Industry and Insight Alumni Matt Shepard

Summary

In this engaging interview, Alex Bartell Walsh speaks with alumni Matt Sheeper, the business leader of Soundcom Systems, a division of Amatech. Matt shares his journey from accounting to running a nurse call business, emphasizing the importance of life safety equipment in hospitals and schools. He discusses the value of continuous learning, the power of expert council, and the influence of a positive attitude in his professional growth. Matt also highlights the benefits of Walsh College's MBA program in preparing him for his career and the significance of the alumni Mastermind program in fostering collaboration and problem-solving among professionals.

Takeaways

• 🎓 Matt Shepard is the business leader of Soundcom Systems, a division of Amatech, focusing on life safety equipment for hospitals and education systems.
• 🏢 Soundcom Systems integrates nurse call systems into hospitals and installs safety communication equipment in K-12 schools.
• 💡 Matt emphasizes the importance of what Soundcom does, as it directly impacts student and patient safety.
• 🌟 Matt's leadership style is influenced by books like 'Extreme Ownership' and 'The Dichotomy of Leadership', highlighting the balance of owning responsibility and developing a strong team.
• 📈 Matt's career trajectory began in accounting, moved to consulting, and then into his current role, reflecting a shift from traditional accounting to business operations.
• 🎓 Walsh College's MBA program was chosen by Matt for its flexibility and professional focus, catering to the demands of working adults in accounting and other fields.
• 🚀 Matt values the expert council and mentorship opportunities provided by Walsh College's alumni Mastermind program, which brings professionals together to solve problems and share insights.
• 🌐 Diversity in professional backgrounds is seen as a strength in the alumni Mastermind group, offering a range of perspectives and knowledge.
• 💼 Matt's advice for younger professionals involves finding and maintaining connections with talented individuals who inspire and guide them.
• 🅾️ Matt's positivity and drive stem from personal experiences and the belief in self, learned from overcoming failures and setbacks in his earlier life.
• 👨‍👩‍👦 Matt's family, particularly his wife and four children, are key motivators in his personal and professional life.

Q & A

What is Matt Shepard's current role and what does his company do?

Matt Shepard runs a nurse call business called Soundcom Systems, which is a division of Amatech, a $5 billion publicly-traded holding company. Soundcom Systems integrates nurse call systems into hospitals and also provides life safety communication equipment for K-12 school systems.

How does Matt describe the leadership at Amatech?

Matt describes the leadership at Amatech as being 'top down' with managers who are 'the best of the best'. He mentions that they are excellent examples of leadership and management, making it a great environment to be a part of.

What is Matt's educational background and how has it influenced his career?

Matt started with an accounting background and later pursued an MBA from Walsh College. His educational background has been instrumental in his career, providing him with the credentials needed to move into the world of consulting and eventually into his current leadership role at Amatech.

How does Matt approach his role as a business leader?

Matt approaches his role with a philosophy of 'extreme ownership' and 'the dichotomy of leadership'. He believes in being a decision-maker and taking full responsibility for his organization, while also developing his team to operate with autonomy and make decisions in line with his own intuition.

What is the significance of the products that Matt's company provides?

The products provided by Matt's company are life safety equipment for hospital networks and K-12 school systems. Matt emphasizes that what they do matters because it directly impacts student and patient safety.

How has Matt's personal life influenced his professional perspective?

Matt's personal experiences, such as his wife giving birth with Soundcom's equipment in use, and his children attending school, have made the importance of his company's products more tangible and meaningful to him. These experiences have reinforced his passion for his work.

What advice does Matt have for young professionals looking to follow a similar career path?

Matt advises young professionals to be persistent, always be learning, and to seek expert counsel. He emphasizes the importance of surrounding oneself with inspiring individuals who can provide guidance and help one grow professionally.

How does Matt maintain a positive attitude in his professional life?

Matt maintains a positive attitude by believing in himself and his capabilities. He learned from his experiences in baseball that when he was confident and self-assured, he performed better. He also credits his family, particularly his wife, as a significant source of motivation and drive.

What does Matt value about the Walsh College alumni Mastermind program?

Matt values the diversity of thought and the opportunity for problem-solving and idea-sharing that the Mastermind program provides. He believes that being part of such a group with alumni from various industries and professions offers a unique perspective and expertise that can be beneficial for everyone involved.

What suggestions does Matt have for enhancing alumni engagement with Walsh College?

Matt suggests more opportunities for engagement like the Walsh College alumni Mastermind program. He believes that such platforms not only provide value to the alumni but also help in reconnecting them with the college, creating a sense of community and shared learning.

How does Matt describe the culture at Amatech?

Matt describes the culture at Amatech as one that rewards hard work and success-driven individuals. He mentions that Amatech values 'workhorses' over 'show ponies', indicating a preference for those who are willing to put in the effort and demonstrate their commitment to the organization's goals.

Outlines

00:00

🤝 Introduction and Background

Alex Bartell Walsh interviews Matt Shepard, an alumnus of Walsh College and current business leader at Amitech, a company specializing in life safety communication equipment. Matt discusses his role running a nurse call business, Soundcom Systems, and the importance of the products they provide for hospitals and schools. He emphasizes the value of leadership and management at Amitech and shares his journey from accounting to business leadership.

05:02

🛠️ Passion for Life Safety Equipment

Matt Shepard expresses his passion for the life safety equipment industry, highlighting the personal connection he feels through experiences like his wife's childbirth and his children's education. He discusses the commitment and drive within his organization, stemming from the knowledge that their work directly impacts safety in hospitals and schools.

10:03

🎓 From Accounting to MBA

Matt shares his career trajectory from accounting to earning his MBA at Walsh College. He explains how his experience in a mid-market accounting firm led to an interest in business operations and eventually to his pursuit of an MBA to gain the credentials needed for a more strategic role in consulting and business management.

15:03

🌟 Growth and Learning in Business

Matt talks about the importance of continuous learning and growth in the business world. He reflects on his experiences with various businesses, including starting a consulting firm with his father and later joining Amitech. He emphasizes the value of surrounding oneself with talented individuals and maintaining strong relationships with mentors and leaders from different backgrounds.

20:04

💡 Advice for Aspiring Business Leaders

Matt offers advice to younger professionals, encouraging them to embrace the grind and continuous learning process of running a business. He stresses the importance of believing in oneself and maintaining a positive attitude. Matt also highlights the benefits of engaging with alumni networks like Walsh College's to share ideas and gain valuable insights from diverse perspectives.

Keywords

💡Alumni Engagement

Alumni Engagement refers to the involvement and interaction of former students with their alma mater. In the context of the video, it is about leveraging the connections and experiences of alumni like Matt Shepard to foster a sense of community and provide valuable insights to current and future students of Walsh College.

💡Nurse Call Business

A Nurse Call Business, as described in the video, involves the installation and integration of systems that allow patients to communicate with nurses or healthcare staff, typically in hospital settings. These systems are crucial for patient safety and efficient healthcare operations.

💡Value Added Reseller (VAR)

A Value Added Reseller (VAR) is a reseller of products or services that adds additional value to the offerings, such as customization, installation, or support, beyond the basic product or service. In the video, Matt's company acts as a VAR by not only selling the nurse call equipment but also installing and integrating it into healthcare facilities.

💡Leadership

Leadership refers to the ability to guide, inspire, and influence a group of people towards achieving common goals. In the video, Matt Shepard discusses his role as a business leader, which involves running the entire business and being fully responsible for the organization's success.

💡Life Safety Equipment

Life safety equipment encompasses products and systems designed to protect and preserve life in various settings, such as hospitals and schools. In the context of the video, Matt's company specializes in installing life safety communication equipment that ensures the safety of patients and students.

💡Amatech

Amatech is a publicly-traded, billion-dollar holding company that Matt Shepard's company, Soundcom Systems, is a part of. Amatech encompasses various business divisions, including Rolland, which manufactures equipment for nurse call systems.

💡Mastermind Program

A Mastermind Program is a group of like-minded individuals who come together to share ideas, experiences, and insights to help each other grow personally and professionally. In the video, Matt discusses the Walsh College Alumni Mastermind Program, which facilitates problem-solving and idea-sharing among alumni.

💡Extreme Ownership

Extreme Ownership is a leadership concept and philosophy introduced in a book of the same name by Jocko Willink. It emphasizes taking full responsibility for everything that happens in one's business or team, and leading from the front to inspire and drive the team towards success.

💡MBA

MBA stands for Master of Business Administration, a postgraduate degree that focuses on business and management principles. In the video, Matt Shepard discusses his pursuit of an MBA from Walsh College as part of his career trajectory to run businesses.

💡Accounting Background

An accounting background refers to having experience or education in the field of accounting, which involves the measurement, processing, and communication of financial information. In the context of the video, Matt Shepard's accounting background is highlighted as a valuable asset in his current role and a stepping stone towards his MBA and business leadership.

💡Diversity of Thought

Diversity of thought refers to the presence of a variety of perspectives, ideas, and problem-solving approaches within a group or team. It is considered valuable because it fosters creativity, innovation, and robust decision-making by considering multiple viewpoints.

Highlights

Alex Bartell Walsh interviews Matt Shepard, an alumnus of Walsh College and a successful business leader.

Matt Shepard runs a nurse call business called Soundcom Systems, a division of Amatech, a publicly-traded company.

Soundcom Systems specializes in life safety equipment for hospital networks and education products for K-12 school systems.

Matt's role as a business leader involves full responsibility for the entirety of Soundcom as an organization.

Amatech is praised for its strong leadership and management, with a top-down approach that fosters a great environment for employees.

Matt's passion for his work stems from the life safety impact of the products his company provides.

Matt Shepard's career trajectory began with accounting, which professionalized him and led him to pursue an MBA.

Walsh College was chosen by Matt for its professional and business-minded approach, catering to the demands of working adults.

Matt's MBA opened doors to the world of consulting and eventually led him to join his father's consulting firm.

The importance of surrounding oneself with talented individuals and maintaining strong relationships with mentors is emphasized.

Matt's advice for younger professionals includes embracing the grind, continuous learning, and leveraging expert counsel.

Diversity in professional groups, such as the Walsh College alumni Mastermind program, provides a range of perspectives and problem-solving opportunities.

Matt's positivity and attitude are shaped by his experiences and the realization that self-belief is crucial for success.

The impact of family and personal growth on Matt's professional journey and drive is discussed.

Matt encourages more engagement opportunities for alumni to share ideas and stay connected with Walsh College.

The Walsh College podcast series and alumni engagement initiatives are highlighted as valuable platforms for alumni.

Transcripts

hey everybody I'm Alex Bartell Walsh

College's new director of alumni

engagement today with me in the awesome

and new Walsh College Creator lab I have

alumni Matt sheeper with me Matt thanks

for joining good to see you good to be

here thanks for inviting me into this

yeah yeah so Matt and I know each other

uh a little bit from some other

activities and we're going to take some

time to delve in to Who Matt is how

we've met and um a few other things

about Matt's love night Journey so um so

let's start with Who Matt is um Matt

what do you do for I'm Matt Shepard uh

currently what I do is I run a nurse

call business called soundcom system uh

Rollin soundcom systems uh we're a

division of amatech which is A5 billion

uh monster holding company publicly

traded uh and then Rolland is the

equipment manufacturer of the nurse call

system and soundcom is the system

integrator so we take the uh product and

we actually put it into the hospitals uh

make all those bells and whistles work

and uh so that's that's what the

business is um and uh yeah so uh it's

it's life safety equipment for Hospital

networks we also have an education

product that uh that goes into K

through2 school systems uh again Life

Safety communication equipment uh we'

like to say what we do matters because

it is tied to student safety in the uh

in the K through2 market and then

obviously hospital staff and uh patient

safety in the uh in the hospital systems

uh so we uh yeah we we have offices

throughout Ohio and Michigan so we cover

that territory and install all the ring

equipment there nice so uh that's that's

what we do uh it's it's a fantastic

organization to work for um it's one of

the best things about amitech is it is

from top down it is the best of the best

in leadership nice they're uh every one

of their managers everybody in the uh

you know they're they're out there

fighting and D Ding and they're uh

they're fantastic uh examples of

leadership and management so it's a it's

a great environment to be a part of so

nice nice and so uh specifically I I saw

your title and I want to make sure I get

it right so you are a business leader

and your function is uh you're with the

p&l that's right so I I run so basically

the business leader is the title it's

it's another title would be like a a

president or something to that effect I

run the entire business and I'm

responsible fully responsible for the

for the entirety of soundcom as as an

organization now we are obviously the

layers of management within amatech uh

my boss uh Nardo uh who is another

fantastic example of amatech leadership

um he comes he's he uh runs the Florida

uh version of of soundcom and it's

called rinberg Florida uh and uh they uh

so you know he he's my direct boss he's

got many many years in the healthc care

industry and in this industry so he's

been a fantastic mentor to kind of bring

me up to speed I mean I have the the

busy side but in terms of the healthcare

industry and the education I had no

experience there so learning yeah

learning from him has been extremely

valuable um so yeah so the structure is

you know he's he kind of sits on top of

we call ourselves a VAR or value added

reseller so we're the ones who go in and

install this so he sits on top of of uh

of that structure and reports directly

into uh Michelle who uh who is the be

manager for all of Rollins so she's got

the big manufacturing center out in

Illinois nice that's the squad right

there that's it that's the uh that's the

dynamic so we have a California

operation as well and there's a lead

there's a version of me out there in

California as well so being a business

leader uh president whatever you want to

call it like really owning right uh

soundcom in that capacity being

responsible on the hook for your whole

team and making sure that everybody's

running as a humming drum um I'm sure

there's pressures but also what are some

things that you really enjoy about your

role well exactly that I uh I like being

involved like being the decision maker

right I'm responsible and and and I

there's a there's couple books that I

that I subscribe to that I that really

kind of drive that home one of them is

Extreme ownership by jao willink uh

finding that we're on a podcast is what

he does yeah so uh but I him that he got

he has two books that I really really uh

kind of adopted as a strong philosophy

extreme ownership is one of them the

title seems to kind of Drive the point

home there and the other one is the D

otomy of leadership right it's building

um basically Frontline generals if you

will and commanders who can operate the

business you got to develop the team

yeah you own it as the leader but you

got to develop your team to also be in a

position to to own it and and operate

within your intuition right they they

should be as close to you and know your

Tendencies so well that they're making

the decision you would have made in that

situation so that that's really what I

like about what I do um in terms of

being in the the business seat that I'm

in but from the passion of what we do

the product itself is very very

important to me uh like I said we I I

use this tag earlier but we what we do

matters because it's life safety

equipment and it's stuff you see in your

day-to-day life um so you know we're

we're in the hospitals doing patient

safety type activities well you can

touch and feel that stuff in your

everyday life In fact when uh when my

wife was giving birth to my children it

was our stuff hanging on the walls right

and and I exact this is what it does

it's she there she is going through

labor and I'm pointing all the

operational stuff out on the wall this

is what it does yeah thanks hun why

don't we why don't we deal with this got

worry and then we'll talk later yeah so

uh and then obviously in the school

systems as well I mean I have I my kids

are in school now so it's like to to

touch and see that and to know that your

kids are kind of protected by A system

that uh that that you put in is it's

powerful and and there's a lot of

passion and and drive in our in our

organization as a result of that I mean

it and and that's that's helpful when

you're trying to run a business because

you don't have to worry about the

commitment of your team yeah they're in

man they're they're dialed in because

they know what we're doing is so

valuable to yeah you know personally

professionally it it's successful it's

the right it's it's a solid product and

it really you know it it touches your

life one way or the other so yeah but I

love that so it's it's it's fun to be a

part of it um so that's that's you know

where where my passion is really coming

from but but I like to run businesses

that's that's the career trajectory that

I uh that I wanted to get into and that

actually is why I got into

Walsh it was so you're an MBA l i i was

an MBA yes and part of your

decision-making process was knowing that

you wanted to run businesses what are

some applications uh of I mean in your

role that you've derived from your Walsh

college experience going to go all the

way back so uh so I I started out in

accounting I I uh I was uh what got me

to Michigan was I I joined uh accounting

firm that's actually local here it's uh

uhy advisers uh working under now the

CEO but it was uh he was a partner at

the time managing director partner he

was Steve mccardy really really another

I I've been blessed with strong

leadership throughout my entire career

um so I I was running around as an

accountant out here and uh trying to

figure out what I wanted to do and uhy

is a more of a middle Market firm which

is you know I think a blessing in in the

sense that I got in with them because

you get exposed to more in a middle

Market firm than you would into a big

big three or big four type firm don't

get me wrong there's there's plenty of

good things to say about a big three

firm as well but in the in the Middle

Market firms you touch a lot more stuff

um and one of the things I got into was

their uh forensic litigation and

valuation Services which was kind of

like an m&a Wing merges an act type wing

of the accounting firm and that kind of

really jump started my interest in I

kind of want to run businesses I want to

do this kind of stuff and and get and

kind of get away from more of the

traditional debits and credits of

accounting I also have a little bit

different personality than Most

accountants so uh so it probably wasn't

you know it was it was a great

profession and I and I have a lot of uh

looking back I really appreciate that I

went down that road because it's done

nothing but served me in my in my career

um so I'm in this accounting frame and I

think Steve is actually a wal Shalom too

so um you know kind of a really natural

fit he I think he even might have

recommended I look at it yeah um but uh

I was as an accountant I needed a school

that catered to um the demands of an

accounting profession because the

accounting profession has that Infamous

tax season that just consume it's all

consuming and so it is so to to try and

do an NBA with all of that on your plate

working 50 some hours a week you know

running all over the place you know

doing those you know doing the

accounting side um you need a school

that caters to that and that's what

Walsh really does I mean you Market to

business you you attract the

business-minded student and then you

practice what you preach in the sense

that you also align yourself as a

business like you're you're you're run

like a business and you and you

operate for the business person and and

I think most traditional schools can't

do that yeah they're they're operating

on that semester struct you know

structure which the quarters work for an

accountant because you could do three

quarters out of you know out of the out

of the year which is it was perfect uh

so yeah so I I I did the I I got out of

the uh I didn't pursue the CP the CPA uh

um approach which you know the

accounting firm they want you to get

that CPA so it's a little bit of a it's

a tough move there but uh we were joking

earlier GPA stands for can't pass again

it's a that's a tough that's a tough uh

test to take so uh yeah the NBA um

opened a lot of doors it uh it provided

the credentials that I needed um to get

into the world of

Consulting so uh while I was running

around as an accountant I actually

helped my dad start his own consulting

firm and upon completing my MBA I felt

that I finally had the credentials now

to join him and join him productively

right I mean he he could have carried me

along right but I didn't want to go down

that road I wanted to actually be able

to add value to business yeah more than

just free bookkeeper which is what I was

um so uh so I got into the Consulting

racket after completing my NBA and again

it was a lot of the things I learned

through you know Walsh provides a lot of

uh cool classes that really catered to

that um you know the the valuation type

type classes that were cool and then um

there was there was a couple others I

was I had in the tip of my tongue and

I've lost them um but you know it's an

NBA it's it's it's business it's

management and that's what we were

Consulting we were lean Consultants lean

process Improvement Consultants uh so

did that for five years we went we went

everywhere we were all over the country

we we got an opportunity to go overseas

uh which was fun we did uh Singapore and

Malaysia did a project out there and it

was really awesome experience you know

working with your dad and you know

trying to you know learn learn how to

you know I saw some of the best and some

of the worst in terms of management out

there and uh and it was it was a lot of

fun but we went the way of the

entrepreneur and five years we kind of

just could not hit that Tipping Point

and so I I branched off and uh and he

still he's still trying to do it uh he's

he's awesome at it but uh but I got into

uh got into some other stuff I was

running a a business in uh back in

Pittsburgh um that did uh HVAC controls

so uh they uh basically in a commercial

space even such as this you have uh all

these controls that control the air flow

uh for heating and air conditioning and

basically we we built the the the

controllers that did that and then um

there was an opportunity we uh we we

basically went after an emergers and

acquisition maneuver that I led uh to

get into the retail Market space so if

you think of a a standard retail store

like a Dollar Tree be a perfect example

uh they look the same no matter where

they are they look exactly the same so

once you get one you get all of the the

system is the exact same so you can just

stamp that out in every facility they

build and they're building 800 of these

all over the years so so we we got in

there we did this acquisition it

happened to be in um in New Hampshire

area and uh it was pretty clear they

were going to relocate me to to New

Hampshire and I had a new family at the

time and it just wasn't wasn't the right

move so I uh I found my way into amitech

and uh and they liked me um from they

called me a purple unicorn and I don't

know if that I don't know that fits or

not but uh because they were looking for

an operations guy who had an accounting

background so apparently that's rare yep

um but but here I think I have to

imagine that that's every Walsh you know

a lot of the Walsh students are that so

um so it's obviously something that uh

businesses are demanding they they want

that type of mindset to have the both

the way to you know you know know how to

run a business and then also have the

financial acument to kind of back up and

know how that translates absolutely I'm

sure you being you know that that hybrid

mind I mean uh I think we have so many

students that uh come to us or are

developed here and an array of spectrum

so whether they have work experience or

they don't have a work experience

because it sounds like uh when you

started with uhy right you had great

view into that mid Market accounting and

you know you really started to

understand how to apply like and and I

just want to back up a little bit were

there like if you're looking back at

Young Matt and what were some of those

like give me three characteristics that

you're like okay was it was it grit

persistence like what was it that you

feel like outside of Education that

really helped you apply yourself with uh

Walsh education uh man good question uh

young Matt was an idiot so uh it's uh

it's really tough to think about that

but I mean it was the the getting into

the accounting background instantly

professionalizes you right we're running

around in suits and ties we weren't in

you know business casual clothes and and

so where a lot of my you know colleagues

and friends more my friends like from

back home they weren't in careers yet

right they were in jobs right whatever

they could get out of college I

immediately came into a career type

mindset so I think that helped and and

you know so so you're kind of thrust

into a you know more of a career mind

you're you're almost forced to mature um

faster because you're you're in a career

now and you're handling you know

accounts that are relatively large it's

serious I mean accounting's and it

really shaped your kind of perspective

correct and and so and then you get into

so then you're looking for if you want

to go in NBA right you're looking for

you know what is that what's that NBA

going to be like you know you have I had

a a more traditional undergrad uh at a

school I went to and and so I was like I

don't want that because I think we were

talking earlier like a lot of these

schools they're they're football teams

with an academic racket so so you I was

looking for more of of a school that was

oriented around more of a professional

more mature mindset and uh and so that's

kind of what drove me there um and and

honestly the NBA has opened more doors

for me than than I care to admit I mean

it really is a credential that has a lot

of weight still to it and it and it's it

was extremely valuable to get um and so

in pursuit of that it was like find a I

was looking for a school that was a

little less nonsense you know I was a

working adult at this time wasn't

partying my way through my undergrad

like like I would say the traditional

student would be um where Walsh is

definitely um very professional and very

business-minded and and that's that was

attractive to me at that time uh because

that's what I I was I was as an

accountant I was dialed in that way I

was I was in I was interfacing with

customers I was you know and uh looking

professional talking professional uh so

you know it kind of just aligned itself

with with uh with this school and and it

was again it's been a uh tremendous

asset for me to have yeah no I love that

and so I know just running back to

talking about younger Matt because I'm

sure there's there's uh many younger

Matts out there and they're still

they'll probably be watching this and

they're going to think like how like I

love that Matt started accounting and he

got into running a business or running

business is cu I'm I'm sure like it's

very popularized today where running a

business sounds great but we don't talk

about the ugly Parts either so from your

perspective if you were to give a

younger Matt some advice on doing what

you do now well it's it's definitely a

grind there you know so so the funny

story I I'll actually tell this uh so I

went and pursued a double major in

Finance and Accounting at my undergrad

school and I did that I chose that

because at the time the because you like

pain well the well sure the masochist

the uh all of the CEOs were either fin

or accounting backgrounds at that time

so it's like ah I'll get both well I

don't know if you know this Alex but uh

they don't hire CEOs right out of

college so uh so it was uh earning your

stripes and and paying the dues and and

that's uh that's what really is the

grind and continuing to fight forward I

mean a lot of that sounds a little

cliche but it's always driving forward

you're you're never done learning and

and even after like it's not like oh I

got my undergrad now I'm I'm ready to

Take On The World now I got my NBA now

I'm ready to take on you're never ready

number one and number two you're always

in constant motion you're always you're

always constantly learning constantly

developing constantly growing um one of

the best ways to do that is to keep

expert counsel so everywhere I've ever

been I maintain very close relations

with um with the talented people around

me and and the nice thing about amatech

is there's a whole bunch of those guys

uh so I'm really able to to grow within

the amitech world but and with the

amitech sphere but that that really

brings us to what you know we've been

doing with with Wham and it really you

know plays nicely with with this topic

because what we do with with uh our our

Mastermind program our alumni Mastermind

program is we basically put all of these

goal

minded you know ex you know just

fantastic Professionals in one room and

we solve problems together

real and and it's it's that expert

Council group where we're we're talking

about hey what's what's going on in your

world right now and the perspectives

because everybody's got some different

influence some different perspective

that they've experienced going on

through their career and uh and and now

we're basically sharing these ideas in

real time and and solving you know

solving a lot of problems I mean there's

some talent in that room uh and uh and

it's exciting to kind of be around those

people people yeah I every time we do

these things I walk away with something

valuable yeah uh whether it's a book

it's an experience like I mean like we

were so in these past few uh sessions

we've had we do this on a by monthly

basis every other month um they've been

really skyrocketing we've been able to

uh apply a lot of Concepts and cross

collaborate uh you know we don't want to

shout out too many names because we we

we we definitely have a good time in the

have to bring them into these these

podcasts we'll talk about them yeah so

yeah the uh The Mastermind is is

absolutely great and a question I have

for you that I think um some other

prospective members have had and I just

bring it to light because we're here on

the podcast is um do you think diversity

in that group helps you because they

don't necessarily come from an amatech

background or maybe they're even small M

pop or even some that are on the larger

scale yeah I I agree with that I mean

we've got a we've got every different

industry we got every different uh

profession it is a mixed bag I mean

we've got you know there's I I don't

think there's any duplicate professions

right in in that uh in that room so

again back to the perspectives it's like

what we're talking about it could be any

topic I mean um you know and and so we

got we got some sales guys so they're

bringing sales perspectives we got HR

Personnel they're bringing HR person you

know perspectives we've got like you

said a mom and pop uh we'll goad we'll

name drop them we got Pierre out there

who's running an hbac company and it's

like he's got his own set of of you know

different problems and they're they're

cross-pollinating between HR and and and

business Ops and and so yeah there's

there's I I would say that the diversity

of thought is extremely valuable in in

that room and keeps it pretty fresh it

does and and and again the other thing

that The Binding agent there is

obviously our alumni status with Walsh

so um it's it's a really it's a

fantastic group to be a part of and uh

again it's it's that expert Council

um opportunity that you know back to the

to the advice you could give to anybody

is is find those mentors and and they

don't have to be it doesn't have to be

this formal Mentor relationship where oh

you're my mentor no it's it's who are

the people that are inspiring you who

are the people who are that are doing

the things that you want to do what are

they doing why are they doing it how are

they doing it and talking to them and

keeping them in your in your center of

influence because they'll make you

better right you are the company you

keep in a lot of respects so if you're

if you're surrounding yourself with some

of the best Minds you know in whatever

industry then you're in that kind you're

in good company yeah and and you should

take it you know you should you should

use that to your advantage yeah leverage

those resources around absolutely

absolutely so that's that's a big

component and and and throughout my

career it's like I still keep in very

close contact with with all of my you

know former bosses managers leaders

whoever I was associated with they're

all you know expert counsel in my

opinion so we I stay close to him and

and I've had some great ones I you know

my my first uh spot with land with

amatech land I I had one of the best

Business Leaders in the organization uh

Justin Smith he was he's out he's a UK

guy actually so he's out in the UK and

uh uh he

was probably the best uh leader I could

have had coming into amatech as a new

corporate amitech guy um and then now

like I said my leadership team Within

within the Rolland organization and the

and uh and the integrators like Nardo

and and Michelle they're fantastic as

well but but all the way up the chain in

amitech I mean it's it's an it's an

exciting place to be if you are a high

motivated you know success driven type

person

because it's you know they reward that

obviously they they like to say that

they want uh they want workhorses not

show ponies so you're in there you're

grinding and you're fighting but that's

the entire that's the entire every

business unit in their massive Pantheon

of organizations um that's what they are

and so I feel like I'm in a great place

uh because that's that's what they want

and that's what I want to be so I'm

surrounding myself again with with that

type of motivation I love that it's like

you want to be there right like there

the folks that are there want to be

there right and and that's I mean again

our products help we're we're Niche

products right the stuff we do is is

exciting Niche

technology so it's uh it's a it's a it's

kind of part of the package I guess

within that organization so no that's

wonderful Matt and and I just want to

really quickly complement that uh you

know your positivity throughout uh you

know expressing your journey not only

here on the podcast but even outward and

I just want to give that highlight right

there

because I don't think a lot of people

acknowledge attitude right like because

it really does like how you carry

yourself and in professional settings

personal settings um and it transfers

over and how you translate as a leader

right uh how you deliver end results how

do you maintain that positivity well I I

don't know

I my critics might say it borders on

arrogance but uh what I always like to

say is uh no one is going to really

believe in you so you better believe in

you right that's a quote ter that's a

quote Yeah you can you can yeah we can

use that one uh for the thumbnail there

but uh that that has really hit home to

me and it and and where I got that how I

learned that was utter failure um I was

a huge baseball guy and uh and what I of

course hindsight never misses you're

2020 with hindsight but while I was

playing baseball I was one of those guys

who was not The Optimist not the the you

know I was one thing would go wrong and

then another and then another and

another uh quicksand they call that in

the sport world right that's kind of

what I was and um and it took me looking

back and real realizing that when I was

believing in myself when I was up and

bordering on that arrogant line I played

better I did better things went well and

when I was trying to you know when I was

insecure or self-conscious things went

really badly and they continued to Spire

a lot of control and it was reflection

that kind of made me realize that yeah

no it's you got to believe in yourself

and you've got to you've got to own it

and you've got to continue to push

yourself and drive yourself forward and

again if you want it no one is going to

hand it to you right you're going to

have to grind it and you're going to

have to again believe you can do it

because there's everybody's looking for

the reason why not to do it for you why

not to give it to you so you've got to

make you've got to put yourself in that

position to be successful and drive

forward it's not going to happen

overnight and you know the young Matt uh

would have probably never believed I'd

even be where I am today yeah and I

still feel like I've got places to go

right I've got more growth and more more

opportunity out there to continue to to

to deliver and drive and and it's uh you

know I I guess uh age and wisdom I'm you

know I'm pushing closer to 40 than I am

uh you know the the 20s and so it's uh

looking back and and you know family

moves you forward too um my wife is a

big driver in my life uh she's fantastic

driver or you know kicking me maybe you

know pushing me harder than than one

would like with love with all love but

uh yeah so and then just to be you know

um you know that leader for the family

and leader for my kids I have uh four

boys it's a little frat house my wife is

completely uh surrounded so uh but yeah

so that's uh that's a lot of my drivers

I love that man thank you thank you very

much for sharing all right so I think

we're coming to the close if there's

anything that uh the Walsh College

network can help you with please let us

know yeah so what what I my advice or

what I would what I would like to see

more with the alumni is is more

opportunities for this type of like Wham

engagement uh that that to me is is

really really valuable um for the alums

and it it brings us back right I mean I

was kind of looking for a way to kind of

get back in but it gives a a platform to

for the for this you know for you know

valuable alumni who are out there taking

over the world right they got their

their Walsh their grees and and now

they're out there taking over the world

bring them back in and and give them

some value right the value is sharing

the ideas with the team and and I think

it you know it it kind of brings us back

home if you will to to Walsh and and I

think there's a lot of value in that

it's fun it's uh it's interesting and uh

and uh it gives us uh you know a lot of

value in terms of discussing ideas that

we may not do otherwise right and so um

it's I think that's probably one of the

best things I think Walsh has got going

other than this this is fantastic too

this podcast Series so I hope I hope I

can come back sometime and and do

another absolutely oh this was great

thank you very much man thank appreciate

you joining us

absolutely