Get Down On It: What Else I’m Up To, 1/5/2024 Edition

It’s been a wild start to 2024 – I’m kind of in shock the year is almost 15% in the books, and then I look at just how much happened and… some highlights!

In no particular order – here’s what else I’m up to. And if you want to know more frequently than these self-promotional emails, I’m doing an incrementally better job of this on X/Twitter and LinkedIn. Get yourself connected, the writings on the non-Facebook walls (yes, that’s a pun AND a Stereo MCs reference, the coffee really must be hitting).

As the prophet Kool spoke unto his Gang, “How you gonna do it if you really won’t take a chance, by standing on the wall?”

I wrote an essay on identity and how nobody is immune from getting slapped with an unfair label. It’s also a cautionary tale of choosing dangerously narrow labels for yourself. Plus, there’s a lot about a pair of hand-me-down yellow pants that almost got me killed in 6th grade, why I’m worried about my crypto/Bitcoin friends, and why I know there’s always HOPE. The amazing crew at Epsilon Theory published this one exclusively, and they made it free to view (re: it’s not behind the paywall!) – so please, please, please read: “Death and Rebirth: In Precious Metals, Crypto, and the 6th Grade.

The Intentional Investor: Where Purpose Meets Portfolio, Episode #1 w/ Justin Castelli. This is a new podcast sub-series on the Excess Returns YouTube channel. There’s tons of financial portfolio stuff in the world, but I know (from real-life work with clients at Sunpointe) there’s way more to building a life’s portfolio. I want to shine a light on how the financial “stuff” gets philosophically in line with our career choices, family, friends, colleagues, intellectual property, etc. No better guest to launch this with than Justin Castelli, who’s LifeDesign+ program is all about this too. We get into how he (and his VERY entrepreneurial family) approach this conscientiously. Oh, and the stories about his Dad… you will see where he inherited his wisdom from.

Breaking News (YouTube) continues to push me in all sorts of new directions with things I haven’t always discussed publicly. Ben Hunt and Jack Forehand are kind, brave souls, and each episode feels like a fantasty-land Thanksgiving dinner where politics, conspiracy theories, and my random pop-culture points are discussed (really broken apart discussed) in a full-hearted way. “The Curious Case of Claudine Gay” has been our most popular episode yet. I highly recommend the most recent one, “Useful Idiots” too (because we get into the reality of modern media in a way… we’re trying to be your friend here, just listen).

Justin Castelli also had me on his channel for a discussion exclusively about CREATIVITY. I’ve added this to my Contact and Follow page as a “get to know me if you don’t know me” primer. This is a free-ranging conversation about what it means to be authentically creative, why Cultish Creative even exists, and “how many rabbit holes can you watch Matt run down in an hour long unscripted conversation.” Share this one with anyone in a creative rut, a “but my job isn’t creative” frustration point, or a kid who doesn’t yet know what to do with that music/art/lit degree.

After my delightful chat with Bogumil Baranowski on his Talking Billions podcast (highly recommend the subscribe, he’s got an amazing network and some incredible guests), I said, “Hey, I have questions for you, you should let me interview you for this.” Can I make this a service for podcasts I like? I’m very open to this idea. Matt’s Fireside Chat Service for Busy Podcast Hosts is officially open (tell a friend). Oh, and definitely listen to A Fireside Chat with the Host: Bogumil Answers Matt Zeigler’s Questions, on the Talking Billions podcast. Ps. if stories about a kid who grew up in communist Poland in the ’80s, and now helps manage multi-generational wealth for billionaires is of interest to you… Bogumil’s your guy too.

Twitter folks – I had a really fun Spaces conversation with Grace Nikae/Kizuna NYC you can replay here. Grace has fast become one of my favorite online friends because she’s not only got an incredible background in music (world-renowned pianist flex), is a multi-time author (world-renowned writer flex), and is running a multi-faceted branding/marketing firm (Kizuna, flex again!), BUT – she’s doing it all with human connectivity in mind. You don’t meet people like this often for a reason. Follow her in all the places too, she’s on her way to conquer yet another world, I am certain.

ENOUGH ABOUT ME – what have you been up to? Get in touch. I’d love to know about it.