We recently connected with Matt Shoup and have shared our conversation below.
Matt, thank you so much for joining us and offering your lessons and wisdom for our readers. One of the things we most admire about you is your generosity and so we’d love if you could talk to us about where you think your generosity comes from.
In 2005, I was a new entrepreneur. My business was beginning to establish and gain traction, and I also needed a lot of help with the things I did not know. One day, I walked into a coffee shop, and bumped into a man who owned a very successful company. He offered to buy me coffee, sat me down, and poured into me. He poured into me with coffee, his time, and his knowledge and insights into business.
Years later, as I was launching another company, I reached out to a local and very successful entrepreneur. He built a billion dollar company from scratch, and was very sought after in our community. When I reached out to him, I figured there would be no way he would give me any of his time. I was wrong. He took me to breakfast, shared his story, knowledge and expertise and poured into me.
Events like this have occurred many times throughout my years in business. One day, I woke up and decided that when I am in a position to pour into others and give back as these men have, that I would. My generosity comes from an overflow of the things people have poured into me.
I believe it is a responsibility of humans to do this. We are to invest in others just as others have invested in us. It makes life, business and the world a better place.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am a serial entrepreneur, author, speaker and leadership facilitator. I am passionate about sharing my story and experiences with other business owners and leaders to make their lives and businesses better.
I have authored 2 books titled:
Become an Award Winning Company and Painted Baby
I am currently working on my third book.
I am the host of the Gentle Art of Leadership podcast and share stories weekly of business owners, business leaders and well known public figures who vulnerably share their stories of pain, adversity, triumph and overcoming the odds. In these amazing stories are lessons about life, business and leadership.
Once per year I take a small group of business owners and business leaders to Spain on curated leadership retreats. One is known as the Hike of a Lifetime on the Camino de Santiago. The second is the Ultimate Immersion Experience.
Links below:
The Gentle Art of Leadership Ultimate Immersion Experience Spain 2024
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Positivity. There are many things you can not control in your daily life and business. What you can control is your response and outlook in these situations. One skill I have developed and honed in on is being positive always. When some of the most bad and negative situations have arisen I always search for the solution and the positive of the situation. Doing this keeps me in a positive state and flow as well sets an example for the rest of the team and those around me to follow.
Never Give Up Attitude. I have tried and failed at things many times. One of my strongest qualities if going back to the drawing board and taking another shot at things. Never giving up, and continuing to go for something until I succeed has served me well. So many times I see business owners who are so close to attaining their dreams give up. They are one more meeting, one more cold call, or one more long day away from a breakthrough.
Seek out to be under pressure.I have trained Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for 17 years, and received my black belt in 2020. BJJ places you in situations where you must deal with pressure, and do so calmly. This has served me very well in business and leadership. Being patient under pressure and methodically searching for solutions to problems and issues as they arise has been one of the fundamental lessons I learned on the mats. The only way to do this is to seek out and place myself under pressure.
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
One of my biggest areas of growth in the past 12 months has been in my faith. Following Jesus and placing Him at the center and forefront of my life and business has been transformational. I have followed Jesus since I was 19, but honestly relied mostly on myself in business, and did not give Him the credit. When I fully realized that God is the provider and leader of my life and business, and put that trust in Him, my business has grown and flourished in ways I never could have accomplished on my own.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mattshoup.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matthewshoup/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matt.shoup
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattshoup/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MattShoup
Image Credits
Bob Younger Images
