Matt Podschweit of Colorado Springs, CO. on Life, Lessons & Legacy

Matt Podschweit shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Matt, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What is a normal day like for you right now?
Working from home since COVID, and as my job occurs almost entirely on the internet, 8 hours a day in front of the computer is my normal. I moonlight as a musician, so rehearsals and gigs keeps me moving and on my toes. And being home more has deepened my relationship with my wife Mary Kaye.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Matt Podschweit and I’m a corporate middle manager who finds his joy in family, friends and a love of music. I’ve been maried to Mary Kaye for 33 wonderful years, we’ve raised 2 beautiful daughters (Aubrey and Emily) who with their families make us proud every day, and I continue to perform as a professional keyboard player as I have for the past 47 years.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
My relationship with my wife Mary Kaye has profoundly shaped how I see myself. The world, especially here in the U.S., tells me I must put myself first, accumulate all I can and win by any means necessary. This has always worn against my nature and has been a major source of stress and worry in my life. But through our relationship, MK and I have found our joy my putting each other ahead of our selves and loving each other sacrificially. I’m convinced that the world would be a much better place if more people made one other person the center of their world, respected one another and loved them unconditionally. This has brought me a peace in knowing it’s ok to trust my nature even against the current of cultural pressure.

What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
In November of 2013, Mary Kaye suffered a pulminary embolism. She went into cardiac arrest 3 times, once without a heartbeat for 11 minutes. While she was in ICU, the attending physician let us know it was likely she was brain dead, but miraculously, she recovered, albeit with a resulting anoxic brain injury. Nearly losing MK was quite traumatic for me, our family and friends, but through her journey of recovery, we have discovered healing through taking life slower and appreciating the small, every-day joys life brings.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
I think my closest friends would say that THEY matter most to me. I believe that cultivating positive, nurturing relationships is the most important thing I can do. I’m not naive – with over 8 billion people on the planet, you can’t foster great relationships with everyone, but we can choose to make the few relationships we have precious.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
The legacy I strive to leave won’t be measured by my achievements, but by how I treat others. I believe the only lasting legacy anyone can leave is reflected in those we love and care about and how that love is conveyed to future generations.