We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Matty Sionnach. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Matty below.
Hi Matty, thanks for joining us today. Was there an experience or lesson you learned at a previous job that’s benefited your career afterwards?
Honestly, the most important lesson I’ve learned—and this comes from working in the service industry for over a decade—is that it’s not really about the thing you’re serving. It’s about the people. Whether it was at a pizza place, a café, a bistro, a brewery, or behind the bar at midnight, the heart of hospitality is always people—both the ones you’re serving and the ones you’re working alongside.
The thing about the service industry is that the people who choose to stay in it are built different. They show love through their work. They might not say it out loud, but every perfectly pulled shot of espresso or carefully measured cocktail is an act of care. And yet, they’re so often overlooked. But if you take the time to really talk to them, you’ll find they have these incredible, chaotic, beautiful stories. Some of my closest friends started as coworkers who have been in the trenches with me during a rush, or have even been customers who came in every day and simply stayed to chat because they cared.
When I transitioned from the service industry to being a content creator, I knew people had to stay at the center of everything I do. My travel show, “Where to Next?”, is about more than just exploring new places—it’s about the people who make those places come alive. My upcoming interview show, “Last Bites”, is about sharing a meal and connecting through stories. Even when I’m simply filming myself cooking for my family, it’s about that human connection and love.
For me, it all comes back to love. Love for the people, for their stories, for the way food and shared experiences bring us together. That’s what drives everything I create.
Matty, 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?
Honestly, I stumbled into this work because my brain doesn’t turn off. I’ve always been a creator—it’s just how I’m wired. I’ve tried so many things over the years: I’ve had two failed photography businesses, a failed creative agency, and more random projects than I can count. Each one taught me something, though, and kept me moving forward. I think that’s the thing about me—if I have an idea, I have to make it happen, even if it doesn’t stick.
When I transitioned out of the service industry after over a decade and became a stay-at-home dad, I thought I’d left the hospitality world behind. But it turns out you don’t just walk away from something you love. And for me, I didn’t just love the work itself—I loved the stories that come with it. Over the years, I’d heard so many incredible stories from coworkers, chefs, business owners, and countless other people that stuck with me. That time in the service industry shaped me, and when I stepped away from it, I had this creative energy, and I didn’t know where to put.
So, one night, I decided to film myself cooking a weeknight dinner. It was simple, just me trying to make something my spouse and son would enjoy. But I loved the process—turning the act of cooking into a story I could share. That first little video opened the door to everything I do now. I started experimenting, not just with cooking but with how I could push myself creatively. And slowly, ideas I’d been sitting on for years—ideas about travel, food, and the people behind it all—began to take shape.
That’s how Where to Next? came to life. It’s a travel show, but at its core, it’s about people—the chefs, the makers, the small business owners. And now, with Last Bites, my upcoming interview show, I’m diving even deeper, sharing meals and conversations with people who inspire me.
What makes my work different is that it’s grounded in human connection. I’m not just showing you a meal or a destination—I’m showing you the people who make it special. And I think what I’m most proud of is that everything I do is personal. Whether it’s a travel video or a cooking tutorial, it comes from this real place of curiosity and love.
If there’s one thing I’d want people to know about me and my work, it’s that I’m here to tell stories—mine, yours, ours. And I want those stories to feel honest and human. That’s the heart of what I do.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Honestly, I think most of my journey as a content creator is a testament to resilience. I’m fully self-funded, which means every trip I take, every extravagant meal I make, every piece of content I produce—it all comes out of my own pocket. That’s not easy, and it forces me to be resourceful, scrappy, and sometimes a little reckless.
I have a bad habit of leaping before I look—which can often mean I put myself in hard situations that seem destined to fail.
One of the best examples of this was when I pitched an interview idea to a guest and booked them before I had literally anything else lined up—no location, no equipment, no crew, nothing. As the date got closer, I was still scrambling—making calls, reaching out to friends, trying to pull something together.
It was down to the wire when things finally started to click. A friend offered up their kitchen as a filming location. Another friend let me borrow their equipment. And because I’m unbelievably lucky to have the people I do in my corner, I had a few friends behind the cameras as the crew.
My friends are saints.
That day, we made it happen, and honestly, the result was better than I could’ve planned. It taught me that resilience isn’t just about pushing through the chaos or being stubborn—it’s about leaning on your community, trusting the people around you, and staying committed to the vision, even when it feels impossible.
What I’m most proud of as a creator isn’t just the content I produce—it’s the fact that every project reflects the support and kindness of the people around me. My work isn’t just about me; it’s about this wider community of amazing people who’ve helped me make these ideas come to life. That’s the heart of everything I do—collaboration, connection, and love.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My creative journey is driven by one main goal: to share the stories of people I find interesting. And large chunk of that is the people who make food and drinks.
Starting a business in the service industry is one of the riskiest things a person can do. It’s a field where the pay is notoriously low, the hours are brutal, and the work is often thankless. And yet, people keep opening restaurants, they keep crafting drinks, creating dishes, and working twelve-hour days—not for the money, but because they love it. They love what they do.
That love, that passion, deserves to be recognized. The stories of chefs, bartenders, servers—people who’ve dedicated their lives to hospitality—are stories worth telling. And it’s not just them. I think a lot of people’s stories deserve to be heard.
At the end of the day, I’m a storyteller. Whether I’m making a hearty soup for my family or talking to someone who’s spent 25 years behind the counter of the sandwich shop they started, there are stories there that I think deserve to be told. Food and drink aren’t just about what’s on the plate or in the glass—they’re about the people behind them, the experiences that shape them, and the connections they foster.
That’s what drives me. Every video, every interview, every meal I share is about putting those stories at the center of everything I do.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @loveabledirtbag
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@aloveabledirtbag?si=5ynBxf9Giy4v5s24
