S3E09 with Matthew Conrado - Authenticity Doesn't Ask Permission

As we kick off Pride Month on JUST DO YOU., I'm excited to welcome a guest who isn't afraid to challenge assumptions, spark important conversations, and speak his truth with conviction.

Matthew Conrado is the Founder and CEO of Alphabet Mafia Consultancy, a groundbreaking LGBTQ+ marketing and brand strategy firm dedicated to helping organizations authentically connect with queer audiences and communities. Recognized by Adweek as a Pride Star, Matthew has built a reputation for challenging the status quo and speaking openly about the issues many people would rather avoid.

In this episode, we explore the intersection of business, branding, representation, and identity, while also diving into the realities facing LGBTQ+ communities today. Matthew shares insights from his journey as an entrepreneur and advocate, offering a candid perspective on visibility, inclusion, and the responsibility brands, leaders, and individuals have in shaping culture.

One thing is certain: Matthew doesn't mince words. He says what he believes, stands firmly in his convictions, and invites us to think more deeply about the world we're creating together. As we begin a month dedicated to celebrating authenticity, resilience, and Pride, this conversation serves as a powerful reminder that progress has never come from silence—it comes from people willing to show up, speak out, and live their truth.

To learn more about Matthew and his amazing work, visit https://www.alphabetmafiaconsult.com/

To listen in on Matthews Podcast, Thanks For Swiping Left, visit https://open.spotify.com/show/3E0SYklQqjKvAhpOpwtYA6?si=f55431a9449b4c1b

To follow Matthew on Instagram, visit https://www.instagram.com/mattconrado/

Thank you for joining us and we can't wait to welcome you back again next week! New episodes drop every Thursday and can be found wherever you find your favorite podcasts!  

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Want to learn more about our host, Eric Nicoll?  Visit:  https://ericnicoll.com

Transcript

0:06

Hello, everyone, and welcome to season three of the Just Do You podcast. I'm Eric Nicoll, your host, and I'm so glad you decided to join us today. Whether this is your very first time joining in on the conversation or you've been listening along since the beginning, thank you for being here. This podcast exists because of you, your stories, your courage, and your willingness to keep choosing yourself even when it's not easy. The Just Do You podcast is a safe space for authentic, unscripted conversations that connect us, inspire us, and remind us of who we are at our core. Together, we're going to explore confidence, voice truth, and what it means to step fully into what I call the Just Do You sweet spot, that place where you are living honestly, intentionally, and unapologetically. This new season is about growth, reflection, possibility, and community. I'll be sitting down with friends, colleagues, community leaders, and influencers who are willing to share their journeys, the wins, the challenges, and everything in between. We'll laugh, we may shed a few tears, but in the end, we're going to continue to remind one another that none of us is walking this path alone. So are you ready? Great. Let's do this. Welcome to season three of the Just Do You podcast. All right, everyone. Welcome to today's conversation. I am really excited to just jump right in and introduce you to my guest today Matthew Conrado. Hi, Matthew. Hello. How are you? I'm so good. How are you? I'm good. It's finally getting better in New York. The weather's getting better- so I'm grateful. You know what's funny? I grew up around here, and I never- I thought seasonal depression was fake. I was always... I am that person. I always thought... But no, this year, I couldn't get out of bed. It was so depressing. And see, us in California we don't experience your depressing snow, and that weather, and the freezing cold. I go to the pool three times a week to do this aqua exercise class, and it was actually a little chilly today. I think it was, like, 65, and I'm standing on the pool deck- Oh and I'm like, "I'm cold." What a hard life. And I realized no. Oh, it's, it must be so hard to be you. But I... Me and e- about 40 women in their 80s doing water aerobics. It's a sight to see. It's probably the gayest thing I do. But it's just amazing. Oh. But I was laughing because I was saying how cold it was, not realizing that people are freezing across the country. It was 40 degrees yesterday and raining, and I still went to my Grindr hookup. But that... I- it was commitment. It was commitment. I did it. That's going to be contained in my next question. But let's go ahead just and jump right in. I do want to introduce you 'cause I want people to know who you are. So I found you, as I mentioned, scrolling through Instagram one day, and came across one of your posts, and just started to grin because, as I mentioned to you in the intake before we started, is that I am constantly on the lookout for people being authentic. And you, my friend, as I mentioned to you, are probably one of the most authentic people that I've met in a long time. So I am so excited to have you on. For those that are listening Matthew is based in New York, as he mentioned. Is a marketing strategist and the founder of Alphabet Mafia consultancy, which is extraordinary. I want to talk about that a little bit. But you're also known as the Gay Kris Jenner, which we're going to talk about. But you are on a mission to build real economic power within the queer community, and you do that through bold, strategic marketing programs and platforms. And you've got a decade of experience and a global perspective that is really shaped by your time in Europe. I believe you lived in London. You have crossed the US with your platform, and you've worked with iconic brands, some of the biggest names in the world. And one of the things that I think was so interesting was- learning your story about your transition from quitting your job to now starting your own company. So we're going to talk about that. Got lots of questions. Excited. But I want to start off a little bit and have you take us back to young Matthew. What were you like? Where'd you grow up, siblings, parent, like what was that like for young Matthew? And give us a little glimpse into your earlier years. Yes. So I always tell my boyfriends on the, or anyone I date on the first date, I'm Italian, Latin, a Gemini, and from New Jersey. Okay. So I'm the recipe for bad shit crazy. I think that's a nice way to start it off. But yes, I grew up in New Jersey. Okay. Like my m- my mom's Italian, my dad's, I'm first generation, my dad's from Ecuador. So they were just really hard workers. And my mom was in real estate, worked her way up as one of the only female, leaders, and then my dad started his own company. And they've always instilled really strong work ethic with me and my brother. And I have one younger brother, technically two half-sisters, but we don't really speak. And as a kid, I was your, I did sports up until fifth grade, and then I got into tap, jazz, ballet, and did musical theater and went out swinging. And was how I am now, where I'm just, I was like, I was very curious and wanted to try everything. So- I did the band, I did musical theater, I was, the National Honor Society president. I was, as every typical gay kid, overcompensating for everything. So that's my origin story. And then I always said I, I knew I wanted to move to New York. I originally thought I wanted to go to LA. My parents said they wouldn't help with school if they couldn't drive to it. So I ended up in New York, ended up getting a scholarship to Fordham. And again, even then, I was like, I'm going to be an actor, and I interned at CBS in casting, and realized it was all marketing. I was putting people's social medias next to their, Sure name. So that was a lot of kind of the reason why I got into marketing is, I realized the power that I could do it all behind the scenes, and then become a star. Yeah. In those younger years, did you have a feeling that you were a little special or a little different or unique? Oh. Or was that, what was that like? Yeah, of course. I think- I was always, what do they say when you're the one that everyone's parents love? Yes. I was that kid that what everyone's parents loved who- big old gay. I was surprised my parents didn't know. Again I was like, I, it never worked out with girls and, if I ever did like a girl, she always friend zoned me, so I probably knew that I was a little gay. Once high school hit, it was I didn't come out until I was in college, but yeah. Yeah. So walk us through then a little bit of those years. So finish high school, go off to college, what are you thinking you want to do? Who, how are you starting to define and develop Matt? Totally. So I started my first internship at Tada! Youth Theater, which was a nonprofit theater organization. And I worked in the marketing department, and I was just like, "Okay, this is cool." I knew theater it was g- scrappy. It was like a fine thing. And then the next semester I worked at CBS, and that was like a big name, and I was really excited. I worked in casting. I got to meet all these celebrities. And, it was very much grunt work, but I did it. And I was so happy to be there. And through... After that I ended up working at Michael Kors, and I moved over to fashion 'cause I didn't get a job at ABC, and I was so depressed. But again rejection equals pivot. Got into fashion, got to be on set with... I met Anna Win- I s- Anna Wintour and Grace Coddington on my second day. Wow. I ran into Michael Kors on my sec- It was like, it was insane. Wow. So I just fell in love with the glitz and the glam of marketing and fashion and TV, and I was like, "That was going to be me." And I worked at John Varvatos, and then I studied abroad in London. And I, I came back and I worked for an influencer. And then I went to the Out For Undergrad conference which I would recommend anyone who's listening to this podcast. It's a nonprofit organization that connects LGBTQ undergraduates to Fortune 500 companies. And I sat in a presentation about Pepsi. And what was so funny is there was a guy who was in the re- like intro registration area, and I thought we were all the students meeting each other. And he was in a back brace. And I said to him, "Oh my God, you poor bottom, like, how... your back. How are you g- how are you guys how are you guys having sex?" And he was like, "Oh my God." He goes, "I was doing this thing called mudding." I was like, "I'd never heard of it." "And I was, like, in a truck, and I fell out the truck, and I b- I s- hurt my back." And I was like, "Oh my God," like crazy. 45 minutes later, we end up walking into the Pepsi presentation, and guess who ends up f- fronting the whole Pepsi presentation? The guy- Oh my gosh the guy with the back brace. And I was so embarrassed. I was like, "Oh my God, he is going to think I'm crazy. Here I am trying to get a job, and he what-" So I go up to him and I'm like, "I am so sorry. I had no idea." And he's no, I loved you. You have to come meet our HR rep." Met them at acquisition and two interviews later I ended up getting a job at Pepsi, and that really started my career and launched my career into what it is now. And it's a really great example, I think, of you were just being you, right? Exactly. To use- Yeah my own pun. I think you were being you. And in being you and being authentic and being the space of Matt, things happen. I think so many times we cover that up. We don't want to be authentic because we don't want to be judged. We don't want someone to have the wrong impression of us. And yet- If that's the case, they're not hiring you. They're hiring- Totally someone else. And then ultimately they're going to find out, right? Totally. And that's the thing that I think we all have to ask ourselves as queer people, is like, how do we show up on the first day? That was what I asked myself at Pepsi. But I have to say my mom, w- you know, has always instilled so much confidence in me. We didn't have the best relationship when I came out- and it was definitely difficult. But, when I was bullied as a kid, she always was like, "You are f- like, extraordinary." And she always instilled a ton of confidence in me, and I think that's probably why she's kicking herself in the ass now, because I'll give it back to her now. But, like- she's always instilled me to know who I am, to never think... And the, Emma Grieder, I don't know if anyone's read Emma Grieder's book recently, but it's "No one is better than you, and you're better than no one else." We all sh- she w- can I curse on this? Of course you can. Okay, sorry. She always says, "We all shit in the same bowl." It's called Just, it's called Just Do You, Matthews. Okay, yeah. But she was- So, yeah perfect. Okay. She, yeah, she was a, y- we all shit in the same bowl. Interesting. And I think that was, like- a really... I, and, throughout time I wasn't always this confident, but I think there were plenty of times where I've been in the rooms with these people that are all, like... that everyone gets so nervous about or stressed about. And th- again, they're all equally as insecure. They're all stressed about the same things. And again, we all shit in the same bowl. We have a very large and widespread listener within the LGBTQ community, but we also have a lot of the allies. And I think it's interesting, because a lot of times I can recall growing up, obviously I said to you earlier I'm a little older than you as I come into, my 60s, and I can remember growing up and having- You look like you're in your 40s, by the way. Thank you. I appreciate that. It- I w- I want your skincare routine. I'll give it to you. It's also genetics. My mother is gorgeous. She's 85. She is- Ugh stunningly beautiful. My grandmother, her mom, same way. So I blame a lot of it on on her. Good. That's awesome but thank you for that. I appreciate that. But what's interesting is we spend so much of our time growing up pretending, growing up trying to hide who we are, trying to be able to fit in. And listen, kudos to our parents, right? We don't necessarily educate them or train them on how to handle an LGBTQ child. We just don't. And I think part of the challenge now, that I worry about, in this Just Do You space of being that I like to talk about, when you're living unapologetically as yourself, is because there's so much coming at us, and has come at us in the past decade, that people are shying away from it. I recently had an experience. I was on a job site, and someone said something rather derogatory about the LGBTQ community, and I remember saying to myself, "I have a choice, because they don't know about me. I can either Shut up, turn around and walk away, or I can say something to hopefully educate. And that's the premise of this podcast, is I want people to open their minds, open their hearts, and learn something that they may not know about our community after they're done listening. And I made the conscious choice to say something, and it was awkward and fumbled a little bit. But at the end of the conversation, what happened was this person thanked me for opening up, because they said, "I forget sometimes that I don't realize who's in the room." And I think that's really important, and I think there's a lot of times when there are people within the LGBT community that are in the room and hear that, messaging that comes across. Have you experienced- For sure. I- Yeah. Go ahead no, I would say I think that's all of us, though. Let's be honest. So I lived s- as you mentioned, I nomaded- the South, and I lived in Dallas- New Orleans, Atlanta, and Miami. And I, ha- being from New York City, where I think I'm surrounded by everyone, you realize your limitations. Yeah. Yeah. And what I learned nomading the South and being in new cities where I didn't know anybody, and I had to talk to everybody, and, whatever, you, we all come in with a bit of our preconceived notions- about people. And I think- that's the grace and the empathy that I try and give with anyone. It's not just allies. It's queer people or people in major cities living with small-town people, with people- with other economic circumstances. Like- even what goes on with politics, my parents, we disagree on politics. And I always say again it's, so much of it is one, exposure, two, curiosity, and three, empathy. And I think we all need to apply that. It's not just one way. And to think that it is, I think that's also limiting, because we tend to af- fa- fall on our own ways. The c- the community in and of itself is sometimes its own biggest bully as well. Yes. Yeah. I've experienced, we've all experienced it. So you know what I'm saying? I- for trans people, for lesbians, for gays we're all not nice to each other all the time. So to think that it's only coming from the straight folks, we have to c- start calling out on ourselves as well. It's like therapy. We gotta work on ourselves. That's a whole other podcast episode, my friend. I believe it. Sure. A whole other episode about the bullying within the community. Maybe we'll talk about that next. Yeah, let's talk about it. Let's talk about that next time. Okay. So take us forward a little bit. So you are now working and having those opportunities. What was the job that you had when you quit and then did the pivot? 'Cause you said something that I loved. You said rejection is the... I'm paraphrasing, but rejection is the opportunity to pivot. Yeah. Rejection- And I think- is redirection, and that's- I redirection. We have a podcast. I have a podcast too called Thanks for Swiping Left, where again, the idea is, like, how rejection leads to redirection when whether it's a breakup or a layoff or whatever leads you to where you should be in life. And so- to your question, I was at PepsiCo for about eight years. Okay. And that was my first job out of college. I really built my career there, really built myself as a marketer. And the last couple years, I... When COVID hit, I was given the opportunity to work with bubly sparkling water and do LGBTQ marketing. I was recognized as Adweek as a Pride Star. And I really had so much passion for our, for getting to market our community and to work with I saw the opportunity and working with LGBTQ vendors, working with nightlife talent, working with queer talent work in front of the camera and behind the scenes, and we all did it through our cellphone. It- these were all t- a text away. What I was able to accomplish in just my network alone, I was like, "There's something here." And so the last few years at Pepsi, I got reorged into a few new roles, and I just think, I wasn't happy. And so I started becoming an entrepreneur on the side. I consulted for Motto, which was a the founder of Grindr. He started a new queer dating app, and then that, that brought me to Miami and New York. And then I was, like, managing my best friend who's a DJ, Joey with a Mustache, and I got involved in producing nightlife. And I was like, "Wow, this is really cool." And I kept meeting all these entrepreneurs. I was doing a brunch with my friend that had the housewives and drags, and I was just like, this is so much more me." So in November of 2024, my team ended up getting cut, but there was- we knew the layoffs were coming. My friend was like, "You should volunteer." I didn't know what was going to happen with Trump, so I didn't, but I, again, I got laid off, and I was like, it was probably the best thing that could've ever happened because- I went into fight or flight mode and was like, "All right. Giddy up. Let's build a company." Yeah. So I spent that holiday creating the Alphabet Mafia consultancy, and- the first year was insane. Yeah. What was going through your mind, though, at the time when you were laid off? What was g- what was driving you at that point? Was it that, "I'm just going to take charge and move forward," or was there a little bit of that rejection? Because I think everyone's going to feel a little bit of that, right? As positive as you can be and as redirecting as you can be, you've gotta feel a little punch in the gut. Totally. I think- Yeah you know what's crazy is the first week I said, "I'm going to give myself two weeks to just sit with this." And I would recommend to anyone who gets laid off- Be vulnerable and talk to people. I remember, it happened around Halloween. I went out to Battle Him, which is a party, and I was, like, in my head, and I went to my friends. They're like, "How you doing?" I was like, "I'm sorry. Not to kill the vibe," but I was like, "I just got laid off." I'm like, "Really, I'm like, sad." They're like, "Oh, is this your first time?" Th- that was the re- reaction. Everyone was like, "Really? I've done it. I've gotten laid off twice. Oh, I've..." And it was, like, one of those things where it's like we make it sound so much more detrimental. And then when you actually talk about things with people, it's hap- it's so much more common, and especially now with the tech layoffs and everything going on with the economy. It's nothing to be ashamed of. And I think that's the thing, is we immediately look at it as a failure. And I remember someone saying to me "It's not a failure. It's just the world is pushing you to where you should be." 'Cause I had- Well- tried everything. I I was inter- I was interviewing at other organizations. I had gotten a role at my company, and then it got cut away with budget. I kept trying so hard to stay in corporate and the world was like, "No, sorry. You're meant to do you." And that's the part that most of us fight, right? Totally. When we know that the universe is pulling us in a specific direction, or we make a declaration to the universe, "This is who I am, and this is what I want to do, and this is what I want to be," and I believe that it aligns with that. And then it's going to throw you every curveball it can on your journey to that destination, right? It's going to throw you every opportunity. And I really resonated with a lot of what you talk about and what you share in your platform and through your company. It's difficult sometimes to step outside of the internal monologue that you're having about your career or about your trajectory and have those conversations. And just hearing you say that about, rejection is redirection it gives me the chills 'cause I'm in the process of doing that right now, as I shared with you, and it's really cool. I wish people, though, would also learn to embrace that rejection a little bit. Absolutely. We don't because we do take it as a failure, or we take it as, "I'm not good enough," and it plays it, it brings back so many childhood memories or moments when we were told that we weren't good enough. And I think it's really important because I've watched many people and many within the LGBT community, flounder and continue to make the same mistake over and over again, or make that decision to stay because it's comfortable and not take that risk. And I think we all know realistically that this is our opportunity, and our opportunity is right now. We don't know what the future's going to bring, as evidenced by what we're going through right now, right? 10 years ago, we had no idea this was coming. But we have to be able to make those choices and move forward. If you were to describe your superpowers to somebody, what would they be? I... You can throw me in any room, and I will work the room. I think that's my superpower. I have- I'm really grateful for my energy- and how it's br- gives off to people. I'm very conscious of my energy. And so I think that's my superpower. I just- Okay I love people, and I love being around people, and I think that's my opportunity to talk to the world. Is that what your friends would say is your superpower? Yeah, they would say two things. One is that I'm the life of the party, and two- I know everybody, and it's annoying for them. That's what they would say. That's a good marketer. Yeah, exactly so it's a great segue into this gay Kris Jenner conversation. Y- you gotta fill us in on this. So that's a great segue. Yeah. So give us a little bit of history of how that came about. Sure. Essentially when I was creating the Alphabet Mafia consultancy, I was under the impression that founder content was the new thing. I was trying to study the algorithm, and I was like, I'm going to- I- if I'm going to lean into this, I'm going to lean in fully." And my friend who I mentioned is a DJ, he'd always- I- he'd always com- we, we had this deal where it was like I wasn't his manager 'cause I didn't want to be we were still friends first. I didn't want it to be too intense. But he called me his Momager. And then everybody- started calling me their Momager. And I'd, all these DJs and all these drag queens, they'd be like, "Momager. Ma- oh, Matt's here. Momager's here." And so I was like, as I'm building this persona online of this queer nightlife founder, I was like... or queer marketing consultant founder- whatever. I was like, what are people going to really get and grasp- and understand right away who I am? And I've always said when I was a kid, I was like they always said, "What were your career aspirations?" I said, "I want to be the gay Kris Jenner." I want to revolutionize the way that she's created basically the creator economy. I want to do that for LGBTQ marketing, for LGBTQ- Right entrepreneurs. And that was always the vision that I had. So that's, I think- that's she's m- she is out- there- she's on my marketing team always. I always love when you say, "I want 10% of everything." Yeah. That just made me laugh. I love that. I love it. Yeah. So as I mentioned, we obviously have a wide cross-section of listeners around the world. So not to make this about business, but give us a few statistics about the LGBTQ community and the power that marketing has and the power that the community has within the global economy. Yeah. So one in 10 Americans now identify as LGBTQ. Almost 30% of Gen Z identify as LGBTQ, 16% of millennials. The global spending power is $4.7 trillion, which if that were- equated to a GDP, that would be in between China and Japan. So- Hold that thought for a second. Yeah. Hold that thought 'cause I love you, and I love your energy, but we cannot just rush past those statistics. Yeah. They're a big deal. You prob- you probably spit them out every f- every five minutes- I know to people because- Yeah, you're so used to them. But that's important for our listeners to hear. Because again, when we're watching the community under attack in, in several different ways and coming from all angles, we lose sight of the power of this community and the buying power of our community. Not to mention the, What's the word? I'm blanking at the moment. Not only the buying power, but the, m- help me out, Matthew. The way that people make decisions. We influence culture. Thank you. Yeah. Yeah, we influence culture. But I would also say, too, is we've re- we- the problem is not only do we lose sight of it, we reject it, and that's the big thing I'm trying to fight. So talk about that for a second, though. So talk more about that. Yeah. How do we reject it? We reject it because we don't want to be seen as value. We want to be seen in this in this past few years we've been- we want to be, these marginalized, nice to have, you should help me, be a good person. That's just not the conversation we need to be using anymore. We're a bit anti-capitalist in that sense as a community because we're rooted in activism from the Stonewall. Sure. But the reality is we are value. Like- we are a big market with high disposable income 'cause we don't have kids. We're culturally, like, influencing a lot of what happens in media today. And to me, Em- again, Emagreed read Emagreed's book. But she said the problem with female founders versus male founders is they come in and s- with purpose versus profitability. And as the queer community, we, again, have led with purpose. You should help us. This is good for us. The reality is right now all people see right now in a recession is numbers. We are profitable. We are a very strong community. We need to start leading with that. Yeah. W- and why don't we? I, again, I think it at its core, I think we've let activists and HR folks really lead the conversation the past few years. I think we had the opportunity because we were getting a lot of money, and they had the microphone. And to me, it's not removing them, but it's recognizing the ecosystem we live in and that we all have to work together. We can't reject the business folks and the people paying for the bill, like paying for the sponsorships or the brands- that are willing to put money towards us. Stop sh- complaining about them. Stop shitting on them because now they're away, and now who's paying for your, for you to throw the brick? I always say, I, this is my thing. If you want to throw the brick, just let the brick say Pepsi on it. Someone's gotta pay for the brick. It's true. It's true. It's true. It's true. What are some of the experiences or opportunities that you have had working with some of these major brands and global presence? What's been some of the most surprising- And it can be positive surprising, but the most surprising results that have come out of your experience with these companies- Yeah as it relates to the LGBTQ community. I think the reality is a lot of them want to do something, but they don't know how to do it. And then when you put it in reality, it's like they're getting hit by the administration, and then the community's saying we don't want you here." So what's the incentive to work with- our community? Let's... That's the other part of the conversation that no one wants to talk about. They're... Everyone's "Oh, all these brands are pulling back because of Trump," or, "All these brands are pulling back 'cause they were fake allies." Okay. You're also telling them to fuck off. Yeah. Like, when are we going to call that out too? 'Cause, 'cause you're asking me for the money. Don't get it tricked. All the activists are coming to me and acting for, asking me for the money, but who's paying for the money? Who's paying for that? Yeah. That's sorry. It's the truth. And the thing is too, I don't feel bad about saying these things, and I know I may come off a little intense, but I was like- No, no bad about saying these things, because everyone behind the scenes who are actually creating change are saying this. They're not saying it online 'cause they're too afraid. But the reality is anyone who... An- the activists that are leading these organizations, the nonprofit leaders, the Pride things, they're all saying it. They're just not saying it out loud because they're too afraid because of the backlash. I'm not afraid to say it because at the end of the day, I put millions of dollars into this community. I've paid vendors. I've supported our community. I've paid nightlife workers when the COVID happened. I can put my head at night knowing that- i've done so much, and so I don't feel... I don't get upset when a keyboard warrior comments on my post and says that I'm, doing something wrong. A- and at the same time, you have a commitment and a passion for the community, and also for making an impact. That's really- Yeah what you're doing, and if we don't make an impact, we see where that gets us. We get nowhere. And so with some of those brands, and you don't have to name them, but was there one exper- Like, I love the Bubbly, Yeah promo ad that you did. It was just great. I've watched it several times. But was there one that was, like, really you're like, "Ah, this is really amazing"? Is there one that just really lit you up? Yeah. I'd say from a creative lens, like- Yeah th- there are some that are a- amazing, but I will... I'll give it to my client, Deutsche Bank, last year. Deutsche Bank was probably- the only bank who did anything last year. John Tilley, I'll name him. He's the head of Deutsche Bank, the ERG, and he has- put his money where his mouth is. He has- supported his community in so many ways across the board, and I was so proud of what we built last year. We did a whole video campaign dedicated to their employees, and we got to use their employees that have been there for 20 years. One was trans and shared her experience working at Deutsche Bank. Like- when you start focusing on the real stories of the people in these companies, not every company's perfect, and- Listen, I'm the first one to complain about what happened to me at other things, but at organizations. But at the same time too, it's like when you become a business leader, you realize the decisions you have to make. And again, it's so easy to criticize, but until you're making those decisions, you have to have a little empathy across the board of what are- Yeah what are these companies doing? Yeah. And I think the people that y- like you said earlier, that are coming onto your platform and berating you for something that you've said or something are not in the game. They're just not in the game. No. And I think they're just not aware. They... And I struggle with that. I struggle seeing it online so many times. Yeah. And yet, at the same time, y- we're in a situation where we need those brands. We need that accessibility to the things that we have gotten accustomed to and gotten used to. And when we see that pull away, it's difficult. But I'm of the mindset that fear, which is false expectations appearing real, which by the way, I'm going to give shout-out to The Real Housewives of Orange County, my Heather Dubrow for saying that on her podcast. That, fear is false expectations appearing real. And sometimes we have to look past that fear, and we have to look past the consequences of that and speak up. I really do. For sure. Yeah. I would also say, too, and it's not even just like the brand organizations, the companies. People need to start play... I always say play chess, not checkers. The brands that have the giant dollars and budgets are also funding all these organizations to make things more affordable for other people, and giving- access for smaller brands, too. All these... 10% of all entrepreneurs last year, I'll give you another stat. Ready? 10% of all entrepreneurs last year were LGBTQ. That's a, was a record-breaking number. So all these- queer brands are also going to start up. We have to support them f- first- and fo- foremost, then these large corporations. Yeah. I'd love to make that a stance, too, a- and claim that and the thing. That's always my priority. But in order for, like again, in order to compete or in order to be in these like the big brands also have to front. And we have to pay a little bit. Hey, if the big brands are funding all this other thing, I then have the opportunity to show my work at said, you know- festival, pride, whatever, and that that helps offsets the cost that these small- small companies that are trying to start out are trying to do. Nobody thinks like that. Nobody talks like that. No. No, clearly not, 'cause look at where we are. They're just mad. They just want to be mad. And I get why people want to be mad, I get why people want to be angry. I support the anger. But listen, you've been angry for the past five years. We have to pivot the strategy. And I think that's the thing. We, the, it becomes what's the norm, and it becomes comfortable, and it becomes a little bit like we are being- advocates or we're being y- we're out to make an impact there, but we're actually making the wrong impact. I may not get kudos or kiss points for saying that either, but I think we make the wrong impact. I am all for speaking up, but I'm also one for moving forward and creating change and creating possibility, and that's the thing that I think we're missing right now. And I would even say again, it goes back to the ecosystem. There needs to be people screaming. I'm happy that people are screaming. Yeah, 100%. But there also needs people who are working within the system- to make things, progress happen. That's how change happens. And I think we really lost that sight because of the algorithm, because of social media. It's if you don't agree with me, then everybody hates you, and that's just not the way life works. Yeah. Oh, there's... Social media is such a blessing in so many ways, and such a PIA in others. It just... back 20, 30 years ago, we didn't have these issues. We didn't. You supported a brand 'cause you liked it, or it had a cool commercial. I- Yeah, that's what I'm saying I could name- But they didn't do anything towards us. That- They didn't do anything kids have no fucking idea. I'm like, they're bitching about, "Oh they have a rainbow." I'm like, you would've been begging for that 20 years ago. Or you- 20 years ago, yeah I'm like, this rainbow logo in Walmart isn't for you, mister I make $200,000 in New York City. It's for the fucking kid who lives in Tennessee who would never even dare to see that at a Walmart. I lived in New Jersey and I wouldn't even think that was possible. Yeah. Like, where are we... let's talk about common sense and nuance. Let's talk about that- keyboard warrior. I love you. I'm clearly passionate. I am loving this. I have so many questions spinning around my head right now. So because you've worked with so many companies and so many brands what's the... Is there a common thread of things that they do wrong for the community? Yeah. I think they don't hire us to actually talk to us, and that's that's why I created my company, is I... is really, like- they always say "Oh, this went wrong because there was no one who was queer at the table." Hire me, I'll be your... I'll bring you the table. I'll bring you everyone to the table. Isn't that the truth? It's true. And it's like- That's the truth a- and again, it's what they would do, or sometimes who's the gay person in the organization? There's someone from accounting, and they're like, "Hey, could you give us a perspective?" And they're like, "Sure." And that's what I found crazy- Yeah is in order to really understand the nuance of how intersectionalist community on what it goes... And that was the easy thing, was like, put the rainbow logo on and say, be authentic and be yourself, because that was the one thing that was like- Brand approved across the board, and then we were all like- "no you didn't change it. Now it's the same thing. I'm over it." And what people have to understand with queer marketing, similar to Gaga and Cher and Madonna, we love reinvention.... I always say we all have ADHD, so we're all looking for- the best thing. So I think Ryan Murphy does this really well, too, where it's like n- never, one thing's never the same season. It's different, and it changes. And that's just the way that we operate because we're trying- to account for so many different groups of folks. And so when you are able to share all these stories of intersectional identity- that's when you win because that is that's just how evolving our community is. Yeah. Go back real quick to that first statistic you gave about the percentage. Give me the percentage, 'cause I'm going to say it wrong, of people who identify as queer. Yeah, so now one in 10 Americans identify as not straight. So I wanted to pivot back to that, 'cause that's something else that I think... I get a lot of comments when people come on this podcast and give statistics like that. One in 10. Yeah. And yet we breeze over it. That's unimportant. But it's super important to know that one in 10 identify as queer. And it's probably more, to be honest. It probably is. It's fascinating, Matt, it really is, and it's... I love hearing that number because I live in a relatively big city. San Diego is not huge. It's not New York by any stretch of the imagination. But it's a big city, and you sometimes feel very alone in the community here, right? And so I can imagine as we move across the country and we move east, there are people sitting in smaller cities and towns that are LGBTQ and feeling very alone. What's your message to them as somebody who can make a difference in this particular current environment we live in as it relates to, giving power to that community, our community? Does that make sense? Yeah. I would say that's the, actually a beauty of the internet, though, is to your point, I love when you told me you built this podcast to, like- find community and make friends. I think- that's something that we didn't have as kids growing up. I didn't know a- i, now all my friends are gay. I had no idea they were gay in high school. But the things that these kids have access to of looking up people that look like them, 'cause media's- really that main source of inspiration for young- queer people, is like when you go online and whether it's the entrepreneur or the makeup artist or the drag queen or whatever I would say look to them for inspiration, and also don't be afraid to reach out. I think we have so much of these parasocial relationships where we think "Oh, these people are untouchable," or, "I follow them- so I don't know them." But so many of these ki- so many of these stars have been in the same- place as you are. And if, just a text message of, "Hey," "I'm somebody who lives in this town. I don't really know anyone. I'm grappling with my thing. Would you mind just having a conversation with me?" I promise you 95% of people will pick up Yeah. Yeah, I, and I- We forget that We do. We do. It's a little bit related, but not so much, but just was a moment that I just thought of it where it makes such an impact. And when I started the podcast, Melissa McCarthy liked one of the posts, and I literally walked around for three months little... this star that I idolize liked one of my posts. I thought it was so hilarious. And I look back at it now, and I go, "That was silly," but it was cool, right? Is, but we are... I- In that moment, I felt connected to her, even though I don't know her, I've never met her, but sh- who she is- acknowledge you but she acknowledged me, and who she is in the world is someone that I really respect- Yeah and that I know is out making a difference. And that's the connection that I think the social media offers us now. There are days that I just want to tell it to go fuck off and never look at it again. But it's how we promote, and it's how we connect, and it's how we communicate these days. So it's- Well- it's important I think what's cool is it also democratized fame. So these celebrities now, they love reality shows, and they love going on social media- and seeing real people, and that's really what social media has offered is it- Yeah it's got people connected to everyday people. There's not that really big bridge between celebrity- and not celebrity- because even the normal people are celebrities now. And I think that's what's really cool. I can't tell you how many people have come up to me and be like, it's it's weird n- weird, but it's like I'll be in other scenes, and be like, are you that guy who's the gay Kris Jenner or what- And it's wild to me. And then I'll have people that I've been following forever, and they're like, "Oh, I follow your stuff, too. I love what you said here," or... and they're, like, they start f- Laverne Cox, Domi- Dominique Jackson, like, all they c- they know who I am now, and it's just like- it's crazy to me. And, again- it's like just put your thoughts out online. I'm an advocate for anyone. And have some passion behind it. Have some passion behind it. Yeah. Totally. Obviously, what is next, do you think, for marketing? Like, where do we go from here? Yeah, so I think this is what I'm trying to grapple with is that I built a whole marketing company based off identity and demographics 'cause that's normally how companies- do marketing. But I do believe that we're moving to a shift of interest slash- fan paid- marketing kind of thing where it's like, "Hey who are the groups of people..." Because, again now because the world is so diverse and because there's much more community grouping- it's who likes football, and who likes musical theater, and who likes Lady Gaga? That I feel like is going to be how people have to start looking at marketing 'cause you're trying to find, hey, what does your brand align with- and who are the people that would buy said brand? If you are, you know- a luxury consumer, I'd be like, okay, Goop. I'm doing Goop, and I'm doing Gwyneth Paltrow, and I'm doing, I'm partnering with Barry's or, whatever. So that's how I would look at it. But I think- Again, you'll always have a sense of demographic perspective- so that's, it's going to be... i've been told by people in corporate it's going to be a mix of both. Yeah. What's your advice to the young entrepreneur who's sitting at home who has a great idea for a business or a brand? What's your start-off advice- Yeah, I'd say- if they're feeling a little hesitant to just get started? I'd say two things. Be delusional. I know everyone says that, but it's true. You ha- you have to have a sense of delusion coming into here, because- I think the problem that I ha- see with a lot of people that went to Harvard, Yale, whatever, all the things, is they're so thoughtful about things, and that stops them, and that's why they're great in corporate and that's why they were heads of these companies, because they're really good at following the path that they know what to do and are given. When you're entrepreneurial, you have to be a little bit fucked up or a little bit delusional to just be like, "Yeah, sure," "We'll figure it out." Don't know about- Yeah. "Okay, sure." Exactly. And those are the most interesting entrepreneurs that I've met. The second one is we are living in a boom of AI, and whether you choose to get angry about it or not you better giddy up and saddle. I feel like it's like the internet. There's so m- it... AI makes things way easier as a solo person down to, again making contracts, graphic design. You don't want to get rid of the lawyers and all the things, but it's like these are things that were not accessible to people before. No. And then you would have to pay people, and then if you didn't have capital you would what do you do? AI makes this free. And leverage the boom right now, because you're going to see a lot of wealthy people come out of this through AI, and it's like- you can either sit there and fight it and end up like Blockbuster- or you can learn to roll with the punches. Yeah. It's a little scary, I have to admit. Oh, sure. I think people are very hesitant by it because, I use it. I named mine Andrew and Andrew has been incredibly helpful- Yeah in this process of this new pivot that I'm going through with the podcast, with doing research. It has saved me hundreds of hours in so many respects, and it allows me the opportunity to focus on what I really want to focus on, which is these conversations- Exactly and building this, building the outreach of this podcast. Like you with your podcast, I think you said this as well, that there are times, especially in this current environment, that I wonder if I can do it anymore. I'm not seeing the numbers that I want to see, or the downloads that week weren't, what I was hoping they would be, or the story that I told didn't get as much traction. At the same time, what I realize is that if I help one person, if one person listens to one of my episodes and listens to a guest tell their story about finding their confidence, finding their truth, living their joy, and it helps them, we've done our job. One person. That's it. And that was the best advice that my mentor and coach gave me, who's also a podcaster and has a couple hundred episodes, and was like... He's "Don't pay attention to the numbers. Yes, pay attention to the numbers, but don't be that the driving force to you deciding whether or not you're going to move on," because I've gotten calls from young LGBTQ people who've listened to an episode, whether it was about, grief and loss or whether it was about immigration or a myriad of topics. We s- we scan them all, and said thank you for that opportunity to connect with someone. I don't feel so alone anymore. And if we didn't have social media and we didn't have this opportunity to reach out, that person may never have heard that episode. And that's what drives me, is to push out great conversations so people can resonate, learn something, but also not feel so disconnected and so alone. Y- you said it perfectly. Again, I think it's easy to get lost in metrics, and now- everyone thinks data and how am I doing? But it... I think for me it's, and it's always been, and I need this, that's why I go out so much, 'cause it's like- I'll have so many people who come up to me and they're like, "I love your content. You're so funny," or, "You made me laugh," and I'm like why didn't you goddamn like it?" Or why didn't you comment on it? Exactly. Exactly. But it's funny, and I just think it's like I d- and it's funny. I think with gay men, women are way better about it. Straight women, and I think queer women too are much better about it, but they're really good at showing the support. Gay men, here's an, here's a insight for anybody who's trying to be a content creator. Don't optimize for or commenting. Optimize for sharing, because if... I'm sure everyone's going to be like, "Oh, wait, I actually do that." Whenever you send a meme or you look at a meme, do you ever like it or do you just share it with your friend? And everyone, yeah, everyone's light bulb goes off, and they're like, "Oh, wait, you're right. I don't..." Yeah, 'cause as long as that, that people are talking about and they're telling their friend or you're in the group chat focus on that. Don't focus on, how many comments I got, how many likes I got. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it's true. My little- It's true gay marketing insight. Your little gay marketing. I love it. Okay, I have a couple final questions for you- 'cause I could talk to you all day. What is your take, 'cause I get you're somebody who takes risks. What is your take and suggestion to people who just play it safe? Listen, I think people who play it safe, there has to be people who play it safe so that there are people who take risks, we all have to, we all have to find our own thing. But for me, I'm just... I have never been... I, and don't get me wrong I get afraid, but I've never been- somebody who says, "Let me not try it," once. I think I... So here's- Yeah a story. I met somebody when I was on my first trip to Greece alone. I was 19, and I was on Mount Philopappos looking over Athens. Oh, sure. And I met this guy who was like- a Swiss entrepreneur. He was, like, sold his company. He was like 50 years old, and he had a gay son, and he was, like, flying there shirtless on his thing. And I was just like, "Hey," "I'm Matthew," "Nice to meet you," "What are you doing here?" Had a talk. And the best advice he give- gave to me was say yes. Say yes to everything. As long as you're safe, say yes. And so I've lived life with that mentality, is in a, if you're in a yes mindset, it, you'll be surprised at what the world opens up to you. Do you have another example of what that... I have one of what that looks like, but do you have one that was really impactful for you? Yeah. I think for me so much, when COVID happened, you know- people, and not, and again, I'm not to sound disrespectful to the situation, but, like- Sure COVID was one of the best years of my life. I left New York City after seven years. I put my stuff in storage, and I went down to Dallas, and I know my, I didn't know, I didn't know many people. And then Atlanta, I knew no one. And I just l- picked up my stuff and forced myself to start a new chapter in each of these cities. And to me, I gained so much confidence, 'cause I learned so much about, to your point, my superpower is my energy. I had to go and make friends. I didn't know anyone. So it's like you have, you really, people need to understand the difference between being uncomfortable and unsafe, and- being uncomfortable is when you grow. It's like a muscle. The more you break the muscle, the more it grows. The more- you uncomfortable you are, the more you expose yourself and grow with different people, and that's what I did. And I came back to New York and brought that confidence that I had- with me. And yeah. Sorry. But I think you've al- i- if I would make a guess, I think you've been this confident for a long time. I would say musical theater helped with that. Having to be on stage and- Yeah being a leading man- also helped with that as well, but- Yeah yeah. I call it posture. There's a posture about you that I really respected, and respect, not respected, but respect. And I love watching it on your social media, on your platform, because there's this posture about who you are, and that's what was, I was so drawn to, right? And it was very authentic. And so I appreciate that when I see that, because there's a lot of not authentic out there these days. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And again, it's every what do they say? RuPaul is the queen of this. You can't love yourself, you can't love some- you can't love somebody else until you- Yeah love yourself. Typ- like, again, like it's like- Yeah you can't you, you- If you can't love yourself, how are you going to love anyone else? How are you going to help somebody else? Yeah. It's and if you- Yeah don't know who you are, how the hell are you, like, why are you just copying other people? There's only one of you. Just remember that. Yeah. And I think there's a, and I've said this multiple times on this podcast we've heard a lot about stories of people being in their younger years, and their parents not exactly knowing how to help them through the difficult times or the coming out process. And there's been a lot of pain there because there's so much guilt and so much shame in our coming out, which we unpack for- sometimes for our entire lives, right? Yeah. But I think it's important to remember that they just, they don't, there's no handbook in how to be you. No. There isn't. And no matter how much we want to control things, we're not in control. Ding ding. Actually, I wanted to touch upon that because you mentioned that earlier. Yeah. Like, how do you get through when you're rock bottom? Or you know- how did you... when I got laid off, what did I think of and what did I do? And I wanted to say I looked at what was in my control and what was out of my- what was out of my control. What was in my control is that I could sit here and lay on my bed and cry and not, not make money and wallow in my sorrow, or I could do something about it. And what I could control is I had a phone, I had severance check for a couple months- and I had healthcare for another year. And I said, "You know what? I put all this money towards an, a company. I'm going to start investing it in myself." And that's what I did. Yeah. And I also think it's important, and I've used this a lot, it's b- become a mantra of mine for the past almost 40 years, is who you are is not your circumstances. Yes. Yes. Who you are in the world is not your circumstances, and the circumstances don't define you. Well- They may guide you, but they don't define you. And I want people to realize that who they are in the world, I believe everybody is on this earth to be of service in some level to others, whether it's done through marketing and helping people build their businesses and market themselves, or it's, being of service as a volunteer or something that you're passionate about. We're all here for that purpose, and we lose sight of that because we do... Listen, I got caught up in this, I've owned my company now since 2004, and there were some moments early on in the beginning where I was like, "This is never going to end. This is amazing," and I was putting all my eggs in that basket. What I'm staring down the barrel of now as I'm coming into this next chapter of my life is this what I'm going to be known for? Is this what I'm going to be remembered for? Because although I've had an amazing career and I love what I do and I love my clients, there's no tangible feeling to it. There's no tangible result because my event is either torn down and it ends up as a pile of sawdust and broken zip ties and fabric from a phenomenal event that we've done, or the meeting ends and they're onto something else. And there's nothing tangible. And I was starting to go through a lot of depression about maybe 10 years ago because there was nothing tangible. And when I started to apply that what's important to me what am I, what brings me joy, what makes me happy, what's my impact, what's my legacy going to be, is when I really started to chart that course. Because I know people who are in careers and in jobs and in situations, and they're so dissatisfied, but the fear of them pivoting and redirecting is greater than the risk to take it and to move on. And I'm- Coaching a few people right now through that process, and I get so much joy out of watching them squirm a little. They're not going to that I say that, because it's in that squirm that I'm seeing in their eyes and in their communication the opportunity for something really remarkable. And so I think it's great. I love your take and your direction. I'm wondering, Mr. Palpable Energy, what's next for you? What's next on the horizon for Matt? Ugh. I think the vision, as a kid I always knew that corporate... being a CMO of a company wasn't going to be my thing. That's not. My new vision now is I want to be, like, a media mogul turned entrepreneur. I think the Bethenny Frankels, the Kris Jenner, the Kim Kardashian, like to me that seems like a palpable vision given... now you've listened to me for a year on, unless I get myself canceled in the next year. But i, to me, like that seems the fun way to do it. I'd love to be on a reality show. I would love to have my own show or, continue with this, build my media following. And what's great about the Alphabet Mafia is they have all these like queer brands coming up to me, and the ones that are good ideas I can start investing in- or become a partner in, and, just become like a serial entrepreneur. And again, like I, I'm learning this as I go too. I have no fuck- I have no idea. I try and s- live very present. I, you know- I sometimes always laugh at that question of "Where do you see yourself in 10 years?" And it's if I thought what I was going to do this 10 years ago, I would not be here. Or if I planned- what I was going to do, I, like I, this is not what I had in mind. I think there's a m- level of manifestation. I always said I wanted a company by the time I was 30. I had no idea what that was going to mean. But that was just all I knew. And, for me it's like I want to be on a reality show, I want to have my penthouse in New York, I want to have a, I want to have a place in London, I want a pied-à-terre, whatever. And I want to invest in companies. I just want to meet cool people, and I want to... At the end of the day, like I'd been around a lot of death as a kid. And it was always, it's never like what you own, it's who you've left your impact on. And so as long as- Bingo at my wing, at my wake or my funeral there's people that saying, "Matthew made me feel," "Matthew made me a better person," or- "matthew inspired me," then I've done my job. What did Matt have to give up to be here in this spot that you're in now? What did you have to give up? A steady paycheck. That. Living in New York, I'm sure that's not an easy task. Yeah. But what did you have to give up? What are some of the thoughts and you know- Yeah. I had to give up, I had to give up a lot of people pleasing. I think, again, that's what we talk a lot about as queer people is like we're really good at being chameleons and going in the room and whatever. And I- I'm a master at that, especially being in marketing you know what people want, so you can say what they can to get what you want. By the end of the day there is a level of you have to know who you are. You have to ha- establish boundaries. You have to know when you can go to an event, when you can't go to an event, when you can give yourself, when you can... 'Cause people, once they find out that you're able to do something and you are a change maker, they're going to want to suck you dry. And I'm grateful for that, but- I had to learn when to put up that boundary and not be a people pleaser. Yeah. It's interesting. I one of the things that I had to give up was this incessant need for control. Yeah. Control. And the podcast is a great example, and the name of the podcast, I had been using the hashtag just do you in my social media for a decade as just a reminder to be myself and how important it is to just do you. And I was in Costa Rica on a program with a client, and I had a series of unfortunate events leading up to the arrival of our guests. And so I had to cancel the e- the excursions, and I went to the spa. And I met a practitioner there who did not know me. She didn't know anything about me, about my background. Never seen my social media, and she did an hour sound bath healing. And through that process, long story for another time, but I let out a lot of emotions. I really let go of all the pain and the hurt from my divorce and from a failed project that I had been working on, and just let it all out within that hour. And after the hour was done, she sat up, and she came over, and she took my head in her hands. And she goes, "I don't know why I need to ask you this, but can I ask you a question?" And I said, "Sure." And she goes, "When are you just going to do you?" Oh, my God. Goosebumps, right? Wow. Goosebumps. And I'm like, "I'm sorry?" And she goes, "When are you just going to do you?" And again, I don't know what that means. And I said, "I know exactly what it means." Wow. And I literally went home the next week. I got just do you tattooed on my right wrist and- Wow launched the podcast. And here we are four years later, and she and I are in business together and doing this- Wow amazing project together. And, here I am in Costa Rica for crying out loud. No control. I was there to work on a project. Ended up falling taking a picture, of a howler monkey in a tree and ended up falling down a staircase. Oh, my God. Yeah. Which then had me prompt to cancel all my activities and go to this, meditation and sound bath healing experience at the resort w would have never happened had I not fallen down those stairs, right? So interesting- Totally that we are not in control. So that's what I had to give up, is that I can create, I can manifest, I can talk about it, I can put it out to the universe, and I can get out there and really talk about why it's important to me, but I'm not in control. If it's meant to happen, it's going to happen. All right. So good. So many of us can r- can learn from that, 'cause- 100% we want... I think so much of our life wasn't in our control that when we s- gain that control we're like want to keep it. But- It's true life doesn't work like that. Life's unfair. Life does not- like- Life is u- unfair, but when you pay attention, life can come with some great rewards. Oh, totally. And I see that for you. I see that for you. I cannot wait to follow you and to see where this road takes you next. I appreciate your time today, and I also appreciate your honesty. And I want to say one thing, and I say this quite a bit, is a lot of times I'll hear people say, "I'm sorry for," or, "Forgive me for," and then a statement comes after that. And I want you to be super, super proud of who you are, and the energy that you have, and the directness that you have, Matt. Thank you. Because it's that directness and it's that tenacity that is going to make impact, and people need to hear it. We are in a space where we are bombarded with a fire hose coming at us, and we can't hear the soft whispers. We can only hear the people that are shouting from the rooftops. And so I appreciate you shouting from the rooftop. I love your energy. I cannot wait like I said, to see where the road takes you next. I do have one last question, but I will say you are always welcome to come back. Thank you. I think you would have a great episode on dating, 'cause I was looking at some of your content- Oh, yeah and watching some of your podcasts. But I'm curious, if you could go back to that young Matthew, back in his early years, and give him a piece of advice or give him a little insight into his life, what would you tell him? Let me think on that. But I also want to say I just really appreciated you and- Of course your conversation. Thanks I feel very connected energetically to you, and- this was a very flow- I, again, I could talk to you all day. So I'm very grateful- Yeah for the opportunity. What would I tell young Matthew? I think everything that you're insecure about is going to be your superpower. That's what I would tell him. Yeah. Being a fat kid or, not feeling like you're fitting in with the kids or, you talk too much or whatever. Like, all of those things I'm now making money off it's true. Yeah. I think that's what's crazy is, it even happened with my breakup. Everything that my ex gaslit me for, I talk too much online, I think I'm try- I'm trying too hard, I want to be... I'm making money off it now. And I, and that's what I'm saying. It's make all the things that people break you... 'Cause here's the thing I'll leave with everybody. Anybody doing better than you will never put you down, because they know what it's like to, what it takes to get there. So anyone shitting on you is most likely insecure, and they want to perpetuate their insecurity onto you. So take that insecurity and use it to your advantage. Grow from it. I love it. Cool. Nothing left to say. I'm going to leave it right there. Thank you so much for your time today, and I feel the same way about you. I appreciate you, and we'll be in touch, and we'll talk again soon, okay? I'd love that. I know. All right. I want to... There's so much to talk about more, I really appreciate it. All right. I'll talk to you soon. Thanks for being here. Bye, Eric. All right, everyone. Thank you again for joining us on today's episode. I hope our conversation resonated with you like it did me, and I cannot wait to sit down with you all again next week. Remember to subscribe to the Just Do You podcast on your favorite platform so you can make sure not to miss a new episode, which drop every Thursday. If you like what you hear, you can easily share the podcast and episode directly with your friends. And if you would, rate us and leave us a review. We'd love to hear from you. You can also follow us on Instagram at justdoyoupod. As you go out back into the world today, remember to JUST DO YOU. All right. Talk next week.