BeTempered
BeTempered
BeTempered Episode 40 - Defining Moments: Dr. Matt Roberts’ Journey of Resilience and Growth
What are the moments in your life that have truly defined you? Join co-host Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr in an intriguing conversation with Dr. Matt Roberts as he shares his journey of resilience, growth, and balance. From his humble beginnings in West Alexandria, Ohio, to the traumatic high school car accident that shaped his outlook, Matt's story is a testament to finding strength in adversity. Hear about the unexpected twists that molded his path, including meeting his high school sweetheart and the profound impact of sports in his upbringing.
As Matt transitioned to college basketball, his story took on new layers of complexity. He faced the highs and lows of collegiate sports, including unforgettable experiences like a visit to Michael Jordan's restaurant and a pivotal confrontation with a coach that altered his perspective. Discover how these challenges, combined with the unwavering support of his parents, taught him valuable lessons about perseverance and self-advocacy. Matt's reflections on his journey illustrate the determination needed to pursue one’s passions, both on and off the court.
The episode also explores Matt's transition into the chiropractic profession, sparked by personal experiences and guided by influential mentors. Witness the excitement and hurdles of building a business from scratch, as Matt candidly discusses the challenges of gaining credibility and overcoming financial obstacles. Alongside these professional tales, Matt opens up about the transformative experience of parenthood, the unexpected health crisis that tested his family's resilience, and the powerful role of faith and community in navigating life's trials. This episode offers a rich narrative of triumph, gratitude, and unwavering strength — a must-listen for anyone seeking inspiration in their own life journey.
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Speaker 3:Welcome to the Be Tempered Podcast, where we explore the art of finding balance in a chaotic world.
Speaker 4:Join us as we delve into insightful conversations, practical tips and inspiring stories to help you navigate life's ups and downs with grace and resilience.
Speaker 3:We're your hosts, Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr. Let's embark on a journey to live our best lives.
Speaker 4:This is Be Tempered.
Speaker 3:What's up everybody? Welcome to the Be Tempered podcast, episode number 40. 40. Yes sir. The weather's changing. We went from the deep freeze to now we're just freezing. To go back to the deep freeze.
Speaker 4:Well, matt and I will be in the deep freeze. You'll not be in the deep freeze, I'll be a hundred degree temperature difference next week.
Speaker 3:I'll be thinking about you, boys.
Speaker 4:I'm sure you will.
Speaker 3:So today I have a good friend who's here who's got a pretty cool story uh, growing up in small town USA to opening up his own practice running a business, has an amazing family and an amazing story. So we are happy to welcome Dr Matt Roberts to the Be Tempered podcast.
Speaker 3:Thank you, glad to be here, man, excited, excited to have you. So, matt, you know how we do this. We always start off with telling your story about childhood and growing up, so give us a little background for those that don't know you. So, matt, you know how we do this. We always start off with telling your story about childhood and growing up, so give us a little background for those that don't know you.
Speaker 5:Grew up in West Alexandria. My whole life went to Twin Valley South. Great parents had a older sister who was, you know, she was a senior when I was a freshman, so she's three years older than me, so we actually got to go to high school together. A little bit Just great home, great family. My dad kind of the school hard knocks guy and my mom was more the faith-based and you know, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. So my mom is that way kind of spiritual and my dad is, you know, if you don't do something you're going to get it. And and he's he kind of is one that pushed me in that direction.
Speaker 3:Okay, so growing up in little in a little West Alexandria, Ohio, played some sports.
Speaker 5:Oh yeah, sports was a huge part of my life. I can remember my dad setting up the giant video camera in the back in the backyard and then pitching balls to me over and over and over. And then we'd go in and take the big VHS tape, put it in and he would say, okay, see how you're stepping out. And then we'd go back and we'd do it again and again. So baseball was huge, played basketball and, of course, played football as well. That's the beauty of going to a smaller school Got to play all the sports you know really ended up loving basketball. I was a better baseball player way better baseball player but we had some success in high school and that kind of pushed me that direction. That's kind of where all my you know, my friend, my really good friends we were. We were pretty tight and, uh, had a pretty good team. So it was a lot of fun.
Speaker 3:You did. Yeah, it was run and gun and highs were that. We're the same age, both graduated 97. And uh, yeah, you had a very talented, uh, group of of young men um playing basketball there were. There was a critical event during high school that happened with a car accident, so can you kind of talk about that a little bit?
Speaker 5:Well, at first I thought you were talking about meeting my high school sweetheart. Well, you can talk about it Critical event.
Speaker 3:That's a critical event.
Speaker 2:That's probably the most critical event.
Speaker 5:No yeah, not to throw this off, but yeah, I met my wife current wife met her in high school and we've dated high school sweethearts and so I was a. I can remember I was a sophomore and I came home and I said, hey, I'm dating the hottest girl in the freshman class and pretty much dated all my sophomore year. I might've made a little mistake in breaking up with her during the summer to have some, you know, to have some fun, go on vacation or something. And then my junior year got back together and we, we it's history ever since. So, but yeah, the the one you know thing that happened during high school is we. You know we had a great junior year. You know thing that happened during high school is we, you know we had a great junior year and uh, so we were looking our senior year was going to be even better.
Speaker 5:Uh, we were at a friend's house. We left the friend's house, it was weather about like it is now, road was slick and my, my friend, uh just didn't make the turn on Shields Road, uh, and hit in and I thought, okay, it was a hard hit, we weren't going fast, but going into the ditch, into the culvert, and I thought, man, it was a hard hit. And then all of a sudden I felt the end of the car flip over. And then I saw my buddy, chad Vorce, who is one of the best basketball players in the history of Twin Valley South maybe Preble County saw him flopping all around the car and we had our seatbelts on but flipped end over end twice and then rolled twice, landed on the well, I guess one and a half times, ended up on the roof and I look over and he's laying there because the back of his seat broke off and I'm hanging from my seat belt and you know I thought he was knocked out and I thought, you know, oh my gosh, my friend's dead. So I clipped the seat belt fall into the windshield. I had busted the side window out. Luckily I got a hard head because I busted that out with my head and there was a spot on the windshield where I hit two somehow Staggered up to a house there on Shields Road and the lady.
Speaker 5:You know, because I was bleeding all over the place. You know, when you get cut with glass, small little shards of glass. It was on my hand. I had a bad cut but just bleeding everywhere and I just said I need. I need blankets, which she thought you know, cause I needed to cover and all I could think of was getting out there and covering my friend up. So I got out there and covered him up. While I was hanging upside down, our other friends left and they passed us. We were so far out in the field that they they didn't even see us because our lights were out. But you know, god was watching over us. Chad ended up with, you know, a broken collarbone, broken jaw from hitting the console and I literally had cuts and some, you know, a little bit of a concussion.
Speaker 5:Believe it or not, it was National Trail that I had to to. That was the very next game. Set out that game because I couldn't, couldn't play. But the one thing I did bring is I brought a picture. So when they went to pick up the car, there were two of these in the car in the field. His, his parents did not put these in the car and I still have it. Right.
Speaker 3:And for those that that can't or aren't watching, or you're listening, kind of, it's a picture of Jesus and what does it say?
Speaker 5:Picture of Jesus and it says I am with you always. So that was kind of a turning point in my life, because I was, I was, I grew up in church. Mom took me to church, dad took me to church, but I went to church. Right, I mean, I think we've all been there. I went I went to church.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 5:Right, and so it was kind of like that was an eye opener for me that hey, you know, I they, they literally of course they don't know, but they said you guys shouldn't, guys shouldn't be alive, and thank goodness you had your seatbelts on. So that was kind of a turning point for me to go. Maybe I need to step back and look at my life, look at my faith. Now, I was only like 18 years old too, so you know how your brain works when you're 18. You're invincible, Right. But that was a big moment. It was kind of it's just cool because Chad still has his. I still got mine, you know, and Chad was one of the most, I don't know, one of the best examples. His dad's a pastor. Yeah, he just I never heard the guy say a cuss word all the way through sports. Yeah, he prayed before every meal, and so, like when he saw that too, it's like wow, you know, I'm like thank goodness I got in a wreck with Chad at least.
Speaker 3:So it changed your perspective a little bit as a young kid A hundred percent. So what'd it look like moving forward from there for you?
Speaker 5:So, um, I decided to play basketball, like I said. So I went to Wilmington College, Division III. I can remember going to some open gyms and, you know, thinking, you know, you think Division III, you know, should be going be just fine. And then you have these guys that maybe weren't good enough to play at the D1 level, but they were tall, maybe not big enough, maybe not fast enough, but they were really good athletes who were from maybe a smaller school, but they were player of the year in their conference. And so I knew right away like this is going to be a challenge for me, because I wasn't even the best player on my own basketball team in high school. Um, I was the, I was the defensive juggernaut, I was, uh, you know, if something got a little rough, believe it or not, the little guy got pushed to the front and they knew they knew that, that I had their back.
Speaker 3:Are you saying that maybe you threw some punches in high school?
Speaker 5:Um no comment no comment.
Speaker 5:Maybe you know what? I never. I never got a technical foul or any. And because I knew here's the other thing that's why I got good grades. Uh, because I wanted to play sports, uh, that's why I didn't get in a fight or anything, because in at at South, if you got a, a technical foul, you were out the rest of the game. Okay, and maybe the next game. That was the coach's rule, yeah, and so I want to play right, um, so I was right on the edge yeah, I was right on the edge I tried to get the other guy to hit me.
Speaker 5:Usually okay, but uh, but you know, you know that that when I got to college, you know, I thought, oh, this is it, this is it. First two scrimmages, first 11 games, zero playing time. But I was also thinking, okay, I'm a freshman, right, so 12th game in Chicago. My parents went to every single game, even when I set the bench 100% of the time, and so they were in chicago. Uh, you know, I didn't think I was going to play in the tournament the next day. So I'm like, hey, can you take me to michael jordan's restaurant so we actually go out. I probably stayed out a little bit past the curfew and, uh, I remember, the walkthrough the next day coach is like roberts, you know, do you know this? Do you know that I, like, I've been at every practice.
Speaker 5:I'm a straight A student, like I think I know. Next, next game I played. You know I didn't start but I played 28 minutes and then from there I started to start and play and, um, but you know, now you're really excited about it.
Speaker 5:You know I think like, and people start coming to watch you play locally when we had home games. But I think the one lesson I learned from that is that you can't allow something that's outside to bring you the joy right. Right, because you're always, if you focus on that as what brings you joy and satisfaction, and that's the only thing it was running my life. So it was. If I played well and I got to play, man, I was, I was happy. If I didn't, uh, I, I just I wasn't fun to be around. I felt bad for, you know, my girlfriend Izzy at the time, um, and so it didn't go exactly the way I wanted it to because it was very and I won't get into the details but, um, I basically got in a fight with my coach so you talk about that like physical, because he was physical. So, uh, I called my dad and my dad said I said what do I do? Hit him back. That was my dad. Yeah, that that was my dad.
Speaker 5:Yeah, that that was my dad when I was six years old. That was my same, so, um, you know. Long story short, went to junior year, um, sophomore year, I did punch somebody, got kicked out against mount st joe's never, uh won't go into details, but uh, again I I punched a guy and uh got kicked out should have gotten kicked out. And and coach never said a word to me, nothing, nothing, Um, and and looking back as an adult, it's like man, the coach should have like ripped me and and and made an example in front of in front of the team.
Speaker 5:But instead I played. We had a tournament game against Anderson the next game and because the the commissioner ruled it a flagrant foul, not a flagrant fight I was out that I got kicked out that game. But I got to play the next game 28 minutes or the next game 28 minutes. That game I played Really.
Speaker 5:Mm-hmm, so no discipline from that, nope, no discipline. From that Go out my junior year and honestly it was a rough year because he would play you a game and sit you out the entire game and never give you a reason why. So I didn't really want to play but I played for my parents. My dad, because they supported me, went out and when you're an athletic training major so I majored in athletic training, sports management you have to cover sports. So I was covering football. You cover a different one your junior year every month. So you get experience Covering sports. But I was doing everything that was non-mandatory and, honestly, I was in the best shape of anyone on the team. So it comes down to the first scrimmage and at a small school like that, a lot of people come out to that first scrimmage so they can see what the team's going to be like and you also get a ton of new recruits in. As you know, every year there might be 15 freshmen that come in. They may not all make it, but 15 freshmen, but I figured okay, I'm going to be a junior.
Speaker 5:28 minutes in the most important game of the season. Last year we played three 20-minute halves with six minutes to go. In the third 20-minute half, he told me to go in after he played every single person on the bench. So at that point I had to make a decision. I'd never quit anything in my life and I just kind of looked at him and said no. I said I'm not your practice dummy. So again, that's probably more than what I wanted to share about that. But I went to the coach the next day. He didn't again, didn't, didn't really approach me. I went to him and explained and said I appreciate the opportunity and the things that I got to do. I mean we got to go to a Bulls game at the United Center to see Jordan and Rodman and Pippen so that was cool, right made great friends.
Speaker 5:I still talk to him. Uh, when you play in Preble County you don't have a lot of times where you can throw the ball in the air and someone goes up and dunks it Right, and so that was kind of neat going to, you know, going so I. I don't regret any of that. I don't even hold a a grudge against that coach because he taught me some lessons. I mean, it was tough and you had to get through it.
Speaker 3:Do you regret the decision of quitting?
Speaker 5:I do not because, all kidding aside, I think we had a intramural team that could have maybe beat the basketball team, and I shouldn't say that because the guys that stayed and played but you know there were a lot that that happened. That happens, I think, at the division three level too, because you're not under scholarship and my scholarship was all academic and that was my focus and I knew at that point I wanted to go into chiropractic.
Speaker 5:So I don't regret that because I focused on my grades, I worked some and just had a blast in college yeah just had fun and uh finished out and and ended up, you know, basically having one class that I got to be in in my whole college.
Speaker 4:Yeah, that's pretty good. Did izzy go to wilmington too?
Speaker 5:no, izzy, um, this was kind of a decision. And again, I, I went to, I switched churches because there was a pretty girl that went to eat in first church of God. So I went there because, and the and and, honestly, the youth group was amazing. There we had a blast. I mean, I didn't go because I wanted to at first and you know, or I just went because it was fun and there was a pretty girl.
Speaker 5:And then after I got into it, you start to it, it it permeates you, right, you start to like, oh, you know, yeah, it's fun to go do some of these things, but it's also amazing to like do our devotional and now I'm learning some things, um, and so, honestly, izzy and I decided, uh, kind of together, that she went to Wright state and I stayed at Wilmington because, um, that she went to Wright State and I stayed at Wilmington because temptation is tough. You know, I was pretty disciplined and I've talked to Dan before about this I never drank a single drop. So I said I had fun, I went to every party, every party.
Speaker 3:Probably the life of the party.
Speaker 5:I tried, I tried and you know I went out. I mean so all the time but I never drank. But I will say like temptation for me would have been having my girlfriend on campus Right. Yeah, you know. So there, I always said that those were my weaknesses, that, and then you know, getting in a fight or something you know, I always said that those were my weaknesses, that.
Speaker 3:and then you know, getting in a fight or something, you know, um, but but yeah, so no, I didn't, I didn't regret it, and uh, that kind of led me on to where you know well, and I think what's what's unique, when I, when you first told me that story, you know I, we competed against each other in high school and uh and all those things, but uh, you know, we didn't really kind of rekindle our friendship here until I don't know the last five years, I would say, um, but you know, as we've told each other stories about high school and college and about all these things, when you told me this story about when you were at Wilmington and going through, you know, the challenges of basketball and the coaches and all those different things, um, that's where you learn the most about yourself.
Speaker 3:Right, it's through those trying, difficult times and I think that's what a lot of people lose today is when things get tough in the beginning, they instantly quit. You could have quit your freshman year when you, you know you weren't playing for the first 10 games and your parents were why were you doing it? Right, but you went through it. You went through all those difficult things and look at what you learned from it.
Speaker 5:Yeah, I mean, like I said, and I, I went through all of the conditioning. So it's not like I, I, I got there and like, oh man, there's, there's 15 freshmen, I, I quit. Um, I, I really was doing it for my dad. But I think one of the things is like um, I don't think you'll be defined by those wins and losses. You're more defined by your grit and resilience and then how you respond to um, so I didn't, I didn't just go sit and do nothing after I, after I, you know, quit basketball, I focused on my school and then I lifted. I still lifted like crazy. I played basketball. I played, you know, we had the bombers, intramural, uh, softball team. That was amazing, uh, you know. So we, we had a blast. I mean, it was, uh, it's. It's just something where going through that you know we, you've talked about it before going through tough times is, is what, what makes you stronger for sure? Yeah, for sure. So you, you've talked about it before Going through tough times is what makes you stronger for sure.
Speaker 3:Yeah, for sure. So you said you had already made up your decision you were going to go into chiropractic. Why and how? What? What made you go to that direction?
Speaker 5:So I a couple of stories. My, my grandpa was seeing a chiropractor uh, my dad's dad and they did an x-ray on his uh, on his back, and the chiropractor was the one that found his aneurysm. He had an abdominal aneurysm, uh, and they were able to fix that not the chiropractor, but they were able to. He diagnosed it and I thought that's pretty cool. And I was never a kid to take a medication. Uh, I, just, I didn't like it. Uh, if I had pain, I wasn't one grabbing like, hey, can I get a you know Advil or Tylenol? It was, you know, just tough through it, or give me some ice, um, I, I liked the idea of like more natural healing. My uncle, uh, uncle was a huge influence as well because he was a chiropractor in Eaton. He practiced over 50 years.
Speaker 5:Hurt my knee in football I weighed like 57 pounds and I'm trying to drag guys around and I remember it Got my knee injured and I went to him. My mom took me to my uncle and he adjusted my knee. My knee was like three times the size of my other knee and he adjusted my knee and within about an hour it was close to the same size as my other knee Now did it still hurt 100%? The ligament was still sprained, the ligament was still damaged, but the swelling went out immediately and I'm like this is like magic.
Speaker 5:This is crazy. Then, when I was at Wilmington, I got the opportunity to do an internship with Dr Bruce Brown in Bellbrook. Him and I hit it off right away. We like to work out, um, we love sports, uh, he was, he's a go getter, he's, he's a, he's got a, uh, you know kind of. He likes to talk to personality like very similar, right, and so I, I, I show up, uh, for my uh interview with him to do this internship.
Speaker 5:And I was the first intern that he had and Wilmington was doing this with different professions and you could get your hours that way, and I had like dress, pants and a coat and a tie and everything. And I walk in and they put me in his office and he's treating patients. He walks in and he just laughs because I look like Doogie Howser and uh, he, I can remember him laughing at me because, like, I was so dressed up. But I, you know, I'm like, hey, this is serious, right, like I'm going to be professional, which I I think is missing somewhat today. Um, but uh, anyways, I started that relationship.
Speaker 5:I uh did my internship hours, like immediately, very quick, and then he's like hey, you, you got to work for me, like you know. And so I said you mean, he said, yeah, the whole summer so I drove from West Alexandria to Bellbrook pretty much every day and work for him. And that was great because I got got to see what it was like in the office, got to see, you know, him do some amazing things with patients, learned a lot and learned how to interact with people. Because that's, honestly, the biggest thing is, yes, you have to be good at what you do, but with my profession, if you can't interact with people and show them that you care, it just won't go over very well. And he, he had that, Um, and so did my uncle had that as well.
Speaker 5:So, anyways, that that kind of sparked it. And then, uh, you know, once, once I saw those things, I knew I wanted to be a chiropractor, because you know a lot of people we were joking earlier and they'll say you know why, why didn't you go? Why'd you go to be a real doctor? Why didn't you? Why did you go to be a orthopedic? And I say my answer is usually cause I didn't want to. Yeah.
Speaker 5:Um, and I, and and this is not a cocky statement, but I think I could have, I know I could have um, my, my, my mentality, and then my uh, you know study habits and things. I think I could have done whatever I wanted to do, but that is what I wanted to do, um, so, yeah, so I went on to chiropractic school, and you did that in St Louis.
Speaker 5:Yeah, so, uh, logan college of chiropractic, uh, that's in St Louis, missouri, it's actually in Chesterfield. So if you tell people that you know you live in West County, they think you're like a movie star and athlete, but I lived in an apartment in West County. They think you're like a movie star and athlete, but I lived in an apartment in West County but it was a pretty cool area because, like you know, we saw Kurt Warner at the grocery store, we saw Marshall Falk at Uno's. You know I met Stan Musial, but that was an odd thing because you know I'm from Preble County. I went an hour and a half away for college, preble County. I went an hour and a half away for college.
Speaker 5:And then I remember getting my own apartment and then I remember my mom and my dad and Izzy uh leaving and I'm on the balcony and it was like I have no friends, hadn't started school yet, uh, don't know anybody never been in a bigger city like that.
Speaker 5:I mean, we, we were, we were in the suburb but still in the big city, and uh, I remember going, sitting on my couch, going what did I just do? You know, uh, but I've always liked school, which sounds weird, but like, and I don't mean I love like, oh, I love going to, you know, microbiology class. No, but I, because of the interaction with people, making friends, um, you know, even when I was younger I didn't want to miss elementary school because I wanted to go to recess. And I wanted to. You know, I want to be with my friends. So the school part, once that started, I made some amazing friends. Um, I actually had to do, because I didn't plan very well. I actually had to do because I didn't plan very well. I actually had to do organic chemistry one and two and physics one and two all in one semester as an accelerated program so I could start the chiropractic school.
Speaker 3:That makes me nauseous. Yeah, even thinking about it.
Speaker 5:Yeah, that was rough.
Speaker 3:So another cool story that you've told me is is you know, through chiropractic school you worked at a as a valet parking cars. Right, talk about that a little bit. That's pretty cool.
Speaker 5:So, um, it's funny, because I worked, I worked at the school some, I worked for a chiropractor cover, helping cover football games. Because I was an athletic trainer, I got my, I got my ATC and although I wasn't licensed in Missouri, so, but I could still cover stuff for him under him, I did. I don't know why. I did construction but I, there was these amazing homes, really older homes, almost like an Oakwood or whatever, and so I would go in and I was basically the demo man and I would, I would go in and I was basically the demo man and I would, I would help demo and carry buckets down the stairs and sweep and do all that. And, um, like I said, I worked at my apartment complex but then I got, uh, you know, guys at school were talking about hey, you know, you should work for August evening. So I'm like August evenings, Like yeah, it's like AE parking, and I'm like what, what's that? And they're like valet. I'm like Ooh, right up my alley.
Speaker 3:Cause I love.
Speaker 5:I love cars. So, um, so I, you know, and you could call in, you'd call in and uh, it's probably my second favorite job ever, other than other than what I'm doing now. And uh, I remember my first job. Uh called in and they put us at a basically private party and private parties are usually at someone's home which then you have to transfer the cars down and someone brings you back. So first car I get in is a Porsche Boxster and I'm like, oh, this is awesome.
Speaker 1:So I, you know they, I open up the door and you know we, I and I just so I, you know they, I open up the door and you know we, I and I, just I, I hammer it about a quarter of a mile down and then, uh, you know, park it.
Speaker 5:And then you know, and then these people, you'd bring their car back and then they give you like 10 bucks and you're like, oh, this is amazing. But the funny thing is is my buddy, mike, and I. So Mike is, uh, mike's like my best friend from chiropractic school, that guy I could count on. Yeah, I mean, I could call him tonight and he would be at my house. He was a he was actually a scout sniper in the Marines, now chiropractor, so, but anyways, we would, we would use it as a, as a workout too, so like when someone would come out and give us their ticket. I mean we would sprint, a dead sprint, get to the car, boom, they'd see us like I mean sprinting, and so we would. We would end up there like, what do you guys do? We were like the only two that would do that and so, uh, we would do that.
Speaker 5:There was one party where we worked a private residence and I walked off the front of the house. It was over, uh, over a hundred yards the front. He owned, uh, like charter communications and he sold it. They had caricature drawer, they had a magician, they had a um marilyn monroe, uh impersonator from tennessee.
Speaker 5:Uh elvis, impersonator from um kentucky at the party at the party, yeah, and and uh, it was crazy. And and then they let us come in and eat and we weren't getting any tips when, uh, cause, it's all at once, you know, a party, you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 5:And it was so we were, we were running, running, running and I'm like, gosh man, we're not getting any tips. And then, uh, the guy comes out afterwards. First of all, he'd let us go in and eat food which was really cool, cause guys did a great job and he hands us an envelope with all cash in it and a good amount, and it's like yes.
Speaker 5:So we try to get that party every time. But you know you couldn't work a regular job while you were in school because it was almost like being back in high school because you would go at 730 in the morning and be done at four. So it was like a job. But also got to work. You guys, with sports like this, I got to work the traveling hall of fame, um. So they did this at the history museums like they did it in cincinnati. They did it all over. So any baseball player that was in the hall of fame, they would do a traveling. So they traveling hall of fame.
Speaker 5:So we get there and there's the, the back with all of the. You know, if you guys showed up, that's where you guys would park and they would valet you. And then the front was the players and I told the supervisor I said I'll do the players, I'll do the front. I said me and Mike, you know we know the players, he's like you know them, I'm like I know I'll know them. So it was awesome because I got to park, like you know, ozzie Smith, uh, ozzie Smith, red Shandings, uh, stan Musial, um, trying to think Lou Brock, all these old timers. And then when they came back out and I got my red, red AE parking jacket on, you know, and they come back out and I sprint, I'd sprint, get their car open up the door and then they would go to hand me a tip and I pulled out a pin and a baseball and I got all their. I got their signatures on separate baseball and then they'd still give me a tip.
Speaker 4:So it was amazing, you still have them. I still oh yeah.
Speaker 5:Oh yeah, I still have them Real entrepreneur. Yes, that's right, for sure that's right.
Speaker 5:So, so you get through chiropractic school, what's next? So while I was in chiropractic school, dr Brown approached me and uh said, hey, I'm building an office. I'm like, okay. When I came back for Christmas break and uh, he said, I want, I want you to come in with me, um, and so that was trying. That was almost like a no brainer, because you know, we're really close with family, so moving back to Ohio was probably in the cards anyways, even though, you know, looking back, while I was in chiropractic school, uh, I got engaged in St Louis when we were looking for an apartment, um, and then a year later got married while I was in school, um, and so looking back, uh, it was like this is, this is what we want to do. We, you know, we want to move back. Uh, I mean, izzy got a job before she graduated. That doesn't happen, right. So she came out and interviewed on spring break and got a great job.
Speaker 5:So what would have held us? There would have been our friends and Izzy's job, cause I could have practiced us. There would have been our friends and Izzy's job, cause I could have practiced anywhere, but all of our friends went, like Hawaii, uh, Kentucky, arkansas, north Carolina, cleveland, I mean. So all of our friends were mostly from school there, so they, they all moved out, um, but Dr Brown wanted me to come in, so that then the decision was what does that? What does that look like? Do I go in? Am I going to work for you? Um, am I going to be, uh like, more of an independent contractor? And so we decided, uh, kind of together, that I would, I would go in as I wanted, I wanted to have my own business, yeah, and so, um, and he's the same way.
Speaker 5:So I don't know how well that would have worked if I would have worked for him, um, but then you know, so I, I, uh, I, I will tell you, I got a little boat for graduation of chiropractic school, a small boat and my friend, mike, and I, one of the best things we ever did. We graduated in April. We could not take our Ohio test. We passed our national boards, four parts of national boards, but we couldn't practice until probably the middle of June, plus Izzy was still working, and then Mike's wife, sarah, was still finishing school. So literally every day we went fishing, oh geez, from April to like, or from May to June, yeah, you know, probably not the best uh business decision to start prepping but I will tell you what I'll never I'll, I'll never forget that.
Speaker 5:And then we had a little video camera, and I wish YouTube was big, because our videos are amazing.
Speaker 4:Put them on there now.
Speaker 5:Oh, if we would've got if we'd have got caught by the DNR, though we would catch fish like this big and then like, put them in in the live well, this little live well, and then at the end we'd we'd say what we caught and be like, yeah, we caught some bait and we'd throw it in the. I mean, it was, it was so silly, but I think I think it would have went over well. But, uh, yeah, so I um ended up going in with Dr Brown, he. He gave me, um, you know, he set me up very, very well. He, you know, because he could have pinned me down with. You know, hey, this is what your rent's going to be. But it was almost like a signing bonus. He helped me out, not as in pay, but with rent, and basically gave me rent free for a while. He said, you know that he wanted to help get me going, and so he was very well known in Bellbrook. He'd been there. You know that he wanted to help get me going, and so he was very well known in Bellbrook. He'd been there, you know. I don't know how long he'd been there at that time, probably 15 to 20 years. About where I'm at now, I would say close to it in practice. And it was a blessing because everyone knew Dr Brown. It was a curse because everyone knew Dr Brown. It was a curse because everyone knew Dr Brown.
Speaker 5:So I was going to, uh, every, every game. I don't know anybody, but I'm going to all types of games. I'm going. I'm, if I could speak at any event, I was going to the schools, I was going to churches, I was going to, um, you know, all over the place, right? And a lot of times I'd be at the football game like, oh, you work for Dr Brown or for Bruce, and I'm like, no, I work with him. And they're like, oh, I'm like yeah, so like oh, why see Bruce? And then I'd go to the next person hey, how you doing, I'm Matt Roberts. Oh, yeah, you're with Bruce, I see Bruce. I mean, it was like I'm like okay, is there anybody that doesn't see this guy, right? So I'm trying to figure out.
Speaker 5:So I joined, uh, two networking groups, um, and the one you had to kind of pay for, so I would, I would go to go to it and then, like, kind of go to another one that was the same brand of networking groups. So I didn't have to pay. I could keep going back and forth, cause I, to be honest with you, I went to go get a business plan. I had this business plan. It was beautiful, I mean it was. It showed exactly how successful I was going to be. I had it all written out and I remember going to a couple of banks and I and I had this, you know, in a binder and it was beautiful. And so I get to the bank and they're like, oh, okay, good, good. And they're like, okay, so, so how much are you making? Now I'm like, uh, none, not, you know not. But look, I'm going to and, uh, I could never get a business loan. Yeah.
Speaker 5:So, once again, um, I really think that that was uh kind of God looking out for me from not getting in too much debt, cause I was already in a ton of debt from school. Luckily, my, you know, I had a really good scholarship at Wilmington and my parents helped me with my undergrad. That what I didn't get in scholarship. And then the other thing is believe it or not, you know, is he getting married. You know, some of my friends had to pay for everything with their loans, meaning food, apartment. You know some of my friends had to pay for everything with their loans, meaning food, apartment, you know, books, school, whatever, right, at least we, we had Izzy's teacher salary which covered a lot of our living expenses, and then I literally had to just kind of take out money for school, um, but I didn't have any money I wasn't, you know and so then I was looking to get a table one table, right, I need one table to adjust people on and luckily, some, you know, something happened and they didn't have the uh, they didn't have the table in that I wanted. So the guy gives me uh that I get my tables from, he gives me a loaner. He said, well, until we get that in till they get that made, and so it just kept getting delayed.
Speaker 5:But I was, you know, I was seeing now, granted, on my first day, you know, I saw a whopping one patient, one. So your back's against the wall, really, a hundred percent, and it's it's make or break, right? So, um, so then I I broke down, like I said, I couldn't cover high school because they had people covering high school. So I went to the junior high. I covered junior high sports wrestling, football as the team doctor. The problem is too, I wore shirt and tie and everything. Because I did, I looked like I was, like you know, 17 years old, and so that was a struggle too. I remember having a patient walk in and she said, uh, where's the? Or? I walked in and she said where's the doctor? And I said I'm the doctor, um, I'm even wearing a white coat. And she's asking, right and uh and uh, doogie hauser, that's right man, and uh, I'm, she's like.
Speaker 5:Uh, well, I, and literally this was this was tough too, Cause this is when I'm looking for patients I literally had to say, okay, she's like she, she wasn't having. I went and got Dr Brown and he saw her as an and it was a new patient, you know, and every new patient was huge then Um that's a gut check.
Speaker 5:Yeah, oh yeah, and I that was. That was hard to swallow, man, I'm like gosh, you know how? You know how do I get through some of these? You know, uh, obstacles. So then, another thing that I did that was extremely humbling was uh well, let me backtrack just a little bit. We, we didn't. We had problems at that office getting a sign because of zoning. The zoning board was being really, really, and it's not like we were putting up anything different, it's just the rules had changed and we wanted grandfathered in. They wanted to put it in the middle of our parking lot, which then would have taken up two or three parking spots and people would have run into it.
Speaker 5:But for Dr Brown, it wasn't that big of a deal For me. I'd be like, hey, Ben, nice to meet you. My office is on the corner of Sugar Creek and North Lakeman. It's in between the dentist and the daycare. So if you see a really nice building, there's not a sign, but that's where we're at right. So that was tough. I mean. I went to those meetings and I pleaded too.
Speaker 5:Dr Brown was the main cause, he's the, you know the, the owner, him and his wife owned the building, Um, but I, uh, so I was like, all right, I would tell the girls hey, I have my flip phone on me, Um, give me a call, I'm going out and doing some stuff. I wouldn't, a lot of times I wouldn't tell them what I was doing. So I would go to neighborhoods and I had I made up these little um, I'd have business cards and I had made up these little pamphlets and I went door to door, Um, and you talk about a humbling experience. You know, some people literally would, I mean they would slam the door in your face, and that was rough because I'm literally, and and then other people are like wait and again, wait a minute, you're the doctor and you're you're walking door to door and I just tried to explain to him. Like you know, I'm trying to get my name out there. I want people to know me, I want you to know what I do. And you know, did I get? Did I get 50 patients from that? No, but I actually did get a couple, and that encouraged me to keep going.
Speaker 5:And I realized as well that once I had that patient in the office, I had to deliver. Yeah, Like, I had to deliver, not just like, hey, this is a nice guy, Right, they had to get better, they had to get well, yeah, Right. So I really, really, really worked on my you know all my skills and my diagnosis so that when I did have a patient, it was going to, they were going to be my, my bird dog, they were, they were going to go door to door for me rather than me having to do that. Um, but you know, looking back, I don't know that I would have it any other way, because it's like there is a little bit of pride in building it up versus going in and just having it handed to you. Oh, yeah, Because then you, I don't know, you remember where you came from, right, A little bit, you know, because what do they say? Everybody wants to eat, but few will hunt. That's right.
Speaker 5:Right, yeah, so everybody wants to eat, but few are going to go out there and hunt. And I was hunting and I was hunting, and I was hunting and I was hunting and, um, you know, there were times where you know I'd be sitting in my office and I'm my mind's just going um, izzy. Izzy said it's a bipolar profession when I started, because there'd be days where you know oh man I saw, I saw 10 patients, you know, the whole day and I'm excited.
Speaker 5:And then the next day I would have, you know, six on the books and three of them would cancel and I, you know, three patients in a matter of like eight to 10 hours. Um, and I was far enough away from home that I couldn't go home for lunch and stuff. So now I've got, you know that break in between. So you know, I'm lifting, I'm, you know, working. We had a gym in a basement. I would work out.
Speaker 5:And then I would go like, all right, what am I going to do? So I'd go to Kohl's and like, look for, like I literally would look for like the clearance shirt so I could go get my logo put on. So clearance shirts, so I could go get my logo put on. So I'd find shirts for like two bucks and then I had someone put the logo on them. So then I'd give someone a t-shirt, but I had to do it like in increments because I just didn't have a thousand dollars to go throw out and say, hey, I'm going to give these t-shirts. So just a lot of, but again, like I say that, but it, you know it was hard work, but it's that stuff is worth it.
Speaker 3:Oh, yeah, I mean as you're, as you're talking, it's reminding me of similar things that I had to do when I first bought the business and and you know all the challenges and the difficulties and the financial stress, and then the customers, the customer coming in, or well, I mean a lot of struggles. But yeah, it shows your determination, you know. It shows that it doesn't matter what the challenge is, you're going to take it head on and I think that's again that's where we learned the most about ourselves.
Speaker 5:So yeah, I, I, you know, and that's been. You know we can laugh about it, but, like that's been me, I didn't weigh a hundred pounds when I went to high school. I've not been the biggest guy, the strongest guy, so in sports, like we talked about, it was a huge thing. So it was like all right, you know, roberts is going to run his head through a wall to to help the team and, as I have been, I think I've always been a team guy. That's why I didn't do a lot of individual sports, because man is so fun to win as a team and you know, it's fun to see other, you know other people succeed. And I've been very fortunate to have, like I said, great parents. You know my sister, great sister growing up. You know, now I have, you know, my in-laws and you know that are great, my, of course, my wife, and you know even my friends. Like I had really good friends in high school. I mean, you know, I just told you I never drank. None of them ever did either. Um, in college, yeah, they drank, but great friends in college, I mean that I know again, I could call chiropractic school. Um, I've had mentors with, like, my uncle through chiropractic. And then, uh, dr brown, dr Brown. And then I have Mark King who is um, he's got a, an amazing practice down in Cincinnati, mount lookout chiropractic. Um, then I was in a club while I was in school that we, we adjusted. Now I don't know if I'll get in trouble for this now, I don't think so. But I mean, we started adjusting before I even got in chiropractic school because of guys like Brett Winchester this guy is this guy's phenomenal right, he's out in Missouri, um, travels all over, uh, just great mentors. But you know, I remember going home on my second semester and I brought my um for Thanksgiving. I brought my portable table, cause everyone, you had weird parties in chiropractic school cause you had no money, um, so you couldn't really go out, so we would play board games and cards, but then we, everyone had a table in their apartment. So it's like, hey, lay down, let's try this, you know, so we're practicing on each other, right, practicing adjusting on each other. But yeah, so, so. But you know, having all those, those mentors to teach you, and I remember going, like I said, going home on Thanksgiving, and I adjusted over 50 people in my second semester.
Speaker 5:You're not supposed to, uh, you're not supposed to adjust people until your seventh semester, um, but I was learning. I was going to club. It sounds weird Like you go into an adjusting club, but it's a motor skill. So I did it over and over and over and over, you know, and I talk about my friends and my mentors, and there's a, there's a scripture in first Corinthians and it says don't be misled. Bad company corrupts good character. And I'm like I that sticks to me like okay, who you're around, whether it's business, whether it's friendship, whether it's faith, makes a big difference. And I try to pass that on to my family, which I haven't even got into my family.
Speaker 3:Gosh, no you're good You're doing great. No, this is great. I mean, when I when I think of Matt Roberts, I think of determination and enthusiasm and and you have shown that to this point in your life with where you're at in your story. So you're married to Izzy, you're at Dr Brown, but at some point in time you make the decision that, hey, it's time for me to do my own thing. Talk about that.
Speaker 5:So, first of all, life changes right. So you think you got it all planned out, which I I mean I had a plan like even with getting married. I mean we are, you're going to get through school and you're going to get married, and we're going to get married, and then I'm going to finish school and then we're going to you know, we had it all planned out and then we're going to have kids.
Speaker 5:So, talking about family kids, yeah, so that was a struggle, yeah, but we had it planned out and I felt like Izzy and I did it the right way All growing up. Um, we made decisions to. You know, that's the only girl I've ever really dated, to be honest with you, yeah, and I and I don't regret that one bit Somebody like you know, oh, my gosh, you know only one, one woman, one girl. It's to me. You know what, at this stage in my life, I'm like, yep, super proud of it too. More people should do that, right. And so, um, man, we just couldn't have kids and, honestly, one of the biggest things I wanted to be was a dad. Yeah.
Speaker 5:Just want to be a dad. Yeah, cause of my enthusiasm, man, like I love kids and that's one reason why I coach. You know I've been doing coaching cause I just love being around kids. And so, man, we just couldn't, couldn't, couldn't, couldn't. And then, um, finally, you know, she gets pregnant and, um, twins. So it was awesome, man, I was so and see, that's kind of where that that switch, because, as you guys know, you both have kids.
Speaker 5:Your priorities change when you have kids. I was, I didn't care what time I got home when I didn't have kids, I didn't care what time I ate dinner because I was out like hey, is he sorry, I'm going to the football game and I'm meeting people. I'm going to a networking meeting at, uh, you know, five in the morning and I'm going and I stayed out all the time, right. But once you have kids, it's like Ooh, and then you might need help with your pet. You don't want your parents around them, um, so, uh, we have, we have twins, amazing twins, even Myla, you know. And so I mean that was, that's one of the biggest like accomplishments. You know, love it in my life.
Speaker 5:Right. Yeah.
Speaker 5:And so she, you know, izzy, actually was gained like six or seven pounds in a day. The day before she had them and they were like and she was having swelling and we just said, but she's petite. And so the doctors just kind of said, well, it's because she's, you know, she's, uh, she's small, she, you got twins, so they're going to induce her on on a Tuesday, and which we were disappointed in, because I'm a chiropractor, I want everything natural, I want it all, you know, done this way, well, way well. Um, her water breaks.
Speaker 5:The next morning I'm on the couch because she has 75 pillows in the bed and I just wanted to get one one more good night's rest, right, and um, my phone rings and before it could ring a second time, I was at the top of the stairs and she's on my water break, my water broke, my. I'm like, yes, all right, let's go. And I have, uh, if you know me about, like my cars and stuff, I have trash bags over the seat I have for for this for this trip to the hospital. Right, I mean I've got it all, yeah, so, and. But then she's like I got to get ready. She and I'm like no, we got to go. So I, I'm, I'm making this is like five something in the morning. We get there at 8.53 and 9.01. I've got twins, and a cool thing is which people maybe won't understand, but I adjusted them in the delivery room as soon as they were born, which was a cool experience to do for my kids.
Speaker 5:So things are going well. But I remember that night. I mean, izzy did great and I remember. That night, though she started coughing and like what the heck? You know what's up with that? It's like I don't know. You know this is before.
Speaker 3:Well, she's in labor after the girls are born.
Speaker 5:Yeah, they're born and we're you know I'm learning to change a diaper and they're. They were actually in the room with us. They didn't. I mean five, six and five, 10,. 38 and a half weeks. She went and they were five, six and five, 10.
Speaker 5:So super healthy babies. Um, probably the most beautiful babies ever, guys. So, um, but anyways, uh, you know, uh, she's coughing and then, um, she started swelling again a little like her feet and stuff, and they're like, oh, you know, just keep your feet up. And so, 36 hours after, uh, they, they said we're gonna keep you one more night because we were trying to make sure, because, you know, with twins and stuff, girls were perfectly good, like, didn't, like said, never went to the NICU. And you know, and uh, I'm helping Izzy up to the restroom and boom, she flatlines Like she just collapses and I catch her and I mean I hit that button and it was the most wild thing.
Speaker 5:I mean they had those babies out of the room wheeling her down the hallway and you know, they said was it maybe pneumonia? They did like they knew that she had fluid on her lungs and stuff. Was it maybe pneumonia? They did like they knew that she had fluid on her lungs and stuff, and so, long story short, she had peripartum cardiomyopathy, which means she had heart failure. She had none of the risk factors, other than the fact that she was she had twins. So here I am, the best moment of my life that I've been waiting for, and then my wife is about to die.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's terrifying.
Speaker 5:Yeah, and you know she was in the ICU, um, and I can just remember, you know, just praying, you know, don't, don't let me have two, two beautiful babies, and no mom, right. So and and I remember the worst part is is he asked me am I going to die? And I said no, you're not you know and that showed you know.
Speaker 5:And now guess what? She's? God's watch over she. She's not on any medication. She recovered like 100%. She has no health, no heart problems. So once again, there's a struggle. Well, that again changed my perspective of what is important.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 5:And so that, um, I started to, to, to shift back to the, the business side of things. Um, I got an opportunity to, or was asked to, cover Twin Valley South football. Oh yeah, so cover Twin Valley South football. But to me I'm like, um, you know, this is, this is an opportunity, and I guess, to backtrack a little bit three years into practice. Um, I just, I, I approached my uncletrack a little bit three years into practice. Um, I just I approached my uncle and that's how I got into eating. He was only in his office three days a week and I was really busy and built a good practice in Bellbrook, but you know, just not a totally full schedule like Dr Brown seeing all these people. So I thought, well, what if I did both? And I kept praying and kept praying open a door, close a door. So if a door closes, then I'll know, or if a door opens, I'll know.
Speaker 5:And I'm in a meeting at the medical center and you know, dr Jill, some people know Dr Jill Vossler, she was in that meeting. They said, well, you know, can you do this? And I said, sure, I can do it. My only concern is, on Fridays I might have a tough time getting back to West Alexandria in time for the start of the game. And she said, well, why don't you practice full-time in Eaton? I said, well, there's not enough space in my uncle's office for us both to be there. And she said, well, why don't you practice here at the medical center? And I just was like I didn't know that was even an option. There are zero chiropractors within Kettering Health Network buildings. I don't know that there are any within Miami Valley. I'm not sure there are any in Reed over here, so that was not even on the radar.
Speaker 5:About a week later, um, emails, meetings, and we're talking about building out, um, an office, and, uh, the rest is history there. Um, you know, and I, I built the office thinking, oh my gosh, what am I doing? Cause, once again, I had two tables. Um, in the therapy suite I had two, two adjusting tables. Um, nobody in one office, nothing in two of the treatment rooms, nothing in the room that we have the massage therapist. Now, um, and I thought, what, what am I doing here? This is way too big for. And now I'm like, why didn't I make it bigger? Why didn't I make it bigger so? So that's kind of you know. That door opened.
Speaker 5:And then I at that point and that was a tough conversation with Dr Brown, because I felt like you know, he was a huge mentor of mine I felt like I was letting him down. But the awesome thing is like, at first it was, you know, you could tell I mean anybody who, like I, lost employees that I've been very good employees and although I wasn't an employee there, I was a colleague of his and he thought I was going to buy his practice and take it over. And that was my plan originally. I had no, I mean, so it wasn't like I ever had this other other in mind.
Speaker 5:And uh, you know, so there's, there's, you're happy for him, but man, you're like, oh, I hate to lose that, that person. So, at first, but now I mean, I just, you know, I was talking to him over Christmas and and just, we were saying how awesome it's worked out for him and for for myself, you know. So, um, you know, when a door open, it's like if you don't go through it, you might suffer a consequence. Um, and if I was, you know, if you don't, if you don't really want it, you better not pray for it.
Speaker 3:That's right, yeah, so yeah, be careful what you pray for, absolutely. But not so now you're, you're, you open your own practice, but now you got employees, right? That's a whole different ball game than just running a practice at Dr Brown's office, right? Yes, talk about that.
Speaker 5:Well, cause, honestly, I was an independent contractor, I had my own practice, but I didn't deal with I, I that's what I, you know. And I told him later on down the road like, oh, I didn't, I didn't understand. Uh, you know, when you were, when you were in not the best mood, because because I came in and said, hey, such and such quit, and it's like, can you get somebody else Right? Like it's, and that's what happens, is is like as as uh, on the other side of it, you think like, oh, just find somebody else, man, or, or fix this or whatever. But when it's on you, it's totally different.
Speaker 5:And, um, you know, you're you're trying to find the right person, because I, always, when I'm interviewing, I always tell them, like, you know, the biggest thing for me is that you're, you're coachable, uh, trainable, and that you're trustworthy. Um, if you're coachable, trainable and you're trustworthy and you've got a, you know, you've got a good attitude, I can train you and you'll be amazing, right, but that trust, and then you know, nowadays there's just not, um, uh, I've been very fortunate, but there's not a lot of loyalty either. So, having that, and you know so, I've been incorporating some of that into my even into my staff meetings and my practice now, um of of some different characteristics that I'm looking for to in my office staff. You know, um, and that's been challenging. And then I added in another doctor, dr Pitzinger, dr Adam Pitzinger, and, uh, that I wasn't ready for that but he, he actually was not in a great situation and so that moved much quicker than expected, um, but you know that's, and there's been bumps in the road with all of it.
Speaker 3:Right, oh yeah.
Speaker 5:And uh, but we've, we've, you know, hit it head on and with the right attitude and and um, not not always doing things right. Right, Don't get me wrong Like, uh, you know, uh, that's, that's not for sure, I'm not doing that everything right all the time, but uh, we, it's.
Speaker 3:It's almost like when you look back, it's kind of fun, but when you're going through it, man, it's like when you look back, it's kind of fun, but when you're going through it, man, it's terrible, it's terrible, it is, it's challenging, it's challenging. So as we start to land this plane, a little bit um, and as you tell the story, you know we've taught, we talked. When I asked you to be on the podcast, you're like, man, I don't know, I got this story Really dude, like your story's amazing.
Speaker 3:You know, all these things that happen in your life to put you to where you're at today and that's the whole point of the podcast is is that everybody's got a story and people that don't know you that look at you now and they say he's got these beautiful wife, beautiful daughters, you know athletic, you know physically fit, doing all the right things. He never had a hard day in his life. You know what I mean. That's what it's all about. Is you telling your story? So I'm grateful for you doing that. I want to end it with two questions. Last two questions. Number one if you could sit on a park bench and you can have a conversation with anyone living or deceased which I steal this from John Low Leary, you know that, yes.
Speaker 5:Who would it be and why, man, that's a? I didn't think you were going to ask that question.
Speaker 3:That's why I said it yeah, that's good.
Speaker 5:Um, to be real honest with you, um man, uh, jesus, yeah, and I know that that probably that's a oh man, that's just a cliche, but, like you know, I just don't. Oh man, that's just a cliche, but, like you know, I just don't, I don't. Uh, I would love to sit down and talk to him and say why you know because, why, why do, why do I deserve what you did? And, man, how'd you do that? Right Like how did you do that?
Speaker 5:How did you live a perfect life? Um, and then take the, the, the torture and the torment and turn it into something beautiful for everybody else, right? So it might. Again, it might sound cliche, it's not, you know, people don't think that's a real person. That is a real person. And so if I could sit down, man that would answer. Think about how many questions you could have answered if you had Jesus sitting beside you.
Speaker 5:So, yeah, you could have Einstein, you could have you know a Martin Luther King jr, you could have you know George Washington, you know, obviously you, you also think about family members as well. So don't get me wrong, man, I would love to to talk to my, my grandparents again. Yeah. You know, um, I would love to do that, but, man, if I'm going to look for all the answers, he could tell me how they're doing that's right, so yeah that's, that's who it'd be.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so all those times you've had that have been challenging. Um, you know high school accident. You know the challenges in college uh, chiropractic school. The challenges with Izzy and the pregnancy and what you went through there. The challenges in running a business when things are tough and you think of a quote or you think of a Bible verse that gets you through those times. What is that?
Speaker 5:So I know you asked this question so I kind of did prepare. But this is my verse, which is not the normal verse. So it's James 1, verse 2 through 4. And the first part is Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds. So think about that, right. It doesn't say like pout, it doesn't say pity me, and it doesn't even say be happy. It says consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith will produce perseverance.
Speaker 5:The last part is let perseverance finish its work so that you are mature and complete, not lacking anything. So if you put that together, it's like gosh man, when I'm going through tough times, man, I gotta, I gotta be happy about it. And it's not necessarily that you're like, oh, yippee, right, I'm super happy, but that's going to make you stronger, it's going to develop perseverance. Then, once you let perseverance do its work and you work through it, it can help you be more mature in whatever you're doing. You know, complete, whole, and so that's that's a verse, that um, that sticks with me and that I utilize. I've utilized um honestly, probably since college. You know um you know and so that that would be the one, I guess, if it's not a Bible verse.
Speaker 5:Um, there was a, an old proverb not not a proverb, I think it's a Chinese proverb or something where it says um you know it, it talks about three things that never come back. Okay, uh, time, words and opportunity. And so when you think about that, you know you only got so much time. Don't waste time. Make the most of your time. Right and your words you know you can't get those back. Once you say them, they're out there. So you can use your words for good or for bad, right, so use your words for good. And then the last is opportunity. If you get an opportunity, don't sit back, man. Take it. That door opens, go through it, because the last thing I want to do is sit back and go, man what if man what if I did
Speaker 5:that man. What if I would have tried this, you know, and so I think that's a good one, even for, especially for kids. Like you know, they got more time than we do, especially as you get a little bit older. But you know time, your words I wish I could take back some of my words, right. And then opportunity, and I still hope that there's more opportunity out there for me and for my family, um, to to do good things, you know, to make a difference, and so those are kind of the things that I would leave your audience with and kind of the way that I live my life.
Speaker 3:So I did some research. You know when I think about you as a man, you know you've already shown the passion I think anybody listening can feel it the determination you know to to accomplish whatever goal or dream or desire that you have. Like you're, you went door to door as a chiropractor. I was hunting man. I mean that's amazing. So so I'm searching online and and I and I searched give me a Bible verse that relates to someone who's striving for excellence. Because you are my friend group, as I get older and I think us three men sitting here recognize this it gets a little smaller, right, your family is number one in the middle, and then you want to be around people that make you better and you make me better, and I appreciate you. And when I searched striving for excellence, Colossians 3, verse 23 through 24 came up. It says whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for human masters, Since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving and I think that sums up you as a man. I think that sums up your life.
Speaker 3:To this point, I think that you know what's to come. We don't know, right. But what? What do I know about Matt Roberts? It don't matter, you're going to put his head down and he's going to go through that brick wall just like you did in high school, right? Just like you did in college, just like you did to. You know, have a successful practice.
Speaker 3:And you know, I am grateful to have you as a friend. I'm grateful for you to come on here. I know you're apprehensive about it, just like my wife was in last week's episode and most people are as they come on here, but I hope that it's helped you. You know, maybe, maybe, uh, you know, just kind of reliving some of those things and looking at your life and thinking you know what. You know I have done some pretty cool stuff, because, as men, I don't think we do that. You know, we just work, right, we work and we try to help people and we, we do all our daily stuff and then we go to bed at night and we get up and we do it again the next day. So I hope that that you know. What you've got from this is that it's pretty cool to look back upon your life to this point. 46 years Are you 46 yet?
Speaker 5:Don't talk about my age I think I'm 36.
Speaker 3:Yeah, he's my age, we, yeah, yeah. 46, yeah, no. I mean, I hope, when you, when you look up to this point, that you're proud, because you should be. I know your parents are proud, I know your wife's proud, I know your daughters are proud. Uh, you're a good man and I'm grateful for our friendship well, I appreciate you having me on.
Speaker 5:I was a little apprehensive because didn't know whether I just honestly, I hope it helps somebody. Yes, and the other thing that I look at is if I'm going to sit up here and I'm going to say these things, I got to hold myself accountable to it. Yeah, doesn't mean I'm going to be perfect, because I won't. I know that I'm not perfect, never will be, but you know it's weird when you start to talk about these things. You got to go. Ok, look in the mirror. You're going, you're going to. You're going to preach it. You're going to talk about it. You're going to talk about. You know, hunting you still got to hunt. Yeah, you talk about your faith. You better be a good example. So I think in that sense, it definitely just getting it out there. It's going to be recorded right, it's going to be on.
Speaker 4:It's just the practice run, but it will be recorded. It's out there forever now, though, right.
Speaker 5:So, so, yeah, so I gotta, I gotta, I gotta look at it and go, okay, yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, stay, stay accountable. Man, yes, for sure, man For sure, Appreciate you. Ben, you got anything? Yeah, no.
Speaker 4:I didn't know any of your story so you know I absolutely loved hearing it and you know one of the best days I had was life search. You know I was able to go with you and Jeff and Matt, and you know I love getting the text, like the group message, whenever we send it. You know you're a man of faith, which I really. You know that's why I want to be there. You know that's why I strive to be and I don't know every time you send a verse or something in the text group, I always love seeing it. So you talk about surrounding yourself with people you want to be like and I just very grateful for you to coming on here and telling your story, appreciate it thank you, appreciate you, man, and everybody.
Speaker 3:Be sure to like and share and subscribe and do all those things you know there's. There's so much to gain from from matt's story, uh, and his knowledge, so we appreciate that and go out and be tempered hi, my name is ali schmidt.
Speaker 1:This is my dad, dan he owns cajun's glass thanks, ali.
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