Matt Zerker: Why struggling doesn't make you less of a man

In this episode I'm joined by Matt Zerker, the Founder & CEO of tethr, a peer enabled mental health and well-being platform for men. Matt has an incredible story and passion for what he's building which is what we'll dig into today.

Prior to tethr, Matt worked as a Portfolio Manager at a quantitative hedge fund and even achieved the coveted CFA designation. Despite the early career success, Matt was deeply unhappy. After the sudden death of one of his closest friends in 2018 sent him spiraling into a suicidal depression Matt began the journey towards a more fulfilling life. After trying everything from therapy to medication, and even some experimental treatments, Matt discovered a men's peer support group in his hometown of Toronto and that's when his inner world began to shift. After attending a fateful men's retreat in April 2019, Matt returned home on a Monday and quit his job suddenly on Wednesday - he has been building tethr ever since.

In this episode you'll hear more about:

• How tethr got started and how they're doing
• Matt's personal journey since starting tethr
• The pressure of being a mental health founder trying to solve your own problems and experience
• Redefining out relationship with our work and being of service
• The impact our upbringing has on us as adults and men
• The danger of the hustle culture and hustle porn in startups
• How he turned things around half way through college
• Why we need to take more time to be present and appreciate what's in our lives
• How to know when to push and when to rest
• Techniques Matt uses to reconnect with himself
• Connecting with our inner child in times of stress
• Why your well being influences the well being of the company
• What Matt has tried on his journey with mental health
• Why we're not a problem to be fixed
• How joining a men's group change Matt's life
• Power of being seen for who we are
• How do we support men when they have the courage to say, "I'm not ok."
• The power of witnessing and holding space for others
• Why needing help doesn't mean you're broken
• Why we need to look at the hero's journey in a new way (they always have help)
• The power of getting to know yourself
• What has he learned so far building tethr

About Matt and Tethr

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattzerker/

https://www.tethr.men

Download the tethr iOS app

Download the tethr Android

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