Matt’s bio
Origins story
I was born in the Highlands of Scotland in the 1980s, one of four brothers. Due to my father's work in the Royal Air Force, our family moved frequently throughout my childhood, including three years in Germany.
As the second eldest, I showed a proclivity for a wide range of interests and hobbies from an early age. Sports were a natural outlet for my energy, and during my early and teenage years, I was often seen with a tennis racket in hand, kicking a ball, or rollerblading down a hill. It was also during this time that I developed a deep love for contemplation and reflection.
Being a very sensory and hyper-sensitive person, I love to absorb life through my eyes and ears. Whether at home, in a restaurant, or on a plane, I always gravitate towards the window to look out onto life.
As I approached my teens, I struggled to cope with various life situations, particularly my distant relationship with my father and the disorienting nature of leaving places just as I was getting settled and making friends. This inability to deal with life manifested in addictive and self-destructive behavior. I began to gamble, risking both my money and my life. By 22, I was on the brink of annihilation.
At 1 pm on Friday, 29th September 2006, I had an epiphany, a surge of conviction that led to a truly monumental decision. I knew with clarity the simplicity of the choice before me: “Get busy livin’, or get busy dyin’.”
I chose life. That choice led me to a place of help and healing, where I found a fellowship of people who guided me to a place better than any I had been before.
The mission
I have always believed there's more out there. As a curious and inquisitive person by nature, I find great joy in being in nature and stargazing. I feel a natural affinity with the night when all is peaceful and quiet, and the echoes of space seem to speak to my mind and soul.
With my life improving, I spent my mid-twenties immersing myself in religion and the process of refining myself through service. From 2009 to 2011, I completed a voluntary service appointment, known as a "mission," for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This involved a 24/7 commitment and a level of devotion and sacrifice that became ingrained in my way of being.
Poetically, I was assigned to Scotland for my two-year service. Although I was born in Scotland and spent childhood summers there, most of my upbringing was in England. The mission reconnected me with my roots and heritage, and I even had the chance to wear a kilt occasionally!
Many of my philosophies and softened outlooks on life are a result of my mission. It taught me practical disciplines and spiritual wisdom. Most importantly, it revealed the unparalleled joys of serving others and connecting, human to human, through both faith and fun.
China
In 2012, I embarked on another adventure. Having always wanted to learn a second language, I recognized the rising prominence of China and, with virtually no money in my pocket, moved to Beijing.
Upon arrival, I went up and down the World Trade Center skyscrapers at Guomao, door by door and floor by floor, usually having to circumvent security on the ground. I offered my services, relying on my Savile Row suit, King's English, and cheeky smile, to international banks, oil giants, and magic circle law firms. Two weeks passed, and with my small resources close to depletion, I found an emergency role teaching English.
After some months and with a better understanding of the lay of the land, I secured a deal to perform voice recording for a major Chinese educational publisher. I also ventured into selling international luxury property. I recall a gala at the height of my foray into real estate, where my extensive knowledge of Melbourne convinced a Melbournian that I had surely lived there, if not been raised. In reality, I had never set foot down under. All very par-for-the-course for me, someone who for years was never entirely sure how I ended up doing what I did!
My journey in China lasted three years. I marveled at the language, culture, tea ceremony, Kung Fu, cuisine, architecture, and calligraphy. The Great Wall of China opened my eyes to the scale of man’s ambition and the glory of his imagination.
I learned Mandarin, which enabled me to form relationships, learn to sing beloved classics, and indulge in Confucius in the mother tongue. In China, I both found and lost myself. My travels there ended in personal disaster...
Homecoming
In 2015, I returned to London. First, there was healing. Then came more hustling, more learning, and more growth—along with the inevitable two steps forward, one step back. And then it happened.
It was June 2020, and I was sitting on my sofa in my flat in Leicester Square, right in the heart of London. From my earliest recollections, I had always wanted to write a book. For years, with no shortage of real-life experiences and a boundless imagination, writing ideas had come and gone. But that night, everything clicked.
My lifelong love of film, especially quoting and using films as a way of relating to everyday life, combined with my unorthodox way of presenting information, came together in a moment of explosive clarity.
The concept for A Gold Medal is a Wonderful Thing was born. I started writing immediately. Twenty months later, the book was published.
Now
I am entirely committed to being a voice that lets people know of their inherent worth, finding fun and joy in the voyage of life. Currently, I am engaged in sharing my book with the world.
A Gold Medal is a Wonderful Thing is already reaching readers across multiple continents, captivating them with its blend of philosophical insights wrapped in light-hearted language.
I continue my mission to touch hearts, one human being at a time, reminding them of their worth and enlisting them in the growing union of people working towards a new earth.
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