
🚀 From Marine to $40M business owner - Matt Sapaula shares his incredible journey! 💰 Discover how he built a thriving company without a college degree and learn his secrets to success. 🎓
Loading summary
Matt
Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. With the price of just about everything going up during inflation, we thought we'd bring our prices down. So to help us, we brought in.
Ryan Reynolds
A reverse auctioneer, which is apparently a.
Sean
Thing Mint Mobile unlimited premium wireless.
Matt
30, 30 bid to get 30.
Sean
Get 20.
Matt
20, 20.
Sean
Better get 20.
Matt
20.
Sean
Better get 15. 15, 15, 15. Just 15 bucks a month.
Matt
Sold. Give it a try@mintmobile.com Switch $45 upfront.
Unknown
Payment equivalent to $15 per month. New customers on first three month plan only. Taxes and fees. Extra speed slower above 40 gigabytes.
Matt
Ed Tail want to shop Walmart Black Friday deals first. Walmart plus members get early access to our hottest deals. Join now and get 50 off a one year annual membership. Shop Black Friday deals first with Walmart plus see terms@walmartplus.com because I want to call out the hotel and get you in trouble, right? But they're like, yeah, party, right? And so now, hey, bro, click, click, click, clicking with the cards. Strip club. Nah, bro. The top guys our company married, love God, love their wives, honor their biblical responsibility in terms of how to run and build a family. We love having kids. And the weird part about that, brother, is I talk about those morals, values, principles today were considered weird.
Sean
All right, guys, Matt SA of Seven Figure Squad here today. Just coming off a big conference, man, congrats.
Matt
Thank you. Appreciate it. Great to be here.
Sean
I saw the lineup. It was stacked, it was, it was amazing. It's.
Matt
We had close to 9,000 people.
Unknown
Holy.
Matt
@ the M Grand.
Sean
Yeah, well done, dude. How long has that conference been running for been?
Matt
I've been there since 2015. I've been part of PHP Agency for going on nine years now with, you know, mentorship. The CEO, founder of that company called PHP Agency, called Patrick and David.
Sean
Right. And you built your way up to the top of that company, right?
Matt
Yeah, it's all about capitalism in that company. It doesn't matter when you start with the company, if you're not performing, if you're not doing the fundamentals of the business growing organization, you don't understand what your KPIs are and focus on the fundamentals. You get passed up very quickly. So FOMO is a big part of our culture there.
Sean
Php, I love it. That's a good thing though, right?
Matt
Very good thing because it gives hope for the new guy. Anybody can come into the company. There's no, what do you call that? Entitlement. There's no what? Teachers tenure.
Sean
Right.
Matt
You know, it's all about, hey, can you perform today? And Keep it sustained.
Sean
There's no 10 year bonuses, zero there for five years.
Matt
10 years, none.
Unknown
Wow.
Matt
Zero.
Sean
Do you think that's a good thing?
Matt
Very good thing.
Sean
Because don't you want to reward loyalty?
Matt
Well, you load royalty if they're performing right, you know, it's earned both ways. If you're there thinking that, oh, I was, I was here, you know, for example, I see guys now in my ninth year of the company, rise up in a company. They're passing me up in certain categories.
Unknown
Really?
Matt
But good for them. Michael Jordan can be dunked on. Just because I was the company nine years and slammed dunking everybody doesn't mean that I can in return get dunked on. If you're not performing, I mean, capitalism, this thing is such a very funny thing. If you're not improving, you'll be passed up. And you can't get mad at the person that wants to outwork out and strategize out, improve and outlast. You're done.
Sean
Right? Yeah. They say if you're not improving, you're going backwards, actually.
Matt
That's right. Yeah. If you're not growing, you're dying.
Sean
Right? I agree. How many years did it take you to get to the top?
Matt
Well, it took us my progression with PHP first six months, made 50 grand there. Nine months, 100,000. 14 months, 250. 17 months. 500K.
Unknown
Wow.
Matt
37 months. A million.
Sean
Holy crap.
Matt
So two years.
Sean
Big jumps.
Matt
Yeah.
Sean
Yeah, dude. So in three years you made a million profit.
Matt
Yeah. So I've been able to build a $40 million top line revenue company in nine years. Yeah.
Sean
And that's within a company. So this company is massive.
Matt
Correct. I have a company within a company. And it's the me that's the benefit of partnership.
Unknown
Damn.
Sean
And the model is just to get agents under you, right?
Matt
Yeah. I mean any business, right? You're recruiting your talent. I was just talking to Maha right here and she formerly worked at Netflix. One of the things that Patty McCord did with Reed Hastings is on a commute from the city into where Netflix is looking. So on 45 Minute Drive, the entire drive that they had coming in was all about who we were recruiting from. Who.
Unknown
Wow.
Matt
Who we come from Twitter, who we come from Facebook. We got to get the best people over here and we got to create a compelling offer. Why need to come here? And they have a beautiful thing online that everybody had access to called the Netflix Culture Deck. And Netflix Culture deck was the biggest downloaded thing about how Netflix builds their culture. Because in business, culture attracts People and culture eats talent for lunch.
Unknown
Wow.
Matt
So you might not have, you might have the best talented people there at your company, but if you don't have culture, you don't have fun, you have excitement, you don't have the spirit of competition and not working out, lasting out, improve, etc. The next guys come in, it's going to eat your lunch, can take your spot.
Sean
Right? Because if you don't have culture, you could even offer more money and they'll deny it.
Matt
That's right.
Sean
You know, exactly.
Matt
And sometimes people, just because you get paid somewhere else doesn't mean it's better for you over, over there.
Sean
Right.
Matt
You know, sometimes, for example in free agency in football, sometimes guys get paid higher to go from team to team but they realize the culture, that system, that locker room really wasn't a fit for them. And so it's part of the recruiting process. If I'm an NFL player, if I'm being agent, if NBA player and I'm talking to my agent, I'm looking for the best culture formula instead of the best paycheck.
Sean
Right. What's some recruiting advice you give to your clients under you?
Matt
Am I tracking clients or recruiting agents?
Sean
Agents, yeah.
Matt
So I got something, listen, where you at? What's your outcome over there in the insurance industry? Sadly it's the oldest, richest, but sadly un disrupted. You know the technology lags in the life insurance industry. So if I'm looking for somebody, what type of financial technology or what we call fintech combination of are using, are you using to build your business over there? What type of social media are you allowed to have at your financial services from where you're at, what type of compensation? What are we incentivizing you? Are you going to be incentivized, your current firm to build and scale an agency to build your passive income long term to build an asset or just a glorified salesperson. So these are some of the conversations we'll have with folks. And by the way, 95% of the people that we recruit don't come from a financial services background.
Unknown
Really?
Matt
All these insurance companies want to poach other insurance companies. 99% of my guys, my personal team at php, my personal team don't come from the insurance industry. I got a guy that's a former engineer, I got a guy that's a former breakdancer, I got a guy that's an Apple executive.
Unknown
Blinds.com is kicking off the savings early with Black Friday mega deals all month long. A blinds.com design expert can help you make the perfect selection on your schedule. We can even handle everything from measure to your whole home installed for just one low cost. With over 25 million windows covered, Blinds.com is the number one online retailer of custom window coverings. Get up to 45% off site wide and a free professional measure right now@blinds.com rules and restrictions may apply. This episode is brought to you by opill, the first over the counter daily birth control pill available in the U.S. opill is FDA approved, full prescription strength and estrogen free. Plus there's no prescription needed. Finally, the days of needing a prescription for birth control are over. Opill is available online and at most major retailers. Take control of your health and reproductive journey with Opel birth control in your control use code birth control for 25% off your first month of Opel@opel.com got.
Matt
Another guy that's selling newspapers in a, in a kiosk at them. All I got, you know, a bunch of guys not from the financial services industry. What we do have, however, at our company with major attraction for us to come for them come over to our firm, is that we believe in values, principles, we believe in our faith, we believe in capitalism, we love America, we love families, we love our individuality. But being able to work together, that's attractive for a lot of people. I mean, we're just at a conference, 9,000 people talking about Jesus, we're talking about faith very openly and confidently. Not to push the Bible down anybody's, but hey, listen, this is what I stand for. And these are morals, values and principles, why I love America and why we love building our family under these principles. And we're here in Vegas. Not once, brother, you just see us gambling. Not once you see us taking a bump. We're in the bathroom, the guys, we got a party over here. Party over here. What? Good for you.
Sean
Wait, people did that?
Matt
Oh, in the bathroom.
Unknown
Wow.
Matt
Right there at the. I'm not going to say the hotel because I want to call out the hotel and get you in trouble, right? But they're like, yeah, party, right? And so now, hey, bro. Click, click, click, click. You know, with the cards.
Sean
Strip club.
Matt
Strip club. Strip club. Nah, bro. The top guys in our company married, love God, love their wives, honor their biblical responsibility in terms of how to run and build a family. We love having kids. And the weird part about that, brother, is I talk about those morals, values and principles today were considered weird.
Sean
Yeah, you're right.
Matt
Not enough, right?
Sean
No, it's disciplined. Times are changing, though. I'm glad People are opening up on.
Matt
Stage about their faith.
Sean
Yeah, yeah.
Matt
100.
Sean
Faith and personal stuff.
Matt
What's that saying?
Sean
Good times create weak men.
Matt
Right? Right. And tough times create strong man. Strong man. Right. And it's a whole cycle.
Sean
Right.
Matt
Going back and forth. So, you know, that's because we're in.
Sean
Tough times right now. It's a very tough. We're about to be in a recession, potentially. Has that impacted your business at all?
Matt
Negative times, Bad times, Bad economy actually help us. Yeah. During pandemic, during. During COVID Our business shot.
Unknown
Oh, wow.
Matt
What happened to stock market last week? Major drop in market. You know, $4.1 trillion of wealth. None of our clients lost any money. Zero. Not because we're great financial advisors, because that's not what we are. We're insurance agents. And what insurance agents do, they provide an insurance policy called annuities or insurance policy called index, universal life or fixed life, where it's safe, guaranteed, backed by bonds. So none of our clients are ever in any risk. So there's contractual guarantees within side policies. Sometimes there's contractual guarantees what you're going to earn in the next five, 10 years. So it's very predictable. And that's a lot of people need. They need a financial foundation, what to expect. And once they have that financial foundation, what to expect, they could be a little bit more adventurous, a little bit more risky. And other things they do outside their core way of how they build a financial house.
Sean
Right. So when PBD sold this thing, did that change up your world at all?
Matt
Actually, we grew.
Sean
Oh, yeah.
Matt
Actually, we already doubled our company size after that. Yeah. Yeah. And by the way, I'm not saying that because Patrick gave us the tools, the system, the strategy, the culture, the values and principles, and we doubled our company since Patrick sold the company. Yeah. We're close to half a billion dollar company right now, dude.
Sean
That's impressive because sometimes when you sell and the leader leaves, I don't know if he's still involved.
Matt
But that's why there's pride in the people that take over.
Sean
Right.
Matt
For example, Tim Cook, there's pride when he took over from. From Steve Jobs. There's pride when. When the CEO of I can't Uber. Right. Travis kind of like steps down and new CEO comes in. Right. He takes over, takes it in. Tex Neville, Satya from Microsoft. There's pride when he took over Microsoft because right now. What's his name, the former CEO of Microsoft, he owns the Clippers right now.
Sean
Oh, Ballmer.
Matt
Yeah. Ballmer right now is richer than Bill Gates. And he was the 30th employee at Microsoft.
Sean
Right. And the same thing at Facebook. The twin brothers are richer than Zuckerberg.
Matt
Check that out. Right?
Sean
Yes.
Matt
It's. It's an amazing thing. So just because you weren't necessarily the founder of the CEO, even employee, or an intrapreneur, as we call sometimes. Right. Because an intrapreneur is somebody that may not take the risk of their finances or their reputation going business, but let's take the same entrepreneurial habits of value of creating his space with inside the company being invaluable, unfireable. Right. They're going to find a position for that person. That's an intrapreneur. Right, Right. An employee just kind of kicking around. All good. But if you are an employee with an entrepreneurial mindset, we call that an introvert.
Sean
And I actually recommend people to get that type of job or consulting job or whatever before they become an entrepreneur. Because to jump straight into entrepreneurship is tough.
Matt
Big time.
Sean
I failed at it for years.
Matt
Big time.
Sean
I mean, it's. It's not easy if you don't have any knowledge.
Matt
It's hard because you not only have to have the basic fundamentals why your product or service is awesome, but it's the other 90 of the stuff of operating their business. That's where people get hung up on.
Sean
Right?
Matt
Right. Chefs, I cook great plate of food, but bro, you got to have people at the front of the house, back of the house, you have inventory. You know, you got to have a refrigeration for your. Your food. Don't over buy, don't under buy. Right. It got hr.
Sean
Yeah.
Matt
People quitting on you. They don't show up to work anymore. You got to be the cook, the chef, the host.
Sean
You gotta wear a lot of hats. Yeah. Customer service is the worst. Man, I used to do that.
Matt
Customer service is the reason why people come back. So if your customer service experience is poor, then you're not going to have referability or repeat customers.
Sean
Agreed.
Ryan Reynolds
This episode is brought to you by Allstate. Some people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance by checking Allstate first. Like, you know, to check the date of the big game first before you accidentally buy tickets on your 20th wedding anniversary and have to spend the next 20 years of your marriage making up for it. Yeah, checking first is smart. So check Allstate first for a quote that could save you you hundreds. You're in good hands with all state savings. Vary terms apply. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance company and Affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois.
Sean
And a lot of people neglect it too.
Matt
Hey, they do.
Sean
Dude, I just ordered, I don't want to call anyone out, but I ordered a mattress. It's been eight weeks.
Matt
Damn.
Sean
I, I've been sleeping on like my old mattress. Eight weeks. Dude. I emailed them four times, no response.
Matt
And isn't that crazy?
Sean
And this is a big brand that's promoted on podcast.
Matt
Wow.
Sean
Yeah, it's pretty nuts. Like I would never reorder or recommend that brand to. And I spent four grand on this.
Matt
That's a good, that's a good point you make. So you can attract a lot of people. For example, that I had a, you know those agencies like the advertise advertising agency, you know, for, for our digital ads. Great marketing, the people are brilliant, great ideas, great reason why we shoot business with bop bom bom bom. But like you're, it's like you're impressed for them to be now working on your stuff. But the customer service experience, once we got in there, horrible. They promised us one thing. Never delivered. They promised us one thing. They never followed through their promises. And then he says, I don't, you know, here, here. They say, you know, we don't care, we're gonna find something. Other clients anyway.
Unknown
Wow.
Matt
The reason why, by the way, our company, we, Patrick sold it a company worth between 250, $300 million. Now we double the company. How much advertising we've done online, do much advertising we've done on social media and regular mobile billboards and newspapers.
Sean
Zero.
Matt
Exactly zero.
Unknown
Wow.
Matt
We've built a 300 million dollar company which is now 500 million dollar company purely on word of mouth, crazy client experience, customer experience. I've paid my guys in the last nine years in terms of commissions, commission, life insurance agents. $100 million in the last nine years.
Unknown
Wow.
Matt
We've served and helped families. They paid their bills, expanded their, their kids education to the private school because, you know, it's crazy to be in public school.
Sean
That's a whole podcast right there.
Matt
So. Yeah.
Sean
And I know speaking of kids, you got five, right?
Matt
I do.
Sean
That's impressive.
Matt
Older kids. And then I got two younger kids because I was married before.
Sean
Okay.
Matt
So my oldest son is now 28. He made me a grandfather.
Unknown
Wow.
Matt
And so he's your grandfather. I'm a grandfather. Yeah. I'm 50.
Sean
Okay.
Matt
Yeah. And so my twins are 23 and I have a 13 year old and a five.
Sean
What have you seen the difficulties of each one as social media has been introduced and all that the old ones, not so much.
Matt
I challenged the three older ones not to think that going to college was the only way for you to make money.
Sean
Oh, even when they. So 28, that's my age. So that wasn't a normal way of thinking back then.
Matt
That's right.
Sean
To not go to college.
Matt
Correct. So. So I'm in the counselors with the advisors there, and my kids are. There you go. This college got this sat. I see whatever test. She's got a big Notre Dame thing behind her. I said, cool. Can I, can I offer some feedback? She goes, sure. Hey, girls. Son, do you think that going to college is the only way for you to make money? Why do you gotta go to college? Just because she went to college or anybody else who went to college. What classes of entrepreneurship and capitalism for enterprise do you teach her? She's like open. She couldn't respond. She like she was lip locked for 10 seconds. Right. So that's the thing. Your father has built his way through his Life with a 2.2 GPA in high school. I have a PhD, a public high school diploma. I built my business through sales. I built my business through customer service. I've been business building a reputation. And I'm a single father of three kids that raised you in this neighborhood so you can have options. Better than option I had. And a college degree didn't bring me there. So it's up to you. Now, college is a great place to go, but if you want your outcome is to make money. There's other ways to make money. You don't want to be a doctor. You want to be an engineer. You want to be a scientist. The STEM subjects. Kids aren't very good at math and science. Then there's other ways for you to make money. And fast forward. My son right now, he runs a stretch clinic. My daughter owns a esthetician business. My other daughter's still trying to figure it out, but in the meantime, she's got. She got a job in Creighton Valley. Not being a burden at the house.
Sean
Nice.
Matt
But none of them have student loan debt.
Unknown
Wow.
Matt
I asked them. So how are your friends, papi? They're all $100,000 in debt. You know, I didn't like it when you said that when I was in high school because, you know, everybody's going to college. But I'm so thankful he coached me and guided me not to go to college because all my friends are six figures in debt working at nurse rooms. Retail.
Sean
Yeah, it doesn't guarantee a job anymore.
Matt
Like it used to, yeah, my third 13 year old. He's great in sports. His mother, my wife, she was a D1 athlete. Played softball at University of Pitt. So he's, we've been feeding him that language.
Sean
Nice.
Matt
And he's like, hey, dad, you know, I want to be a D1 athlete and after that I want to be an agent and php. So he's, he's getting paid $1,000 this summer for reading three core books, for doing 150 shots with your right, 150 shots with your left, 150 free throws, run a mile. And I want you to do it during the hottest time during the day.
Sean
Wow, that's some goggin stuff right there.
Matt
And he doesn't, he doesn't wait for me to tell him he does it. He sends me this long text message. Dad, I wrote this book in a game of tennis. Wrote this book, entrepreneurship for kids. Wrote this book, rich Kid, Poor Kid by Robert Kiyosaki, that I win for my thousand dollars because he's asking me, what's the next book? What's the next book? He's going to do it before the dead. Because I'm incentivizing to do it before the deadline. If you do before the deadline, it's another 500 bucks to read. To read the books. So I want him strong mentally, I want him strong physically. This is coming up. He'll be going into, you know, eighth grade here. Coming up. Let's go. Yeah.
Sean
He's going to be thinking differently. Is he in public school?
Matt
No, Christian school.
Sean
Oh, nice.
Matt
Yeah.
Sean
Yeah. I'm either doing private or homeschooling.
Matt
I 100% agree.
Sean
100%.
Matt
Yeah.
Sean
It's not even like a question at this point.
Matt
One of my, one of my agency builders in Memphis, she felt so bad about the public school system. Using the skills she used in entrepreneurship, she went out and rallied 3,000 votes. So she's now the new school board commissioner.
Unknown
Wow.
Matt
Unseats the incumbent and she's bringing a whole new team of people to run the school.
Sean
That's awesome.
Matt
Because she's now a school board commissioner, so entrepreneurship is a vehicle to have positive influence in America. People think it's just about money. No. Your business is a way for you to magnify the values and principles which you're about. Because people can work to you and God can work through you. And she becomes school board commissioner.
Sean
That's amazing.
Matt
Yeah.
Sean
There should be an entrepreneurship class in every school.
Matt
Well, do you think that an entrepreneurship class would benefit? Because just like most classes, academia you don't really like entrepreneur. You learn about entrepreneurship because you did it because you. You sat. Right?
Sean
That's a good point. Yeah. So I would structure it like this. I would bring in entrepreneurs to speak.
Matt
That'd be great.
Sean
Yeah.
Matt
100. That's how we got recruited into the military.
Sean
Oh yeah.
Matt
Because an army soldier walked in. Didn't join the army though. Enlisting to the marines. But I was inspired by serving a country through the lens of an army soldier that formerly went to high school. Exactly.
Sean
Like I would listen to that if I was in college rather than the professor teach out of a textbook.
Matt
100.
Sean
If a nine figure entrepreneur came in and talked for an hour, that'd be amazing value.
Matt
Correct?
Sean
You know?
Matt
Yeah.
Sean
Like imagine you speaking to college kids.
Matt
You know, moral authority and leadership by example is a big thing. I mean, I was asking my kids when he was going through public school. So when's gym class? What time? Tuesdays and Thursdays. Wait a minute. Not Monday through Friday. Only Tuesdays and Thursdays. And we wonder why America today is an obese generation. Because a public school system has even removed physical education gym. I didn't know that from a school system.
Sean
And even the gym class itself is a joke. I mean you just stand around for 30 minutes, right? They don't actually work you out. You're not sweating at all.
Matt
I think one of the worst things they did with kids is to allow cell phones in class. They should put the cell phones in the locker. You know, don't put it, you know, to make it an easy thing for kids access. Because what are they doing? And I'm observing because I observe, because I go to some high schools that teach financial literacy, like what you were saying. And I'm just sitting in the back watching these kids what they're doing. They're playing video games on their phone. They're not listening to the teacher. They're playing chess. They're not listening to the teacher playing chess with one another. They're playing games one another in the classroom. They're not paying attention. So, you know, I think the way for people to educate their children or academia just has. Has to be reformed and they have to find a different way. Yeah, it's more doing. And that's why private school and homeschooling is really, I believe, the way to go.
Sean
That's the move. So were you a D1 athlete?
Matt
Nah, I was in the Marines, bro.
Sean
Okay.
Matt
I was in the Marines and I was. I was too tall, too skinny, you know.
Sean
You were skinny?
Matt
Oh, bro. Yeah, it Wasn't until I left the Marines because in the Marines I was even skinny. But I was in shape and I was strong. I'm a late bloomer. I didn't start blooming until I was 44, 45 years old.
Sean
Damn.
Matt
I didn't add any muscle until I was 44. 44, yeah.
Sean
I gotta throw up. Some old photos of you on the screen.
Matt
Yeah, we showed it at the screen. I'll send them to you. But 2017, because my body, you know, sometimes people are obese and they're inner fat, they're out of shape. And their obesity and their, their body fat will show that. Well, I would say the opposite too as well for certain body types. I caught. Because I was skinny, fat, I was out of shape, I was skinny, right? I had a lot, A lot. I didn't have a lot of body fat, but I was out of shape. I had chronic pain, arthritis, I had gout, all these different things. My fingers were all messed up from the military. I felt bad, I felt poor about myself until I got, until I invested in my health to fix my problems, to take the right medications, to take the right, eat the right foods. Because in business you need a lot of energy. You actually need to be in shape. I got a teacher out there called hashtag entreprathlete as an app, as an entrepreneur. I'm actually looking at it as an athlete looks at their sport.
Unknown
Wow.
Matt
Study game, tape. Know my competition, know the X and O's of my industry. Right. Recruit talent, retain talent. I'm an entre athlete. The same disposition, intensity of people approach your sport. Athletes approach a sport. The same disposition. I'll approach business. And so that's, that's the attitude and the character of why I create that hashtag. Right.
Sean
Mark Cuban said business is the biggest sport in the world.
Matt
124 7. Yeah, exactly. Because you don't shut off at three, three and a half hours. You're on, on game all the time. And that's the stress. Sometimes people. But I love the stress because I don't even call it stress. I put it pressure. So most people get a job, they don't control the odds, they don't control their boss. That's stress. No one doesn't have cancer. No one have a heart attack. No one, Right. Most. Was it, what's this? That most people have a heart attack on Monday morning, 8:00?
Unknown
Really?
Matt
Because people dying to get to the job.
Unknown
Wow.
Sean
I didn't know that.
Matt
Because they're under stress. Right. But a lot of entrepreneurs if they don't take care of their health, stress will cut. Stress will come in versus pressure. Pressure to me is like you throwing on plates on the barbell. But you ask for it.
Sean
Right.
Matt
But at least you can ask for a spotter, or you can remove their weights and start lifting away. You can. The reps, you can. You can handle. To me, that's pressure. To me, that's entrepreneurship.
Sean
Yeah. I love pressure, too. Forces you to grow.
Matt
Yeah.
Sean
You know, you're in charge.
Matt
Control.
Sean
Yeah. But stress is. I've had burnout, too. So you got to play that balance correct.
Matt
Correct. Well, you also have to be passionate about and love what you're doing. You got to love that you're improving all the time. You got to love that. If you're not improving, your competition is. That's the excitement of it.
Sean
Right.
Matt
But then again, if you are operating your business in. In ways. Because I like guys that I knew in Chicago, that they were way ahead of me in business in my 20s, in my 30s, they were way ahead of me. Right. Next thing I find out, they're cutting corners, they're burning bridges, they're taking advantage of clients. They're not building a solid reputation. Even though they were a lot ahead of me, five, 10 years ahead of me in terms of five, 10, 20, 30, $100 million ahead of me. Today, they're back to square one because they burned those bridges. From 20 to 40, no big mistakes, man.
Unknown
Wow.
Matt
This is the way we interviewed George Bush. 20, the 2020 plan. 20 to 40, no big mistakes. Don't get the wrong girl pregnant. Don't get arrested and get in jail. Thrown in jail, don't go to prison. No dois, no right. No big mistakes. Mistakes that take years away from you. The next 20, from 40 to 60, make your money, get married, take care of family, take care of kids, compound your wealth. 40 to 60, then from 60, 80, dedicate your life to public service. They get your life to a purpose bigger than yourself. That's the bush 20. 20, 20.
Sean
You're playing the long game out here. Most people don't want to wait till 40 to make money like that.
Matt
My staff was my social media staff. Younger, I recruited 21, 22 years old. I'm 45 at the time. My whole staff is in their young 20s. They were giving me a hard time while I was going hard in my podcast and my company with php, with crypto, they were giving me a hard time. But why I was going hard in NFTs, because I had a lens of the long Game. I seen this play before. It just comes in packaged differently. I saw this played in real estate. I saw this played with 0709 Great Recession. I saw this play in 01 with the, with the dot com bubble. Everything.com is being bought in. 01 when the Internet was coming alive. The same attitude, behavior and spirit I saw with crypto, I saw with entities. I saw people selling their, their homes to put everything in crypto, getting the retirement plans into crypto and next, you know, they lose everything in crypto.
Sean
Yeah, Fast money.
Matt
They lost everything in NFTs. My clients, they lose stuff. Why? Because I, we set up our clients with a foundation. Once you build a foundation, you can get excited about other things. But make sure you build your money so you know, down the road it's going to be there because it has to be there. Because America today, bad shape of the retirement America brother, 10, 20, 30 years from now. America's all broke. America's all broke. The average 50 year old today, 60 year old today, has less than six figures in retirement savings. How long is that going to last in retirement? You see at the Costco, Walmart grocery store, how many 70 year olds are sadly still working out because they want to, because they have to? And one thing we take for granted are 20s, 30s and 40s, our ability and capacity to work. When you're 67, you, by the way, you go like this, you blink like this, you're 60. Life just passes on by, pass by. In a flicker you're like, I didn't save nothing. Inflation, I couldn't save nothing. So that's why we're encouraging a lot of people. If you don't have a business today, at least start some form of side hustle. You have to go up 100%, go in business 100%. But start a side hustle, something that can help you earn the same amount of income part time as you do your full time job. And then you got options that a lot of people don't have with their boss, with their job.
Sean
Right. So how much money are you recommending your clients to retire without 65 right now?
Matt
It depends on what type of income they want to live. We have a rule called the 4% rule. So whatever you got to save up, no one draw more than 4%. For example, if you got a million dollars saved up, don't withdraw more than 40,000 because you want to, you don't want to kill your principal. You want, you want to kill the 40,000 a year. 40,000 a year, that'd be Tough to live. No. Right. So what do you, let me ask you, what are you comfortable living on a year?
Sean
I would need at least 400, 000 dude.
Matt
That's right. So, so the four, do the 4% math. You actually need if you want to retire, not play the entrepreneur out, you need in retirement savings $10 million.
Sean
Right?
Matt
$10 million. 4% is that number.
Sean
And that's assuming that the million 10 million is making money, right?
Matt
That's correct. Because you're hoping that whatever you drive 4%, whatever you're investing in is growing at 5, 6 and above what you're pulling out, right? That's the idea.
Sean
So you can't take a big hit on that money or else it's, it's tough.
Matt
That's right.
Sean
Like right now a lot of stuff's taking 30% hit stocks, crypto, 40% hits even Ethereum's down 40% this week.
Matt
That's right. And by the way, I don't think that people realize that those things are great. Make your money. I'm not saying don't go into crypto, I'm not saying even, even NFTs go put your adventurous risky money there knowing that potentially you might lose. But people are putting the whole entire portfolio inside these things.
Sean
Right.
Matt
Because they're thinking like it's a lottery ticket that you know, improvise says what money gets quickly and, and not earning it is something that's going to fail down the road. King Solomon wrote that. Right. Obviously I'm paraphrasing but if you're looking for always get rich quick, get rich quick. Trying to cut corners, you know, not think about long term wealth, eventually it's going to catch up to you and.
Sean
That'S what I fear. The mindset of my generation is very get rich quick kind of mindset because I think partially because of social media.
Matt
Well, I think your generation two is very innovative. I think your generation two, if I find I hire a lot of 20 year olds.
Sean
Oh yeah, a lot.
Matt
I love hiring a 20 year old. The future of our country is going to be based on a 20 year old, right? The president of our country eventually be some form of 20 year old in this generation, eventually 40 and 50 from the things he learns in his, in his 20s. So I think this generation is going to deal with AI very quickly. I think AI is going in the next 24, 36 months is going to take on more of a, a crazy upswing in companies because what's, what's a major expense of a company staff? Correct. So Guess what that company is looking to replace eventually using AI staff. What does that do to the profitability of that company? Skyrockets. What happens to the stock value? The company skyrockets.
Sean
Right.
Matt
So I believe the play next 5, 10, 15, 20 years is not real estate, it's equities, growth, nuclear. Because as coming in and all these EVs are coming in right now in Texas we have a power shutdown. And if everybody starts plugging in their Tesla, their electric car in California, California's power gets shut down.
Unknown
Wow.
Matt
We cannot base the future of ev. We can't base the future of AI on its current electric power grid. We have to have nuclear. And so to me that's one of the things I'm looking at in terms of my investments.
Sean
Nuclear energy.
Matt
Interesting new generation of energy.
Sean
Are you telling your kids and your employees that you might be replaced in a few years? So you need to develop a really good skill.
Matt
The cool thing about the insurance industry, it's a, it's not a high talent type of operation. You know AI it actually enhances a lot of our, a lot of our operations. We don't. The only thing we foresee ourselves in the future is going to explode the insurance business. Because tough times, fear sharpens listening tough times. None of our clients have lost any money because of insurance policies. And the insurance contract says based on. Because insurance companies, some of the brilliant investment investment managers in the world are managers of investment firms finances because they have to promise a client you will not lose and we pay you a death benefit or pay you an interest rate guarantee contractually guaranteed by what we promised 5, 10, 15, 20 years ago. Investment management insurance companies can't get risky. They have to be stable. They have to be secure. Otherwise they get, they get bad ratings from the rating agencies and we have bad ratings from the insurance agencies or the correct. Nope. No client wants to go there put their money in that insurance company.
Sean
Dude, I love the way you built your lifestyle because you're recession proof.
Matt
I am.
Sean
That's. That's incredible. It's really hard to get to for most people.
Matt
And pandemic proof too, right?
Sean
A lot of people got wrecked during that.
Matt
Yeah. And so when, when stock market goes down my, my second book Gotcha. It's a best selling book. It talks about my favorite client for 21 years, 22 years now she hasn't lost any money. Withdraws her money from retirement account without paying a dime in tax.
Unknown
Wow.
Matt
Her and her husband now are now retired, now living this next golden chapter of life in dignity Even though they have to pay $5,000 a month into a retirement community because they can't get up and down their house in Chicago anymore because of their age, selling their house, they move into a retirement community. Not retirement home, retirement community. Where there's activities every day. They look at it like, look at the schedule. It's a cruise ship on land. Having make new friends. Enjoying this chapter of life. Why do I talk about this client so much in my book Gotcha. Who's safe and secure in this world today? When I talk about that client, it's my mother.
Unknown
Wow.
Matt
So I've made sure I got involved in the financial services business to help the people I love and care about. And that first person at that time was my mom. Because I'm seeing this financial firm and this insurance firm helping these strangers. Like, man, I'm thinking about my mom that way. How come I'm not helping my mom? How am I going to help my family? So that's one of the selfish reasons I got involved in financial services outside the great money that you make. But I want to take some of the values and principles and strategies while people are getting wealthy to have my own family. Because people today, the middle class income generation, this is the general, the, the, the, the demographic that I serve, the multicultural middle income demographic, sadly will never get rich. But they don't deserve to be broke.
Sean
Agreed.
Matt
They're never going to get fancy with crypto. They're never getting fancy. They're going to get sophisticated. Their investments inside their 401k. But they don't deserve to be broke. They need to deserve all their life now retiring at 60, they deserve having consistency, not having stress. Where's my money coming from? Inflation is kicking my ass. So if I have aging parents, if I have aging relatives, I should care about their financial situation. Because if they're not taking care of themselves, guess who can be asking for help? You.
Sean
Yeah.
Matt
Kids, Grandkids.
Sean
Yeah. You really found your purpose, your mission. It sounds like it's exciting.
Matt
Yeah.
Sean
Yeah. Dude, that must be a terrible feeling. Imagine working your whole life and then you're worrying about, do I have enough money to live out my days?
Matt
Ain't that crazy?
Sean
It probably takes years off your life.
Matt
And think about this, Sean. When you get older, what do we lose? When I was younger, I got invited to a lot of birthday parties, graduations, weddings. When I'm, let's say 38, 40 years old, guess what I started experiencing? My invitations were from funerals. Correct. And the people that you grew up with, the People that you assigned with two days ago, one of my good friends, sadly, 40 years old, four kids, passes away on vacation. He's financially free, financially independent, on vacation, passes out.
Unknown
Wow.
Matt
Can't be revived. Four daughters he leaves behind.
Unknown
Geez.
Matt
So, you know, you look at life today, it can be gone in flicker. And so when you look at that scenario, when we get older, we start losing our associations, we start losing our friends, we start losing our partners, we start losing our family. Imagine being 60, 70 year old, and everybody you grew up with, everybody you've had befriended in your business or your career, instead, they're gone and you're sick. 70, 80, and you're lonely. See, the thing here too, Sean, is that most people, sadly, in their entire life, after high school or college or even the military, you know what they don't do in their adult life? Make new friends. They don't build a new network, they don't build new associations. As we said before, in business, if you're not growing, you're dying. Same thing happens too, with your personality.
Sean
Absolutely.
Matt
Your personal life, if you're not self improving in that category, investing in new. In new friendships and relationships, sadly, emotionally, deep down inside, you're starting to die.
Sean
Oh, yeah. Yeah. I've gone through phases where I was very lonely, had very little friends. It eats your health, physically.
Matt
Yeah.
Sean
And mentally.
Matt
Yeah, for sure.
Sean
Yeah. You need that support group. How did you meet? PBD was in the military.
Matt
I got introduced to him by Pastor Dudley Rutherford, who I met four years prior to actually with that introduction. My sister worked for shepherd the Hills Church in la and she was my sister. It was an Orlando Magic girl. She thought she'd go to LA to be a Laker girl. She found Jesus instead, goes to the church. I meet Pastor Dele Rutherford. He goes, you need to. You need me to meet Iranian version of you. Sees Peabody because Peabody was going to his church, he goes, you need me? The Filipino version of you. So, Pastor Dudley Ruther Rutherford, God bless you. Massive shout out. Because that introduction changed my life.
Sean
That's hilarious. You two talk very similarly.
Matt
Do we?
Sean
I could tell you hang out a lot. Yeah, yeah. Because I watch his podcast and you guys talk the same way.
Matt
Dude, it's been honored to be mentored by a once in a generation. I would even say once in a lifetime type of CEO.
Sean
Oh, yeah.
Matt
Founder, leader.
Sean
Yeah, he's different. Yeah, yeah.
Matt
He's only. And he's only 45, brother.
Unknown
What?
Matt
He's only 45, dude.
Sean
He might be the goat by the time he's done.
Matt
Easy.
Unknown
Wow.
Matt
Easy.
Sean
Yeah. His shift into politics was brilliant.
Matt
And behind the scenes, he was always feeling that way.
Sean
Really?
Matt
Like we would go on trips. How do you feel about this? How you feel that? So, Paul, where do you lean in politically? I. I don't care about politics. Why should I care? No, you should care. Why? Because these knuckleheads create policies that affect all of our lives, they affect our businesses. So I'm not trying to tell you to vote for anybody. Just be aware what's going on and make your, you know, make your analysis there, make your vote count for an educated decision. Right now, I'm coming into the political season. I got five policies that I'm prioritizing, not personalities. Policies. American, so damn sensitive. Like, I see Trump today. To me, he's okay. He talks. So what I'm. I'm. I'm used to in the military. I'm used to growing up in Chicago. Right, right. People so damn sensitive. They. If he's calling out somebody because they're not performing or country because they're not performing. Yeah, you're. You're right. You should talk. Yeah, I know it's not presidential and maybe he's. He definitely needs to polish that up. You know, maybe a little bit more diplomatic. Yeah, but that's his thing. But to me, that doesn't affect me. But when I look at potential candidates, I'm like, first, first for me is economic policy. Do I have you in my way government? If you're in my way of regulation under Sarah or high income taxes, you're disincentivizing me to be an entrepreneur. And I wonder if that's what they're trying to do. But America was founded on life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Government should not be big. The number one employee. Sean, who's the number one employee in America today?
Sean
Is it Google?
Matt
No, it's federal government.
Unknown
Oh, really?
Matt
Federal government? Is that good things a bad thing? I don't know. It's not a good thing. You and I, through our taxes, are funding the largest employer in America, the federal government. It's expansive, it's expanding. I don't know if that's a good thing.
Sean
Yeah, they just hired a bunch of IRS people, right?
Matt
Have you gone to the dmv?
Sean
Yeah.
Matt
How?
Sean
Two months wait and packed.
Matt
How would you like our health care to turn that way?
Sean
Healthcare is already a show.
Matt
Imagine it being run like a dmv.
Sean
Yeah, it'd be bad.
Matt
Er, Emergency room. You'll get away from appointment. Come back. Come back for your Heart attack appointment. You die. You die right there.
Sean
Yeah.
Matt
In the air room. So when government takes over things, it becomes a show. It becomes inefficient, is too bureaucratic because there's no incentive in the federal government to improve.
Sean
Wow.
Matt
There's no. Matter of fact, when I was in the military, I'd order things from our suppliers. A hammer of $10 at Office Depot or Home Depot will cost $50 if you go through our federal. Federal approved contractor.
Unknown
Damn.
Matt
Because these companies, they get the contract to sell their products and services to the government. They see that federal government, we can overcharge and they won't care.
Unknown
Gee.
Matt
So they abuse the system. Toilet paper, toilet. I'm ordering supplies when we're deploying. Toilet paper is costing 50 bucks for something you can buy at Walgreens or CVS for, for four, five, six bucks. 60 bucks going through our supplier. Federal government approved. So companies out there have been taking advantage of the federal government and that's where you need oversight.
Unknown
Wow.
Matt
That's who you need. Regulation. Like huh. This doesn't make sense. We're spending too much money here. Nobody cares about overspending in the government. Nobody cares about efficiencies in the government. You know, cares about that type of stuff is entrepreneurs.
Sean
Right.
Matt
More entrepreneurs need to go in there. But here's the downside. An entrepreneur going into the government, it's a pay cut and nobody listens.
Sean
Huge pay cut.
Matt
This is. As an entrepreneur, I can hire and fire and track people. I want to build inside bureaucracies. People got voted in, they're embedded in. So that's the institution that we're up against.
Sean
Trillion dollars in debt right now. Yeah.
Matt
Oh my gosh. It's horrible. The stat. What in America, 1.4 trillion. Just credit card debt.
Sean
Holy crap.
Matt
So if America is not allowing allowed to make its own money, they drain down their savings or don't even save at all. Which means down the road they depend on federal government and federal government Social Security or some form of government program. Now you dependent on the government instead of being independent. And when you don't control your income, your life is controlled by somebody else. He or she that controls your income controls your life and the decision you make in it.
Sean
Right.
Matt
So if you don't not control of your income, you don't have your freedom, your autonomy, you're controlled.
Sean
So that being said, do you use credit cards?
Matt
Of course I do.
Sean
But you just control it.
Matt
I control it. I love credit cards. I fly for free. Unless credit card use. I meet my friends at The Amex Centurion Lounge. Right. But that doesn't mean I carry debt.
Sean
You pay it off asap.
Matt
That's right.
Sean
Yeah.
Matt
It's a tool.
Sean
Yeah. Some people just spend a ton on cards and then never pay it off. And then the interest is 10%.
Matt
That's why it's mindset over money. If you don't train your mind in your attitude, your disposition, how you view money, then you'll always be broke.
Sean
Absolutely. What's next for you? What's next for a seven figure squad and PHP Agency?
Matt
PHP Agency. We're building a billion dollar company. We just partnered with a company called Integrity Marketing Group. And their CEO and their chief distribution officer was just at our conference, very inspired, impressed by what we're doing. We're very inspired, impressed by them.
Sean
Nice.
Matt
Just let me share with you a quick Servant leader. Servant leader type of scenario. I was sitting down, by the way, we had Ludacris. They're doing a concert.
Sean
Oh yeah.
Matt
So I sat down and somebody spilled their drink, their coffee. And I was kind of straddled because there's no napkins or whatever. And like I was, I was just kind of sitting in my chair, straddling the spill. Next, you know, this billionaire, Brian Adams comes out with a towel. Did he ask one of the people to get. And he wipes the spill in front of me. Wow, he's a billionaire. Tells you doing. Wiping the spill in front of me. That's servant leadership, man. If you don't get a guy or people around you that wants to help you. Give you another example, backstage, Patrick was there with his families and the kids around were talking about a Trump documentary that he had his kids watching in the political documentary on the, on the left side because he wants his kids both informed on both sides. And I'm sitting here and I realize, Jen, his wife, is walking in, all the seats are taken. What do I do as a, as a husband too? I said, jen, I get up, Jen, sit down, right? She sits down. He notices I'm up because I'm preparing to interview Bill Belichick. And you notice I'm focusing on my notes. Guess what I find? He taps me on his shoulder, sepal to sit down. He comes behind with two different chairs. Patrick, you don't have to do this. I'm thinking, I'm so blessed to be around servant leaders. Patrick David, who's a servant leader, he just sold his company and I was worth what, half a billion dollars giving me a chair to sit down. I get a billionaire caring enough about How I'm sitting in a over a spill to bring a towel and wipe it up. You kidding me?
Unknown
Wow.
Matt
These are the type of leaders I'm just blessed to be around.
Sean
Powerful. Because some leaders lose touch with their. With their customers and with their staff and everything as right.
Matt
In eroding the customer client experience.
Sean
Right.
Matt
Thereby eroding their referability or ability to attract and recruit people. Some brand. Some companies attract people just by reputation, not by what they put on. Indeed. Or monster. Because I want to work that company. You know good things about the company. We're working that company. Hey, get a foot in the door for me. So give me a job. Right. And that's the way we've built php. How to create a client experience. Now, are the people that come into our sales organization and quit and badmouth the company? Of course. But they're going to quit. I've never met, I've never met. Ever met a winning quitter. Why? Because quitting is a habit. Now, I'm not saying that you stop and move here because you want to improve your skills, but if you go from one tough decision to another, instead of pushing through it and learning through and innovating and improving through it, but you quit. That's a habit.
Sean
Right?
Matt
In the entire life, when times get tough, you got quitters blood. And guess what you're giving to your children. You're giving your children quitter's blood. You pass down generational quit quittedness, not generational wealth. Wow.
Sean
That's crazy. That was Bill's first interview since retirement, right?
Matt
Was it?
Sean
I think so. I haven't seen him on the pod or anything.
Matt
I, by the way, I had some very cool. I have very cool question. I can't wait for the interview to come out.
Sean
But yeah, I can't wait to see that one. Will that be on Seven Figure Squad?
Matt
It will be. It'll be up soon. Or either that or a php. We just got to get everything approved through his. His camp, his picture.
Sean
Man, congrats on that one. That's huge.
Matt
It's amazing. I mean, because earlier this year we interviewed Patrick, interviewed Tom Brady.
Sean
I saw that one. Yeah.
Matt
So we. I said, patrick, so what? Some of the things that you learned too. So I combined my question for Bill. No was like, hey, Bill, was Tom wanting to get a seventh ring to beat you or to be Jo?
Sean
You asked him that?
Matt
Yeah.
Sean
Wow. That's a blunt question. There was a lot of media drama over that. That split. I remember.
Matt
Yeah. Right. Another question. Bill, you're about to have A Perfect seed in 2007. You win all 16 games. You win every playoff game. You're in a Super bowl. You're about to have a perfect season. Nothing that's been happening since 1972 with the dolphins. You're one minute away from winning. It's 14 to 10. You're up. Eli Mang spins out from a sack, chucks it down to Tyree. Tyree catches the ball off his helmet. Four plays later, score a touchdown, beating you in the last minute in a Super bowl, destroying your perfect season. It's like, man, thanks for making me feel bad.
Sean
He probably couldn't sleep for a year.
Matt
But I'm wondering, how do you deal with the loss? Some people have a bad day, right? Oh, this business sucks. My wife sucks, my husband sucks, and they quit. This guy answers to his question, I can't. I can't release it right now. But his answer to that question shocked the out of me.
Unknown
Wow.
Matt
Shocked the out of me. I was like, what? Okay. I don't want to give too much.
Sean
No, that's fire. I can't wait to see that one. When does it come out? In like a month.
Matt
Depends on when we get the approval from his camp.
Sean
Yeah, Matt, where can people find you, man, and see what you're up to?
Matt
Very simple. Money, smart guy all over the place. Money, smart guy on. What is it, X now? Money might guy on x money sm on Instagram. MoneySmartGuy.com My YouTube channel is called 7 fear squad because my YouTube channel is dedicated to helping people think like a millionaire, strategize like a millionaire, so down the road, they can be a first generation cash flow millionaire. That's what they're talking about.
Sean
Thanks for coming on, man.
Matt
God bless you, brother.
Sean
Yep.
Matt
Sean, thank you.
Sean
Yeah, thanks for watching, guys, as always. See you next time.
Digital Social Hour Podcast Summary: "How I Built a $40M Company Without a College Degree | Matt Sapaula DSH #906"
Release Date: November 20, 2024
In this compelling episode of the Digital Social Hour, host Sean Kelly sits down with Matt Sapaula, the dynamic leader behind the Seven Figure Squad and a top performer within PHP Agency. Matt shares his inspiring journey of building a $40 million revenue company without holding a college degree, offering invaluable insights into entrepreneurship, company culture, and personal growth.
Matt Sapaula begins by contextualizing his extensive tenure with PHP Agency, a prominent company in the insurance sector, where he has played a pivotal role for nearly nine years. He highlights the company's meritocratic culture, emphasizing that "it doesn't matter when you start with the company, if you're not performing, if you're not doing the fundamentals, you get passed up very quickly" [02:03]. This environment fosters a high-performance mindset, ensuring that only those who consistently deliver results ascend the ranks.
Over nine years, Matt has successfully scaled his operations to achieve a $40 million top-line revenue. His rapid progression within PHP Agency is a testament to his dedication and strategic acumen:
By the two-year mark, Matt had already made a significant impact, showcasing exponential growth that culminated in his current status as a leading figure within the company [03:07].
A recurring theme in Matt's philosophy is the paramount importance of company culture. He echoes the well-known adage, “culture attracts people and culture eats talent for lunch” [04:05]. Matt explains that PHP Agency's culture promotes continuous improvement and healthy competition, ensuring that even the most talented individuals remain motivated and aligned with the company's values.
Matt discusses his innovative approach to recruitment, which prioritizes cultural fit and entrepreneurial mindset over traditional industry experience. Surprisingly, 95% of his recruits do not come from a financial services background [05:35]. Instead, he seeks individuals from varied professions—engineers, breakdancers, and former executives—to bring diverse perspectives and skills into the organization. This strategy aligns with his belief that “any business is about recruiting your talent” and fostering an environment where diverse backgrounds can thrive.
Matt is a staunch advocate for integrating personal values and faith into business practices. He emphasizes the significance of capitalism, love for America, family values, and individuality as cornerstones of PHP Agency's ethos. Sharing personal anecdotes, Matt speaks passionately about his role as a single father, raising five children without relying on a college degree himself. He challenges societal norms by encouraging his children to explore entrepreneurial paths, reinforcing that "college is not the only way to make money" [16:03].
Believing in the transformative power of entrepreneurship, Matt advocates for the inclusion of entrepreneurial education in schools. He imagines a curriculum where entrepreneurs share their real-world experiences instead of traditional textbook learning. “If a nine-figure entrepreneur came in and talked for an hour, that'd be amazing value” [18:29]. This approach aims to inspire the next generation to think creatively and pursue diverse avenues for success.
Matt underscores the critical link between physical health and business performance. Recounting his personal transformation, he highlights how investing in his health was essential for sustaining the energy required to run a successful business. He introduces the concept of the “#EntreAthlete”, paralleling athletic discipline with entrepreneurial tenacity: “Study the game, tape, know my competition, know the X and O's of my industry” [21:16]. This mindset fosters resilience and continuous improvement, essential traits for any entrepreneur.
A significant portion of the discussion revolves around financial security and retirement planning. Matt introduces the 4% rule, advising that individuals should not withdraw more than 4% of their retirement savings annually to preserve their principal. For Sean, who inquires about retiring at 65, Matt calculates that he would need approximately $10 million to live comfortably without tapping into his principal [25:48]. This conservative approach ensures long-term financial stability, especially in volatile economic climates.
Matt shares a critical perspective on the role of the federal government as the largest employer in America, questioning its efficiency and impact on personal freedom. He illustrates this with personal anecdotes about overpriced supplies during his military service: “Toilet paper is costing $50 through our federal-approved contractor” [37:01]. Matt advocates for entrepreneurial oversight to curb government inefficiency, emphasizing that dependence on government programs can erode personal autonomy and financial independence.
Highlighting the influence of mentorship, Matt credits Patrick—the founder of PHP Agency—as a pivotal figure in his development. He extols Patrick's servant leadership qualities, recounting instances where Patrick demonstrated care and humility, such as promptly assisting during a spill at a conference [39:23]. This leadership style fosters loyalty and a strong sense of community within the company.
Looking ahead, Matt reveals ambitious plans to scale PHP Agency to a $1 billion company through strategic partnerships, such as the recent collaboration with Integrity Marketing Group. Additionally, he teases an upcoming interview with NFL legend Bill Belichick, delving into topics like handling loss and maintaining resilience: “His answer to that question shocked me” [43:20]. This interview is anticipated to provide deep insights into leadership and perseverance.
In wrapping up, Matt shares his online presence for those interested in his work and philosophies:
Matt emphasizes the importance of generational wealth and instills a mindset of financial prudence and entrepreneurial spirit as foundations for lasting success.
Matt Sapaula [02:03]: "If you're not performing, if you're not doing the fundamentals of the business, growing organization, you don't understand what your KPIs are and focus on the fundamentals. You get passed up very quickly."
Matt Sapaula [02:52]: "If you're not improving, you're dying."
Matt Sapaula [04:05]: "Culture attracts people and culture eats talent for lunch."
Matt Sapaula [16:03]: "I challenged the three older ones not to think that going to college was the only way for you to make money."
Matt Sapaula [21:16]: "I'm an entrepreneurial athlete. The same disposition, intensity that people approach your sport, athletes approach a sport. The same disposition. I'll approach business."
Matt Sapaula [25:48]: "So, do the 4% math. You actually need... $10 million."
Matt Sapaula's narrative is a powerful testament to the impact of resilience, strategic thinking, and unwavering commitment to personal values. By eschewing traditional educational paths and embracing a culture of continuous improvement, Matt exemplifies what it means to build substantial wealth and a thriving business from the ground up. His insights offer a roadmap for aspiring entrepreneurs and professionals aiming to navigate the complexities of the modern digital and business landscape.
For those seeking inspiration and actionable strategies to achieve their personal and professional goals, Matt's story serves as a beacon of what is possible through dedication, smart decision-making, and a steadfast commitment to one's principles.