We recently connected with William Matthews and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, William thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?
Success means different things to different people. To me it means being happy and proud of the work you’ve done professionally and personally. Growing up I thought success meant having a fancy office and a ton of people calling you boss. Priorities shift and change as you become older and you realize the dream is free, but the hustle is sold separately.
William, 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?
My background in real estate development, event planning, and fund development has shaped my signature approach that combines my entrepreneurial alter-ego with an uncompromising personality and philanthropist mindset. I strive to resonate with my audience at each speaking engagement with my sense of humor, wit, and descriptions of the challenges that I have faced. Growing up, I had a major chip on my shoulder after being kicked out of five schools and told by many I wouldn’t amount to anything. Since then, I have achieved two degrees, written three books, raised millions of dollars for organizations, and completed a leadership program at Harvard University.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Getting the word out there is always the difficult part for a lot of people. It is also getting others to give you a chance and an opportunity as you are trying to build your portfolio, your brand, and your client base. Everyone has to start somewhere and what happens to new people is that no one really wants to give them a chance because they want to work with experienced people. Everyone needs a start, so just start with family and friends first, or reduce your price the first few times, or take a free gig until you build your portfolio, your reputation, and your brand. And then you can go out there and charge what you are worth. You know your worth, but competition is tough and for people to want to take a chance on you, sometimes you just have to play the game until you can really write your own rules.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I want to start by saying that I don’t live with regrets. I think everything happens for a divine reason and nothing happens by mistake. I believe your path has already been planned out, whether it’s God or a higher power, or whoever you believe in. If I had to say, I probably would have taken school a little bit more seriously in junior high and in high school so that I could have had more options as far as the colleges. Having options is always important. Some of the things that I did do too, like having internships and mentors, I probably would have taken them up a notch or two. I think the biggest lesson when I got out of school happened when I didn’t know what I wanted to do, just like so many other recent graduates. I took the first job that came my way and I think I gave too many years to a job that I should have only been at for a year. Even though I learned a lot, I stayed for too long, and those are years that I won’t be able to get back. During those years, I was doing a lot of other things on the side, but it is really important to know when it is time to leave.
Sometimes you have to just step out of your comfort zone for another opportunity. That can mean that you take a pay cut, but it may be a better opportunity for you because you have more chances to grow. Don’t get content or complacent. Everyone has to know when the time is to walk away from a relationship, whether that be a personal one or a professional one.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.williamsmatthews.com
- Instagram: @WilliamSMatthews
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-s-matthews/
- Twitter: @MrWSMatthews
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyGmAnxn0uISfV5_8txNBgQ