Connect with Matt Zinman on LinkedIn:

linkedin.com/in/mattzinman

For more information visit his other websites:

InternshipInstitute.org

Z-isms.com

ISAzinman.com

Connect with Russ Johns on LinkedIn:

linkedin.com/in/nextstepnext

For more information visit his other websites:

russjohns.com/

thepiratesyndicate.com/

nextstepnext.com/

 Russ Johns 0:01
Welcome to the #piratebroadcast, where we interview #interestingpeople doing #interestingthings where you can expand your connections, your community. #Kindnessiscool and #smilesarefree. Let's get this party started.

It's another awesome day for the #piratebroadcast. I just want to welcome you. If you're watching this live, drop us a note. I know you're there. Tell us where you're from, what you're doing today. Also, if you're watching the replay, even though we'll come back, and we'll enjoy and have conversation later on. Also, we're streaming live on Facebook, YouTube, Periscope and LinkedIn. If you're at any of those platforms, please like and subscribe, share, make some comments, let us know that you're out in the wild having a great time too.

I want to jump into the show today and talk to Matt. Matt has been doing some amazing things. He has a little. I think he wrote a book, Matt. Welcome to the show, man.

Matt Zinman 1:15
Thank you, Russ. It's great to be here

Russ Johns 1:17
Your a Pirate now.

Matt Zinman 1:18
I know. Thank you so much. Good morning.

Russ Johns 1:21
Good morning. For those that don't know, you give us a snapshot of who Matt is and how the heck did you get here?

Matt Zinman 1:33
Right. Wow. I asked myself that every day. I just come right out of the gate with that question. Well, working backwards, I am really happy to be here and talking about the book I just published called Z-isms insights to live by personal development book, built on years of various experiences, good and otherwise. I'm founder of a nonprofit called the internship Institute. Which I established in 2007. We work with employers to set up those work based learning programs call them apprenticeships, call them by any other name. It's mainly having students or even disadvantaged youth, the military and transition on gaining experience. I've done that for quite some time still love it. It's hard as hard gets. That's part of the satisfaction.

My background is in marketing communication. I'm in Philadelphia, I've been here my whole life. I graduated from temple, the main university with journalism and went into the field of marketing communication for the first 12 13 14 years and I started my own business in 2002. That's the summary.

Russ Johns 2:50
Philadelphia, that's kind of a hectic area right now. I'm sure that stay busy. How Are you holding up on the stay at home The status I imagine you've probably been at home remote worker for a few years,

Matt Zinman 3:07
Right.

Russ Johns 3:09
It's not necessarily a big change, like myself, 10 years and plus working remotely. I mean, it's not necessarily a big change. However, I know on your Z-isms, a lot of that is about kindness right. Positioning kindness in a way that people can understand and receive it. It's what has changed in the last six months that you really see as it relates to Z-isms, in some of the efforts that you're putting into just the communication in general, about our situation, stay at home some of the polarization that's going on. I mean, kindness is really important right now, in my opinion.

Matt Zinman 3:54
Yeah, to say the least. Well, you're right. I've been an entrepreneur for 18 years and I am used to the structure of being at home. I'm definitely not used to staying here. There's things that I miss like, I'm an ice hockey player the rinks been down for months now, I'm getting rusty. Now what am I missing all my friends and the social opportunities,just working for yourself also means you get to create your own schedule and have that freedom but you get to go places and have meetings and so forth. I'm certainly trying to make the best of it, as I hope most people are with, with zoom and I've been loving being on interviews as here with you and just the opportunity to lean in and talk about things like kindness and the practicality of that along with other Things in, in in the book. I know we'll get to that.

Russ Johns 5:04
Yeah. Definitely dive into the book a little bit. Just practical tips of you just a sanity check.

Matt Zinman 5:14
Sure

Russ Johns 5:14
Any special tips that you want to share with people that are going through this. I know your theme and I know your emphasis is on kindness. I just want to know if you have any tips or suggestions or recommendations for people to think about as they're going insane without having to get out and go places and do things. One of the things that you can get outside, you can go walking in most places now, and it's like, people take their dogs out and walk all the time and different things like that. There's different activities that will keep you stimulated and keep you active and engaged if you share in any of those or you have any practices on any of that?

Matt Zinman 6:02
Right. Yeah, I mean, you're spot on you have to maintain that structure. You can't lose that it's it. We're all so much more susceptible being out of our routine for the majority of people who are in it. How do you realign with what it is you you can do and can enjoy. to the point around kindness, I mean, certainly is at the foundation of what we talk about across the book, but it's only one of five pillars in a sense of kindness and forgiveness, and gratitude and passion and trust. Those are the things that I've been trying to emphasize as being practical. When we come back to kindness, we start most people think of kindness, externally, but where it really begins with ourselves.

Russ Johns 6:54
Yeah

Matt Zinman 6:55
When we talk about it from a personal development standpoint, we look at things like self esteem and self love. Those things can be really nebulous, how do you get your arms around those things? But if you look at the, the notion of a simple question, Well, why be anything less than kind of yourself? It's pretty obvious, right? It's not so obvious, but that's really the building block. That's the bind. It's like, Yeah, right, of course. If you can't answer that affirmatively, then you know, where you have to start. Assuming that you can, it's that barometer for really everything you do day in and day out life decisions, whether to say no or yes to people, holding grudges. Getting into argument or any of it, just life in general? Am I being kind to myself? Or am I not start there? Then work, from that as a foundation as a platform of kindness to others.

Russ Johns 7:56
Yeah, I was talking on the #piratebroadcast yesterday about the idea that, the concept and this is the thread that goes through my mind is, talk to yourself, like your best friend would talk to you. Talk to yourself, like someone you love. It's not a crime, it's not something that you need to hold back. If you can't realize that you're worthy, and you're worth loving, that's the first step in the right direction is like you are worthy, you are important you are cared for, you are worth loving. I think a lot of people lose sight in the big noisy world of comparison and comparison is a such a, challenging place to be. I think nowadays, especially with all the social media and everything going on, I mean, what are your thoughts on comparison and say You're enough and where do you? Where do you find that? That center of joy?

Matt Zinman 9:05
Wow. Well, we have a 15 year old daughter, so I definitely won't want to be caught in social media. Wow, girl. Oh, wow, wow, glad I didn't go through that. I think that what you're also talking about comes down to habit. Sometimes it can come down to something more, when you're being less than kind to yourself. It could be mood in balance. That's another critical issue here too. We talk about earned confidence at the foundation. What that is has less to do with proving yourself to others as it is to what you've already proven to yourself. We've all been through everything we've been through in our lives, and we're still here, we've made it and so right away, it's easy to forget that and get caught up in things like worrying and anxiety and stress and negativetivity or making assumptions things that take you out of the present.

The same thing goes with being unkind to yourself. It's daily day in and day out struggle. Coming back to that reminder both that you've been through everything you can handle everything that comes your way, it's what you've always done, and that you catch yourself not being kind to yourself and you're Oh, wait, I caught myself here, get out of that habit, you have to break it. I don't know. I don't really try to compare myself to others if I can help it. I think it's just an individual decision.

Russ Johns 10:36
I think that's a healthy position to be in. Because, the only person you want to compare yourself as the person you were yesterday, right?

Matt Zinman 10:44
Yeah, and leave yesterday where it was.

Russ Johns 10:47
Yeah,

Matt Zinman 10:47
I made plenty mistakes then to probably have something to forgive myself for. Who knows?

Russ Johns 10:52
Be your own best friend Gabriel.

Matt Zinman 10:55
Right.

Russ Johns 10:58
The thing that I really Enjoy Matt and the pillars go, let's go back to the pillars a little bit some of the foundations that you're working on are habits, that are things that we need to practice on a regular basis because, we get out of the habit of doing something and then it then it becomes a task and if it's a habit, it's just part of life, it's like muscle memory. You're just doing it every day. It's really something that we need to focus in on, you have any practical steps on how people can use these pillars to incorporate in their life and how that how that all folds together.

Matt Zinman 11:33
Right. Absolutely. We had a little chat about this pre show, and I didn't tell you what these were and the reality is these pillars are not described that way in the book. The book does not framed around this, this is really the first time I'm talking about it in this way. As in having so many conversations about it and what it breaks down to around practicality. We caught we covered kindness and then when we get to forgiveness, like certainly we just acknowledge that When it comes to, it's not kind of to hold on to regrets within yourself, like a buddy of mine, a college friend. I think it's a very common thing in marriage and in relationships to keep a scorecard and in on second time around in my marriage, and I could tell you through experience, that a scorecard is a relationship killer.

Russ Johns 12:22
Yeah.

Matt Zinman 12:24
The notion of forgiveness and we talked about kindness, working both ways. Somebody holds a grudge like my best friend whose wife for whatever reason is having a hard time letting go of things that she's still mad at him for years back. What is she doing there herself by not forgiving him? People just start there and be like, Oh, right. I mean, I'm not doing myself any favors being mad, oh, maybe I should just move on. That's how I'd manage and then you can let go of it. Then why are people married? To torture each other to have less enriching lives? I think forgiveness is certainly there and then I'm just going to skim over these in this way we can come back to anything with respect to time in your interest.

Gratitude I think a lot of people gratitude is we're looking at quantum physics now law of attraction staying in the president, that's where

Russ Johns 13:19
I wake up with gratitude.

Matt Zinman 13:21
Exactly. The practical side of folding gratitude into your day, and when your feet hit the floor, while you're brushing your teeth. You'll be talking about 11/11 and synchronicity and things that triggers that you can set up in your life. Just take a minute, maybe like everything's okay. I might be stressed about this or that but when you step back and look at it, certainly passion, the fourth one around everything both ways in your relationships, but what you're passionate about defining your why, how do you go after that, once it's defined and achieve it through self belief

Trust, which is all these things really play into not only within ourselves but in our relationships with others in our pursuits in life, trusting your gut, trusting yourself trusting others. Those are the things that I've that have kind of synthesize for me that I think are very practical.

Russ Johns 14:16
I want to ask you a question, because I think it's when it comes to trust, there's the logical, and then there's the, it's almost the energetic or the intuition if you will

Matt Zinman 14:31
Right.

Russ Johns 14:32
Your hockey player, you know, it's like, what's the adage in hockey?

Matt Zinman 14:39
You miss 100% of the chance or 100% of the shots you never take? That's Wayne Gretzky.

Russ Johns 14:44
Yeah. Wayne Gretzky, and he also said, I go where the pocket,

Right?

How is it positioned?

Matt Zinman 14:51
Right. He, why he was so good when he was asked five, nine tore up the league and stood the test of time, he always knew where the puck was going to be, he was there before it got there, anticipated it,

Russ Johns 15:06
I know where the puck is going

Matt Zinman 15:07
Right? I usually say, I can't do with what I don't have. If you can just pass me the puck, I might be with it.

Russ Johns 15:17
But my point is in as it relates to trust is that sometimes the logic of the situation isn't in alignment with what your gut is telling you.

Matt Zinman 15:30
Right

Russ Johns 15:30
There are times where you have to trust your gut, you know, or, you know, that that internal mechanism that your heart, and, go and cut back quantum physics, there's things that there's kind of conversation, a big conversation around this. It's just that sometimes you have this intuition saying, No, I need to do this. I need to go this direction instead of that direction. Has there been times in your life where that's worked out for you and that's been the case or is it Is it? Not

Matt Zinman 16:01
Right now that's happening for me right now in real time?

Russ Johns 16:08
I know that there's something behind that right? Well,

Matt Zinman 16:10
Right. Yeah, Look at in all the years, I've been working with the internship Institute, and I still have unfinished business. I know myself well that I can't do two things. Well, at the same time, so I am not taking on any grants right now. I'm still doing some spot work here and there, but I'm very focused on this endeavor with the book and I don't have a coaching business. I didn't write it. with respect. I didn't write it as a business card. I want to put this in people's hands and positively impact as many people as possible. I recently just clarified that more objective way to say 100 million people, at least by 2025. So now I've really set the bar and letting things unfold. On one hand, to your question, I have to say it comes with Express

When you're swimming against the current, that feeling that you have, you know, you're banging your head against the wall, you're pushing the boulder up the hill, I've experienced that more recently with the nonprofit, like, stronger than ever and not having really anything to do with COVID. Then the opposite is true with with as things are unfolding and I really didn't have any major plan outside of getting the book out what would happen next. Through long story, short number of conversations, you and I were talking a bit about this, I'm launching a podcast and a few weeks called insights to live by, and it's going to talk about other people and and those guiding principles that they've learned in life and what's that advice that you typically find yourself giving others and bringing yourself back to center about and why. We're gonna have, I'm putting that into place

Russ Johns 17:55
All of these touch points will end up being The foundation for reaching 100 million people in the next five years. Right.

Matt Zinman 18:07
Right. Yeah, I mean, like I said, I'm going with the flow, in this case, in terms of letting things unfold. I had a major coincidence, we don't really have time to get into it for purposes of the show, then led me into the decision to do the podcast. Then I expect that as that takes shape, it's going to lead to other similar things that feel right and just trust my gut to pursue those.

Russ Johns 18:32
Well, yeah, and here's the biggest return on your investment with a podcast or a show like this. The #piratebroadcast is been around for a little while. Over 180 episodes so far this year. The thing about it is, is it opens up the dialogue, it opens up communications in some of these conversations can really surprise us,they really bring out the best In individuals, and they reflect on what our thoughts are. When we start practicing this thing, and when you start building your podcast out having a conversation with somebody about your podcast, it becomes real easy. You will you're only one conversation away from changing things in your life. Being open to change and being open to those conversations. Those circumstances I think, are really important.

Matt Zinman 19:30
Yeah, well said, I just, I've never felt so much in the flow. I've never been happier, the opportunity to make a difference, mean, in here with you, somebody on the other than just conversation, hopefully taking away some value. That's what matters most to me.

Russ Johns 19:46
Yeah.

Matt Zinman 19:48
I like what you said, in terms of, you know, the trust and the practicality of it also everyday in our interactions, there's actually a cautionary part. of what's in the book, I'd like to just acknowledge for a moment, I think people can relate, which is a chapter called beware of spiders. It's a metaphor essentially saying that there are two kinds of people in the world, that there are spiders and there are those who get caught in webs. The focus on it is the fact that you can divided into or this or that because a spider is a manipulator. That's a conscious decision that someone makes, and that this is obviously coming back to the area of trust.

It's not to say that even if someone has the capacity to do that, it makes them a bad person. It's just that they're willing to go there that might only be a highly charged political office environment or something that they have to defend themselves. It's important to know who those people are, if you can, it's important to trust your gut. If the rest of us are kind of I want to believe in the best to people. I trust everybody until they break my trust benefit of that out. Then if they start doubting somebody else, they start to feel guilty.

That's it's okay to question and still trust. It also comes back to that kindness because if you're somebody who for example, has a hard time saying no. I really need to say no more often I think people say that to themselves.

Russ Johns 21:22
Yeah

Matt Zinman 21:23
right well maybe you do right is it kind of yourself to say yes because then you take a double hit on your self esteem it's like well now I have to do the thing I really wanted to say no,

Russ Johns 21:32
You don't have to say no and feel guilty

Matt Zinman 21:34
Right and feel guilty. You also got taken advantage of to a degree the person who asked you maybe not always might have sense that you're prone to say yes to something that they know you should have said no to. It's kind of like a bullying situation that when you stand up to yourself and say no, and kind of deflect and be like I've got some things going on right now. maybe consider doing this instead or I can get back to you about this and just, you can feel about good amount maintenance. Now you're proud of yourself. ANow that person respects you more. I wanted to kind of put that that trust factor into practical play.

Russ Johns 22:10
Yeah. I love that and in in building that, that confidence, I think is really important for individuals that do suffer from the, I want to be liked, I want to please you, I want to do what I can, it's almost the person that gets caught in the web, right? Or is the individual that gets caught in the web. However, I think there are ways that we can actually through you writing books and publishing content and podcasts and things like that. We need to build this awareness because we all get caught in the trap there. I don't believe there are any absolutes. I think there are degrees of understanding and I think these conversations are important, and I want to make sure that People understand that,if you listen, if you have empathy and understanding and you're willing to appreciate someone else's perspective, it goes a long ways.

I think if we pull the thread long enough, we always have a common connection. I truly believe that in when people are connected, I think there's less opposition to their opinions and their, their perspectives in life. It's like, ultimately, we're all on the same planet here, flying through space. We're all breathing the same air and doing the same thing. Anything that we can do together those hundred million people that you want to impact if we can impact them in a positive way to work together for a common solution to where we all have a little bit of equity in our lives, and understanding and appreciation. I think it really goes a long way.

Matt Zinman 23:57
Yeah, that's one of the most fundamental aspects of wisdom, I think that one can put out there just to rise above, all the things that are better happen in life and our differences to recognize that we have a lot more in common and then we have uncommon and you're right about blanket statements for sure. That's just a lot of maturity and life experience you described there. I think that there is kind of a third, I've learned, although the metaphor plays out that there really is a third type of person and that's the the non spider who has figured out how not to get caught in webs.

Russ Johns 24:40
Yeah.

Matt Zinman 24:42
That just takes experience.

Russ Johns 24:45
Yeah

Matt Zinman 24:46
Trusting your gut,

Russ Johns 24:47
Trusting your gut goes back full circle. I want to make sure that we touch on your book and some of the ways that people can connect with You and get it get in touch. I also want to recognize that there's a lot of people in the room that Michelle spiders good analogy. Kathy is here well said wisdom means we tap into our internal red flags and pay attention to what that means. I love that. I appreciate that. Oh, Wendy's in the room. Hi all. It's like okay. Then absolutely agree. Dr. Tina, the poor forgiveness is a gift to yourself, not to the other person. I love that. Yeah. If you have an opportunity to connect with Matt, please do. Matt, I know you're on LinkedIn. Are there any other social channels that you hang out with and you're like to start the conversation with?

Matt Zinman 25:50
I'm trying my social media learning curve. Instagram is probably the one I'm making the best effort at. Although Hopefully it will unfold on on all major platforms. Certainly I'm reachable through the website as well, we can mention that at some point.

Russ Johns 26:12
Yeah, absolutely. tell people what the website is.

Matt Zinman 26:17
Yeah, I have a hard time being overly commercial if you can't tell. Do the right well, no, I mean, look, I want to put it in people's hands, they can decide for themselves there's z-isms.com, you might pronounce it Zed, it'll still get you there that you'll find on Amazon and in both places, you can read the first part of the book for free. You'll know if it's something you want to keep reading. I didn't really know what the receptiveness was going to be till it came out and the feedback reviews have been very kind and so I think that, look at what other people say and and then decide for yourself so, um, I hope people find it helpful.

Russ Johns 26:58
Track Matt down. purchase the book support him. He's another kindness, a kindness. How would I say? Not?

Matt Zinman 27:11
Kindness assist?

Russ Johns 27:13
Yeah,

Matt Zinman 27:13
An advocate,

Russ Johns 27:15
Advocate kindness advocate

Matt Zinman 27:17
Journalism degree. I don't know. I wrestle with words day in and day out.

Russ Johns 27:22
Words matter

Matt Zinman 27:23
Words matter they do

Russ Johns 27:26
A warrior but it's not really a warrior.

Matt Zinman 27:29
Right. Exactly. Just passionate. That's all yeah just love not war. I'm with ya.

Russ Johns 27:39
What are the other things that you're focused on what brings you joy and what's your superpower today, though?

Matt Zinman 27:45
Hmm, that's a great question. I just try and find as much joy in every day as I can and in my relationships and you know the opposite side of COVID my older son is home from college and Just having experiences as a family that we wouldn't have otherwise, just trying to make the best of every situation and see things from a point of optimism, and just keeping I'm really challenging myself to stay out of my comfort zone around social media doing more video and things ISIS, pushing myself on the podcast and just learning. I guess my my superpower is discomfort zone. It's first thing that comes to my mind.

Russ Johns 28:38
That's all right. That's all right. So living in your outside the comfort zone.

Matt Zinman 28:44
Yeah, outside the comfort zone. That's where it happens and just pushing myself to just keep learning and getting better and I have a responsibility to reach people and hope we make That positive impact that I've, I've set a goal to do. Thank you to you and to your listeners for being interested to hear.

Russ Johns 29:08
Yeah, I know that the pirate community is awesome. Thank you so much for everyone being here today, I really, truly appreciate it. The fact remains that we have an opportunity to actually spread a little more kindness around the world. #smilesarefree and that's something that I love to share with people because if you've ever been in a public place, and you just smile at someone and you catch their eye and you smile, they usually smile back. It's like, you could duplicate it and you haven't lost anything. Now you have to and they might want to share it later on in their day as well.

Matt Zinman 29:52
It's that energy transfer.

Russ Johns 29:54
Energy transfer. Yeah, it doesn't go away. doesn't go away. Matt, this has been wonderful. I really appreciate your time and effort and I applaud you on your mission and your goals for 100 million people in a positive contact in a positive way in the next five years and let me know how I can support you in that mission. I have a very similar mission. It's, it's, it's framed a little differently. However, I know that by putting something positive out in the world, I don't see any downside.

Matt Zinman 30:29
Yeah, well, thank you so much for having me, Russ. Really appreciate it.

Russ Johns 30:33
Thank you, and everyone else, I would love the opportunity for you to like and subscribe to the podcast and the YouTube channel, subscribe to that. And then also, I'd love to have you leave a comment. Recommendation or review wherever you like to listen to your podcasts and in your information. Also, this this interview will be up on rush John's calm toward the end of the day so you can actually replay it or share it out with your friends. Also, Matt, have a fantastic week. As you know what I always say #kindnessiscool, and #smilesarefree. And you #enjoytheday.

Matt Zinman 31:18
Will do. Thank you.

Russ Johns 31:20
Take care.

Thank you for joining the #piratebroadcast. If you found this content valuable, please like, comment and share it across your social media channels. I would love the opportunity to help others grow in their business. #Thepiratesyndicate is a platform where you show up we produce the show. It's that easy. If you want to be seen, be heard and be talked about. Join #thepiratesyndicate today.

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