What if the smartest business move you ever make… is not to scale?
In this episode of How To Ride A Roller Coaster, host David Ezell sits down with Matt Creighton, Founding Principal of Publitics, a communications and political strategy firm that helps leaders, organizations, and public figures navigate high-stakes challenges, shape public opinion, and build trust in an age of polarization.
Matt shares his unconventional path—from a laid-off history teacher to launching his own political consulting firm during the 2008 recession—and how choosing to stay small became his biggest competitive advantage.
Together, David and Matt unpack the tension between growth and purpose, what it really means to be nimble in business, and how founders can build lasting success without losing their freedom or values.
They dig into:
The real story behind founding Publitics and breaking into political consulting
Why staying small and agile beats scaling for scale’s sake
How taking investor money can change your mission overnight
The “SWAT team” approach to problem-solving in high-pressure industries
How to craft messages that resonate across fragmented media platforms
Why attention is the new currency—and how to earn it authentically
What entrepreneurs can learn from political campaigns about narrative, focus, and resilience
This episode is a masterclass in intentional growth, narrative strategy, and the power of staying true to your mission—even when everyone else is telling you to go bigger, faster, and louder.
If you’ve ever wondered whether more is really better, this conversation will give you the clarity to redefine success on your own terms.
Show links:
Matthew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mkrayton/
Publitics: https://www.publitics.com/
M2Aspire: https://www.m2aspire.com/
Substack: https://m2aspire.substack.com/