Fifty-four days until summer, and Matt’s got a feeling they’re going straight from late winter into the Hades era of heat. Welcome to Backstage—he likes the art, hopes you do too, sticking with it for a while. After sharing trivia about the yellow fever vaccine (1932—back when vaccines were seen as positive), Charles de Gaulle resigning (1969), and A Chorus Line closing after 6,137 performances (1990), he dives into the flight analogy that’s been on his mind.

Flying has always been exciting since he was a kid—first plane ride probably when his father was deployed to Europe, TWA, smoking on the plane where the only difference between smoking and non-smoking was the seat number. Flight is a great analogy for starting a new venture. The Bigger Stage is a few months old, still an infant. The plane has left the tarmac, back wheels are off the ground. Great. But here’s the thing: takeoff and landing are the most dangerous parts of a flight, when most crashes happen. Like car crashes in parking lots near your home, not on the freeway. It’s normal to feel very vulnerable after takeoff because you are vulnerable. It’s precarious—you’ve got to believe the parachute will deploy. Usually there’s a first round of excitement from people you know closest (like angel investors or family and friends), then you’ve got to raise money from people who don’t know you as well. That’s where they’re at with The Bigger Stage.

But here’s what’s exciting: the operator-to-icon shift is really resonating. People get it viscerally. The more he sees the world through this lens—what is iconic, how to become iconic in your lane, industry, community, company—it’s such a great frame. It’s where we’re at in the market. People want to know people they can trust even more than brands. They want to see your work, how you think. Sharing that can come in many expressions. There’s going to be more art than ever in the age of AI.

Headlines on what’s launching: (1) Iconic Introduction workshop with colleague Mike Verrett—eight-step process to develop your perfect pitch, then capture it on camera with clips you can use for your website, less than $1,000, super high value. (2) Iconic Interviews—small group (max 21 people), once a month with special guests, private workshop environment with breakout discussions around developing iconic energy, messaging, presence. (3) Exclusive invite-only dinners in Manhattan. The creative process of putting all this together brings great joy. First truly celebrity guest coming to The Bigger Stage—stand-up comedian from Second City. If you’re interested, email [email protected] and reference Backstage for preferential priority. Thinking one day a week (Friday morning) for this podcast, maybe two. Let him know what you think.

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