The Purpose Matrix

Have you ever had a wake-up call that changed the trajectory of your entire life?

Matt Gray did…and it reshaped everything: his health, his family, and how he leads at work.

In this episode of The Purpose Matrix, Phil sits down with Matt, Vice President at Level MB Construction, for an inspiring conversation about faith, burnout, identity, and leadership.

Matt shares the early hustle that led to burnout, the health scare that forced a reckoning, and how he rebuilt his leadership by anchoring in people, culture, and purpose. Today, he spends up to 90% of his time on culture–and the impact goes far beyond the bottom line.

Big takeaways from this conversation:

• What “protecting the culture at all costs” actually looks like

• How to have hard conversations with empathy and clarity

• Why faith can inform leadership (without being forced)

• Letting go of ego and stepping fully into the mentor role

• Creating a safe environment for growth, not just results

• How a seizure became the catalyst for deep change

Whether you're burned out, leading a team, or trying to realign your life and leadership, this episode is a masterclass in humility, clarity, and building something that truly matters.

0:00 Intro

1:17 Meet Matt Gray

5:35 Taking a Risk in 2016 & Why He Said Yes

10:16 Courage Is Just the Next Step

13:12 Protecting Culture at All Costs

17:30 Why 90% of His Time Is on Culture

21:41 Blending Work Life and Home Life

24:06 Burnout and the Moment That Changed It All

30:20 Letting Go of Ego & Rebuilding Identity

36:51 Faith, Leadership, and the Power of Network

42:25 Mentorship as the Mission

45:20 The Feeling of Fullness

Resources Mentioned:

C12 Group: https://www.joinc12.com

Connect with Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-gray-02b60379

Follow @PhilOnPurpose

https://www.instagram.com/philonpurpose

https://www.facebook.com/philonpupose

Can money buy freedom…or are we asking the wrong question?

In this episode of The Purpose Matrix, Phil sits down with Justin Donald, the bestselling author of The Lifestyle Investor and advisor to some of the world’s most financially free people.

But this isn’t just about wealth. It’s about alignment.

Justin shares how he transitioned from being owned by his business to becoming an intentional investor, husband, and father.

We dive deep into how to design your life before default takes over, why your calendar reveals your true priorities, and how to set goals with your spouse and children that align your money with your values.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Why divorcing time from money might be your most important move
• How to build a family calendar that reflects your true priorities
• The #1 investment that changed Justin’s life
• How much to spend on your network, and why it matters
• What the ultra-wealthy invest in (and why it’s not just the stock market)
• How to define your personal investment criteria
• Why risk management is more important than return

This is not your typical “investing advice.” It’s a masterclass in living on purpose—financially, relationally, and spiritually.

0:00 Intro

1:23 What Is a Lifestyle Investor?

3:41 Owning Time vs. Being Owned by Your Business

7:48 The Real ROI of Mentorship and Networking

12:33 Building a Budget for Masterminds

14:05 Living Life by Design, Not Default

17:38 Reclaiming the Calendar for Family First

20:22 Planning Dreams With Your Kids

24:59 The Rubber Ball vs. Glass Ball Framework

28:15 Getting Started with Passive Investing

31:33 Building Cashflow One Step at a Time

34:22 What the Ultra-Wealthy Know About Risk

39:18 Creating Your Own Investment Criteria

42:39 Why This Work Feels So Rewarding

Resources Mentioned:

The Lifestyle Investor by Justin Donald: https://lifestyleinvestor.com/book

Free Consultation: https://lifestyleinvestor.com/consultation

The Lifestyle Investor Podcast: https://lifestyleinvestor.com/podcast

Follow @PhilOnPurpose:

https://www.instagram.com/philonpurpose

https://www.facebook.com/philonpupose

What if a single relationship could change the trajectory of your life?

In this deeply inspiring episode of The Purpose Matrix, Phil sits down with Darren Eads—a former private chef turned mission-driven entrepreneur. Darren’s transformation didn’t begin with a business plan. It started with a relationship: working for billionaire Clay Mathile, former owner of IAMS and founder of Aileron.

Clay didn’t just offer Darren a job—he offered a new way of seeing the world. And it changed everything.

Today, Darren runs Second Sail Holding Company, a people-first business acquisition firm that helps legacy owners transition their companies into the hands of leaders who care.

Darren shares how proximity to greatness shifted his mindset, why 53 was the perfect time to start, and how his kids now get to watch him live life with intentionality.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• How proximity to great people can change your life
• Why it’s never too late to start living with purpose
• The power of foundational habits and aligned circles
• Why Darren buys businesses differently
• How to lead a team by getting out of the weeds
• The myth of needing it all figured out before you begin

Whether you're just starting your journey or pivoting later in life, this conversation is a masterclass in late-stage reinvention, value-driven business, and why mentorship still matters.

0:00 Intro

0:56 Darren’s Background and Early Career

4:42 Meeting a Billionaire Who Shifted His Mindset

10:28 What Clay Mathile Taught Him About Leadership

14:45 Foundational Habits and Getting in the Right Circles

18:02 Family, Regret, and Rewriting the Narrative

24:28 What “Second Sail” Really Means

29:08 Buying a Business the Right Way

33:51 The 30-Year-Old vs. 50-Year-Old Path to Ownership

36:15 Darren’s Leadership Shift

40:12 Living With Gratitude and Alignment

Resources Mentioned:

📚 Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

📚 Buy Then Build by Walker Deibel

🎧 Acquiring Minds Podcast

🌐 Aileron: https://www.aileron.org/

Connect with Darren:

🌐 Second Sail Holding Co: https://secondsailcapital.com/

🌐 Jarvis Mechanical: https://www.jarvismechanicalco.com/

🔗 Darren Eads on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darren-eads-0a501868

Follow Phil on Social @PhilOnPurpose

https://www.instagram.com/philonpurpose

https://www.facebook.com/philonpupose

We all seek comfort…but can discomfort actually be an advantage?

In this episode of The Purpose Matrix, Phil dives into an inspiring conversation with Clay Speakman, founder of RocketHub AI and one of fewer than 100 people to finish the infamous Spartan Death Race. 

Clay shares how “doing hard things on purpose" isn't just about endurance events–it's a mindset that transforms how you lead in relationships as much as in business.

Clay explains why chaos is a training ground, how entrepreneurs can level up their AI adoption without a tech background, and the real reason small teams have the ultimate advantage in this new era. He also walks through the three levels of AI usage and how purpose fuels his unconventional but scalable life design.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• The reality of “doing hard things on purpose”

• How to train for chaos without running a Death Race

• What entrepreneurs misunderstand about AI

• The difference between Level 1, 2, and 3 AI usage

• Why small teams are actually winning the AI revolution

• How to align your values with AI systems

This is a masterclass in mindset, mission, and modern tools. If you want to lead with purpose, multiply your impact, and prepare for the future—this one’s for you.

0:00 Intro

1:31 From Death Races to AI

4:17 Why Doing Hard Things On Purpose Changes Everything

7:06 Training for Chaos and Mental Resilience

9:33 What Your "Hard Thing" Actually Is

12:22 Building Grit in Everyday Life

14:40 How Death Races Led to Purposeful Business

17:06 Why Entrepreneurs Have the AI Advantage

20:14 Can You Really Live to 200?

23:07 Why AI Is More Disruptive Than Fire

28:29 Moving from Level 1 to Level 3 AI

32:15 Real Examples from Clay’s Business and EOS Tools

36:52 Small Teams, Big Leverage

41:07 The Role of Faith, Gratitude, and Vision

Resources Mentioned:

🌐 RocketHub: https://www.rockethub.ai 

Follow Phil on Social @PhilOnPurposehttps://www.instagram.com/philonpurpose https://www.facebook.com/philonpupose 

If you lead a business, a team, or a department, this episode is for you.

Phil sits down with certified EOS Implementer Laura Rerucha for a masterclass on how to create vision alignment, build a culture of accountability, and drive results–without burning out your people. 

With a unique background spanning engineering, sales leadership, and entrepreneurial ops, Laura breaks down how EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) gives leaders the tools to execute with clarity and consistency.

You’ll learn how to:

• Translate a 10-year vision into this week’s priorities

• Create a culture of ownership and execution

• Use quarterly rocks and weekly scorecards for traction

• Avoid the most common leadership traps

• Implement behavioral core values that actually shape culture

Whether you’re running a 5-person startup or a 500-person division, Laura shares why EOS is so widely adopted–and how it can immediately transform your meetings, your morale, and your momentum.

0:00 Intro

1:24 Laura’s journey from corporate to entrepreneurial ops

4:09 The experience that became her MBA

6:32 Why most visionaries misunderstand their teams

10:21 What EOS actually is (and isn’t)

13:34 Breaking down the 10-year to 90-day roadmap

20:59 Rocks, accountability, and how traction is built

24:15 How to actually build culture with core values

27:01 Hiring with clarity

30:15 Accountability charts vs. org charts

34:12 Solving issues and why scorecards matter

37:35 Conflict, clarity, and letting go of chaos

43:10 Final thoughts + how to connect with Laura

Resources Mentioned:

📚 Traction by Gino Wickman

📚 Get a Grip by Gino Wickman

Connect with Laura:

🌐 EOS website: https://www.eosworldwide.com/laura-rerucha

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurarerucha

Follow @PhilOnPurpose

https://www.instagram.com/philonpurpose

https://www.facebook.com/philonpupose 

Your health isn’t just personal—it’s your leadership edge.

In this episode of The Purpose Matrix, Phil sits down with Dr. Adrian Accay, founder of Apex Functional Health, for an eye-opening conversation on preventative medicine, parenting, and why your purpose might be impossible to live out without prioritizing your health.

After building a successful pharmacy business, Dr. Accay found himself facing a mysterious illness and a potential cancer diagnosis. That pain sent him down a new path—one that transformed not only his health, but his entire philosophy on life, purpose, and parenting.

He now helps high performers apply the same leadership principles they use in business to their own health, building sustainable habits that align their energy with their purpose.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone who wants to:

• Prioritize their health before crisis forces it

• Parent with purpose by modeling healthy living

• Understand the 5 areas of foundational health

• Break generational cycles of poor nutrition

• Reframe health not as a goal, but as a means to live your purpose

Dr. Accay shares the real reason sugar is so dangerous (and so hard to quit), why most adults are walking around in a pre-disease state, and the biggest health shift that changed everything for his family.

Whether you’re a leader, a parent, or just someone who wants to have more energy and presence—this episode will show you how.

0:00 Intro

2:01 From Pharmacy to Purpose

5:44 Pain as the Wake-Up Call

9:01 You Think You're Healthy...Until You're Not

13:08 Why Your Health Must Align With Your Purpose

16:15 How Dr. Accay Parents With Health and Intention

21:41 Four Levels of Leadership (And How They Apply to Kids)

25:43 5 Things You Can Do to Transform Your Health

32:26 Apex Functional Health: The Mission

34:08 Final Reflections on Purpose

Resources Mentioned:

🌐 https://www.apexfunctionalhealth.com 

Follow Phil on Social @PhilOnPurpose:https://www.instagram.com/philonpurpose https://www.facebook.com/philonpupose

What does it really mean to pursue excellence over success?

In this fired-up episode of The Purpose Matrix, Phil sits down with Ryan Hawk—host of The Learning Leader Show, best-selling author, and leadership coach to top performers worldwide.

With over 600 episodes under his belt and years of experience working with leaders across all walks of life, Ryan has refined a simple but profound truth: your internal clarity shapes your external impact. He unpacks his personal purpose statement, explains how to define your own values, and offers a practical roadmap to living them out every single day.

Ryan opens up about how fear and curiosity fuel his growth, how to battle mediocrity with high standards, and why consistency is the ultimate trust builder. You’ll hear how he built an 11-year streak without missing a single podcast release and what that says about his commitment to excellence.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• How to define your purpose and values—and actually live them

• Why excellence beats success every time

• A framework for linking daily behaviors to core values

• How to use curiosity to push your limits

• Why fear can be productive (if used wisely)

• The mindset that drives consistent, meaningful impact

Whether you're leading a company, a family, or just trying to lead yourself better, this conversation will equip you with the tools to align your purpose, values, and daily behaviors to leave a meaningful dent in the world.

0:00 Intro

1:28 Learning from 600+ Top Performers

4:22 Clarity Through Purpose and Values

6:45 Ryan's Personal Purpose Statement

10:18 From Concept to Daily Action

14:00 Excellence vs. Success

18:02 Fear, Curiosity, and Courage

23:40 Using Prompts to Live in Alignment

28:29 High Standards in a Mediocre World

34:12 Why Most People Quit

37:07 Process Goals > Outcome Goals

41:30 The Power of Consistency

44:20 Living a Life That Leaves a Dent

Resources Mentioned:

🌐 Ryan's Site: https://www.learningleader.com

📚 The Score That Matters by Ryan Hawk & Brook Cupps

📚 Welcome to Management by Ryan Hawk

📚 The Pursuit of Excellence by Ryan Hawk

📘 Great by Choice by Jim Collins

📘 The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday

Follow on social @PhilOnPurposehttps://www.instagram.com/philonpurposehttps://www.facebook.com/philonpupose

Can culture itself be a business strategy?

In this episode of The Purpose Matrix, Phil sits down with Matt Hoying, President of Choice One Engineering—a company consistently ranked as a Best Place to Work and known for its people-first culture, operational clarity, and unapologetic transparency.

Matt shares how he rose from intern to president, why engineering is just a vehicle for impact, and how they’ve built a coaching culture where everyone—from leadership to new hires—owns the mission. He also breaks down Choice One’s “Decision Filter” and explains why they’ve walked away from profitable deals that didn’t align with their values.

Whether you're a founder, team leader, or aspiring leader within an organization, this episode offers a blueprint for creating a culture that scales with clarity, intentionality, and heart.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• How to build culture intentionally—even inside a larger company

• Why values-based hiring is the ultimate filter

• How financial transparency transformed their organization

• What leadership looks like when it's not about you

• Why “best practices” are often anything but

• How to lead like an engineer

This is a masterclass in sustainable, purpose-driven leadership. If you're serious about culture, this one’s for you.

0:00 Intro

1:01 Matt’s Path from Intern to President

4:18 The Real Reason He Chose Engineering

6:37 Applying His Purpose at Work and Home

10:28 Faith and Leadership

13:17 When Leadership Feels Like Psychology

16:39 How to Build a Coaching Culture

19:06 Mission Without the Job Titles21:03 Culture as a Decision Filter

24:21 Saying No to Money

26:44 Growth Without Compromise

29:42 Starting Culture from Scratch

32:33 Why Best Practices Don’t Always Work

35:00 The Great Game of Business & Transparency

38:56 Matt’s Role as “Engineer” of the Train

43:15 Why He Feels Unfulfilled—and Why That’s Good

45:32 Final Reflections and How to Connect

Resources Mentioned

📚 Drive by Daniel H. Pink

📚 The Great Game of Business by Jack Stack

📚 Good to Great by Jim Collins

🌐 Choice One Engineering: https://choiceoneengineering.com/

🔗 Connect with Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthoying 

Follow @PhilOnPurpose

https://www.instagram.com/philonpurpose

https://www.facebook.com/philonpupose

Joe Fairless is one of the most respected names in real estate investing—but this episode is about much more than business.

In this episode of The Purpose Matrix, Phil sits down with Joe Fairless, co-founder of Ashcroft Capital (with $2.5B+ AUM) and creator of the longest-running daily real estate podcast, Best Ever Real Estate, to talk about the deeper side of success.

Joe shares how consistency has shaped every part of his life—from doing 1,500+ straight days of podcasting to how he leads his team and builds trust with investors. They dive into long-term thinking, vision boards, leadership through systems like EOS, and how to build a business that gives people their time back.

This conversation will challenge how you define success, encourage you to reframe your goals, and inspire you to take small actions with massive integrity.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Why Joe’s leadership style centers around developing other leaders
  
• How EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) changed his company culture
  
• The mindset behind his 12-year streak of creating vision boards
  
• What 50/50 goals are—and why they matter more than outcomes
  
• How real estate became a vehicle for giving others freedom
  
• Why doing the right thing when no one’s looking is Joe’s true definition of success

This is an inside look at what it really takes to scale with integrity, lead with humility, and live with purpose.

0:00 Intro1:03 Who is Joe Fairless?3:25 The Power of Doing What You Say You’ll Do6:21 Separating Identity from Outcomes9:42 The 50/50 Goal Framework13:08 Vision Boards & Long-Term Thinking16:58 EOS and Leadership Style Evolution20:52 Managing by Exception and Trusting Your Team23:15 Creating Leaders, Not Just Managing People25:44 Nature and The New Definition of Growth29:50 Family, Freedom, and the Role of Business34:04 Courage, Character, and the Early Hustle40:24 The True Meaning of Significance42:18 Final Reflections: Integrity When No One’s Watching

Resources Mentioned:

📚 Traction by Gino Wickman📚 The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
🌐 Ashcroft Capital https://www.ashcroftcapital.com🌐 https://joefairless.co/

Follow on Social @PhilOnPurpose
https://www.instagram.com/philonpurposehttps://www.facebook.com/philonpurpose

Do you feel pulled in a hundred directions…and none of them lead where you want to go?

In this episode of The Purpose Matrix, Phil sits down with Jennifer Hudye-Moscow, founder of Vision Driven and co-creator of the Vivid Vision Method that has helped over 6,000 entrepreneurs bring their future into focus.

Jennifer shares the story of how her journey—from growing up in a family of entrepreneurs to building and selling a seven-figure business—shaped her unique approach to vision. She reveals why “balance is bull****,” the difference between a vision and a plan, and why most leaders are climbing multiple mountains with no clear summit in sight.

They dive deep into the three stages of entrepreneurial evolution—from being condition-driven to achievement-driven to finally becoming vision-driven. If you’ve ever felt stuck in the hustle, this conversation offers a roadmap to get out of survival mode and into alignment.Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Why “balance” keeps you stuck—and how integration leads to clarity and momentum
  

• The real difference between a vision, a strategy, and a plan (and why it matters)
  

• How to write a 3-year vivid vision for your business and your life
  

• The three psychological stages every entrepreneur goes through—and how to evolve faster
  

• Why most people set goals without direction—and how vision makes your decisions easier
  

• How to cascade your vision across your team without losing clarity or control

When you’re vision-driven, everything else aligns. This episode will help you get clear on where you're going—and who you need to become to get there.

0:00 Intro1:28 Jennifer’s Entrepreneurial Roots3:25 The Dinner That Changed Everything6:48 Most People Don’t Understand Vision10:13 What Is a Vivid Vision?13:04 Generalization Kills Clarity18:03 Life Vision Comes First21:13 Balance Is Bull: Why Integration Wins23:27 The 3 Stages of Entrepreneurial Evolution31:38 You Don’t Go to Vision—You Come From It37:48 Casting Vision for Your Team44:26 Jennifer’s Personal Why

Resources Mentioned:

🌐 Free Resource - Vivid Vision Mind Map: https://www.visiondrivenglobal.com/ 

📚 Vivid Vision by Cameron Herold

Follow on social @PhilOnPurposehttps://www.instagram.com/philonpurposehttps://www.facebook.com/philonpurpose