Welcome to "Beyond Platitudes"
I challenge our deep-rooted and often unconscious assumptions and biases to enhance relationships, sharpen our thinking, and improve our decision-making.
Welcome
Given the near-infinitely sized expanse of the internet, I greatly appreciate your decision to spend some time with me. "Thank you"—deeply, sincerely, and warmly.
If you are on the clock because of your schedule or attention span, here is a TLDR video where I cover the highlights of this page in 86 seconds.
If you are still here, allow me to take a breath and explain “Beyond Platitudes” at a more relaxed pace.
At "Beyond Platitudes," I understand that your time is a precious, non-renewable resource. That's why I've designed my content to be concise yet powerful, ensuring that your daily engagement requires no more than 15 minutes. My goal is that this modest investment yields substantial returns, enriching your personal and professional life beyond the cost of your subscription.
My writing is rooted in service to others, and finding my tribe of attentive readers is the first step in fulfilling that service. I’m extraordinarily grateful that you are considering joining this tribe.
“Beyond Platitudes” tackles three topics:
Challenging Deep-Rooted Assumptions and Biases
I delve into the subconscious beliefs that influence daily interactions—professionally, emotionally, and spiritually. By identifying, questioning, and modifying these ingrained thought processes, I aim to leave your mind working more deliberately, calmly, and effectively.
Redefining Leadership (including SELF-leadership)
I scrutinize traditional leadership paradigms, debunking ineffective and outdated clichés to uncover authentic and effective leadership practices. I focus on cultivating self-awareness and empathy, essential traits for leaders committed to fostering inclusive and diverse workplaces.
Embracing the Writer's Journey
Recognizing writing as a profound art form, I explore the solitary nature of the craft and its impact on the writer's psyche. By addressing the challenges of isolation and self-doubt, I aim to build a supportive community that nurtures creativity and resilience among writers.
Could you tell me why I should care?
Every piece of my writing will be aimed at one or more of the following actionable skill sets to enhance your personal, professional, or inner worlds.
Enhanced Problem-Solving: Considering various viewpoints leads to more creative and effective solutions.
Increased Empathy: Understanding different perspectives fosters empathy, improving relationships and communication.Reddit
Personal Growth: Expanding your viewpoint encourages self-reflection and continuous learning, contributing to personal development.
Reduced Bias: Exposure to diverse perspectives helps challenge and diminish personal biases and stereotypes.
Better Decision-Making: Considering multiple viewpoints leads to more informed and balanced decisions.
Subscription Benefits
By subscribing to "Beyond Platitudes," you'll receive:
Daily Morning Posts: Accessible to all subscribers, these posts set the tone for the day with thought-provoking content.
Daily Evening Posts: Exclusive to paid subscribers, offering deeper insights and analyses.
Mid-Day Challenges: A daily note challenging an existing platitude to stimulate critical thinking.
Weekly Live Sessions: Interactive discussions, brainstorming, and Q&A sessions with paid subscribers. Currently scheduled for Friday afternoons at 4pm ET.
Biannual One-on-One Sessions: For founding members, personalized quarterly brainstorming sessions to tackle your most challenging personal or professional issues. No clock watching - we will examine your challenge thoroughly.
Group Chat Sessions:
Free subscribers: Ongoing chat threads that explore my free content.
Paid members: Ongoing chat threads that explore the members-only content.
About Matt. We are not our achievements; we are our thoughts, habits, and commitment to each other. Therefore, I am reluctant to create a “look what I’ve done” list in a contrived effort to impress you.
However, as your trusted guide through the “Beyond Platitudes” experience, I will share with you briefly that I am a nuclear engineer / MBA by education, a retired nuclear submarine officer in the United States Navy, a two-time published author, and an operations executive in the electrical engineering industry.
More importantly, I am a writer at heart. I am grateful for the blessing (and sometimes curse) of having a mind that compulsively examines every element of human existence, challenges how we perceive those elements, and then distills and shares the fruits of that mental journey.
Most importantly, I am a father, a husband, a son, and a brother. There is nothing that I wouldn’t do to earn these titles that I’ve been blessed with. Further, I recognize every person I meet as a child of the universe who is sharing this life experience with me.
A very fun read!
This is one of the most thoughtful and grounded welcome pages I’ve seen. The clarity of purpose, and the humility behind it, stand out in a space often dominated by noise or self-promotion.
As someone who also writes to challenge assumptions (political, psychological, and moral), I resonate with your framing of writing as both art and act of service. And I deeply appreciate your focus on critical thinking without arrogance, empathy without platitudes, and leadership without ego.
Looking forward to exploring more of your work. If you’re curious, here’s one of mine that might align in spirit: https://thinkbeyondpolitics.substack.com/p/the-meaning-of-a-word
Thanks for creating this space. Subscribed.