Part 1 was just the beginning. In this powerful conclusion, Mark Matson gives you the definitive guide to not only building wealth but securing a life of purpose, meaning, and legacy. 📈
In Part 2 of our conversation, Mark reveals his unique, science-based approach to investing—the Matson Method. He’ll show you how to stop gambling and start using a proven system that aligns with your ultimate purpose. He also shares a deeply personal, life-altering story of faith that became the foundation for everything he has built.
Key Takeaways:
- 02:18 The Purpose of Mark’s Book, Experiencing the American Dream
- 02:59 The “Victim” vs. “Creator” Mindset
- 07:28 The Danger of a “Survival Mode” Mindset
- 09:09 How to Get in Contact with Mark Matson
- 11:23 The Matson Method Explained
- 14:44 Mark’s Mic Drop Question: What He Would Do Differently
- 15:10 A Story of Despair and Life-Altering Prayer
Connect with Mark:
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmatson/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matsonmoney/
Connect with Corwyn:
- Contact Number: 843-619-3005
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmelette/
Shoutout to our Sponsor: Country Boy Homes
Do you remember your grandma’s front porch? You know that spot where stories were told, kisses were stolen, and sweet tea was always being sipped. Now imagine giving your family a place to make those same memories, but in a brand new, energy-efficient, and home that was built just for you. At Country Boy Homes, we help folks just like you find that forever feeling.
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Country Boy Homes, Built to Last, Priced for You.
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/corwyn-j-melette/support
MARK:
So all of my childhood and into my 30s, I was an atheist. I didn’t believe in God. Even worse, when I went to college, I took classes about Freud and different young and different people that didn’t believe in God. And I had a buddy of mine that was a Christian buddy, and he kept telling me, because we were working together, he kept saying, you’re a Christian. I would say, would you stop saying that? He said, I am not a Christian, I’m an atheist, stop it. And so then I went through in my mid 30s, I went through divorce, and my world just came crashing down. Fear about the business, making it, fear about my kids. I had three kids. How could I be a good father going through this divorce? I had financial stress and anxiety. I felt terrible about myself. I felt like a failure.
CORWYN:
Good morning, and welcome to another episode of Exit Strategies Radio Show. I am your host, Corwyn J. Melette, broker and owner of Exit Realty Low Country Group in beautiful North Charleston, South Carolina. If this is your first time listening to the show, you sir or ma’am are in for a treat, because our mission here is very simple. That is to empower our community through financial literacy and real estate education. We’re legacy building, that is what we do. So if you’re out there making things happen with your family, for the generations yet to come, our word teaches us to leave a legacy, to leave an inheritance for our children’s, our children’s children, and so forth and so on. We want you to put a hashtag on that thing that says that you are legacy building, because that is what you are doing. You can find us on Facebook, YouTube, Anchor FM. You can also find us on Instagram at our website, exitstrategiesradioshow.com. You can catch us in a number of different places on your favorite podcast applications. We appreciate you listening. Please share this content with your friends, your family, your coworkers, even those in your groups, your church groups, et cetera, guys. But sometimes the message and the word that we are speaking here today is for you. Sometimes it is for someone else that you know. Again, we appreciate you listening. Let’s get started. Now, Mark, your book, Experiencing the American Dream, right? So give us, if you don’t mind, because I’m loving the conversation. It’s wholesome. Matter of fact, it’s mom’s apple pie, it’s chocolate chip cookies, vanilla ice cream. In a little bit, I’m going to have to go to a sweet store or something, dry ice cream shop or something, because I’m talking myself into dessert, right? But it’s wholesome, your mannerism and your tone. But it’s a matter of fact. It’s good old-fashioned America. So tell our listeners, give us that high-level overview, the excerpt, if you will, of the book. And also what is purpose, the purpose? Because you got purpose in everything that you do. What was the purpose of the book?
MARK:
The subtitle is How to Invest Your Energy, Time, and Money to Create an Extraordinary Life. So I think a lot of people don’t understand the American dream. I always tell everybody that the American dream is only one generation from dying, because you’re not born with it. It has to be taught. And I was very lucky to have a father that built it into me from the time I was very, very young. And I got to see the model. I got to see two very different models of thinking about the world. I call them screens, like a screen about the way you see the world. And my grandfather, he worked in the coal mines. He worked at Union Carbide, a chemical company. He died relatively young from lung disease from both of those things. And I feel so sorry for my grandpa and my grandma, because they believed that the only way they got money was stealing it from other people. They believed basically that money was evil. They believed that they were never going to get out of the hills of West Virginia, that they were stuck there. They believed that they were victims, and they believed that they were entitled to things that they didn’t create. So that left them stuck. They might as well have been in prison there in West Virginia. My dad, on the other hand, had a completely different view. My dad’s view is that we lived in the best country, and it’s not perfect. No country is. In heaven, we could get there and be perfect, right? But not here. It’s a fallen world. But America, people come to America from all over the world, not because we’re racist or because we’re mean or because we’re these terrible things. They come here because it’s the best country in the world. It’s the freest country. So I had gratitude. My dad built in gratitude that this is a great country. Hard work. Other kids, when it would snow in Cincinnati, they were grabbing their sled. My dad would say, here’s your snow shovel. Go shovel the neighbor’s walks. Hard work is its own virtue, and that you don’t deserve anything. Of course, he said the S word. You don’t deserve anything that you didn’t earn. And if you expect to have anything in life, you first have to provide value to other people, and then you can have value for yourself. And that life’s not fair, but being a victim is the worst possible screen that you can have, because your brain will deliver what you believe. If you believe you’re a victim, you’ll be a victim. If you believe you have agency and that your life is your own personal responsibility, then you’ll have the opportunity to create value. So these two completely different screens about life. The American dream is dead, and I’m stuck forever, and I’m a victim. And then the idea that the American dream is alive, that I can work hard, create value for others. And if I do that, then I can have the opportunity to create the American dream for me and my family, and that we live in the best country in the world at the most amazing time to be alive. So those are, in the book, I have seven strategies. One of the strategies is asking a good question. So my grandfather always asked the question, why am I doomed to live in poverty? My dad asked the question, how can I escape poverty and create wealth and prosperity for others and myself? And just those two different questions about life will lead your life in two dramatically different directions.
CORWYN:
Something you said, two things. So one, sometimes I tell people my filter gets stuck, but I sometimes have that mental, oh, wait a minute. But you were talking about, made mention of where we are, opportunity where we are. And none of us yet, and I say none of us, that may not be necessarily true, but most people aren’t trying to rush themselves to heaven or trying to rush themselves to the afterlife. That’s what it look like, right? So that means that whatever you got here is what you have to deal with, okay? So I’m like, I ain’t saying everybody now, I get it. But a lot of people are not trying to rush themselves, if you will, to the afterlife. But what you also said, which is kind of that end piece that you, the question, how you ask the question, because it’s the same question, basically, why do I have to, and what do I need to do not to? My wife talks about it from, you know, we have this conversation at times about this moment. Sometimes, you know, you go through these moments of survival. So then you get into survival mode. And survival means that you have, I mean, but typically survival is indicative that you have a crisis or something you always got to overcome. And when you get to a place where you don’t, quote unquote, have the crisis anymore, but you’re still in survival mode, you then create the crisis because you’re still in survival mode. So you have to have it. You have to have bank account empty. You have to have something not working or this going on or this going on, because you manifested as you may mention up because that’s what you speak. That’s what you in turn get because you manifest those things in your life. So I’m loving this. You said you mentioned seven points for people to really kind of navigate and transform their lives and what they can do to live differently. I want to make sure that Mark, we get your information out because I want people to be able to find you. I want people to find this book. I want people to connect with you. So let’s go ahead and get that out now, Mark. How can people get in contact with you?
AD:
Let’s take a short break. Do you remember your grandma’s front porch? You know, that spot where stories were told, kisses were stolen, and sweet tea was always being sipped. Now imagine giving your family a place to make those same memories, but in a brand new, energy efficient and home that was built just for you. At Country Boy Homes, we help folks just like you find that forever feeling, whether it’s your first home, your next home, or your we’re done with rent forever, like seriously home. We specialize in affordable and durable manufactured and modular homes, the kind that make room for muddy boots, big dreams, and second helpings. Come see what coming home really feels like. Call 843-574-8979 today. Country Boy Homes, built to last, priced for you.
MARK:
Sure. The book Experiencing the American Dream is six times national bestseller. It’s available on Amazon, but it’s available on all the online bookstores also. If you’re Barnes & Noble, they can get an order for you there at the store. We have a two-day workshop for investors called the American Dream Experience, which anybody can attend. That’s a lot of fun. We do it here in Scottsdale, Arizona, where I live now, but we also do it virtually, on virtual a couple of times a year, where we have upwards of 1,000 people that are taking the class. Of course, matsonmoney.com. I’m on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, all that stuff, if you want to connect with me there.
CORWYN:
So, you guys do a workshop? Did I just hear you right? Did y’all mean workshop surrounding the book and the principles?
MARK:
Yeah. We do the workshop surrounding the book. We help you develop your two-purpose for money. We help you discern speculating from prudent investing. We help you break through the no-talk rule. We help you understand the academic nature of how to build a portfolio. We help you understand the psychology behind how the human mind works. And it’s basically a two-day workshop on how to live the American Dream and put the American Dream into action in your life. Not waiting 10 years, but actually, we show you how to do that in the workshop and take steps to do that in the workshop. So, it’s a lot of fun. It’s very interactive. It’s not just a lecture. There’s a lot of exercises and cool things that happen in those two days. And if you want to learn more about it, you can visit our website at mattsandmoney.com. There’s a section on the American Dream experience if you’d like to register.
CORWYN:
So, I’m going to this right now, like, okay. So, just so you know. But the second thing I’m going to… Let’s go, yeah. Yeah. I’m pulling this information up now because I definitely want to make sure that our listeners, you know, guys, look, you got to plug in, but make sure that you’re connected. And there’s a difference. Sometimes we plug something in. It’s like plugging in an extension cord, but if you plug nothing into the extension cord to be powered up, you ain’t got nothing other than an extension cord plugged in. You may have extended, if you will, the outlet, but you still ain’t connected. So, we want to make sure that people get connected. But you said, I got to ask this question as we get towards wrap up, if you don’t mind. But you have this, and I’m going to call it a technique, but it’s referred to as the Matson Method. That’s right. I got to know what in the world that is, man. Tell us what is the Matson Method.
MARK:
So, I’ve been very lucky to have some great coaches and great mentors. My dad, that’s another strategy my dad told me is like, in life, if you want to achieve something, you find someone that’s already achieved what you want to achieve, and then you have them be your coach, your mentor, and then you do what they say to do. You know, you eliminate the “yeah, but”. He said, most people, when they get coaching, they don’t take the coaching. You have to take the coaching when you don’t understand it. You still have to do it. I was fortunate enough to interview Michael Phelps. He lives here in Scottsdale, Arizona, in the same city I do. And he said, look, I practiced every single day for four years training for the Olympics, broke the world record, 28 gold medals, and my coach watched every single stroke I took. And I did every single thing my coach told me to do because he knew how to do it. So, you have to find someone that already knows what you want to do. You have to actually be coachable, eliminate the “yeah, but”, do it even when you don’t feel like doing it, and do it even if you disagree with it. And that’s where most people get really stuck because their old beliefs are limiting, and they could see someone that has great success, whether real estate or investing or as an entrepreneur, and then they won’t take the coaching. It’s really very interesting, the human behavior. But my dad taught me to be coachable. So, the math and method is things I teach in the class. It won’t make a lot of sense right now. Modern portfolio theory, efficient market theory, the three-factor model, and then taking those and applying those to engineer portfolios with science, and then training investors with the mental side of investing. And you have to have both of those things, both the academic of how do I build it, and then the psychological brain science of how do I stay disciplined, and how do I avoid making mistakes as a human being. And when we bring both of those things together, that’s the math and method.
CORWYN:
You just told me up over here because that yeah, but, that throw me down because that’s something just in general people struggle with. Like you said, their own preconceived notions, contrary to their beliefs. The thing is most people, when they go endeavor to do something such as create a bill, well, many of them do not believe that they can do it, but they aspire to. So, the belief hasn’t gotten there yet, sometimes. Because when the full belief is there, then you do listen to the experts, then you do listen to the people who have done it. Because short of that, that’s when it’s the yeah, but, well, yeah, but, I don’t know if that’ll work for me. Well, you don’t know because you haven’t tried. So, Mark, look here, I’m going to have to take that section, I’m going to take that clip out of the show today, and that thing is going to be on repeat. I may just edit as a screenshot of something on my phone and somebody, I go to talk to somebody and they give me that yeah, but, and I’m going to stop and push the button here. Yeah, but, baby. I love it. I love it. So, Mark, look, I’m going to ask you, we always call this our mic drop question or refer to it at times of that, that’s that hindsight. You’ve obviously learned, you’ve learned a lot and you’ve educated a tremendous amount of people in this methodology. You have helped create wealth, build wealth for a tremendous amount of people. You have been impactful, instrumental, but you had to start from somewhere. And starting from where you started, knowing what you know now, if you could reverse this and start all over again, what would you do differently?
MARK:
That’s an easy one. So, all of my childhood and into my 30s, I was an atheist. I didn’t believe in God. Even worse, when I went to college, I took classes like about Freud and different young and different people that didn’t believe in God. And I would try to study how, and I had a buddy of mine that was a Christian buddy. And he kept telling me, because we were working together, he said, he kept saying, you’re a Christian. I would say, would you stop saying that? I said, I am not a Christian. I’m an atheist. Stop it. And so, then I went through in my mid-30s, I went through divorce and my world just came crashing down. Fear about the business, making it, fear about my kids. I had three kids. How could I be a good father going through this divorce? I had financial stress and anxiety. I felt terrible about myself. I felt like a failure. And I was in this hotel room being estranged and not living in the house and only seeing the kids half the time instead of all the time. And I’m crying and I’m on the phone with my buddy. And he says, I think it was a residence inn. And he said, look at those four walls. I looked at the four walls. He says, how’s it feel? And I said, what do you mean? He said, how does it feel trying to be the master of your own world and living in a world without God? And I lost it. I said, it’s terrible. I can’t fathom doing another 30 years like this. And in that moment, he said, are you ready to pray? And I said, yeah. And I got on my knees and he prayed with me on the phone and the first honest prayer my whole life. And in one instant, I went from a world with no God, because I rejected him, to a world with God and Jesus at the center. And it changed everything. It happens when it happens, but I make up if it had happened earlier, might have been a better life, especially those early years. But I would have been more humble and searching and accepted the love of Jesus in my life earlier than I would have. That’s what I would have done.
CORWYN:
Man, first of all, I’m over here about to well up a little bit. So I’m pretty sure there’s somebody in the car right now. Like, hold on, let me pull over. I don’t know where this is going, but look at this heavy right here, because he’s real. And that is amazing. And not that you have it done, but imagine what you could have if you had. And that is a what if, so we ain’t going to put and but. That’s right. No buts.
MARK:
No yeah buts. There is a God. He is King. He exists and it’s real. So no yeah but.
CORWYN:
I love it. I love it. Well, Mark, thank you so much for sharing that. Thank you so much for that. To be transparent, I needed to hear it. And I’m pretty sure there’s a number of people that will catch this clip, this what have you, that they need to know as well, you know, just the power and what he can change, but most importantly, what he adds to. And I’m pretty sure at that moment, everything was added to you. So that is such a testament. So I want to thank you, Mark, for taking time out to be here on the show with us. I’m extremely humbled. Again, you know, as I jokingly said, we had to trip you in the hallway and you ended up in our studio. So first of all, thank you for coming in. We’re glad you didn’t trip up and get hurt. Thank you so much for sharing and blessing our audience today.
MARK:
My great pleasure. Thank you, Corwyn.
CORWYN:
It was a great time. Awesome to our listeners, guys. Look, y’all know how I feel. Y’all know what I say. Y’all know I always put the two of those things together and I give it to you this way, which is to tell you that I love you. I love you. And we can see you guys out there in those streets.
