Mick Unplugged: Mathew Knowles – Champions Health Awareness and Living With Purpose

Episode Overview

In this dynamic episode of “Mick Unplugged,” host Mick Hunt sits down with Mathew Knowles—renowned entrepreneur, architect of Destiny’s Child, health advocate, and survivor—to discuss the interplay of passion, health awareness, leadership, entrepreneurship, and legacy. Knowles shares how his relentless “because” drives his work, the transformative impact of early health detection, his approach to branding in business and life, and how leaders can adapt to remain relevant through changing times.

1. Discovering and Living Your “Because”

• The Heart of Purpose
  • Mick opens by asking what motivates Knowles beyond a simple ‘why’:
    • [01:33] Mick: “What’s your because?...that thing that makes you continue to do the amazing things that you...do.”
  • Mathew Knowles emphasizes passion as his ultimate motivator:
    • [01:54] Knowles: “For me, it is the passion that—that is the thing that wakes me up in the morning and excites me…If I want to do something or not, that’s the defining [factor] for me: am I passionate about doing it?”
• Reflection on Early Purpose
  • Fisk University days gave Knowles a sense of accomplishment and pride, underscoring how early formative experiences plant seeds for life-long purpose.
    • [03:22] Knowles: "It's been 50 years since I graduated from [Fisk]...it was a wonderful feeling just to go back."

2. Health Awareness & Early Detection: “Prevention Over Reaction”

• Championing Male Health and Early Detection

  • Knowles shares his journey as a male breast cancer survivor and long-time health advocate:
    • [05:02] Knowles: “I've always talked about early detection…Fortunately, I was diagnosed at stage 1A. But unfortunately, those who wait...it’s really just a simple blood test for PSA for men or a simple mammogram...”
    • He highlights staggering prevalence rates:
      • [06:31] Knowles: “One in eight men...will come down with prostate cancer...One in eight women...with breast cancer.”
  • Cultural Conditioning as a Barrier
    • [07:37] Knowles: “Since slavery, we’ve been taught cultural conditioning that until it hurts, that's when we take care of it. If it’s not hurting, then it’s OK. That’s not how cancer works…”
    • Emphasis on shifting community mindset towards proactive health.

• Practical Steps for Listeners

  • Prioritize genetic testing to understand risk, even in your 20s/30s.
    • [08:23] Knowles: “It really starts with getting a genetic test, understanding your family history… then routinely, annually, getting those simple exams.”
    • [10:03] Knowles: “It’s a saliva swab. It doesn’t hurt. We scared of needles...I want to say it out loud.”
  • Mick recognizes the importance:
    • [09:19] Mick: “…your genetic history is vitally important because Mr. Knowles just told us so.”

3. Legacy, Entrepreneurship & Building Brands

• Roots of the Entrepreneurial Spirit

  • Knowles describes the generational impact of growing up in a family of creative entrepreneurs:

    • [11:24] Knowles: “I’m third generation entrepreneur. I saw my grandfather...my dad was a truck driver...my mom was a colored maid who made $3 a day...They taught me research, research. Knowledge is power. All of those things is what I think in my toolkit.”

  • Key Quote:

    • [13:07] Knowles: “…growing up in that kind of environment of creativity and thinking outside of the box. So to have that...in a different way...that’s what was still in the back of my head growing up. That I can do this...”

• The Power of Consistent Relevance

  • Knowles’ adaptive mindset keeps him relevant across generations:
    • [15:03] Knowles: “You have to stay relevant. The world is changing...You have to evolve and modify because technology changes by the hour.”
    • Teaching university students helps him bridge generational gaps, as does his inherent curiosity and aversion to "box-in" thinking.

4. Brand-Building: From Destiny’s Child to Personal Leadership

• Simplicity in Branding

  • Knowles famously approached the music industry by building brands, not just selling records:
    • [17:31] Knowles: “We are all individually...a brand. The moment we walk outside the door, we're messaging to the world. Sometimes without words, often without words: it’s how we look; we call it the optics…There's a reason why someone goes and gets Jordans versus going to Walmart and getting a pair of sneakers.”
    • [18:43] Knowles: “Entrepreneurship is the whole who, the what, the why, the where. Who is my customer, what is my product, why should they buy it?...That's why that branding...When we went into the music industry, they were selling records. I was building brands.”
    • Branding examples: Female empowerment with Destiny’s Child (“Bills, Bills, Bills”; “Independent Woman”) and unapologetic Black identity with Solange.

• Where Entrepreneurs Go Wrong

  • [20:23] Knowles: “There’s so much information out there...it starts again...with a passion. Is this really what you want in life?...When you live your passion, you never work.”
  • Work ethic and deliberate practice—referencing Kobe Bryant’s legendary discipline and Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hours concept.
    • [22:56] Knowles: “A lot of people are okay with just being good or average, but there’s some of us that strive for greatness...because they love it.”

5. Leadership: The Pillars of Consistency & Execution

• Consistency as Trust and Progress

  • [23:33] Knowles: “You have to consistently mean constantly doing that thing, constantly and doing it at a high level...You can’t move the needle with just saying it a few times or doing it a few times...”
  • Behind success is always persistent, high-level effort; planning and teamwork are invisible but essential parts of any achievement.

• The “Talk-to-Do Ratio”

  • Being proactive, not reactive, about health and goals—Knowles models this in his medical advocacy:
    • [24:55] Knowles: “I’m very transparent and...I have a chapter called Talk to Do Ratio...That goes back to that consistency thing.”

6. Health Advocacy and Community Impact

• Knowles’s Role as Global Ambassador
  • He describes his work promoting prevention, especially within Black communities, and supporting medical awareness through organizations like 'Touch for Life.'
    • [26:22] Knowles: “There’s a discussion and panel...by Touch for Life...the best minds in medicine and cancer experts and folks who have gone through the experience as well...talking about health and wellness for Black folks.”

7. Closing Reflections & Call to Action

• Personal Tribute and Legacy

  • Mick credits Knowles as a personal role model and pillar of support:
    • [27:49] Mick: “If there’s someone who stands for professionalism, for equality, for brand building, for the modern leader...it is Mr. Matthew Knowles.”

• Final Thoughts

  • On the importance of family, roots, and using your “because” as a force in the world:
    • [28:53] Knowles: “If any of you like to know more, just simply go to matthewknowles.com.”
    • [29:14] Mick: “Remember your ‘because’ is your superpower. Go unleash it.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “For me, the because is the passion. That’s why I do it.” – Mathew Knowles [01:54]
• “Early detection is the key.” – Mathew Knowles [07:57]
• “You have to stay relevant. The world is changing every day…with technology you have to evolve.” – Mathew Knowles [15:03]
• “When we went into the music industry, they were selling records. I was building brands.” – Mathew Knowles [18:43]
• "When you live your passion, you never work. You work when you have a job." – Mathew Knowles [20:23]
• “You have to consistently...do that thing constantly and do it at a high level.” – Mathew Knowles [23:33]
• “If there’s someone who stands for professionalism, for equality, for brand building, for the modern leader...it is Mr. Matthew Knowles.” – Mick Hunt [27:49]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:33 Purpose & Passion: Discovering your “Because”
• 05:02 Male Health Awareness & Early Detection
• 08:23 Practical Health Steps & Genetic Testing
• 11:24 Roots of Entrepreneurship
• 15:03 Staying Relevant as a Leader
• 17:31 Brand Building Philosophy
• 20:23 Entrepreneurship Pitfalls & the DNA of Achievers
• 23:33 Consistency and Success
• 24:55 Health Advocacy Work & the Talk-to-Do Ratio
• 26:22 Touch for Life: Community Health Work
• 27:49 Legacy, Tribute & Final Thoughts
• 28:53 How to Connect with Mathew Knowles

Takeaways & Action Steps

• Identify and live from your core “because”—the passion that sustains you through challenges and change.
• Proactively pursue health awareness: know your family history, get genetic testing, and break the cycle of reactive healthcare.
• Approach life as a brand; understand your optics, your message, and your audience, and build with clarity and consistency.
• Strive for greatness through work ethic, passion, consistency, and a relentless thirst for knowledge.
• Leadership and relevance require evolution—be curious, adapt, and stay connected with rising generations.

Learn more at matthewknowles.com.

Let this episode remind you: Your “because” is your superpower—go unleash it.