Hey Uncommon Leaders, Welcome back!
What would you do if you found yourself 55 pounds overweight, struggling with alcoholism, and devoid of passion or drive? My guest, Matt Scoletti, author, motivational speaker, and Guinness World Record holder, shares his incredible journey of transformation and how he overcame adversity to become a fierce competitor in fitness. Matt's story is not only inspiring, but also provides valuable insights for leaders on the importance of disciplined vision and consistent, uncomfortable action.
From an embarrassing childhood experience that ignited his determination to become a better speaker, to hitting rock bottom and finding the will to change his life, Matt discusses the mindset and discipline required to maintain a healthy lifestyle and how it translates to leadership. Learn about Matt's passion for fitness and philanthropy, his participation in extreme charity events, and his unique morning routine. This engaging conversation will leave you feeling motivated and ready to tackle your own personal and professional challenges.
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Did you know that many of the things that I discussed on the Uncommon Leader Podcast are subjects that I coach on with other leaders and organizations? If you would be interested in having me discuss one-on-one or group coaching with you, or know someone who is looking to move from underperforming to uncommon in their business or life, I would love to chat with you.
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Did you know that many of the things that I discuss on the Uncommon Leader Podcast are subjects that I coach other leaders and organizations ? If you would be interested in having me discuss 1:1 or group coaching with you, or know someone who is looking to move from Underperforming to Uncommon in their business or life, I would love to chat with you. Click this link to set up a FREE CALL to discuss how coaching might benefit you and your team)
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, uncommon Leaders , welcome back.
This is the Uncommon Leaderpodcast and I'm your host, john
Gallagher, in this energizedepisode.
Today, i had the pleasure ofinterviewing Matt Scaletti, a
multi-talented author, amotivational speaker and a
Guinness World Record holder.
We share a mutual love forPittsburgh sports teams, john
Maxwell's inspiring books,fitness and the power of
(00:21):
podcasting.
Matt's journey of overcominghis struggles with alcoholism
and weight gain truly inspiredme, as he transformed into a
fizzy competitor throughdisciplined vision and
consistent, uncomfortable action.
He talks about that a good bit.
This was an engagingconversation filled with
valuable insights for allleaders and appreciation for
each other's ideas that we had.
(00:41):
You're going to love thisepisode.
Let's get started, mattScaletti.
Welcome to the Uncommon Leaderpodcast, my friend, it is great
to have you on the show.
How are you doing today?
Speaker 2 (00:57):
I'm doing great, John .
Thanks for having me.
I am stoked to be here.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
I am so glad too, matt.
I've been looking forward tothis interview and I know you're
going to bring your energy tothe listeners of the podcast.
That's something we're going totalk about a good bit, but I
will start you out with thefirst question that I always
start my first time guess with,and that's to tell the listeners
a story from your youth thatstill kind of impacts who you
are as a person today.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
I love this question And I thought of a story
immediately.
And it's embarrassing, but itturns out good.
So in the fifth grade I ran forstudent government.
I did not want to run.
I got nominated So I was forcedto give a speech in front of
the whole school 200 plusstudents in the auditorium And
basically I blanked out givingthe speech.
(01:42):
I did not have my speech printedout.
I lied I had it printed out butI left it in my locker.
So I was trying to wing thistwo minute speech, which I
should have been fine because Istudied it a zillion times, but
I blanked out.
Most embarrassing moment ever10 seconds go by, i'm saying
nothing in front of the entireaudience.
Finally my fifth grade teacherbails me out, feeds me my final
(02:06):
line and I get the heck off thestage.
But that moment first itdefined who I thought I was as a
speaker.
For over a decade I struggledwith public speaking for
basically until my mid to latetwenties.
I'm 39 now.
But it also lit a fire under meto want to become a better
(02:27):
speaker And I still use thatstory in speeches because I
think it's it keeps me motivatedto want to continuously get
better.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Love that foundational things that can
impact us on kids, especially atthe age fifth grade.
One of the more memorablemoments that I talk about is
with sister Nicodema leftysoftball pitcher, kickball
pitcher She was awesome and andkickball at Santhony's Catholic
school And she was quite ateacher as well and had a great
impact on my life.
(02:57):
So those are the kind ofstories you know, both
challenges that you overcome,which is something clearly that,
as I look at your bio and lookat some things you've done, you
have overcome that.
You've become championToastmasters presenter.
I've seen that in your story andwe may talk about that a little
bit here today, but that's beena journey for you, right?
So 39, you're still reallyyoung and that's a good thing
(03:19):
And you've been through a lot onyour journey.
So, matt, take the listenersback from a leadership
perspective that got you whereyou are today.
Go back as far as you want to,whether it's part of the story
in your first 15, the book thatyou know I've started to read
that you have, which is yourmorning routine, or how you.
You'll have changed as a personand grown.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Sure, yeah, i mean my story.
Basically we can start.
I played basketball in highschool.
It was sort of the all American.
I had what felt like everythinggoing for me, and then I went
off to college and tried out forthe basketball team and it did
not go so well You can't tell byme being on video but five foot
(04:01):
eight didn't help, i don'tthink.
Plus, i did not have the workethic to get me onto a division
one basketball team And I turnedto partying and drinking And I
think a lot of people do that incollege.
But what was different for meis I couldn't get out of that
phase.
Once I graduated, i took a jobin Boston and basically went
(04:22):
down this alcoholic path foranother six years after college
And then I hit my rock bottom.
It was 2011 and had one of thosemoments where I woke up, hung
over on the floor of my livingroom in my house in Pittsburgh,
staggered my way up the stairsinto the bathroom and just
looked at myself in the mirrorand I was 55 pounds overweight.
(04:45):
I just had no passion, no drive.
I don't believe I was a leaderof any sort at that time And I
actually and it's painful tobring up, but I think it's part
of the story.
I hated who was looking backAnd I think I needed that moment
because it just started me onthis quest to want to become
(05:07):
healthier and at least change mylife and not let alcohol ruin
me anymore.
And it wasn't like boom all ofa sudden.
Everything was great and I'mhealthy.
It was clearly a process, but Imet a mentor of mine, a health
and wellness expert named ChrisJohnson.
A month later, he helped mebelieve in my.
He really believed in me beforeI believed in myself, and one
(05:30):
of the first things I starteddoing was getting up earlier,
eating better, workouts got moreintense.
I lost a ton of weight and Istarted competing in these
physique bodybuildingcompetitions, which just gave me
something to shoot for, and Ithink it was the first time I
remember stepping on stage forthe first time And I was, for
(05:53):
the first time in 11 years,proud of something that I did,
because I took a stand forsomething and actually put a ton
of work into something thatmade me healthier And I felt
great.
So that started the journey ofthis healthy living and,
actually I would say, leadership, and that's when I started
(06:14):
getting some eyeballs on me justseeing the transition in my
body, and I think people wereinterested to hear how, how I
did it.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Love that And and we may talk about that again how
you did that as well, and it'ssometimes it is a catalyst like
that.
It's a look in the mirror oneday and say I am sick and tired
of being sick and tired.
And I make a choice that mypurpose is more than what you're
talking about with regards towhat you went through.
And then I got a change, and itstarted with fitness for you.
(06:43):
Now, how is that also molded?
Fitness is one.
you become very fit, and youtalked about the gifts that you
have from physical fitnessstandpoint.
How is that molded?
Some of your disciplines andhabits as leader then as well?
So how did that come in afterthat as well, not just as a
fitness person?
but you know you had to.
you had to transfer thatlifestyle, if you will, over to
other parts of your life too.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Yeah, I think that's where it gets really interesting
And I appreciate you askingthat, John, because I think I
did not know this beforehand.
But going through thistransition and becoming obsessed
with healthy living and fitnessand it is an obsession, I mean,
I love it, I love talking aboutit And what I did not realize
until after the transition wasit's really a mindset.
(07:26):
I think it starts with the mindand then it transitions into
the body.
So what I was realizing washappening as I competed in these
events and then started gettinginto marathon running, ultra
marathon running.
That's clearly a physical thing, but it's more about the
mindset of do you have thediscipline to eat healthy and
(07:51):
fuel your body and wake up at430 in the morning to get the
training in?
Do you, you know, do you havethe right mentality to get
through setbacks when theyhappen If you turn an ankle or,
like I, tore my Achilles in 2020, do you have the mental
toughness to get through thatinjury and figure out how to get
(08:12):
past it?
And I think all of that mapsover to me into leadership,
whether it's in business,whether it's in relationships,
finances, because thatdiscipline and I think has a
huge impact on leadership andall those other areas, And
that's what I did not realizeuntil after.
(08:35):
The fact is, oh my goodness,all of this is mapping over into
like full.
If I can run a marathon withthe weight vest on and then I
have to call a difficult clientthe next week, it's like well,
that's easy.
I just ran a marathon with aweight vest on.
Of course I can call adifficult client.
That's not a big deal, Whereasbefore it was a huge deal.
(08:58):
So I think it helps get throughstress levels and deal with
difficult situations as well.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
But that mindset, very big, becomes lifestyle And
again, oftentimes folks get sofocused on one that they steal
from the other areas of theirlife.
I've heard a term used beforeDon't let your fitness steal
your fitness in terms of beingfit in other areas of your life.
And you mentioned mindset beingvery important.
So you go back in time.
(09:25):
You go back to that time, to2011, and how you're talking to
yourself?
probably not in a very positiveway.
What is it that you're usingmindset today?
that?
what disciplines do you need tomaintain that positive mindset?
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Yeah, that's a really good question And I think to
the point about the book and Iappreciate you sharing that.
I talk about maximizing thebook ends of your day a lot and
I'm sure you're very similar AndI think the first time I read
about that was the compoundeffect.
I think Darren Hardy I think hetalks about it a little bit
(10:01):
Just owning the night before andthen owning the morning, and I
think owning the morning startswith.
For me it started with beingsober.
I had to not wake up hungoverbecause I was already behind And
then I was a big snoozer So Iwould snooze three, four, five
times.
By the time I had the lastsnooze went off, it was I was
(10:23):
already running late for workand I'm already stressed, but it
was.
It was on me.
I had the ability to changethat.
So I think a big part of mymindset has to do with the
routine.
The morning routine is a hugedeal for me.
So I'm a 430 am guy, likebetween 430 and 730 in the
(10:44):
morning.
That's my favorite part of theday And I think it's because
it's just me and it's on me tomaximize that.
But then, as we said, itcarries over into the rest of
the day.
I was just talking to a friendabout this yesterday.
I'm a totally different person.
If I had just woken up a halfan hour before this podcast and
(11:06):
I stayed up late last nightwatching Netflix I would
probably not bring the sameenergy and enthusiasm and
confidence as I have right now.
I'm a big believer in owningthe morning routine and then the
night routine to just crush itin that which is the rest of the
day.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
What are some of the things that are in your morning
routine right now, matt?
What do you do?
I mean, i kind of know someonebecause I follow you on social
media and I'm going to put yoursocial media links in there and
I like them But share with thelisteners some of the unique
things you do, from gettingready to get ready for your day.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Yeah, so the first thing I do and this actually
happened during COVID, becauseI'm sure, like a lot of people
listening or maybe not,hopefully not But I know a lot
of us went through difficulttime and I was waking up at 5 am
and it was just kind of like,oh, just doing the same thing
over again because there'snothing to do.
So I started doing a little.
(12:00):
I started waking up to goodmusic And what happened was I
would start dancing when I heargood music, and so the first
thing I do for a couple of years, basically since March of 2020,
is for sometimes it's fiveseconds, sometimes it's the
whole song, but I will wake upto a song I love and just start
moving my body and start dancing.
(12:21):
A lot of times it's extremelysilly.
I record some of them, as I'msure you've seen, but it just
puts me in a good mood.
I can't help but smile when I'mdancing to a good song right
after I get up, and then Ialways do a quick prayer right
after that And then, typically,i'll drink a glass of lemon
(12:41):
water, do a little meditationand then I filled ice in my cold
plunge.
I have this, as I know, you knowthis cold plunge on my balcony.
I dump a bunch of ice in itbefore I go work out so that
when I come back it is freezingand ready for me to jump in.
But then I'm off to the gym ora run or some sort of physical
(13:03):
workout And then as soon as Icome back, every time without
hesitation, i take my shoes andsocks off, take my shirt off and
jump into this cold plunge forfive minutes.
And it's horrible.
Every time I do it When I leavethe gym and I'm walking
upstairs back to my apartment,i'm always thinking, oh my
(13:24):
goodness, i got to do this again.
But that's just part of thediscipline.
It's like I don't care if it's20 degrees out, whatever the
temperature is.
I'm in this thing And it reallybeen a game changer, not only
just for the inflammation andthe physical benefits.
I think the mentality and themindset has been the biggest
benefit that I've had.
(13:45):
And then, after that, healthybreakfast and do some reading
and then getting ready to crushthe day.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
Did you know that many of the things that I
discussed on the Uncommon Leaderpodcast are subjects that I
coach other leaders andorganizations on?
If you would be interested inhaving me discuss one-on-one or
group coaching with you or knowsomeone who is looking to move
from underperforming to uncommonin their business or life, i
would love to chat with you.
Click the link in the shownotes to set up a free call to
discuss how coaching mightbenefit you and your team.
(14:17):
Now back to the show.
Wow, so I mean you're talkingif you put the workout in there
morning, plus the five minutebath, the prayer, the meditation
, love all those things.
Folks, when you go and watchhim on social media, don't worry
about whether or not he's agood dancer or not, just that he
dances to get the blood flowing.
(14:37):
In terms of making that happen,that's what makes it fun.
But you know that's.
You know that's quite thediscipline that gets there.
And I appreciate I have not gonedown the path.
I have friends that have gonedown the path of the cold plunge
.
I have not gone down there.
But the recognition inside ofthat that really what you're
doing is some hard thingsalready during the day What else
can be difficult during the day.
(14:58):
I mean you spend five minutesin 45 degree water, whatever it
ends up being after you put allthe ice in.
You spend 60 minutes doing whatis likely a pretty rigorous or
some number doing a prettyrigorous workout to train for
some of the things that youtrain for.
That's.
That's a pretty cool thing Andyou're knocking out some of
those hard things right off thebat.
So I appreciate you sharingthat And let's get, i think I
(15:19):
the the practice of getting inthere and getting your day set.
It gives you a better chance Ifyou miss that now.
My guess is that something thatyou don't quite feel right when
you get started during the dayis something that you got to
work for Very good.
So all that physical training,what do you have going on from a
goal standpoint, from a fitnessstandpoint?
that will get back in theleadership, But I know you got
(15:41):
some things going on to sharewith the group, what you have,
what's next on your personalgoal journey for fitness.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Yeah, so I had I.
this is probably the craziestthing I've ever attempted And
it's called the Spartan DeathRace, which is occurring at the
end of June of this year.
It's it's basically militarytraining style.
You go out into this mountainand they they give you a big
list of what you have to bringout there and they don't even
(16:09):
tell you how long it's going tolast.
So I think 60 to 75 peoplestart, normally zero.
There's been people, there'sbeen events where nobody's
finished.
It only happens twice a year,but like zero to three people
normally finish And you know howmany start.
I think 60 to 75.
Wow, so they basically weed youout as the hours go on And you
(16:34):
don't know if it's, i heard it'sgoing to be a minimum of three
days.
It could be a maximum of fourand a half days, depending on,
maybe depending on how manypeople drop out.
But just diving into theunknown, i think that's probably
the the scariest part of thewhole event is you really have
no idea what's about to happen,and I've I've interviewed some
(16:55):
past Spartan Death Race peoplethat have gotten through, which
has helped me build someconfidence.
But the training for this hasbeen extreme, to say the least.
But I will say one of thetakeaways and I know we
discussed this real quick.
Last weekend I did this Ibasically rented a glorified
tent in the middle of nowhereAnd for 60 hours I stayed awake
(17:20):
to see if I could handle it.
I just wanted to see how far Icould push, because I know
they're going to push us to themax And I'm almost trying to
simulate that as difficult as Ican make it.
And one of the things I'm nottelling you this story to
suggest to any listeners to gostay awake for 61 hours.
But I think what I did learnwas that this idea of redefining
(17:43):
what, what is possible And I'ma believer that and myself
included 1000% am capable of somuch more than I'm putting out
right now.
And I learned that through thispast weekend that, oh my
goodness, if I can stay awakefor 61 hours, basically on my
feet the whole time and doingsome rigorous activity, like we
(18:04):
said, where else can that mapinto in my life and in anybody's
life?
So I think the idea of almostproving ourselves wrong, that
we're capable of more than wethink we are, and just pushing
the limits a little bit, canopen doors that I don't think I
ever fully understood until thispast weekend.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
Redefining what is possible.
Love that, I would imagine, andagain, it's good It fits right
in the next question.
So you're sought after keynotespeaker.
Oddly enough, Fifth grade youhad so much fear you didn't want
to do that.
You've overcome that.
Now you've become a speakeragain, a champion speaker, And
some of the stories that youshare, some of the things that
you do with regards to you.
(18:46):
Redefining what is possible ismore than others may believe
that they're capable of.
But what are some of the funmessages that you try to convey
to the audiences you have aboutpersonal growth and how they can
use that?
Maybe redefining what ispossible is one of those things,
But what are some of the otherfun messages you share with them
?
Speaker 2 (19:06):
Yeah, this is such a good question.
I just gave a keynote last weekand there's and I'll give you
these two takeaways It wasfocused on two things regarding
personal growth And I think itmaps over into leadership and
business as well And it wasvision and action.
That was the whole keynote wasthose two things, and one of the
(19:27):
takeaways with vision is Ibelieve in vision before victory
, so you have to know whereyou're going, what the vision is
, and I use my life as anexample, where, for those 10
years from 2002 to 2011, i hadno vision at all.
I just I wasn't.
I was just surviving.
I was just sort of goingthrough the motions of everyday
(19:50):
life.
There was no vision of what Iwanted to be or what I wanted to
do.
So as soon as I started speakingmore in 2011, 2012, and it was
only because people saw thetransition I made physically,
they would ask me to come speakto different small groups.
I realized I was a horriblespeaker and but I felt I had
(20:10):
this message that I wanted toget out there that could help
people.
So the vision became I want tobe a keynote speaker, i want to
be a powerful speaker And it Igo through this whole journey
but it took 11 plus years tobecome even a decent speaker.
Through Toastmasters and justconstantly getting up and giving
(20:31):
speeches, getting mentors,getting coaches, going through
courses that would help me levelup, and so I think the idea of
vision is huge.
And then the second piece oftaking action consistent and a
lot of times uncomfortableaction in any area of life I
think is a cure all And I I meanyou could use it in business
(20:56):
and leadership and fitness andhealth and nutrition.
But if we're not taking anyaction then I think the results
they're just not going to bethere.
So I'm all for reading andlearning and growing that way,
but I also think you can't reada book and without taking the
actions in the book to get theresults, you need to follow it
(21:19):
up with consistent and a lot oftimes uncomfortable action on
the back end.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Love it, matt.
So you started off.
You got to make a choice.
That's true That you stand infront of the mirror in 2011 and
saying, second tired of beingsecond tired.
You set up a vision what thatgoodness looks like for you and
understand what that is, andthen, to your point, take action
, of which I love the descriptorof uncomfortable action,
(21:44):
because we're not going to getfrom where we are today to where
we want to go without somethingbeing different, without us
having to do something that'sgoing to be uncomfortable as we
move there.
So I love that as a story.
We all know that the saying hopeis not a strategy.
You can have all the visionthat you want to, but if there's
no action that comes along withit, it's just a wish.
I mean, that's all it is.
You're really wishing forsomething to happen That's
(22:05):
likely not going to happen.
Thanks for sharing that story,and I like the idea of sharing
that with a group vision andaction, sharing that with a
group and how that can work forleaders, and so Thinking about
uncomfortableness, thinkingabout how I kind of got in touch
with you was the uncommon andthe uncommon leader podcast,
(22:28):
those individuals that aresitting at a point where you
might have been in 2010.
Okay, and maybe this is alittle bit of vision action, but
what are some practical tipsyou might have for them to be
able to make a positive impactin their personal life?
in their home, in their business.
(22:49):
That could get them startedtoday.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
Yeah, and I love the name of the podcast to the, the
uncommon, and I appreciate youasking that question that way,
because I'm in no way saying togo sign up for the death race or
any of these crazy activities,and I can't.
I would not have imagined medoing this 10 years ago either.
I think if it's somebody juststarting out, it's just the
(23:14):
smallest little actions thatstart to build this thing called
momentum that can be anunstoppable freight train.
So I'm a big believer, and I'msure you.
You may see me talk about this,but taking the stairs versus
the elevator.
So I think it could somethingas simple as if you work on the
(23:36):
second or third floor, insteadof taking the elevator every day
, take the stairs and just seehow that affects your energy.
I mean it could be something assimple as take the furthest
parking spot away in the parkinglot, make yourself walk further
into the office, or I mean Iknow for me, when I started on
my journey, i set this goal.
(23:57):
It was a set of stairs outsideof my house in Pittsburgh and I
was going to run up and down thestairs 10 times.
I got up and down once and Ithought I was going to die.
I just I was so unhealthy,overweight, horrible shape, and
I thought, okay, what if I cando one and a half times, the
next time, then two times, andthen it gets.
Then the momentum builds and itstarts to get really addicting
(24:21):
And you start to see the growthand the increase in energy.
So, yeah, i think starting smalland doing as far as practical
stuff goes, and starting smallin the morning to, like some
people will say, wake up an hourand a half earlier, well, i
mean, that's a big step fromwhen you're waking up.
Now maybe you wake up fiveminutes earlier and you knock
(24:43):
out 20 push ups and that's it.
Or you knock out five push upsAnd I just think starting and I
think it's even in the bookatomic habits he talks about
make the habit so simple andsmall that it's hard to not do
it.
So yeah, i think startingextremely small can lead to
things that you never thoughtpossible and you hear from some
(25:04):
of the best athletes on theplanet it's.
It started with a walk to themailbox and back and forth two
or three times and now you knowthey turn into a marathoner.
So yeah, i think the smallchunks to build momentum can
lead to massive results.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
Love that When I get a chance to really share my
story with you.
In terms from going back from2017, i met with my trainer and
she talked about what was in mydiet.
She said just start withsomething small.
What is it that you know you'reovereating on?
I don't know.
I probably eat french friesseven or eight, nine times a
week.
She said to stop eating frenchfries like not nine times, like
two meals a week.
(25:43):
Replace it with broccoli orsome some other veggie That's
not fried.
And I thought I'm again startingsmall as something, getting a
habit built that allows you toget there.
If you want to become a racistreader, like you have in the
past few years, that doesn'tmean you have to read a book a
day.
Start with two pages, whateverthat is to get you through that,
to become a reader.
That, in atomic habits, is agreat book to start you there.
(26:04):
Matt, i appreciate you sharingall those things.
With regards to your journey onthe fitness side, certainly as
a leader in your growth, i wantto touch on one thing that I
that I found in your bio.
I talked about you being asuccessful entrepreneur, but it
also talks about you being aphilanthropist as well, and so
you know, tell me a little bit A.
What does that mean to you interms of where you invest your
time?
(26:25):
with regards to philanthropyAnd, frankly, maybe back into
the habit standpoint, how do youintegrate all those things to
get all this stuff done on aregular basis?
How do you make that happen?
Speaker 2 (26:36):
Yeah, this is so interesting.
You asked that question at thistime in my life because we were
part of a group chat justprobably a week or two ago,
talking about this, and I love,obviously love working out,
doing more extreme activitiesand signing up for these extreme
(26:56):
events, and I also love if Ican help out other people.
So it was the first time I didthis was in 2014.
It was an event called theworld's toughest mutter, which
is a 24-hour obstacle course runby the Tough Mudder Group, and
I decided to do it to raisemoney for a local cancer charity
.
To tie it all together, iwanted to do the event anyways
(27:19):
And I thought what better way toraise awareness for some young
professionals, young people,young adults that were
struggling with cancer in thePittsburgh area and ended up
raising I think it was $15,000for the charity, and after that
I just thought there has to bemore to this.
What if I can tie in a lot ofthese events that I'm doing into
(27:43):
charity events?
So actually, i'll share thiswith you, and I haven't I don't
think I've shared this withanybody This.
There's an event I think it'sJanuary 6th the Disney half
marathon And I'm partnering witha foundation called the Cow
Peace Foundation And basicallythey run with disabled young
(28:03):
adults or adults and you pushthem in this modified wheelchair
And I just to this conversationI had with a couple of friends
a couple of weeks ago.
I feel like I'm doing a lot ofactivities for myself and I love
doing that, but to tie it intosomething bigger than me it
gives me more joy than anythingI could do on my own.
(28:26):
So I think that's as far as thephilanthropy goes.
It has to do with tying in oneof my huge passions, which is
fitness and these extreme events.
And then how can we raiseawareness or funds or both
towards a really good cause?
Speaker 1 (28:41):
Matt, fantastic not that I grade answers, but just
fantastic responses.
I listened to it.
So back to a little bit ofJames.
We're stacking a habit, butstacking that habit to make a
difference not just in your lifebut in the lives of other
people, that's the uncommonleader.
Matt, i've truly enjoyed ourtime today.
I only have two more questionsfor you, as I want to respect
(29:03):
your time as we go forward.
The first one is let thelisteners know how can we stay
in touch with you going forward.
They're going to want to know.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Yeah, i mean I'm most active on Instagram, so it's
just my name at Matt Scaletti.
I answer every direct message.
Sometimes it takes me a littlebit, but I will get back to
everybody.
I love interacting with peopleon there.
Average to Savage is the nameof my podcast, which John will
be on shortly, and I'm excitedfor that conversation.
(29:32):
So either one of those I'm veryactive on there, so reach out
please.
I love chatting with anybody.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
Excellent.
The link to both of thosethings will be in the podcast
notes so that you can stay intouch with Matt And I do.
I think he's a great follow onInstagram And his podcast is
good as well.
I'll put a link to the podcastAverage to Savage.
You know I didn't get to all myquestions.
I'm going to have to have youback on as well, so that's just
how it works.
I love that I have five-timeguests.
I'm going to have a robe, soI've had two three-time guests
(30:01):
so far, so we're going to getthrough there.
But we can do that All right.
Last question That allfirst-time guests have to answer
, but I'm going to give you abillboard.
Being a Pittsburgh guy and I'mPittsburgh too I love it.
I can see.
I used to love as a kid when Igot to go to a pirate baseball
game And we drive through theFort Pitt Tunnel and it was dark
, and you come out of there, man, and you saw the city of
(30:21):
bridges.
You saw three river stadiumssitting over to the left.
But I'm going to give you abillboard that people are going
to see on the top of that firstbridge, the Fort Pitt Tunnel
Bridge, coming out of there Andyou can put anything on that
billboard that you want to, forall those people to see.
What do you put on thatbillboard And why is it on there
?
Speaker 2 (30:39):
First off, i love that drive as well.
That is so beautiful, comingthrough in the city Just emerges
.
I mean, i'm biased, being fromPittsburgh, but I do love that.
This is such a good.
I've never heard this questionbefore.
This is such a good question.
So we did this event that Ihosted in March And you run four
miles every four hours for 48hours.
(31:00):
David Goggins, i think heinvented it, but our quote and
I've been saying it since thenbecause I love it And I think
this would be on the billboardwas empty the tank And I just I
mean, maybe I too often thinkabout my life and legacy And I
mean not to go too deep, but Ievery morning, one other thing I
(31:23):
do every morning.
Some people think it's crazy,but it motivates me.
I have a picture of let's seeif you think this is nuts I have
a picture, actually, i did apodcast on it.
I have a picture of mytombstone.
It's not my actual tombstone, ijust Google imaged it And it
has my name Matthew Scoletti,1983 dash, and that's it.
And just a reminder that it'sgoing to end at some point And I
(31:46):
think it ties into empty thetank where every night when I go
to bed.
I want to know that I gave itwhatever I had that day.
Does that happen every day?
Absolutely not, like there's alot of days it doesn't, but it
is a motivator for me to emptythe tank.
So I think the billboard that'swhat it would say.
If it didn't say savage, itwould definitely say empty the
(32:09):
tank.
Speaker 1 (32:10):
Empty the tank.
First of all, i don't thinkthat's crazy.
I think that's an awesomevisual to have on a regular
basis to make sure that you'refocused on what's most important
Absolutely, and I love emptythe tank, matt.
This has been fun, to say theleast, and I hope that we get a
chance to do this again.
I look forward to theopportunity to be on the Average
to Savage podcast as well andbe there.
(32:30):
I know the listeners are goingto love this episode, but I do
appreciate your time.
I hope you're well, ok, yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
Thanks for having me again, John.
Appreciate it Absolutely, Matt.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
Well, that's all for today's episode of the Uncommon
Leader podcast.
Thanks for listening in.
Please take just a minute toshare this podcast with that
someone you know that youthought of when you heard this
episode.
One of the most valuable thingsyou can do is to rate the
podcast and leave a review.
You can do that on ApplePodcasts or you can rate the
podcast on Spotify or any otherplatform you listen.
Until next time, go and growchampions.
Hey, uncommon Leaders , welcome back.
This is the Uncommon Leaderpodcast and I'm your host, john
Gallagher, in this energizedepisode.
Today, i had the pleasure ofinterviewing Matt Scaletti, a
multi-talented author, amotivational speaker and a
Guinness World Record holder.
We share a mutual love forPittsburgh sports teams, john
Maxwell's inspiring books,fitness and the power of
(00:21):
podcasting.
Matt's journey of overcominghis struggles with alcoholism
and weight gain truly inspiredme, as he transformed into a
fizzy competitor throughdisciplined vision and
consistent, uncomfortable action.
He talks about that a good bit.
This was an engagingconversation filled with
valuable insights for allleaders and appreciation for
each other's ideas that we had.
(00:41):
You're going to love thisepisode.
Let's get started, mattScaletti.
Welcome to the Uncommon Leaderpodcast, my friend, it is great
to have you on the show.
How are you doing today?
Speaker 2 (00:57):
I'm doing great, John .
Thanks for having me.
I am stoked to be here.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
I am so glad too, matt.
I've been looking forward tothis interview and I know you're
going to bring your energy tothe listeners of the podcast.
That's something we're going totalk about a good bit, but I
will start you out with thefirst question that I always
start my first time guess with,and that's to tell the listeners
a story from your youth thatstill kind of impacts who you
are as a person today.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
I love this question And I thought of a story
immediately.
And it's embarrassing, but itturns out good.
So in the fifth grade I ran forstudent government.
I did not want to run.
I got nominated So I was forcedto give a speech in front of
the whole school 200 plusstudents in the auditorium And
basically I blanked out givingthe speech.
(01:42):
I did not have my speech printedout.
I lied I had it printed out butI left it in my locker.
So I was trying to wing thistwo minute speech, which I
should have been fine because Istudied it a zillion times, but
I blanked out.
Most embarrassing moment ever10 seconds go by, i'm saying
nothing in front of the entireaudience.
Finally my fifth grade teacherbails me out, feeds me my final
(02:06):
line and I get the heck off thestage.
But that moment first itdefined who I thought I was as a
speaker.
For over a decade I struggledwith public speaking for
basically until my mid to latetwenties.
I'm 39 now.
But it also lit a fire under meto want to become a better
(02:27):
speaker And I still use thatstory in speeches because I
think it's it keeps me motivatedto want to continuously get
better.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Love that foundational things that can
impact us on kids, especially atthe age fifth grade.
One of the more memorablemoments that I talk about is
with sister Nicodema leftysoftball pitcher, kickball
pitcher She was awesome and andkickball at Santhony's Catholic
school And she was quite ateacher as well and had a great
impact on my life.
(02:57):
So those are the kind ofstories you know, both
challenges that you overcome,which is something clearly that,
as I look at your bio and lookat some things you've done, you
have overcome that.
You've become championToastmasters presenter.
I've seen that in your story andwe may talk about that a little
bit here today, but that's beena journey for you, right?
So 39, you're still reallyyoung and that's a good thing
(03:19):
And you've been through a lot onyour journey.
So, matt, take the listenersback from a leadership
perspective that got you whereyou are today.
Go back as far as you want to,whether it's part of the story
in your first 15, the book thatyou know I've started to read
that you have, which is yourmorning routine, or how you.
You'll have changed as a personand grown.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Sure, yeah, i mean my story.
Basically we can start.
I played basketball in highschool.
It was sort of the all American.
I had what felt like everythinggoing for me, and then I went
off to college and tried out forthe basketball team and it did
not go so well You can't tell byme being on video but five foot
(04:01):
eight didn't help, i don'tthink.
Plus, i did not have the workethic to get me onto a division
one basketball team And I turnedto partying and drinking And I
think a lot of people do that incollege.
But what was different for meis I couldn't get out of that
phase.
Once I graduated, i took a jobin Boston and basically went
(04:22):
down this alcoholic path foranother six years after college
And then I hit my rock bottom.
It was 2011 and had one of thosemoments where I woke up, hung
over on the floor of my livingroom in my house in Pittsburgh,
staggered my way up the stairsinto the bathroom and just
looked at myself in the mirrorand I was 55 pounds overweight.
(04:45):
I just had no passion, no drive.
I don't believe I was a leaderof any sort at that time And I
actually and it's painful tobring up, but I think it's part
of the story.
I hated who was looking backAnd I think I needed that moment
because it just started me onthis quest to want to become
(05:07):
healthier and at least change mylife and not let alcohol ruin
me anymore.
And it wasn't like boom all ofa sudden.
Everything was great and I'mhealthy.
It was clearly a process, but Imet a mentor of mine, a health
and wellness expert named ChrisJohnson.
A month later, he helped mebelieve in my.
He really believed in me beforeI believed in myself, and one
(05:30):
of the first things I starteddoing was getting up earlier,
eating better, workouts got moreintense.
I lost a ton of weight and Istarted competing in these
physique bodybuildingcompetitions, which just gave me
something to shoot for, and Ithink it was the first time I
remember stepping on stage forthe first time And I was, for
(05:53):
the first time in 11 years,proud of something that I did,
because I took a stand forsomething and actually put a ton
of work into something thatmade me healthier And I felt
great.
So that started the journey ofthis healthy living and,
actually I would say, leadership, and that's when I started
(06:14):
getting some eyeballs on me justseeing the transition in my
body, and I think people wereinterested to hear how, how I
did it.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Love that And and we may talk about that again how
you did that as well, and it'ssometimes it is a catalyst like
that.
It's a look in the mirror oneday and say I am sick and tired
of being sick and tired.
And I make a choice that mypurpose is more than what you're
talking about with regards towhat you went through.
And then I got a change, and itstarted with fitness for you.
(06:43):
Now, how is that also molded?
Fitness is one.
you become very fit, and youtalked about the gifts that you
have from physical fitnessstandpoint.
How is that molded?
Some of your disciplines andhabits as leader then as well?
So how did that come in afterthat as well, not just as a
fitness person?
but you know you had to.
you had to transfer thatlifestyle, if you will, over to
other parts of your life too.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Yeah, I think that's where it gets really interesting
And I appreciate you askingthat, John, because I think I
did not know this beforehand.
But going through thistransition and becoming obsessed
with healthy living and fitnessand it is an obsession, I mean,
I love it, I love talking aboutit And what I did not realize
until after the transition wasit's really a mindset.
(07:26):
I think it starts with the mindand then it transitions into
the body.
So what I was realizing washappening as I competed in these
events and then started gettinginto marathon running, ultra
marathon running.
That's clearly a physical thing, but it's more about the
mindset of do you have thediscipline to eat healthy and
(07:51):
fuel your body and wake up at430 in the morning to get the
training in?
Do you, you know, do you havethe right mentality to get
through setbacks when theyhappen If you turn an ankle or,
like I, tore my Achilles in 2020, do you have the mental
toughness to get through thatinjury and figure out how to get
(08:12):
past it?
And I think all of that mapsover to me into leadership,
whether it's in business,whether it's in relationships,
finances, because thatdiscipline and I think has a
huge impact on leadership andall those other areas, And
that's what I did not realizeuntil after.
(08:35):
The fact is, oh my goodness,all of this is mapping over into
like full.
If I can run a marathon withthe weight vest on and then I
have to call a difficult clientthe next week, it's like well,
that's easy.
I just ran a marathon with aweight vest on.
Of course I can call adifficult client.
That's not a big deal, Whereasbefore it was a huge deal.
(08:58):
So I think it helps get throughstress levels and deal with
difficult situations as well.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
But that mindset, very big, becomes lifestyle And
again, oftentimes folks get sofocused on one that they steal
from the other areas of theirlife.
I've heard a term used beforeDon't let your fitness steal
your fitness in terms of beingfit in other areas of your life.
And you mentioned mindset beingvery important.
So you go back in time.
(09:25):
You go back to that time, to2011, and how you're talking to
yourself?
probably not in a very positiveway.
What is it that you're usingmindset today?
that?
what disciplines do you need tomaintain that positive mindset?
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Yeah, that's a really good question And I think to
the point about the book and Iappreciate you sharing that.
I talk about maximizing thebook ends of your day a lot and
I'm sure you're very similar AndI think the first time I read
about that was the compoundeffect.
I think Darren Hardy I think hetalks about it a little bit
(10:01):
Just owning the night before andthen owning the morning, and I
think owning the morning startswith.
For me it started with beingsober.
I had to not wake up hungoverbecause I was already behind And
then I was a big snoozer So Iwould snooze three, four, five
times.
By the time I had the lastsnooze went off, it was I was
(10:23):
already running late for workand I'm already stressed, but it
was.
It was on me.
I had the ability to changethat.
So I think a big part of mymindset has to do with the
routine.
The morning routine is a hugedeal for me.
So I'm a 430 am guy, likebetween 430 and 730 in the
(10:44):
morning.
That's my favorite part of theday And I think it's because
it's just me and it's on me tomaximize that.
But then, as we said, itcarries over into the rest of
the day.
I was just talking to a friendabout this yesterday.
I'm a totally different person.
If I had just woken up a halfan hour before this podcast and
(11:06):
I stayed up late last nightwatching Netflix I would
probably not bring the sameenergy and enthusiasm and
confidence as I have right now.
I'm a big believer in owningthe morning routine and then the
night routine to just crush itin that which is the rest of the
day.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
What are some of the things that are in your morning
routine right now, matt?
What do you do?
I mean, i kind of know someonebecause I follow you on social
media and I'm going to put yoursocial media links in there and
I like them But share with thelisteners some of the unique
things you do, from gettingready to get ready for your day.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Yeah, so the first thing I do and this actually
happened during COVID, becauseI'm sure, like a lot of people
listening or maybe not,hopefully not But I know a lot
of us went through difficulttime and I was waking up at 5 am
and it was just kind of like,oh, just doing the same thing
over again because there'snothing to do.
So I started doing a little.
(12:00):
I started waking up to goodmusic And what happened was I
would start dancing when I heargood music, and so the first
thing I do for a couple of years, basically since March of 2020,
is for sometimes it's fiveseconds, sometimes it's the
whole song, but I will wake upto a song I love and just start
moving my body and start dancing.
(12:21):
A lot of times it's extremelysilly.
I record some of them, as I'msure you've seen, but it just
puts me in a good mood.
I can't help but smile when I'mdancing to a good song right
after I get up, and then Ialways do a quick prayer right
after that And then, typically,i'll drink a glass of lemon
(12:41):
water, do a little meditationand then I filled ice in my cold
plunge.
I have this, as I know, you knowthis cold plunge on my balcony.
I dump a bunch of ice in itbefore I go work out so that
when I come back it is freezingand ready for me to jump in.
But then I'm off to the gym ora run or some sort of physical
(13:03):
workout And then as soon as Icome back, every time without
hesitation, i take my shoes andsocks off, take my shirt off and
jump into this cold plunge forfive minutes.
And it's horrible.
Every time I do it When I leavethe gym and I'm walking
upstairs back to my apartment,i'm always thinking, oh my
(13:24):
goodness, i got to do this again.
But that's just part of thediscipline.
It's like I don't care if it's20 degrees out, whatever the
temperature is.
I'm in this thing And it reallybeen a game changer, not only
just for the inflammation andthe physical benefits.
I think the mentality and themindset has been the biggest
benefit that I've had.
(13:45):
And then, after that, healthybreakfast and do some reading
and then getting ready to crushthe day.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
Did you know that many of the things that I
discussed on the Uncommon Leaderpodcast are subjects that I
coach other leaders andorganizations on?
If you would be interested inhaving me discuss one-on-one or
group coaching with you or knowsomeone who is looking to move
from underperforming to uncommonin their business or life, i
would love to chat with you.
Click the link in the shownotes to set up a free call to
discuss how coaching mightbenefit you and your team.
(14:17):
Now back to the show.
Wow, so I mean you're talkingif you put the workout in there
morning, plus the five minutebath, the prayer, the meditation
, love all those things.
Folks, when you go and watchhim on social media, don't worry
about whether or not he's agood dancer or not, just that he
dances to get the blood flowing.
(14:37):
In terms of making that happen,that's what makes it fun.
But you know that's.
You know that's quite thediscipline that gets there.
And I appreciate I have not gonedown the path.
I have friends that have gonedown the path of the cold plunge
.
I have not gone down there.
But the recognition inside ofthat that really what you're
doing is some hard thingsalready during the day What else
can be difficult during the day.
(14:58):
I mean you spend five minutesin 45 degree water, whatever it
ends up being after you put allthe ice in.
You spend 60 minutes doing whatis likely a pretty rigorous or
some number doing a prettyrigorous workout to train for
some of the things that youtrain for.
That's.
That's a pretty cool thing Andyou're knocking out some of
those hard things right off thebat.
So I appreciate you sharingthat And let's get, i think I
(15:19):
the the practice of getting inthere and getting your day set.
It gives you a better chance Ifyou miss that now.
My guess is that something thatyou don't quite feel right when
you get started during the dayis something that you got to
work for Very good.
So all that physical training,what do you have going on from a
goal standpoint, from a fitnessstandpoint?
that will get back in theleadership, But I know you got
(15:41):
some things going on to sharewith the group, what you have,
what's next on your personalgoal journey for fitness.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Yeah, so I had I.
this is probably the craziestthing I've ever attempted And
it's called the Spartan DeathRace, which is occurring at the
end of June of this year.
It's it's basically militarytraining style.
You go out into this mountainand they they give you a big
list of what you have to bringout there and they don't even
(16:09):
tell you how long it's going tolast.
So I think 60 to 75 peoplestart, normally zero.
There's been people, there'sbeen events where nobody's
finished.
It only happens twice a year,but like zero to three people
normally finish And you know howmany start.
I think 60 to 75.
Wow, so they basically weed youout as the hours go on And you
(16:34):
don't know if it's, i heard it'sgoing to be a minimum of three
days.
It could be a maximum of fourand a half days, depending on,
maybe depending on how manypeople drop out.
But just diving into theunknown, i think that's probably
the the scariest part of thewhole event is you really have
no idea what's about to happen,and I've I've interviewed some
(16:55):
past Spartan Death Race peoplethat have gotten through, which
has helped me build someconfidence.
But the training for this hasbeen extreme, to say the least.
But I will say one of thetakeaways and I know we
discussed this real quick.
Last weekend I did this Ibasically rented a glorified
tent in the middle of nowhereAnd for 60 hours I stayed awake
(17:20):
to see if I could handle it.
I just wanted to see how far Icould push, because I know
they're going to push us to themax And I'm almost trying to
simulate that as difficult as Ican make it.
And one of the things I'm nottelling you this story to
suggest to any listeners to gostay awake for 61 hours.
But I think what I did learnwas that this idea of redefining
(17:43):
what, what is possible And I'ma believer that and myself
included 1000% am capable of somuch more than I'm putting out
right now.
And I learned that through thispast weekend that, oh my
goodness, if I can stay awakefor 61 hours, basically on my
feet the whole time and doingsome rigorous activity, like we
(18:04):
said, where else can that mapinto in my life and in anybody's
life?
So I think the idea of almostproving ourselves wrong, that
we're capable of more than wethink we are, and just pushing
the limits a little bit, canopen doors that I don't think I
ever fully understood until thispast weekend.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
Redefining what is possible.
Love that, I would imagine, andagain, it's good It fits right
in the next question.
So you're sought after keynotespeaker.
Oddly enough, Fifth grade youhad so much fear you didn't want
to do that.
You've overcome that.
Now you've become a speakeragain, a champion speaker, And
some of the stories that youshare, some of the things that
you do with regards to you.
(18:46):
Redefining what is possible ismore than others may believe
that they're capable of.
But what are some of the funmessages that you try to convey
to the audiences you have aboutpersonal growth and how they can
use that?
Maybe redefining what ispossible is one of those things,
But what are some of the otherfun messages you share with them
?
Speaker 2 (19:06):
Yeah, this is such a good question.
I just gave a keynote last weekand there's and I'll give you
these two takeaways It wasfocused on two things regarding
personal growth And I think itmaps over into leadership and
business as well And it wasvision and action.
That was the whole keynote wasthose two things, and one of the
(19:27):
takeaways with vision is Ibelieve in vision before victory
, so you have to know whereyou're going, what the vision is
, and I use my life as anexample, where, for those 10
years from 2002 to 2011, i hadno vision at all.
I just I wasn't.
I was just surviving.
I was just sort of goingthrough the motions of everyday
(19:50):
life.
There was no vision of what Iwanted to be or what I wanted to
do.
So as soon as I started speakingmore in 2011, 2012, and it was
only because people saw thetransition I made physically,
they would ask me to come speakto different small groups.
I realized I was a horriblespeaker and but I felt I had
(20:10):
this message that I wanted toget out there that could help
people.
So the vision became I want tobe a keynote speaker, i want to
be a powerful speaker And it Igo through this whole journey
but it took 11 plus years tobecome even a decent speaker.
Through Toastmasters and justconstantly getting up and giving
(20:31):
speeches, getting mentors,getting coaches, going through
courses that would help me levelup, and so I think the idea of
vision is huge.
And then the second piece oftaking action consistent and a
lot of times uncomfortableaction in any area of life I
think is a cure all And I I meanyou could use it in business
(20:56):
and leadership and fitness andhealth and nutrition.
But if we're not taking anyaction then I think the results
they're just not going to bethere.
So I'm all for reading andlearning and growing that way,
but I also think you can't reada book and without taking the
actions in the book to get theresults, you need to follow it
(21:19):
up with consistent and a lot oftimes uncomfortable action on
the back end.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Love it, matt.
So you started off.
You got to make a choice.
That's true That you stand infront of the mirror in 2011 and
saying, second tired of beingsecond tired.
You set up a vision what thatgoodness looks like for you and
understand what that is, andthen, to your point, take action
, of which I love the descriptorof uncomfortable action,
(21:44):
because we're not going to getfrom where we are today to where
we want to go without somethingbeing different, without us
having to do something that'sgoing to be uncomfortable as we
move there.
So I love that as a story.
We all know that the saying hopeis not a strategy.
You can have all the visionthat you want to, but if there's
no action that comes along withit, it's just a wish.
I mean, that's all it is.
You're really wishing forsomething to happen That's
(22:05):
likely not going to happen.
Thanks for sharing that story,and I like the idea of sharing
that with a group vision andaction, sharing that with a
group and how that can work forleaders, and so Thinking about
uncomfortableness, thinkingabout how I kind of got in touch
with you was the uncommon andthe uncommon leader podcast,
(22:28):
those individuals that aresitting at a point where you
might have been in 2010.
Okay, and maybe this is alittle bit of vision action, but
what are some practical tipsyou might have for them to be
able to make a positive impactin their personal life?
in their home, in their business.
(22:49):
That could get them startedtoday.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
Yeah, and I love the name of the podcast to the, the
uncommon, and I appreciate youasking that question that way,
because I'm in no way saying togo sign up for the death race or
any of these crazy activities,and I can't.
I would not have imagined medoing this 10 years ago either.
I think if it's somebody juststarting out, it's just the
(23:14):
smallest little actions thatstart to build this thing called
momentum that can be anunstoppable freight train.
So I'm a big believer, and I'msure you.
You may see me talk about this,but taking the stairs versus
the elevator.
So I think it could somethingas simple as if you work on the
(23:36):
second or third floor, insteadof taking the elevator every day
, take the stairs and just seehow that affects your energy.
I mean it could be something assimple as take the furthest
parking spot away in the parkinglot, make yourself walk further
into the office, or I mean Iknow for me, when I started on
my journey, i set this goal.
(23:57):
It was a set of stairs outsideof my house in Pittsburgh and I
was going to run up and down thestairs 10 times.
I got up and down once and Ithought I was going to die.
I just I was so unhealthy,overweight, horrible shape, and
I thought, okay, what if I cando one and a half times, the
next time, then two times, andthen it gets.
Then the momentum builds and itstarts to get really addicting
(24:21):
And you start to see the growthand the increase in energy.
So, yeah, i think starting smalland doing as far as practical
stuff goes, and starting smallin the morning to, like some
people will say, wake up an hourand a half earlier, well, i
mean, that's a big step fromwhen you're waking up.
Now maybe you wake up fiveminutes earlier and you knock
(24:43):
out 20 push ups and that's it.
Or you knock out five push upsAnd I just think starting and I
think it's even in the bookatomic habits he talks about
make the habit so simple andsmall that it's hard to not do
it.
So yeah, i think startingextremely small can lead to
things that you never thoughtpossible and you hear from some
(25:04):
of the best athletes on theplanet it's.
It started with a walk to themailbox and back and forth two
or three times and now you knowthey turn into a marathoner.
So yeah, i think the smallchunks to build momentum can
lead to massive results.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
Love that When I get a chance to really share my
story with you.
In terms from going back from2017, i met with my trainer and
she talked about what was in mydiet.
She said just start withsomething small.
What is it that you know you'reovereating on?
I don't know.
I probably eat french friesseven or eight, nine times a
week.
She said to stop eating frenchfries like not nine times, like
two meals a week.
(25:43):
Replace it with broccoli orsome some other veggie That's
not fried.
And I thought I'm again startingsmall as something, getting a
habit built that allows you toget there.
If you want to become a racistreader, like you have in the
past few years, that doesn'tmean you have to read a book a
day.
Start with two pages, whateverthat is to get you through that,
to become a reader.
That, in atomic habits, is agreat book to start you there.
(26:04):
Matt, i appreciate you sharingall those things.
With regards to your journey onthe fitness side, certainly as
a leader in your growth, i wantto touch on one thing that I
that I found in your bio.
I talked about you being asuccessful entrepreneur, but it
also talks about you being aphilanthropist as well, and so
you know, tell me a little bit A.
What does that mean to you interms of where you invest your
time?
(26:25):
with regards to philanthropyAnd, frankly, maybe back into
the habit standpoint, how do youintegrate all those things to
get all this stuff done on aregular basis?
How do you make that happen?
Speaker 2 (26:36):
Yeah, this is so interesting.
You asked that question at thistime in my life because we were
part of a group chat justprobably a week or two ago,
talking about this, and I love,obviously love working out,
doing more extreme activitiesand signing up for these extreme
(26:56):
events, and I also love if Ican help out other people.
So it was the first time I didthis was in 2014.
It was an event called theworld's toughest mutter, which
is a 24-hour obstacle course runby the Tough Mudder Group, and
I decided to do it to raisemoney for a local cancer charity
.
To tie it all together, iwanted to do the event anyways
(27:19):
And I thought what better way toraise awareness for some young
professionals, young people,young adults that were
struggling with cancer in thePittsburgh area and ended up
raising I think it was $15,000for the charity, and after that
I just thought there has to bemore to this.
What if I can tie in a lot ofthese events that I'm doing into
(27:43):
charity events?
So actually, i'll share thiswith you, and I haven't I don't
think I've shared this withanybody This.
There's an event I think it'sJanuary 6th the Disney half
marathon And I'm partnering witha foundation called the Cow
Peace Foundation And basicallythey run with disabled young
(28:03):
adults or adults and you pushthem in this modified wheelchair
And I just to this conversationI had with a couple of friends
a couple of weeks ago.
I feel like I'm doing a lot ofactivities for myself and I love
doing that, but to tie it intosomething bigger than me it
gives me more joy than anythingI could do on my own.
(28:26):
So I think that's as far as thephilanthropy goes.
It has to do with tying in oneof my huge passions, which is
fitness and these extreme events.
And then how can we raiseawareness or funds or both
towards a really good cause?
Speaker 1 (28:41):
Matt, fantastic not that I grade answers, but just
fantastic responses.
I listened to it.
So back to a little bit ofJames.
We're stacking a habit, butstacking that habit to make a
difference not just in your lifebut in the lives of other
people, that's the uncommonleader.
Matt, i've truly enjoyed ourtime today.
I only have two more questionsfor you, as I want to respect
(29:03):
your time as we go forward.
The first one is let thelisteners know how can we stay
in touch with you going forward.
They're going to want to know.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Yeah, i mean I'm most active on Instagram, so it's
just my name at Matt Scaletti.
I answer every direct message.
Sometimes it takes me a littlebit, but I will get back to
everybody.
I love interacting with peopleon there.
Average to Savage is the nameof my podcast, which John will
be on shortly, and I'm excitedfor that conversation.
(29:32):
So either one of those I'm veryactive on there, so reach out
please.
I love chatting with anybody.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
Excellent.
The link to both of thosethings will be in the podcast
notes so that you can stay intouch with Matt And I do.
I think he's a great follow onInstagram And his podcast is
good as well.
I'll put a link to the podcastAverage to Savage.
You know I didn't get to all myquestions.
I'm going to have to have youback on as well, so that's just
how it works.
I love that I have five-timeguests.
I'm going to have a robe, soI've had two three-time guests
(30:01):
so far, so we're going to getthrough there.
But we can do that All right.
Last question That allfirst-time guests have to answer
, but I'm going to give you abillboard.
Being a Pittsburgh guy and I'mPittsburgh too I love it.
I can see.
I used to love as a kid when Igot to go to a pirate baseball
game And we drive through theFort Pitt Tunnel and it was dark
, and you come out of there, man, and you saw the city of
(30:21):
bridges.
You saw three river stadiumssitting over to the left.
But I'm going to give you abillboard that people are going
to see on the top of that firstbridge, the Fort Pitt Tunnel
Bridge, coming out of there Andyou can put anything on that
billboard that you want to, forall those people to see.
What do you put on thatbillboard And why is it on there
?
Speaker 2 (30:39):
First off, i love that drive as well.
That is so beautiful, comingthrough in the city Just emerges
.
I mean, i'm biased, being fromPittsburgh, but I do love that.
This is such a good.
I've never heard this questionbefore.
This is such a good question.
So we did this event that Ihosted in March And you run four
miles every four hours for 48hours.
(31:00):
David Goggins, i think heinvented it, but our quote and
I've been saying it since thenbecause I love it And I think
this would be on the billboardwas empty the tank And I just I
mean, maybe I too often thinkabout my life and legacy And I
mean not to go too deep, but Ievery morning, one other thing I
(31:23):
do every morning.
Some people think it's crazy,but it motivates me.
I have a picture of let's seeif you think this is nuts I have
a picture, actually, i did apodcast on it.
I have a picture of mytombstone.
It's not my actual tombstone, ijust Google imaged it And it
has my name Matthew Scoletti,1983 dash, and that's it.
And just a reminder that it'sgoing to end at some point And I
(31:46):
think it ties into empty thetank where every night when I go
to bed.
I want to know that I gave itwhatever I had that day.
Does that happen every day?
Absolutely not, like there's alot of days it doesn't, but it
is a motivator for me to emptythe tank.
So I think the billboard that'swhat it would say.
If it didn't say savage, itwould definitely say empty the
(32:09):
tank.
Speaker 1 (32:10):
Empty the tank.
First of all, i don't thinkthat's crazy.
I think that's an awesomevisual to have on a regular
basis to make sure that you'refocused on what's most important
Absolutely, and I love emptythe tank, matt.
This has been fun, to say theleast, and I hope that we get a
chance to do this again.
I look forward to theopportunity to be on the Average
to Savage podcast as well andbe there.
(32:30):
I know the listeners are goingto love this episode, but I do
appreciate your time.
I hope you're well, ok, yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
Thanks for having me again, John.
Appreciate it Absolutely, Matt.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
Well, that's all for today's episode of the Uncommon
Leader podcast.
Thanks for listening in.
Please take just a minute toshare this podcast with that
someone you know that youthought of when you heard this
episode.
One of the most valuable thingsyou can do is to rate the
podcast and leave a review.
You can do that on ApplePodcasts or you can rate the
podcast on Spotify or any otherplatform you listen.
Until next time, go and growchampions.
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