We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Matt Gerlach a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Matt, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?

The idea for my business wasn’t born out of a boardroom, but from personal experience—deeply personal experience. I had been outwardly successful, scaling multiple businesses to 7, 8, and 9 figures, but beneath that success, I was battling intense anxiety, burnout, and unresolved trauma from my childhood. It wasn’t something I could simply ‘push through’ anymore. I had reached a point where I knew that no amount of external success could compensate for the internal chaos I was experiencing. This realization wasn’t a sudden epiphany, but more of a slow awakening that I needed to do something different, not just for myself, but for others like me.

As I invested in my own healing—spending over $200k and thousands of hours in therapy, coaching, and personal growth—I saw how powerful it was to combine business acumen with deep personal transformation. The business world often only focuses on strategy and profit, neglecting the emotional and mental health of the leaders who drive it. But I knew from my journey that without inner alignment, external success feels hollow. That’s when I realized there was a massive gap in the market. There were plenty of business consultants, and there were plenty of life coaches, but few who were offering a comprehensive approach that addressed both.

I knew this was a worthwhile endeavor because the more I spoke to other high-achieving entrepreneurs and executives, the more I realized I wasn’t alone in feeling this way. Many of them were facing similar struggles—outwardly thriving but inwardly suffering. What got me most excited was the opportunity to help these leaders break free from the chains of anxiety and burnout, and guide them to build not just successful businesses, but lives that were deeply fulfilling.

I offered a unique approach by blending business strategy with personal transformation. I wasn’t just focused on helping my clients make more money—I wanted to help them feel whole, to align their work with their values, and to create a life where they could thrive emotionally, mentally, and financially. That’s what drives me every day, knowing that I’m not just solving business problems, but helping people lead more meaningful and impactful lives.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m Matt Gerlach, and I’m a Fractional CRO and Strategic Growth Coach, and also an entrepreneur who’s dedicated to helping high-achieving leaders overcome the internal barriers that hold them back from reaching their full potential. My journey began after facing significant personal challenges—debilitating anxiety, burnout, and unresolved trauma—that I had to overcome while building multiple successful businesses. Through investing over $200k and thousands of hours into personal healing and growth, I not only transformed my own life but also discovered my passion for helping others do the same.

In my coaching and consulting practice, I work with entrepreneurs and executives who are outwardly successful but privately struggling with stress, anxiety, and a lack of fulfillment. My services focus on both personal transformation and business growth. I help my clients heal from past traumas, reframe limiting beliefs, and realign their personal and professional lives so they can achieve maximum profit, freedom, and impact.

What sets me apart is my holistic approach—unlike many consultants who focus solely on business strategy, I address the underlying emotional challenges that often sabotage success. I understand firsthand the toll that unresolved emotional wounds can take on both your well-being and your business. My goal is to create lasting change for my clients by guiding them to align their inner values with their external achievements.

I’m most proud of the deep transformations I’ve helped my clients achieve—not just financially, but in terms of their mental health, personal fulfillment, and relationships. I want potential clients to know that true success goes beyond outward accomplishments. It’s about creating a life and business that are both aligned with who you are and what you want. I’m here to help people unlock that potential and build a future of abundance, authenticity, and freedom.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

One of the most defining moments of my journey—and a true test of my resilience—came when I persevered through when I had just started my own business and ended up in the hospital after a panic attack. I had been extremely successful on the outside, making more money than I ever imagined. Still, inside, I was battling crippling anxiety that I realized was unresolved trauma that I had ignored for years. It reached a point where I could no longer function as I had been. My mental health was unraveling, and it became clear that pushing through wasn’t an option anymore.

It was really the hardest time of my life—and I was shameful about what I was going through, and work became almost impossible—and I had so many things to do. This isn’t a story of pushing through when it’s hard; it’s a story of asking for help—I went all in on healing and did the work—therapy, coaching, yoga—to get better. I learned to meditate, eat well, and take care of myself so I could be okay for all that I had to face.

What kept me resilient wasn’t just pushing through the hard times, but learning to address the root causes of my struggles. I didn’t just want to survive; I wanted to thrive. Through this process, I built a business that was not only financially successful but truly aligned with who I am. I’ve been able to help others facing similar struggles—entrepreneurs and executives who feel overwhelmed by the weight of their success and unresolved trauma—and guide them to find a way to achieve both personal and professional fulfillment. My journey has taught me that resilience isn’t just about endurance; it’s about transformation

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the biggest lessons I had to unlearn was the belief that success only comes through constant hustle and self-sacrifice. Growing up and throughout my early career, I was conditioned to believe that hard work and pushing myself to the limit were the only ways to achieve success. I thought that in order to succeed, I had to work longer hours, take on more responsibilities, and never show weakness or vulnerability.

This mindset carried me through a lot of my early successes. I was able to scale businesses and make great money, but it came at a huge personal cost. I was constantly anxious, burned out, and struggling internally. I kept thinking, “This is just what it takes to succeed,” and I ignored the toll it was taking on my mental health. I didn’t realize that this belief, which had been ingrained in me, was actually hindering my long-term success and happiness.

The turning point came when I started to experience physical and emotional burnout. No matter how much I pushed, it didn’t feel like enough. I had to confront the fact that I wasn’t just tired—I was completely drained and disconnected from myself. That’s when I began the hard process of unlearning this hustle mentality. I started investing in my own healing, from therapy to working with coaches, and learned that true success is not about how much you do, but about doing the right things with intention, alignment, and balance.

Unlearning the belief that constant hustle is necessary for success has not only transformed my life, but it’s also become a core part of what I teach my clients. Now, I help high-achieving entrepreneurs and executives realize that they can achieve greater success with less stress, and that taking care of themselves is a critical part of their growth—both personally and professionally.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mattgerlach.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/iammattgerlach
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/mattggerlach
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/matt-gerlach/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mattgerlach