Podcast Summary: Mick Unplugged

Episode: Mathew Knowles: Champions Health Awareness and Living With Purpose
Host: Mick Hunt (referred to as "Realm" in metadata)
Guest: Mathew Knowles
Release Date: August 19, 2025

Episode Overview

In this compelling episode of Mick Unplugged, host Mick Hunt sits down with music executive, entrepreneur, and health awareness advocate Mathew Knowles. The discussion explores Mathew's life purpose ("because"), the mindset and tactics behind discovering and cultivating talent (with references to Destiny's Child and personal branding), his commitment to health awareness—particularly among men and communities of color—and the principles of modern, relevant leadership. The episode offers actionable insights for leaders and entrepreneurs, as well as deeply personal lessons from Mathew's journey as a cancer survivor.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Discovering and Living Your "Because" (Purpose)

• Passion as Purpose:
  • “For me, it is the passion that…excites me. I go to bed at night thinking about it…I do it because I love it that much. And I want to make sure I give my very best. So for me, the because is the passion. That's why I do it.” — Mathew Knowles [01:54]
  • Mathew emphasizes that finding and living in your passion, as opposed to simply chasing a "why," is the driver behind a meaningful life and legacy.

2. Formative Years and Entrepreneurial Roots

• Early Influences and Family Legacy:
  • Mathew shares memories of Fisk University, reminiscing about basketball championships and the impact of heritage on his identity [03:22].
  • Raised among three generations of entrepreneurs, he recounts:
    • His grandfather's resourceful land management and creativity.
    • His father's side hustles using a truck for scrap reclamation.
    • His mother’s crafty entrepreneurship as a maid and quilt-maker.
  • “So I got to grow up in that kind of environment of creativity and thinking outside of the box...that’s what was still in the back of my head growing up.” [12:56]

3. Health Awareness and Early Detection

• Culture, Genetics, and Proactive Care:
  • Mathew uses both professional and deeply personal experience to advocate for men (especially men of color) to overcome ego and engage in proactive health care:
    • “I saw zero radiography in 1980 through 1988...Every mountaintop I could yell early detection. Then I went to Phillips Medical...always talked about early detection.” [06:35]
    • Cites alarming statistics: 1 in 8 men will face prostate cancer; 1 in 8 women, breast cancer [06:35].
    • Urges genetic testing as a simple, non-invasive saliva swab to assess risk early:
      “I'm saying Now in your 20s and 30s to see how at risk you are. And then if you see that you are at risk, then routinely, annually, getting those simple exams, they're so simple.” [09:55]
    • Addresses fear, especially in men:
      “We don't want to say it, but I think a lot of guys out there that think they're tough, we scared of needles...it's a saliva swab. It doesn’t hurt.” [11:35]
• Real-World Health Advocacy:
  • Mathew discusses his involvement as a global brand ambassador for ZERO Prostate Cancer and his commitment to education and preventative care.
    • “I want to be preventative, that it never happens.” [27:15]
    • Speaks about attending the Touch for Life panel at Martha’s Vineyard to promote health and wellness in the Black community. [27:54]

4. Spotting Talent, Building Brands, and Staying Relevant

• Brand vs. Product:
  • Mathew reframes the music business as “brand building” rather than just selling records:
    • “When we went into the music industry, they were selling records. I was building brands. That's why I partnered with l' Oreal and Destiny’s Child and Beyoncé...target market were those women…female empowerment, that was part of the branding.” [19:03]
    • Explains the strategic, empowering messaging behind Destiny’s Child and connects it to personal and corporate branding.
• Personal Branding for Everyone:
  • “We are a brand. The moment we walk outside the door, we're messaging to the world. Sometimes without words, often without words is how we look. We call it the optics.” [19:03]
  • Mathew encourages everyone, not just musicians or entrepreneurs, to consider how their personal brand functions in the world.
• Staying Relevant:
  • To adapt to different eras, Mathew attributes his continued relevance to:
    • A background in fast-evolving tech (corporate career in imaging/medical technology).
    • Active engagement as a professor with Gen Z and young professionals.
    • A “thirst for knowledge” and willingness to challenge convention.
    • “You have to stay relevant. The world is changing every day, every second now with technology...I've always wanted to think outside of the box and not be a box-in thinker.” [16:35]

5. Work Ethic, Consistency, and the DNA of Achievers

• The Role of Passion, Work, and Repetition:
  • Mathew stresses passion plus work ethic as keys to success:
    • “When you live your passion, you never work. You don't work when you live your passion...But what coexists with passion, and that's where a lot of people go wrong, is our work ethics. They go together like a glove.” [21:55]
    • Cites Kobe Bryant’s legendary practice routine (“six, six, six”) as a model for greatness.
    • The “10,000 hours” principle of mastery from Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers [21:55].
  • On consistency:
    • “To move the needle, you’re going to have to say it, do it over and over and over...and doing it at a high level constantly.” [25:05]
    • Emphasizes that consistent effort and standards reveal a person’s true values and make teams/brands trustworthy.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Passion and Purpose:
  “For me, the because is the passion…that wakes me up in the morning and excites me.” – Mathew Knowles [01:54]

• On Health Advocacy:
  “Please, those of you listening, please, early detection is the key.” – Mathew Knowles [06:35]

• On Genetic Testing and Fear:
  “It's a saliva swab. It doesn't hurt…a lot of brothers are scared of needles, and I want to say it.” – Mathew Knowles [11:35]

• On Brand Building:
  “We are all individually as well as in our corporate careers...a brand. The moment we walk outside the door, we're messaging to the world.” – Mathew Knowles [19:03]

• On Evolving with Relevance:
  “You have to stay relevant. The world is changing all that every day, every second now with technology.” – Mathew Knowles [16:35]

• On Work Ethic and Consistency:
  “You have to consistently mean constantly doing that thing constantly. And doing it at a high level constantly.” – Mathew Knowles [25:05]

• On Taking Preventative Health Action:
  “I want to be preventative, that it never happens.” – Mathew Knowles [27:15]

Segment Timestamps

• [00:00–01:32] – Intro, connection around influence and gratitude
• [01:32–02:52] – Mathew's “because” and living with passion
• [03:22–04:28] – College years at Fisk; reflections on legacy and time
• [06:22–09:41] – Health awareness, early detection, and cultural barriers
• [09:55–12:04] – Genetics, proactive care, and actionable advice
• [12:56–15:08] – Family entrepreneurship, creative problem-solving
• [16:35–18:06] – Staying relevant, influence of technology and teaching
• [19:03–21:25] – Branding, optics, marketing in business and music
• [21:55–24:28] – Passion, work ethic, and path to greatness
• [24:36–25:33] – Consistency as a leadership imperative
• [26:04–27:29] – Proactive healthcare and community advocacy
• [27:54–28:49] – Upcoming health panel in Martha’s Vineyard
• [28:49–30:25] – Closing gratitude, call to share message, and legacy

Final Thoughts

This episode is a masterclass in purposeful living, health advocacy, modern branding, and the mindset behind sustained relevance and influence. Mathew Knowles offers listeners not just inspiration but actionable tools—urging everyone, especially leaders and men of color, to be proactive about health, to build meaningful personal brands, and to “move the needle” in their own lives through work ethic, passion, and consistency.

To learn more about Mathew Knowles and his work: matthewknowles.com

Key Calls to Action:

• Understand your genetic history and prioritize preventative health screenings
• Build your personal and professional brand with intent and consistency
• Lead with passion, adapt to change, and keep learning

“Your ‘because’ is your superpower. Go unleash it.” — Mick Hunt [30:46]