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Just cleared my third full year of life without a paycheck.

Here's the unfiltered truth about what it took, what it broke, and what it ultimately built. I hope it both grounds you, and inspires you.

The Secret

I just cleared three years since choosing possibility over paycheck.

March 11, 2022 — my Freedom Day — when I walked away from Corporate America for good.

Each year on this date, I reflect on what this journey has truly required and delivered. Time flies, doesn't it?

The Inevitable Dip

Seth Godin talks about "the dip" — that inevitable valley where your initial excitement crashes against harsh reality. Where anything worthwhile demands you navigate a trough that lasts longer and hurts more than you ever anticipated.

That was absolutely my experience.

When I first left, I had sky-high expectations, a solid runway, and boundless optimism. (Oh Matt, you were so naïve!)

But then came the dip — that period where reality sets in. When clients take longer to convert than expected. When your brilliant ideas don't immediately resonate. When your runway starts shrinking faster than your revenue grows.

The dip brings real tension. Uncomfortable conversations about finances at home. Moments of questioning how you’re CEO-ing your days. The pressure of knowing it's all on you now — no corporate safety net, no team to hide behind, no guaranteed paycheck.

But here's what I've come to understand: I needed that dip.

I needed my back against the wall to fully rise into my potential. Those pressures weren't obstacles – they were the exact catalysts required to push me off “coast” mode and into growth mode.

The dip forced me to make bold moves I'd never have made otherwise. It compelled me to invest and surround myself with people playing at much higher levels. It demanded I develop resilience I simply didn't need in my comfortable corporate role.

The dip wasn't something to avoid — it was the passage I had to move through to become who I needed to be.

Three years later, here's what I'd tell anyone considering this path:

First, it's much harder than you think. Not slightly harder — much harder. The challenges come in forms you never anticipated. There is no magic button, no easy path. It requires work at levels you simply can’t conceive until you're living it daily.

This might scare some people. For me, it created a “nervous excitement” energy that propelled me forward. The status quo had become intolerable. I needed to take control, use my agency, build my own path — not just for myself but to inspire my family and serve those I was meant to impact.

Second, you'll completely leave behind your old life. Not just the job, but the identity, the credentials, the social circles, the daily patterns that defined you for years. You rebuild from scratch.

Third, it's the most rewarding experience imaginable. Despite countless frustrations, dark moments, tears, and arguments about money — today, I rarely experience stress or anxiety. Even when facing ballooning business credit card bills or an endless project backlog, I feel calm.

My only explanation for my Buddha-like nature these days is this: I’m doing what I was meant to do.

The Inner Work

This calm wasn't free.

I had to become someone new to make it this far. The transformation happens from the inside out: belief systems, mental resilience, peer relationships with fellow dream-chasers, mentors, coaches, and mastermind peers.

I've invested more in myself than I ever imagined possible — far beyond what I once considered "reasonable." Self-investment became the great unlock.

These investments far outperform any real estate deal or financial instrument. This is where the real growth happens.

I've made hard choices, sacrificing immediate comfort for future possibility. Early on, looking at my wife Cecilia and explaining why business investment takes priority over home renovations wasn't easy (thank god we’re well-aligned now!).

Being that leader sometimes hurts. But these are the decisions we'll look back on with gratitude.

Finding Your Tribe

I've had to normalize being open and vulnerable with my tribe. But first, I had to find that tribe — that special group who “gets it.”

This meant investing tens of thousands of dollars to be in "rooms" I had no business being in — elite masterminds, high-level coaching programs, virtual groups, in-person retreats. Places where everyone thinks bigger, moves faster, and demands more from themselves than I'd ever experienced in corporate.

These investments completely upleveled me — my vision, my identity, my friendships, my possibilities. They helped me say "NO" to everything that didn't serve my greater purpose. They showed me what was truly possible when you surround yourself with the right people.

These are people who feel what I feel, who dream what I dream, who refuse to compromise, knowing they're meant to create something great. People committed to making real change, using their genius to help others and change the trajectory of lives for generations — not just financially, but in what they believe is possible for themselves.

It's only by being around these people, by opening up at levels I'd never previously considered, that I've truly unlocked myself as CEO of my own life, as a founder, as a leader to my clients, and as the right energy for my family.

The Family Transformation

And let's talk about family for a moment.

Despite all the business and financial growth (which has been tremendous), the most profound change has been in our home energy. Cecilia even joined as a business partner, thriving in an area perfectly suited to her gifts, helping our clients directly.

Want to know what's good for a marriage? Breaking down the walls between work and life, creating harmony around shared purpose. We've built something I couldn't have dreamed of before.

From Stress to Excitement

The challenges I face now keep me fresh and alive. They have me waking up excited to make things better.

I think that's why stress and anxiety have melted away — they've been replaced by nervous, excited energy to keep growing. I sorely lacked that in corporate life.

It starts with me each morning, focusing on what I need to do and feeling genuinely excited because these are challenges I've chosen. I GET to do this. I chose this journey and everything associated with it.

This energy radiates outward to family, peers, friends, clients, and those I'm meant to connect with in the world — even those online I haven't met yet.

Freedom in Tangible Form

You also deserve to know the “tangible” gains in my life.

Here’s where I am after three years fully out of corporate:

I've 3X'd my corporate salary while eliminating night and weekend work
My mornings are sacred — blocked for reading, writing, walking, and deep work
I witness my clients' lives rapidly changing for the better
I'm surrounded by peers and mentors who inspire me endlessly and have become my best friends
Cecilia and I host transformative in-person retreats with extraordinary humans
Through Uncaged Life Design, Cecilia and work together in our respective zones of genius, making our marriage stronger
I coach my sons’ baseball teams — something corporate schedules never allowed
We're taking dream vacations this year to Croatia, Budapest, Mexico, and more

Worth Every Sacrifice

These last three years have been tremendous — the wild highs and lows. And our new “normal.”

I couldn't be more grateful.

The path isn't easier, but it's mine.

The challenges aren't smaller, but they're worthy.

The future isn't certain, but it's full of possibility.

And that makes all the difference.

Thank you, Past Matt, for your bravery. I'm happier, more purposeful, and more "successful" than I've ever been.

Feeling happy and healthy is everything when a new world awaits those who choose agency.

But remember — freedom isn't free.

It requires everything you have and then demands more. It requires becoming someone new. It requires investment, patience, and unwavering belief.

What it gives in return, though, is worth every sacrifice.

To new heights,

Matt

PS - What resonated the most? Hit REPLY — I read every response personally.

Mind-Bender

Podcast

147: Your Inner World Creates Your Outer World [Voice Note]

Your beliefs shape your reality more than any strategy or tactic.

In this episode, I share practical strategies (e.g., morning rituals) that completely transformed my inner world — helping me graduate from corporate life faster than I thought possible and create the freedom I always wanted.

👋 Final Note:

Ready to break those shackles and graduate corporate life?

Transform everything with Uncaged Life Design, rapidly boosting freedom, family, and fulfillment.

For senior professionals who want to:

Smartly downshift corporate (protecting lifestyle)
Become happy, energized, and self-directed
Build your dream online service business

START HERE: Book a Dream Scan chat. We'll explore what's right for you.

That’s it for today, my friend! I appreciate you.

—Matt

Uncaged Secrets

3 Years In: "Possibility Over Paycheck"