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

Alright, MattDad thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

We have created a salt and pepper replacement. That makes your food taste better…….a chef in a bottle. Let’s go back.
Almost thirty years ago i started washing dishes in a kitchen and began my journey as a chef.
I attended Johnson and Wales and eventually ended up as an executive chef. Along the way seasoning with salt became super important in my culinary career. I created a mix that i would give away. Fast forward a bunch of years and i was a chef in the corporate world for a total of 19 years. Towards the end of my corporate run i started to build the Mattdad Brand and we would teach cooking classes and give the MaD Seasoning salt away. Because folks would always ask “what can i do to make my food taste better?” we would always respond do you season your food? With what………. MaD Seasoning solves a problem….. it Makes-a-Difference and that is MaD.
Four years ago i left the corporate world i burnt the boat to chase my dream of teaching cooking classes……one year later Covid. No more cooking classes. Getting back to that question “what can i do to make better tasting food?”
MaD Seasoning solves a problem….it Makes-a-Difference.
So we started selling the seasoning and making cooking videos on Tiktok and Instagram some of those videos went viral on Buzzfeed-Tasty millions of views and our seasoning started selling like crazy.
See MaD seasoning is not a one and done we always caution folks to be careful its addictive ;) It will become America’s seasoning and as popular as Ketchup.
It also pretty amazing that all of our sales have been at Farmers Markets, Online, Small local retail shops and word of mouth.
Our goal is to become the most popular seasoning in the USA. We are creating the MaD Revolution that is helping/inspiring folks to cok better tasting food so more folks want to come around their table which we think during these trying times is revolutionary.
Each minute, each hour, each day we are working towards that……….Because it Makes-a-Difference. #StayMaD

thanks for allowing me to share my dream, my story………..my His-Story. MD

MattDad, 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?

Im a Dad of four who married his high school sweet heart. Im a chef and a lover of life that always sees the glass way more than half full. My glass is over flowing so others can drink from it when needed. I am a passionate outdoors and love to cook outside…..see my tiktok @themattdad My family is from West Virginia the Appalachian Mountains…I tie my ancestry back Tecumseh the Shawnee indian chief as My Great Grandmother was a Shawnee indian.
I graduated from Great Bridge High School
Went to Tidewater Community College and George Mason University….i am a few classes shy of graduating. I was not a very good student. Never was…….. until i got to culinary school and then the light went on. Johnson and Wales felt right. I was meant to be a chef.

Mattdad is a brand that promotes Making-a-Difference, Family and working super hard on something that you are passionate about. We my son and i teach cooking classes and my family all help run the business.
Rhonda my wife…. the boss
Miep mia my daughter….and Shepherd my grandson
Riley my Partner in Mattdad and MaD Seasoning
Ruby the artist
AJ Anna Jane the Manager.

they are my tribe…..my life.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Covid we built this company in one of the toughest times to run a business much less start a business.
We didn’t have a choice. Getting material to package the seasoning was nearly impossible.
But i knew we had a great product and if we just kept moving forward we would make it through the trying times. Then when it becomes good times and folks are buying we would enjoy the ride. that happened.

My secret
Love my family, find my passion and work super hard.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I was unhappy at my corporate world. So i started to build Mattdad while i was fully employed. I would wake up early and stay up late building the brand. Learning how to use instagram and Facebook, Youtube. making lots of cooking videos. So when i was given the chance to switch jobs or take a severance package….i took the package.. i Burnt the boat.

I thought about this yesterday as i was walking back from the grocery store.
How many folks can say they wouldn’t want to be doing anything else than what they are doing and its their job. I was walking back from the store with some rolls and cabbage for coleslaw. I had pork butt on the grill that i was making a video with using our new MaD Red BBQ Seasoning. I was working and i was smiling and happy…… that is work life balance and i wonder how many folks truly have that.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mattdad.com
• Instagram: themattdad
• Facebook: cook like a rockstar
• Linkedin: Matt Starcher. dont use it much
• Twitter: themattdad
• Youtube: Matt Starcher
• Other: Tiktok @themattdad