Choose to Live, Love & Grow

 After almost a year of silence — the podcast is back.

The last episode went out in July of last year. And then I went quiet. Not because I ran out of things to say. Because life asked me to stop talking and start surviving.

This episode is the full story. I'm not going to dress it up or give you the polished version. I'm going to tell you what happened, what it cost, and what it built — because I think you need to hear it.

In this episode:

I talk about leaving the Marines in 2021 and the identity crisis that followed — 10 months separated from my family, navigating the uncertainty of a complete life transition largely alone. I talk about how I rebuilt my identity around being a husband and father, and how that became my purpose and my drive.

And then I talk about July of last year. When my wife asked for a divorce. How I kept it to myself at first, convinced it was a bump in the road. How things got so dark that I started having conversations in my head I'm not proud of — and what I did to make sure I stayed here.

What saved me was my village. A few people I could text at any hour. Coffee meetups. Walks when I needed to keep moving. I didn't have The Forge then. I had a few good people. And that was barely enough.

I also walk through what that season actually built — using four principles from the FINDORA framework:

Foundations — examining what my life was actually built on, not what I thought it was built on. A lot of it wasn't solid. The storm showed me that.

Identity — losing two identities in four years forced me to ask who I was underneath the roles. Who are we without the titles, the accolades, the achievements?

Ownership — a question from one of my brothers changed everything for me: "Are you making this decision out of love or fear?" That question clarified more than months of reflection.

Action — I left my 15-year career as an air traffic controller. I went all in on my business. I built The Forge. I'm recording this podcast. All of it came from deciding to stop surviving and start building.

The storm didn't destroy me. It clarified me.

This is May — Mental Health Awareness Month. I brought this show back now specifically because men's mental health isn't just about crisis. It's about the everyday weight most men carry quietly. That's what this show is going to be about. Real resilience. No fluff.

New episodes every Tuesday.

LINKS:

🔥 Join The Forge — men's group online + Fort Wayne: HERE

📖 Free FINDORA Framework Guide: HERE

📧 Reach Matt directly: [email protected]

🌐 Website: www.mattfindora.com

IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS STRUGGLING: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — call or text 988. Available 24 hours a day.

If this episode landed for you — share it with one man who needs to hear it. Not to fix him. Just so he knows he's not alone.

This is the first time I had a conversation around money on the podcast and it didn’t disappoint.  I love the fact that we dove into the mindset around money and what we can do to better set ourselves up for success.  If you’re a parent, we also dive into how we can better prepare our kids to handle money in the future based on how we approach money situations like when our kids ask us to buy them a toy that they really want.  

On today’s episode , we have the opportunity to chat with Pericles Rellas. Money Mindset Expert Pericles Rellas helps people create a healthy relationship with money and themselves by creating a powerful Money Mindset so they can live lives of joy and fulfillment.

We discuss:

-How to reset our financial thermostat

-What steps we can take to have money flow to us

-How we can change our money mindset approach for our children

-And so much more

**Don’t miss an episode! Hit the follow/subscribe button to make sure you get  the newest episode each week. **

How to connect with Pericles:

Website: www.periclesrellas.com

Facebook: Reset Your Financial Thermostat

YouTube: Pericles Rellas

LinkedIn: Pericles Rellas

How to connect with Matt: 

Instagram: @mattfindora

LinkedIn: Matt Findora

Website: www.mattfindora.com 

***

Author of the music: [email protected]

Have you ever wondered what type of diet is best for you? Have you ever considered eating more plant based food? Today, we talk to an expert in plant based and vegan food.  If you’ve never tried it, try a meal, not just once, but a few times to see if you like it and how your body feels afterwards.

On today’s episode, we have the pleasure of talking with Kate Galli. Kate is a Health Coach, Author and Podcast host. She is qualified as a Master Personal Trainer, Life Coach, NLP Practitioner and has also completed the eCornell Plant Based Nutrition Certificate program. Kate first got into fitness as a way to transform her body and confidence. She has spent 18 years helping 1,000's of individuals sculpt a body and life they love. On an actionable level Kate's intention is: to help you create the Mindset that makes your best eating and exercising choices simple and sustainable. Via the Healthification podcast Kate has interviewed hundreds of passionate and compassionate authors, athletes, doctors and entrepreneurs. 

We discuss:

-How to eat out with a different diet plan than your friends

-The lifestyle of someone who lives plant based

-And for a bonus: how to handle being overwhelmed.

**Don’t miss an episode! Hit the follow/subscribe button to make sure you get  the newest episode each week. **

How to connect with Kate:

Website: www.strongbodygreenplanet.com

Podcast: The Healthification Podcast

Journal: The Plant Based Journal

Facebook: Strong Body Green Planet

 Instagram: @strongbodygreenplanet

Twitter: @strongbodygreen

LinkedIn: Kate Galli

How to connect with Matt: 

Instagram: @mattfindora

LinkedIn: Matt Findora

Website: www.mattfindora.com 

***

Author of the music: [email protected]

What is your relationship with food? Is this a question you’ve explored with yourself, yet? That is the specialty of my next guest, Kiley Houck. 

Kiley is a Certified Health Coach passionate about helping people transform their relationship with food in a mindful, sustainable way. Her approach is all about letting go of food obsession, guilt, and restrictive dieting, so her clients can reconnect with their body’s natural hunger cues and create supportive, long-lasting habits. Kiley works with those who feel stuck in cycles of overeating, emotional eating, or using food as a coping tool. Her clients complete her program feeling empowered, confident, and more aligned with their goals, not just around food, but in other areas of life as well. If you’re ready to work through food-related triggers, regain control, and finally feel at peace with your eating habits, with a compassionate, supportive guide by your side, the Kiley is the coach for you.

In this episode we discuss:

-Diet culture and how it can negatively impact you

-Your relationship with food

-Mindful eating

-And so much more.

**Don’t miss an episode! Hit the follow/subscribe button to make sure you get  the newest episode each week. **

How to connect with Kiley:

LinkedIn: kiley-houck

Website: www.kileyshealthhavenllc.com

Beginner's Guide to Mindful Eating

Gift: Visualization Exercise Bundle Use the code: mattfindora at checkout

Instagram: @kiley_arden

Facebook: kiley.arden.50

How to connect with Matt: 

 LinkedIn: Matt Findora

Instagram: @mattfindora

Website: www.mattfindora.com 

***

Author of the music: [email protected]

Today is the day to start getting on track with your goals and habits that you set. You’ve been wanting to complete them and feel the pride of consistency. This episode has the nuggets you need to do just that.  

Dr. Gina Cleo, habit expert, returns in this episode to discuss New Year’s Resolutions and habits.

-Why do so many people fail in completing their resolutions?

-How do we improve our chances of success in goal and habit creation?

-What are the smallest things we can do now to build momentum?

-And so much more! 

**Don’t miss an episode! Hit the follow/subscribe button to make sure you get  the newest episode each week. **

How to connect with Dr. Gina Cleo

Website: www.drginacleo.com

Your Habit Blueprint

Book, ‘The Habit Revolution’: www.drginacleo.com/book

IG: @drginacleo

How to connect with Matt: 

Instagram: @mattfindora

LinkedIn: Matt Findora

Website: www.mattfindora.com 

***

Author of the music: [email protected]

I haven't posted an episode in a long time and I'm ready to get back into providing more value for you all.  There's plenty around the corner for this podcast.  Thank you for sticking with this and I look forward to hearing more from you all.  

Key Takeaway: Make sure you are taking care of yourself.

**Don’t miss an episode! Hit the follow/subscribe button to make sure you get  the newest episode each week. **

Instagram: @mattfindora https://www.instagram.com/mattfindora/

LinkedIn: Matt Findora 

Website: www.mattfindora.com 

***

Author of the music: [email protected]

Have you ever felt like you weren’t creative? I know I have. In this chat with Pauline Dougald, we discuss how we all have creativity in us, it just comes out in different ways.  If men can improve their ability of becoming vulnerable, their creativity can significantly increase.

Pauline, founder of Art Diversion, is a Peak Performance Coach with a unique blend of expertise in fine arts, interior design, neuroscience, and peak performance coaching. With certifications from the Robbins-Madanes Institute, Flow Research Collective, and Precision Nutrition, Pauline pioneers a holistic approach to creativity and peak performance. Through Art Diversion, she offers a sanctuary for overthinkers, harnessing artistic expression and cutting-edge science to unlock intuition, creativity, and optimized self-performance. Her mission is to awaken dormant creative resilience and shift paradigms, offering new perspectives and solutions in both personal and business realms.

In this episode we discuss:

-Our innate ability to be creative

-How men and women may become creative differently

-How to achieve flow state

-And so much more! 

**Don’t miss an episode! Hit the follow/subscribe button to make sure you get  the newest episode each week. **

How to connect with Pauline:

Website: www.ArtDiversion.com

Instagram: @art.diversion

YouTube: @ArtDiversionCreative

How to connect with Matt: 

Instagram: @mattfindora

LinkedIn: Matt Findora

Website: www.mattfindora.com 

YouTube: @mattfindora

***

Author of the music: [email protected]

Men want to have a happy marriage, but challenges always exist.  So, how do you improve your relationship?  That’s what we discuss on today’s episode with Cody Butler. 

Cody Butler is the founder of "The Better Marriage" and the creator of the "Marriage Recovery Program" teaching couples how to repair, restore, and rebuild intimacy, communication, and love in their marriage.

He's also the author #1 Best Selling Author of “Cut The B.S - A No Nonsense Guide To Happiness”.

He’s been featured on Fox, ABC, and NBC and has worked with over 2000 people to date.

Through "Better Marriage", Cody's helping couples get the skills needed to succeed in today's "New Normal”.

In this episode we discuss:

-How we, as men, can improve our marriage.

-How to create accountability in our marriage

-How we can handle our fights in a healthier manner

-And so much more! 

**Don’t miss an episode! Hit the follow/subscribe button to make sure you get  the newest episode each week. **

How to connect with Cody:

Website: www.bettermarriage.com.au

Facebook: Cody Butler

YouTube: @BetterMarriageByCodyButler

How to connect with Matt: 

Instagram: @mattfindora

LinkedIn: Matt Findora

Website: www.mattfindora.com 

***

Author of the music: [email protected]

Here is an episode dedicated to mental health in young adults.  We don’t just focus on the issues, but how to work through the issues and thrive in today’s world. This is an episode for both young adults, but also the parents of young adults.  

On today’s episode, we have the opportunity to chat with Jeffrey Johnston.  Jeffrey Johnston is the CEO of startup Brightn,  Author,  Founder of The Living Undeterred Project, and host of The Living Undeterred Podcast.

In this episode we discuss:

-How to Thrive in today’s society

-How the Brightn app can help with daily reminders to improve your mental health

-What parents can do to help raise mentally healthy children

-And so much more!

**Don’t miss an episode! Hit the follow/subscribe button to make sure you get  the newest episode each week. **

How to connect with Jeff:

Instagram: @brightnapp

TikTok: @brightnapp

Youtube: @brightnyourlife

LinkedIn: Jeffrey Johnston

X: @brightn_app

How to connect with Matt: 

Instagram: @mattfindora

LinkedIn: Matt Findora

Website: www.mattfindora.com 

YouTube: @mattfindora

***

Author of the music: [email protected]

Have you ever walked into a room full of people and wanted to immediately leave?  Or, have you ever just worried all day long and dealt with the stresses of life?  Well, this is an episode that covers how to overcome those situations.

On today’s episode, we have the opportunity to chat with Charles Perry. Charles Perry is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who specializes in treating men and women who struggle with anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder and depression.

In this episode we discuss:

-The difference between shyness, being introverted and social anxiety

-The benefits of group therapy

-How to overcome social anxiety and worrying

-How anxiety in our children, impact us as parents

-And so much more.

**Don’t miss an episode! Hit the follow/subscribe button to make sure you get  the newest episode each week. **

How to connect with Charles:

Instagram: @charlesperrytherapy 

TikTok: @charlesperrytherapy

Website: charlesperrytherapy.com

How to connect with Matt: 

Instagram: @mattfindora

LinkedIn: Matt Findora

Website: www.mattfindora.com 

***

Author of the music: [email protected]