Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mathew Woods. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Mathew, thanks for joining us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

I come from really humble beginnings. Growing up, my parents worked hard to ensure we had a roof over our heads and food on the table. Cliche right? Growing up, most of my friends and family rented houses or apartments but had air conditioning, cable TV/satellites, relatively newer cars, gaming systems, electronics, etc. My parents decided that owning a piece of property was more important than the other amenities and that it was of utility. They instilled in me, a macro attitude on life and problem-solving. Although the details can be very important, it is the overall outcome or image that everyone is going to remember. My house was the “SPOT” for all my friends. The place to be safe, make amazing memories and learn from our elders. This has had a tremendous impact on how I approach my own investments and career goals to this day.

Another thing that my mom, specifically did, instilled confidence in my ability. She is truly my life mentor, always learning and growing. I would have deep discussions with her, starting at an early age, about life, the law of attraction, mindfulness, nutrition, time management, and much more. These conversations and concepts have remained with me to this day and will continue to help guide and mold me as a Father, Leader, Mentor, and Human.

Mathew, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

It started as early as 4 years old, setting up my first recording session, where I recorded my own voice on a tape recorder. I was hooked. I used to dub my voice over the nursery rhymes to show my parents. My father was in the live production and audio visual business in San Francisco in the late 1960s. He started his career working with Bill Graham, who became his mentor. He worked with Bill, producing some of the biggest names in rock and roll of the time, including The Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, Leon Russel, The Cream, Janis Joplin, and The Allman Brothers, just to name a few. After working with Bill Graham presents, my father ventured out on his own to create “Video Center”, the first AV rental house of its kind in the Bay Area. This achievement earned him a Billboard Magazine feature.

Fast forward to when I came along and when we migrated to Miami, along with my father and my uncle, I got my first taste of helping produce live events, including meetings, festivals, concerts, pageants, and parades. I continued my love for production through hip hop and dance music, as a songwriter, producer, and audio engineer. After being honorably discharged from the US Navy, I went to SAE Institute in NMB, FL where I began to work with Slip n Slide Records. After graduation, I continued my education at Miami Dade College, earning Degrees in Music Business – Creative Production and TV/Film/Radio Broadcasting. During this time, I was an engineer, assistant engineer, and intern at local studios in Miami, as well as my own project studio, which I built from the ground up, and was also the Director of Technology for the South Florida Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce, in charge of all their audio-visual, marketing, and IT systems. In the midst of all of the above, I became proficient in computer science, digital commercial art, and web hosting/design.

In 2011 I entered another arena of production and joined the corporate event technology field. I support a team that currently produces small to large-scale corporate and catering events in the luxury hospitality market. I still produce music and in 2017 started Relax Records (www.relax-records.com), with my friend and business partner, Carlos Ventura.

I draw from my experience in production to deliver quality and flawless experiences to our clients. Being in hospitality, you have to stay calm under pressure, so your clients feel comfortable and at ease when problems arise.

I like to say I am a “Producer of Results”. You can find me on IG @theproductionguy. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to share my story.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

From an early age, I wasn’t dealt the best cards, but I never give up when I put my mind to something. A good example of resilience is when I left the military and I wanted to go to SAE. At the time, they did not accept the GI Bill and I wanted to be able to use my benefits. After a lot of research and communication with the CEO of SAE, I was able to identify a program they did accept allowing for me to have my tuition paid in full on my 1st week of the program. I was very happy that I could use the benefits I earned and not worry about looming student loan debt. If I would have given up when they said I couldn’t use the benefits, I wouldn’t have been able to pursue my dream of learning and working as an audio engineer. There is always a way to persevere through challenges if you show your grit.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

We need to promote the ARTS more, at a young age. We should promote learning an instrument, painting, dance, singing, etc. instead of sticking our children in front of tablets and phones. I also think young artists have so much more opportunities to share their art through the digital revolution, which is amazing.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.relax-records.com
• Instagram: theproductionguy

Image Credits
The Production Guy