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Despite your brain's best efforts, Corporate Graduation doesn't start with creating new income or starting a business.

It's entirely dependent on THIS ↓

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The Secret

Hey there,

I want to tell you a story. It's not a pretty one, but it's real. And it might just change your life.

For years, I wore “busyness” like a badge of honor. I was killin' it in my consulting career, or so I thought. But you know what else I was killing? My marriage. My relationship with my kids. My health.

I was so caught in the rat race that I didn't even realize I was the rat.

Then it hit me…hard. Divorce. Health scares. Kids who barely knew me. I had to change, and fast. But here's the kicker — I couldn't just quit my job. I had bills to pay, child support to cover, and so much more. I was in survival mode.

I needed a drastic improvement.

That's when I realized something crucial: the job didn't have to be as soul-crushing as I was making it.

I was the one choosing to run around like a headless chicken, thinking that's what success looked like. I was following those around me — just blindly copying the behaviors of people who seemed to be succeeding. I knew nothing else.

I had no space in my life. None. I was that guy at the gym at 5 AM, trying to squeeze in a workout before another 12-hour day. Dead tired, all the time.

Sound familiar?

Here's the truth bomb: It doesn't have to be this way.

I started questioning everything. What if I could succeed on my own terms? What if I could work less and achieve more? It sounds crazy, right? But stick with me.

The change started inside. With help from mentors and coaches, I committed to a new way of being, even though I had no clue how to get there. And you know what? Things started shifting.

I started small. I declined non-essential meetings — like those 300-person "town hall" calls that didn't need me. I chose to start my workday one hour later than I previously had. These small wins added up.

Slowly but surely, my corporate job became easier. I grew bolder. Soon, I was quietly working 50% fewer hours than my peers. Stress melted away. And here's the kicker — people respected me more for it.

I became the outlier, the guy who was succeeding without sacrificing everything. I was healthier, a better dad, and I had space. Actual, honest-to-god space in my life.

That space? It's where the magic happens.

Time, energy, and mental capacity. This is the beautiful feature I never knew I needed so desperately.

Within this space, I felt a new energy. A deep desire to find my authentic self and test my real potential. To escape "zombie" mode and see what I was capable of. It's where the idea for my current business was born.

Now, I've helped over 135 people take extreme ownership of their jobs and lay the foundation for entrepreneurial freedom. This first step, where we obsess over creating space, is what I call Corporate Autopilot (we just released a powerful free course — get it here).

It's not about leaving your job (yet). It's about creating space within it.

Here's what I highly recommend you do:

1. Commit and build belief: You have to believe this is possible. It is, I promise you.
2. Design and experiment: Try new approaches. "Fail" forward till you craft your system.
3. Grow with a community: Surround yourself with people on the same journey.

Community has been the most critical for me.

For example, almost a decade ago, when I joined an entrepreneurial mastermind, I was captivated by people building unique, inspiring businesses. The freedom they had was incredible. That alone gave me more "juice" to take extreme control over my corporate job. I knew it was a necessary starting point if I had any hope of building an entrepreneurial future with far more freedom and impact in my life.

Most people think Corporate Graduation is a money focus, so they naturally obsess over income replacement — diving into "passive income" schemes and draining side hustles.

But when you're already stressed and have no time or energy, you cannot build a thriving and sustainable next chapter. Money is not the correct starting point.

Start with space. Not with a side hustle, not with an exit plan, not with cash obsession. Just space.

So what does creating space actually look like, especially for someone stuck in "provider" mode in a fast-paced corporate career? Here are some concrete examples:

1) Digital Detox: Lock away your corporate devices during off-hours to create true mental separation from work.

2) Time Blocking: Compress your workday into a smaller, more focused block to do the essential things, not all the things. Literally block your work calendar and become hard to access.

3) Meeting Minimalism: Decline non-essential work meetings in favor of activities that truly move the needle for both your job and personal growth.

4) Mindful Mornings: Start your day with a routine that doesn't involve checking work emails, setting your own agenda before reacting to external chaos.

5) Shutdown Ritual: End your workday with a specific routine that signals to your brain that work is done, allowing you to be fully present in your personal life.

These practices aren't just about work-life harmony and balance. They're about creating the mental and emotional space you need to envision and build a better future. They improve your relationship with your job, enhance your home life, and give you a fighting chance at building something truly life-changing.

Remember, we need ideas, creativity, and energy to build something transformative. We must allow inspiration to flow to and through us. It all begins with space.

You need time, energy, and mental capacity. You need to program your subconscious. You need flow states. You need quiet. You need to journal. You need to walk in nature.

This isn't some woo-woo, nice-to-have BS. This is your career and life at stake.

Space is where you tap into your potential. It’s how you let ideas and opportunities flow. This is how you stop feeling stressed and miserable all the damn time.

With space, you can feel happy again. And isn't that what you desire most?

Space is the place where miracles happen.

It's where you'll find the version of yourself that you've been too busy to meet.

Commit to building space. Put your corporate job on autopilot.

Do the foundational work necessary for building entrepreneurial freedom and crafting an energizing new life chapter for you and your loved ones.

SPACE. Choose it. Now let's go unlock it.

Are you in?

—Matt

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P.S. Does this hit home? Don't just nod and close the email. Take action. Create space in your life today. Start small. Five minutes of quiet. A short walk. Anything. Just start.

REPLY and let me know what resonates most!

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Mind-Bender

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Podcast

​131: Leaving "Safety" (My Wild Journey)​

In this honest episode, Matt reveals his journey from feeling trapped in a "safe" life to finding purpose through entrepreneurship.

Balancing a complex family, financial pressures, and a draining corporate job, he faced the classic struggle between security and fulfillment.

Matt shares how he gradually built an online business aligned with his passions, transforming not just his career but his family life too. This isn't a tale of overnight success, but of steady growth and persistence.

If you've ever felt pulled towards more meaningful work but held back by responsibilities, Matt's story offers relatable insights and inspiration for taking those first steps towards change.

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

—Matt

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