knowing when to act, medication management, telehealth and the importance of families. If you or a loved one are – or at some point may be – in need of care, you’ll find some essential answers here.

Are you ready to Vibe-UP? Joining the conversation is friend of the show, Hanan Harb Sahourieh. She’s a Content Marketing and Learning Strategist as well as the author of her new book, "Everybody, Be Cool!" (Amazon link and Review below). It features six exclusive personal development secrets turned easy-to-digest lessons to spark your insight, compassion, and curiosity. You can apply these lessons to develop yourself-in the workplace and life. Elevate YOURSELF by opening your mind to new possibilities and ways of being-at work and home.

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0:55 – Birthing the Book

2:15 – Workplace Matter...

What does it take to unleash your speaking potential? How do you go from being a hidden gem to a household name while impacting people’s lives? Here with those answers and more is powerhouse speaker agent and success architect, Antoniette Roze. She’s also the host of the SPEAKPact podcast and leads a community of influencers to land dream stages and live their dream life. With unselfish vulnerability, Antoniette then shares her recovery story that is nothing short of miracle and has inspired her as a difference-maker for the wellbeing of others. And, as is easy to expect, she...

What does it take to unleash the latent power of the human mind? Given her proven outcomes with renowned athletes, musicians, millionaires (and billionaires), Tina-Nomad Higgens may well be the most successful subconscious biohacker and reprogrammer in the world. As an amplifier and actualizer of human potential, she tailors her work in mind mastery for an extensive array of areas, including: anxiety, depression, trauma, fears/phobias, memory/recall, addictions, capabilities (motivation, focus), habits (e.g., nail-biting), confidence and self-esteem, skill improvement, weight loss, medical issues, and much more. Join the conversation with your ultimate guide in the journey towards...

Welcome to the first installment of the audio version of The Bright Side, covering the first 7 issues of Matt’s newsletter on LinkedIn. These are: The 2 Skills to Enrich Your Life for Good; The Pursuit of Happierness; The Power of Earned Confidence; Outsmarting Your Worries and Assumptions; Trusting Your Intuition to Tame Overthinking; Putting Your Perception into Perspective; and, Kindness Pays Forward.

The Bright Side embodies an abridged version of some of the key concepts from the Z-isms book and courses to make them most accessible, consumable and practical intended to improve mindset, wellbeing and personal effectiveness. If...

Does your company embody a culture that’s innovative, agile and energized and what does it take to do? Joining the show to answer those questions and share his insights is the founder of Culturology, Steve Van Valin. He’s a culture-shaping strategist, engagement expert and author of the new book, “The Search for Meaning at Work, Unleashing the Hidden Power of Purpose to Engage Your Workforce.” For 14 years, Steve led the culture initiatives at QVC to make collaboration their ultimate strategic advantage. Here we discuss amplifiers of meaning to create cohesiveness, especially for hybrid cultures to thrive.

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If you’re seeking lots of tangible tips to improve productivity and bring more joy to your work, you’ll discovery them in this ‘must listen’ conversation with Sarah Ohanesian, a keynote speaker and the founder of SO Productive. When everything feels urgent and overwhelming, Sarah shares how to get out of survival mode and into greatness. Put another way, she explains how to "Command the Chaos" to feel accomplished, fulfilled, and joyful every day. Within these insights are sub-topics about avoiding burnout, adapting for neurodiversity and creating space to stay on top of priorities.

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It’s ironic. Our world is more connected than ever and yet loneliness has reached epidemic proportions. So, what does take to forge genuine connections? Rob Lawless is on a mission to find out. He’s set an intention to spend 1 hour, 1-on-1 with 10,000 different people. As the founder of Robs10kFriends, he’s already met more than 6,000 people from all walks of life across nearly 90+ countries. Through it all, Rob believes that every human interaction holds the potential to change lives. Genuine connections are about treating interactions as an experience rather than a transaction and creating empathy through conver...

We are more creatures of culture than we are of habit. This means a healthy workplace is less about self-care as it is team-care. Joining the show to delve into the nuances of what matters most is Laura Putnam. She’s the Founder and CEO of Motion Infusion and creator of a leadership training program, “Managers on the Move.” Laura works with hundreds of companies to infuse a culture of wellness and, by extension, a culture of motion. In addition to insights of value to any wellness-devoted employer, this conversation provides a wealth of guidance for individuals willing to do a l...

Optimize your life. She’s an international keynote speaker and the founder of the Warrior Institute, but Dr. Sharon Grossman is known as The Burnout Doc. She also hosts the "Decode Your Burnout" podcast and is the best-selling author of “The 7E Solution to Burnout: Transforming High Achievers from Exhausted to Extraordinary.” Needless to say, Sharon is the ideal guest to provide insights about ways to beat burnout – be that through recovery or prevention. For that, we explore how to be productive without overwhelm, boost energy by shifting mindset and transform anxiety into resilience. Whether it’s healthy habits, healthy bo...

In a world where clarity often seems elusive, Alice Inoue stands as a beacon of wisdom and guidance, inspiring us all to navigate life's challenges with grace, courage, and happiness. With her nine groundbreaking books, Alice's insights have become a staple for those seeking guidance. Alice’s latest book, “Mastering Your Superpowers,” combined with its sophisticated archetypes assessment, sets a new standard for personal clarity and more productive interactions. She is also the founder of Happiness U, an educational establishment that provides answers and solutions to the everyday challenges that individuals and organizations face. With its integrated approach promoting the ha...

Not growing old is about feeling youthful, energetic and vibrant rather than grumpy, worn out and uncool. It’s about purposeful living and a determination to live life to its fullest, beginning right now. Joining the show from Geneva, Switzerland - with double the fun - are Ellen Kocher and Dominique Ben Dhaou who, among all else, are co-authors of their recently released book, “Wake-Up, Shake-Up, Thrive! How to Lift Up Your Life in Your 50’s and Beyond.” We explored how our ‘human timepiece’ exists in five meaningful gears: Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, Spiritual and Financial. Together, we emphasized ways to be more i...

What does being a fearless leader mean to you - and, if you happen to be focused on the wrong issues, would you want to know? It’s our good fortune to have the right guest answer those very questions. Adrian Koehler is a founder and senior partner at Take New Ground, an elite leadership coaching, training and consulting firm relied upon by some of world’s leading companies, such as Nike, Oppenheimer, lululemon and the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). Adrian also cohosts The Naked Leadership Podcast

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1:35 – Introduction

2:45 – Eclectic Experiences

5:5...

Widely regarded as the “Father of Modern Networking,” including by both Forbes and CNN, is Dr. Ivan Misner. He is the Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of the world’s largest business networking organization, Business Networking International, more affectionately known in 76 countries as BNI. Ivan is also a New York Times Bestselling author who has written 28 books, including his latest book – Who’s in Your Room? Interestingly, he’s a black belt in karate, an amateur magician and a future astronaut! If you find fascinating people, the art of networking and sage insights of interest, you’ll find this conversation a...

Among all industries impacted by the Pandemic, perhaps none has had to adapt more than the training profession. How has the dust settled? Joining the show to answer that very question is Lorri Freifeld, editor and publisher of Training Magazine. Another role that puts her at the forefront is spearheading the publication’s two awards programs: the “Training APEX” and “Emerging Training Leaders.” The conversation also delved into the latest in A.I., leadership development and, of course, a few pointed insights.

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1:21 – A Day in the Life

2:40 – Awards Acumen

6:48 – Disti...

Matt raises the bar on this celebratory Episode 100 that will enrich your life for good. Most notable among all else is the release of Z-isms 3.0 to “Give Yourself a Mindset Reset.” By taming distractions, clutter and your ‘unpresent,’ Matt shares his insights to instill greater presence, productivity, performance and positivity. Potentially, those can lead to greater purpose, persistence, prosperity and progress. Also featured are Matt’s insights about: Z-isms; the 3 Pursuits for Happierness; 3 Filters that Shape Reality; 3 Forces of Distraction; 3 Mindset Reset Life Skills; and, 3 Facets of an Enriched Life. Matt also shares more personal insights and a special gift for l...

There are leaders and then there are LEADERS who are DOERS. Joining the show is author, speaker, consultant and connector, Andy Storch. He’s on a mission to teach and inspire more people to own their careers and be more intentional with life. Andy is the author of “Own Your Career, Own Your Life,” which is designed to help corporate professionals stop drifting and take control of their futures. He is also the founder and host of the Talent Development Think Tank podcast, conference, and membership community, where he provides education and connections for ambitious talent development professionals. If you're...

If ever there were a topic about lived experience, contending with haters and manipulators ranks among the most challenging. In this updated encore, Matt shares his perspective that there are ONLY two kinds of people in the world. There are Spiders and there are those who get caught in webs. He reveals ways to recognize these individuals and either avoid or approach them with caution. He also explains how to escape and stay clear of webs altogether as well as practical tips for handling haters. This topic from Z-isms (Chapter 2) continues to earn critical acclaim.

Time Code...

Do you confidently and consistently express your true self? We’re most fortunate to have the ideal guest to answer that very question and more! Stacey Hanke is the author of "Influence Redefined" as well as was recently inducted into the Speaker Hall of Fame by the Council of Peers of the National Speakers Association. Here, Stacey shares a wealth of insights that equip leaders to communicate with confidence, trust and influence along with highly practical tips about personal branding, establishing a Zoom presence and effective communication overall. This topic is universally beneficial for all those who listen in.

In his role of Director of Health + Performance, Newton Cheng leads a team that supports the health of Googlers so that they can perform at their best at both work and life. That may sound simple and straightforward, but - at the foundation – it’s essential to instill people with psychological safety and comfort to show up as their full, authentic selves. To be clear, this conversation with Newton extends well beyond his role at Google to highlight his leadership in workplace well-being to inspire people around the world to take care of themselves and each other. He also lead...

Are you ready to reimagine your relationship with time for your well-being? Here’s your opportunity to accept an “Invitation to Presence,” which also happens to be the subtitle for a new and incredibly insightful book, “The Connoisseur of Time” by Joel Bennett. He’s a trainer, inventor, coachsultant, neurotheologian and, notably, the founder and CEO of Organizational Wellness & Learning Systems, Inc. (OWLS). So be ready to “Pause, Show Up, Listen, and Embark” as we explore the spiritual reality of time and embrace this quest for living with greater presence to experience more of what truly matters.

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As a people talent executive, strategic advisor, speaker and thought leader about the future of work, Mindy Hancoop wears many hats to enable organizations to foster a “people-first” culture. It’s time for workplaces to rethink wellbeing, DEI and mindfulness to create long-lasting change and optimize performance. Having established her career at Microsoft, Expedia, Blackbaud and TCP Software, As the founder of Agile in HR, Mindy now advises other leading technology companies as well as serves as the Director of Community for Progressive HR. Join the conversation to learn more about how Mindy is putting the “H” back in HR.

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Having started his prolific public speaking career at age 8, Kute Blackson is now a bestselling author and a transformational teacher in personal development. Kute has inspired audiences around the world offering new perspectives on spiritual awareness. His mission is to awaken and inspire people to access their inner freedom and unlock their true greatness. Join the conversation to know more about being authentic to your soul and yourself.

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1:49 - Early Start 

3:36 -  Raised with a Sense of Possibility

5:30 -  Choosing his own path

8:20 - Pursuing his Drea...

Through her own career as an HR professional and having to overcome two bouts of burnout, Julie “Jules” Turney, has made it her mission to help other colleagues to do the same. And, given that the human resources industry is plagued by burnout rates upwards of 95%, her work couldn’t come at a more essential time. Hailing from Barbados, Jules is the Founder and CEO (Chief Engagement Officer) of HRatHeart Consulting. She’s also the author, speaker, podcaster, event host and a leader of the CollabHR online community. Join the conversation to learn more about burnout and the shifting values i...

She was instrumental in helping Southwest Airlines become a cultural phenomenon as well as setting the stage in launching JetBlue Airways, the largest mega startup in US aviation history. Now, as the Founder and Chief Culture Officer at The Culture Think Tank, Delise Simmons has seemingly cracked the code for quantifying culture and employee well-being. Join the conversation to know more about culture as an imperative and for helping people and companies to thrive.

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1:30 – Delise’s endeavors
2:50 – New Beginnings at JetBlue
4:10 – The Epitome of Culture
5:30 – PeopleInk – charting values and culture
8:00 –...

What if you never had to face anything alone again and could rely on someone impartial who has already been through your life challenge? Making that question rhetorical is LifeGuides, an innovative one-to-one personalized guidance service that is modernizing human support, reconnecting people and creating a culture of caring for employers that care. Joining Matt for a fascinating conversation is the President and Chief Culture Officer, Derek Lundsten, who shares a wealth of insights about his entrepreneurial journey and what makes LifeGuides more necessary than ever. Derek has been described as having, “a rare blend of Richard Branson's commitment to...