Founder's Story - The Coach Who Transformed Steve Jobs: Why Most Leaders Never Reach Their Potential - John Mattone | Ep. 198

Episode Date: April 12, 2025

John Mattone is more than just the world’s #1 executive coach—he’s a trailblazer in leadership transformation. Globalgurus.org recognized him six times in seven years (2019–2025). John is the ...creator of the revolutionary Intelligent Leadership® (IL) framework. His work has impacted nearly 1 million individuals and thousands of organizations across 55 countries, earning him the trust of world leaders, Fortune 500 CEOs, and high-growth entrepreneurs.In This Episode:John Mattone joins Founder's Story to unpack the journey that led him from corporate trainer to one of the most respected executive coaches in the world. He shares deeply personal stories—like his transformative five sessions with Steve Jobs—and offers practical, heartfelt wisdom for leaders looking to unlock their full potential.This episode is about more than just leadership. It’s about legacy, soul work, and the commitment to becoming the best version of yourself—at home, at work, and beyond.We cover:The pivotal moment Steve Jobs reflected on his growth as a leader and fatherWhy John’s first book failed—and how it led to everything that came nextThe Intelligent Leadership® framework: what it is, how it works, and why it’s changing livesWhat most executive coaches get wrong (and how John does it differently)The one question every great leader must ask themselvesWhy the best leaders operate from heart, mind, and soul—not just ambitionJohn’s personal evolution, mentors, setbacks, and the calling that reshaped his lifeHow to build trust with high-performing executives and hold them accountableThe importance of giving back—and John’s powerful story of creating scholarships to honor his family legacyKey Quote:“Most people die without creating their masterpiece. My job is to help them build it before it’s too late.”Connect with John: 🌐 www.johnmattone.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 April is Earth Month, a time to reflect on the impact of our choices. Sustainability starts at home and especially in the bedroom. Did you know most mattresses end up in landfills within a decade? That's why I love avocado green mattress made with certified organic materials like latex, cotton, and wool. Avocado mattresses aren't just built for comfort. They're built to last. And lasting quality means fewer replacements, less waste, and a healthier planet. Every
Starting point is 00:00:31 avocado mattress is crafted ethically, climate neutral certified, and made in their own zero-waste factory diverting 85% of waste from landfills. This Earth Moon, choose sleep with purpose. Choose sustainability. Head to Avocadomattress.com today and save up to 10% on certified organic mattresses. Dream of better for you and the planet. Starting your business should be simple. That's why I love what Northwest's registered agent is doing. You can build your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Seriously, whether you're launching your first company or your fifth, you get more when you start with Northwest. More privacy, more guidance, and more freedom to run your business from anywhere.
Starting point is 00:01:17 They've helped businesses grow for nearly 30 years and they've got your back. For just $39 plus state fees, Northwest will form your business, create a custom website, and set up a local presence anywhere you need it. Want more? They'll protect your identity by using their address on your formation documents, and their premium mail forwarding gives you a real business address that keeps your home info private, which I have used this service for many years. Don't wait! Protect your privacy, build your brand, and set up your business in just 10 clicks in 10 minutes. Visit NorthwestRegisteredAgent.com slash founders and start building something
Starting point is 00:01:58 amazing. Get more with Northwest Registered Agent at NorthwestRegisteredagent.com slash founders. Hey everyone, welcome back to Founder's Story. Today we have John Matone, and John Matone is the founder of John Matone Global. And John, you have had the pleasure of being one of the world's number one executive coaches Uh, I love the introductory video on your website and it talks about you working with people like Steve jobs and other incredibly well known and famous individuals
Starting point is 00:02:38 But you've really been a trailblazer and leadership transformation And you've been doing this for many years. And I'm sure you are full of incredible insights today that we're going to dive into. But first, what made you become this number one transformative coach? And why did you get into this industry? Daniel, first of all, great to be on the show here. It's been an evolution. I got out of graduate school many, many years ago.
Starting point is 00:03:08 Started my first job at Conoco, an oil company, and discovered I was a pretty good trainer. I got a lot of feedback from my executives at Conoco saying you should start a business. For 10 years, I ran around the world. My wife and I raised our family of four, but I was never home. Wrote a couple books during those 10 years. Was not doing any coaching, Daniel, at that time. It was just basically speaking and training and so on and so forth. And was quite frankly unsuccessful. One of the books that I had written, Success Yourself, and was quite frankly unsuccessful. One of the books that I had written, Success Yourself,
Starting point is 00:03:53 emerged later, which I'll get to in a second, 2010. Went back into the corporate world for 15 years and really honestly grew tremendously as a person, as a professional. Had an opportunity to do some coaching in a role that I was in going back a few years ago, a number of years ago, and really, really liked it. In fact, I applied the concepts that were written about in that book, Success Yourself, that failed, and I had executives saying, boy, this is just absolutely incredible. So I knew I had something, but I wasn't sure how to bring it. I was just unclear about the vision for it, but I knew that I wanted to coach. I wasn't really sure what was going to happen next. Long story short, Steve Jobs picked up my book in 2010, about a year before he passed, was intrigued with the
Starting point is 00:04:40 concepts in the book. I had the opportunity to meet him and coach him. I had five coaching sessions with him that were transformative. And I will tell you that in a second coaching session that I had with him, he told me, he said, you know, what he was learning, I say this very humbly, with me. If he had applied in his 30s and 40s, he would have been a better father, better husband, better leader. And let me tell you what, I wasn't even sure. I get chills sharing that with you and the listeners here, but there was a transformation that day.
Starting point is 00:05:18 I knew I had to coach and I still wasn't sure how to do it though. And it was a number of months later, I had a calling to do this work. I launched Jarmatone Global in 2011. I've written 11 books, five bestsellers. But the most exciting thing is that we're bringing, you know, my coaching philosophy and process and tools to the world.
Starting point is 00:05:42 You know, 55 countries now and Jarmatone Global's growing significantly. So that's a little, it's been an evolution, Daniel. You know, it really has been. Sounds like an overnight success story. I love that. That took, you know, 20 years. 20 years.
Starting point is 00:06:00 How was the, so let's go back to Steve Jobs because I'm very fascinated by By the fact that it was towards the end of his life and he was reflecting about How he was as a leader and the changes he could have made which I find very interesting. Yeah was that how is that feeling of Getting that call and then now coaching him because it sounds like even at that time you were still a hundred percent unsure as to like coaching as a career yeah yeah I don't I don't know if it's I think it was only till recently
Starting point is 00:06:35 maybe that coaching has become a lot more popular and we find a lot more people want to be a coach but much less less at that time. So going back to that time, how was that feeling and what was that first phone call like or first meeting? Listen, I had chills and I struggled for a few years because I actually said to myself, I got lucky. And other than my wife and a couple of really close people, really didn't even know. I wasn't sure how to actually bring it to the world. And it took me a few years to kind of open up.
Starting point is 00:07:18 And now just about everybody knows I had this incredible opportunity. So looking back on it, I don't think I was lucky, Daniel. You know what I'm saying? Because I don't think the incredible things that have happened to me, my family, and the business would have happened if it wasn't meant to be, honestly. I look back on it, it was not lucky. It was meant to be. And I'm very humbled that I had this incredible opportunity. I would say that one thing that is core, I think, in growth of a human being is making the decision to be vulnerable. If you don't make that decision, you're done. In this world today, things are moving so, so quickly. You're going to stagnate. You're going to die. And one element,
Starting point is 00:08:10 I'm sure parents listening in, we teach this to our children to be vulnerable, open, open. Listen to your teachers. And you go to church, you listen. I would say that Steve Jobs, it took dying from pancreatic cancer to embrace being vulnerable. And with him saying to me that he could have actually been vulnerable at a younger age and would have grown more and would have been a better human being was to me an important tenet that I took with me. And that's what I bring to the world now that, listen, you want to become better, yeah, think differently, think big, but you've got to consciously make that decision to be vulnerable to ignite growth in yourself, your team, your family, so on and so forth. If I think back to the most famously known leaders, especially if they were men,
Starting point is 00:09:10 I don't really see them ever being vulnerable. I think it's only until recently that I know leaders that are more open to being vulnerable. What do you think is the change that is happening and what change needs to happen in order for people to embrace this? Yeah, I would say that, you know, I think the association of greatness and leadership has been overly tied to drive, you know, achievement, the ambition, you know, be tough and so on and so forth. And I think with generational changes in this whole notion of recognizing, Daniel, that you can drive and be achievement oriented and ambitious, but you can also have a heart, you know. You can have the courage, and that's
Starting point is 00:10:03 what it takes, you know, to show your heart, be compassionate, care for others. Those two worlds coexist beautifully, okay? And when they coexist beautifully, what ends up happening is you don't compromise either side of the equation. The equation gets stronger in terms of building culture. We talk about culture. Ultimately, and same thing in our families too.
Starting point is 00:10:31 There are some family cultures that are not good and there are some family cultures that are really good. Where does that come from? It comes from leadership and it's instilling belief in the children that they can execute what needs to be executed, they can achieve their dreams, and so on and so forth. So I think it's a global recognition that these two worlds can coexist beautifully. And in fact, if you look at the results of great businesses and great leaders, I'd say the last 25, 30 years, we're going to see people who, um, who can,
Starting point is 00:11:05 who can embrace and embody both sides of that equation. So I know you've, you've impacted over a million people and thousands of organizations. I would imagine if you ask most people in a leadership role, whether it's corporate or, you know know an entrepreneur or somebody that's in business they want to reach their full potential. So what how do you ensure or what advice or strategies do you give to people in order to do so? Because I think at least for me I mean that is what I always strive to do is I want to be the best version of myself, whether that's in a relationship with my wife or that's in business or that's showing up
Starting point is 00:11:50 to my teams. But I also want to, you know, I want to make the most money. I want to be the most successful. I want to impact the most. And I think all this ties down to me reaching my full potential. But how do I get there? It's a process. And so I believe in measurement.
Starting point is 00:12:06 I think it's important to recognize that the inner core, otherwise known as the soul, Daniel, is very multifaceted, very complex. But ultimately, what I've learned is that if your soul and your inner core is strong and mature and vibrant, what does that mean? Self-image balanced. As soon as you get out of the balanced self-image and you become an egomaniac and you go too far in the other direction, you've got a problem in the world of leadership today. Proper value system, thinking patterns that are strong, mature, and vibrant. Belief system, character is an inner core thing. What I've learned is that the inner core
Starting point is 00:12:50 drives the outer core. So the work that I do as an executive coach, working with some of the top CEOs, government leaders in the world, very humbly said, we start with measurement. Let's calibrate how strong your inner core is. Let's calibrate how strong your outer core is. We use 360s, we do objective assessments.
Starting point is 00:13:07 I watch them, I observe them. And then what we do is we co-create a strategy, just like a business. It's literally parallel universe. You know, if you wanna become the best, just like you were talking about, how do I become the best that I can be? You gotta execute a strategy.
Starting point is 00:13:23 What are your gifts and strengths that we can make stronger? And what are the things that are getting in the way now or could get in the way? Let's put a strategy together that's very practical and we're going to work together to hold you accountable, you know? And we're going to involve stakeholders, people around you to hold you accountable. And then we execute. And then what we do is we go back and we re-measure again. So executive coaching, the way I do it, very measurement oriented, very process oriented. And ultimately here's the thing. I really believe we're all put on the earth to create a masterpiece. I can tell you that when I work with top people, they've accomplished a lot. But they recognize that, listen, a good portion of their masterpiece
Starting point is 00:14:09 may have been built, but they're not there yet. And that is the key. And I think all of us is recognizing that it doesn't matter who you are and what you've accomplished, you still got a long way to go, okay? Most people die not having created the masterpiece. That's what drives me and my team to help leaders all over the world in organizations ultimately create the masterpiece they were put on the earth to create. And that ultimately, that ultimate vision is the overarching thing where the strategy comes alive.
Starting point is 00:14:49 You know what I'm saying? Because a strategy only makes sense if it's connected to a higher order purpose. Does that make sense? Yeah, you know what I find? I'm glad you bring this up, the most successful people recognize that, you know, they need to get better and that are not perfect. And they're, they're almost, it's almost, they're more humble in many ways than people that are maybe just a one or two years in and think that, you know, they're
Starting point is 00:15:21 at this level of success or a few years in, but when they've been many, many years in, they realize that they are not perfect and they can learn from other people. I'll give an example. I used to consult for organizations. The first phone call I had, the CEO tried to make me quit and it was the most uncomfortable thing and I didn't want to do it anymore.
Starting point is 00:15:44 But he said he was just testing me because it was just ways that he could build trust. How do you find when you coach these people, how do you build trust and rapport? Because they have to listen to you. I'm sure you have to tell them things about themselves that they may not even want to hear. Many people don't like to hear feedback, right? Some do. But how do you build this rapport and trust and do you find that these people, the more successful are they are, the more humble they are to listen? Well, yeah, a couple of things. You got to build rapport, trust and credibility pretty quick. I'm going to be unfortunate in that I've got a little bit of a reputation out
Starting point is 00:16:24 there. Okay. Some of the younger coaches who are just starting out, they better work harder I'm gonna be unfortunate in that I've got a little bit of a reputation out there Okay, some of the younger coaches who are just starting out they better work harder. They got to build a pedigree, you know You know when you write books and you're out there and people kind of know who you are It absolutely doesn't give you you know, you don't have free reign. You still got to prove yourself It's like an athlete you got to show up. You got it. You got to execute It doesn't matter doesn't matter what your averages, you know, you could have a 25 points a game still got to prove yourself. It's like an athlete. You've got to show up. You've got to execute. It doesn't matter what your average is. You could average 25 points a game. You've still got to show up. So that's my attitude.
Starting point is 00:16:50 And I think the other thing too is people got to see you as human, Daniel. They got to see that, boy, here's this guy, Matone, he's accomplished a lot, but he's had a lot of setbacks too. A lot of failure. And I'm very open about that. You know, I share, I share a lot about that. And that often helps build the trust and rapport. The other thing that gets everybody is this whole notion of, you know, the questions that I ask are big, you know, like for example, what's the vision of the essence of the personal leader that you must become?
Starting point is 00:17:27 And people often stop me and they say, well, what do you mean must become? And I always say, listen, everybody walks around and they say, hey, this is what I want to accomplish. The best of the best ask themselves the best questions. And the best questions are the ones that ignite change. What's the vision of the essence of the leader person that you must become? What is that masterpiece that you put on New York to create? What does that look like? And how far along are you? And let me tell you what, when I start to have those conversations and I have them pretty early with my clients, they look at me and they say, this is interesting.
Starting point is 00:18:06 I've never been asked these questions before. So I think those things are really, really important. And I think also executive coaching has got, in many respects, a bad name because a lot of people have a perception that it's session-based. Hey, I get to sit down with my coach and I'm busy and I'm not sure I really want to do this. We've built at John Matone Global, and I guess I built it, is a process, you know, and it's just like if you follow the process and I'm here to help you. Heart, mind and soul, you know. Guess what?
Starting point is 00:18:46 We're gonna measure, we're gonna diagnose, we're gonna co-create a strategy and then we're gonna execute together. And we are gonna absolutely create that masterpiece together. I can't do it alone, you can't do it alone. So that's sort of how I work, you know, and I teach that to coaches all over the world.
Starting point is 00:19:06 Can you explain more about that? And I also want to thank you for your answer before, because I think a lot of people, maybe they want to coach, they they have to realize that they, you know, building up their personal brand in the industry that they're in, building up what they're known for, building up just the success in coaching is required to be an excellent coach. I think it's one of those things where anyone, I guess, could just title themselves a coach, even with little experience,
Starting point is 00:19:38 but I'm glad that you have laid down the framework in a sense that it requires a lot of work, a lot of building up yourself, a lot of things to achieve before you can really hit high levels of success I think as a coach. But can you explain more about the Intelligent Leadership Framework? Yeah. So Intelligent Leadership, the short definition is it's about heart, mind and soul. We have no shortage of intellect in the world, Daniel.
Starting point is 00:20:04 There's so many people with high IQs running around, yet we've got massive problems all over the world. And what it comes down to often in leadership, and this is a function of just how fast we're moving in the orientation around technology, is that the heart and soul, you know, in many respects got lost. The pandemic was a magnifier on that, that those organizations that did not attend the heart and soul before the pandemic are out of business. Just go back to the Jim Collins book that was written, what, 24 years ago. many of those companies do not exist anymore. And actually, if you look at the research, right, how quickly you can evaporate, even
Starting point is 00:20:51 these big companies. So I believe that we've got this great intellect, so we've got a skewed distribution on intellect in the world of business. But the skew is the other way in terms of leadership. And we must work extremely hard to close that gap. And I believe we've got to amp up heart and soul. What does that mean? Compassion, care for others, the value of altruism, very, very important, and an orientation around
Starting point is 00:21:31 just being more self-aware. When you put your head on the pillow at night, what did I do well today to bring abundance to the world? Where did I fall short? And just allowing those experiences to enter your soul allows you to wake up the next day and say, you know something, I'm going to do better today with respect to my execution as a human being. We need more of that in order to close the leadership gap.
Starting point is 00:22:00 And ironically, it is slowing down, you know? And so to me, the greatest leaders that I've ever worked with, Daniel, and I've worked with some big time people, they have learned that despite the pace of their lives and their businesses, the extent to which they can slow down, go deep into their soul, analyze what's working,
Starting point is 00:22:27 what's not working, and then commit with the coach to do something different and better tomorrow is the absolute key for all of us. And so I've learned a lot, you know. I think I've learned more, honestly, in the world that I'm in as a coach. I can't believe what I've been able to learn. I mean look what Steve Jobs taught me in five sessions. You know what I'm saying? I learned more from him than he learned from me. I'll guarantee it, you know. So I don't know if any answered it but that would be my take on it. Yeah, I know. I mean you brought up a lot of things and it made me think about the reason why we even started the show
Starting point is 00:23:10 five years ago is we wanted to impact a hundred million people and and the amazing part about it is I've learned so much by talking to people like yourself I could write a book right now about the things that I've learned just in the last 20 minutes and things that while you're talking I'm like oh my gosh I need to implement this I need to apply this I'm gonna I'm gonna look at this I'm thinking about it as you're talking about the things that I'm gonna go back after this conversation and really start to reconsider and look at so I am I can totally understand from my own perspectives about what you're saying.
Starting point is 00:23:50 Obviously I haven't been doing things as long as you, but I can totally see that it's like a reciprocal relationship when you work with people and you're both growing at the same time. So I'm curious from you though, who is a mentor, coach, who is somebody that has, you know, besides the learnings from Steve Jobs, has there somebody that coached you
Starting point is 00:24:17 or somebody that was a mentor to you that you'd maybe wanna say who's been really special? There've been multiple mentors. I continue to have, not an official board of directors, but I have a team of advisors. My wife is one of those advisors. My wife, Gail, 46 years married, Daniel, the luckiest guy really honestly to have a pillar like Gail as leader of our family, really honestly with four kids and eight grandchildren. She's taught me so, so much. My wife is number one. My
Starting point is 00:24:54 parents no longer with us, but my dad, Dominic Matone, was an incredible leader in the United States Air Force. I learned so much from my dad, my mother, and my father and mother-in-law also no longer with us. So those people were critical, you know, in teaching me really, really important things. I got a first job at Conoco. I was fortunate. I had a gentleman by the name of Lou Larson
Starting point is 00:25:27 who believed in me. Lou, 65, 66 years old, here I am, 24. And he looked at me, he said, I don't know, I might have to take a risk on you, Mattel. And there's something about you, you know? And he took the risk, you know? And here, you know, Daniel, right? The greatest mentors, they believe in you
Starting point is 00:25:48 more than you believe in yourself. You know, you gotta catch up. And so Lou was incredible, but I just look back on the years, so many, so many people had touched my heart, my mind and my soul to make me better. And it continues today, you know. I think that's one of the things that enriches me. You know, is that I'm still learning
Starting point is 00:26:10 and will continue to learn until the day you stop. See, that's humbling. I think everyone can learn from that. One is, I feel the same way about my wife, that I am also very lucky and she is my number one advisor, for sure.
Starting point is 00:26:25 I follow the people. One of the best things I've ever done for my personal growth was picking up a new language. Whether you're traveling, leveling up your career or just love learning, speaking another language opens up many doors. And Rosetta Stone makes it easier, more immersive, more fun. It's the leading language learning program available right on your desktop or mobile. Rosetta Zone helps you learn naturally, just like you picked up your first language through real world context and conversation.
Starting point is 00:26:53 Just practical skills you can use right away. What I love most is the true accent speech recognition. It gives you real time feedback so your pronunciation actually sounds like a native speaker. With 30 years experience, millions of learners in 25 languages choose from, like, Spanish, also Tagalog, which I'm learning. Rosetta Stone is the go-to for anyone serious about learning
Starting point is 00:27:16 fast and retaining it long term. Don't wait. Unlock your language learning potential now. Founder story listeners can grab Rosetta Stone's lifetime membership for 50% off. That's unlimited access to 25 language courses for life. Visit rosettastone.com slash today to get started and claim your 50% off today. Don't miss out. Go to rosettastone.com slash today and start learning today. When my business needed to hire someone urgently, it felt like I needed them yesterday. We struggled to find quality applicants quickly, and that's when Indeed came to a rescue.
Starting point is 00:27:54 When it comes to hiring, Indeed is all you need. Stop struggling to get your job post seen on other job sites. Indeed's sponsored jobs help you stand out and hire fast. With sponsored jobs, your post jumps to the top of the page for your relevant candidates. sites. Indeed's Sponsored Jobs help you stand out and hire fast. With Sponsored Jobs, your post jumps to the top of the page for your relevant candidates so you can reach the people you want faster. And it makes a huge difference. According to Indeed data, Sponsored Jobs posts to direct that Indeed receive 45% more applicants than non-sponsored jobs. Hiring used to be a drawn-out overwhelming
Starting point is 00:28:23 process, but with Indeed it became incredibly fast and efficient. Plus with Indeed Sponsored Jobs there are no monthly subscriptions, no long term contracts and you only pay for results. How fast is Indeed? In the minute I've been talking 23 hires were made worldwide on Indeed. There's no need to wait any longer. Speed up your hiring right now with Indeed. And listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to boost your job visibility at indeed.com slash founders story. Just go to indeed.com slash founders story right now and support our show by letting them know you heard about Indeed here.
Starting point is 00:28:59 Indeed.com slash founders story. Terms and conditions apply. Hiring Indeed is all you need. Slash founder story terms and conditions apply hiring indeed is all you need Ever wanted to explore the world of online trading but haven't dared try the futures market is more active now than ever and plus 500 futures is the perfect place to start plus 500 gives you access to a wide range of instruments S&P 500 NASDAQQ, Bitcoin, gas, and much more. Explore equity indices, energy, metals, forex, crypto, and beyond with a simple and intuitive platform you can trade from anywhere right from your phone. Deposit with a minimum of $100 and experience the fast, accessible, futures trading you've been waiting for.
Starting point is 00:29:40 See a trading opportunity? You will be able to trade it in just two clicks once your account is open. Not sure if you're ready? Not a problem. Plus 500 gives you an unlimited risk-free demo account with charts and analytic tools for you to practice on. With over 20 years of experience, Plus 500 is your gateway to the markets. Visit us.plus500.com to learn more.
Starting point is 00:30:03 Trading in futures involves the risk of loss and is not suitable for everyone. Not all applicants will qualify. Plus 500, it's trading with a plus. And she's there to help ground me because I'm all over the place. And then everything else that you said around like the job, I can relate to that too. Having there was one person I can think back that really believed in
Starting point is 00:30:32 me more than I and I would not have been in my corporate job. I would have never been promoted if that one person didn't really take me under their wing. I think it really it really talks to the importance too of of us almost paying that forward. Obviously now you kind of pay that forward in your career like you are a coach and you are but for other people, no matter what their role is, I think we don't always we don't always are cognizant or thinking about hey, how can I pay this forward to the next person. We also never know what people will become.
Starting point is 00:31:06 You know, the amazing thing is you might help someone that I'm sure he never knew at 24, he was going to help John Matone, one of the world's greatest executive coaches. So you just never know, you know, what's going to become of someone. So listen, I, one of the, you know, one of the things was, uh, I met my, uh, listen, one of the things was I met my uncle, Joseph Matone, passed away last year. Joseph and my dad were first cousins, Italy and then New York. I never met Joseph. Joseph ended up becoming a famous lawyer in New York and so on and so forth. I remember my dad talking about, I never met Joseph and it was a few years ago he wrote to me, he said, you Dominic
Starting point is 00:31:52 son? I said, yes. And he goes, John, come up to New York, I got to meet you, you know, your blood. And I walked into his law office at what was he at the time, 85, Daniel, 85, 86. And he looked just like my dad, it was incredible. And he taught me about philanthropy. He said, John, you're doing amazing in your career. Be very, very proud of what you've accomplished. You got to give back. You got to give back. And I got to tell you, I wasn't going to bring this up today, but now you're bringing this up. And it's not about the money or whatever, just being a mentor to somebody. But Joseph ended up giving millions of dollars to St. John's University. And the law library, St. John's named after Joseph Natal. And when I left the dinner with Joseph and the family, and
Starting point is 00:32:47 now I'm close to that whole side of the family, Joseph passed away last year, I got home to Orlando and I said to my FDLA, I said, you know something, we've got to create a couple of scholarships for the younger people. And that's what we've done. So Gail and I committed to creating a couple of endowed scholarships at University of Central Florida where I got my master's degree to do exactly what you're talking about, provide the opportunities for the younger people, the incredible young talent that we've got so they can become the best that they can be. And you know, right? A lot of the resources out there for the younger people aren't there, you know?
Starting point is 00:33:26 So whatever we could do to help was something that I was really passionate about doing, both my wife and I in our family. It's so easy to criticize younger generations. Instead of trying to uplift them and realize that we can help. We're always as a, as a species, we are very easy to say that they're lazy, they're this or that. They're always doing the wrong thing versus like, okay, how can I help somebody who's maybe in their 20s
Starting point is 00:33:56 be the best leader that they can be? So I like your train of thought. Amazing how your uncle, even in the last, you know, the last 10% of his life was able to teach you something. Eighties. I'm really inspired by your ability to really learn from everyone. I'm very inspired by that. I'm very inspired, humbled. I'm super appreciative that you were even here today, by the way. I also went to college in Orlando, but I didn't really finish though. So I can't show you.
Starting point is 00:34:28 But John, this has been really amazing. If people wanna get in touch with you, they wanna find out more information, maybe they wanna work with you, maybe they want to buy your book. How can they do so? Yeah, just hit the website, johnmatone.com. We just launched our new website.
Starting point is 00:34:44 We're really excited about it. Daniel, they could send an email to our CEO, Nicholas Matone, nick at johnmatone.com to send an email to Nick. And he loves to talk with everybody. And so I think that's the best way, website and email. You have an actor's name, John Matone. That's like, if for some reason you retire from coaching and you want to be an actor, I feel like it's a shoe-in.
Starting point is 00:35:15 John Matone is like the prime character of a movie. But John, this has been great. I learned a lot today. Thank you for giving me 30 minutes of your movie. But John, this has been great. I learned a lot today. I thank you for giving me 30 minutes of your time. I think the audience is going to also take away a lot. And I'd love to have you come back a few months and a year from now, hear what's going on then. But thank you so much for joining us today on Founder's Story. Been an honor, Daniel. Great to meet you. Great conversation. I learned a lot too. I really appreciate it. Daniel. Great to meet you. Great conversation. I learned a lot too. I really appreciate it.

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.