What does it really take to build lasting success?
Entrepreneur Matt Alston joins host Jeff Cluff on The Four Fs Podcast to talk about discipline, mindset, and why freedom always costs consistency.
Before founding and selling a multi-million-dollar company, Surex.com Matt learned the power of repetition—shooting 200 basketballs a day before school—and carried that same focus into business and life. In this conversation, he shares what he’s learned about grit, leadership, and building motivation through action rather than inspiration.
Whether you’re chasing growth, trying to stay consistent, or rebuilding confidence after a setback, this episode will help you get unstuck and move forward with intention.
1. **Roots in McGrath (00:13 – 04:00)**
- Growing up in a town of 2,400 people
- Family legacy: sheep farming, first mayor, deep community ties
- Hutterite colonies and the agricultural backbone of Alberta
2. **Trailblazing Family Heritage (04:00 – 07:40)**
- Great-grandma as Canada’s first female Scoutmaster
- Alston Scout Park traditions
- Entrepreneurial lineage: canning factory, Tanko window factory
- Childhood memories of the factory and “breaking into” the pop machine
3. **Basketball Obsession (08:00 – 12:00)**
- Choosing basketball over hockey in a Canadian town
- Coach’s challenge: 200 shots a day
- Scrappiness: sneaking into gyms, laminated hall pass, falling in love with the process
4. **Mission & Mindset Shift (12:00 – 16:30)**
- Playing junior college ball, then serving a mission in Mississippi
- Influence of President & Sister Sheffield: “With money, you have options”
- Seeds of entrepreneurship planted
5. **Door-to-Door Sales Lessons (16:30 – 20:00)**
- Richmond, Virginia pest control sales
- Realizing success wasn’t a fluke
- Sales as the non-negotiable skill for entrepreneurs
6. **Abundance vs. Scarcity (20:00 – 23:00)**
- Childhood relationship with money
- Teaching kids respect for money and abundance mentality
- Blending discipline with opportunity
7. **Scrappy Problem-Solving (23:00 – 28:30)**
- Gym battles with janitors
- Laminated permission slip hack
- Typing contest and the “bucket of loonies” story
- Parents fostering self-belief and resilience
8. **Defining Success (33:00 – 40:00)**
- Marriage and family as the truest measure
- Intentional living and building generational spaces (lake property)
- Success as adult children still wanting to spend time with you
9. **Surex: Building from McGrath (40:00 – 53:00)**
- Transition from pest control to insurance
- Bootstrapping, early grind, and digital-first vision
- Luck, pivots, and scaling from a small town
10. **Selling Surex (53:00 – 1:03:00)**
- Acquisition journey with Industrial Alliance
- Lessons from investment bankers and due diligence
- Balancing growth, stress, and community impact
11. **Community Impact & Legacy (1:21:00 – 1:35:00)**
- Building jobs in McGrath
- Renovating the old folks’ home into Surex HQ
- Promoting from within and creating ripple effects for families
- Breaking the stigma: “You can go big in a small town”
12. **Looking Ahead (1:41:00 – End)**
- Scaling Surex with AI and branding
- Transitioning from chaos to strategy
- RM Capital: microloans for entrepreneurs in developing countries
- Living with integrity, not shortcuts
If you listen to any of the following shows, we're sure you'll love this episode: The Diary of a CEO (Steven Bartlett), The Shawn Ryan Show, The Lex Fridman Podcast, Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman, How I Built This with Guy Raz, The Mel Robbins Podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show.