When success costs your soul, what comes next?
Matt Gerlach built a million-dollar consulting firm. Big clients. LA life. Porsche in the driveway.
But beneath the wins? A collapse in slow motion.
Two hospital visits. Panic attacks. Spiritual exhaustion.
This is the story of how one man stopped running... and rebuilt from the inside out.
Summary: In this deeply vulnerable episode, Matt Gerlach opens up about the identity that made him successful, and nearly killed him.
Raised in a world that didn’t understand his sensitivity, Matt spent decades wearing masks: high-performer, entrepreneur, achiever. But the pressure to conform broke him.
He didn’t pivot. He surrendered. Yoga, therapy, self-parenting, and stillness became the tools of his reinvention. Today, he helps others burn brighter without burning out.
Hats covered:
• Hat 1: The Soul
• Hat 3: The Servant
• Hat 4: The Entrepreneur
Key Takeaways
🎩 1: Burnout often follows success, not failure
🎩 4: High achievement without authenticity is unsustainable
🎩 3: Healing starts when you stop performing and start connecting
🎩 1: Your body will whisper before it screams, listen early
🎩 4: A business that serves your ego will eventually devour your life
🎩 1: Stillness isn’t weakness, it’s where clarity lives
👤 Guest Bio: Matt Gerlach is a former CPG consultant turned transformational coach. After building a 7-figure business, and nearly destroying himself in the process... Matt walked away from it all to rebuild a life aligned with who he really is. Today, he mentors high achievers ready to trade burnout for authenticity.
⏱️ Timestamps:
00:03 – Matt’s early life and feeling "different"
00:12 – Emotional trauma, fear, and people-pleasing
00:24 – Corporate success… and collapse
00:30 – Panic attacks and ER visits
00:33 – The million-dollar firm that made him miserable
00:38 – Yoga, self-parenting, and finding stillness
00:49 – Letting go of money to find meaning
01:00 – Building a life around coaching and cooking
01:05 – What he had to let go of to become who he is today
Actionables:
• Notice the success that secretly hurts to live
• Reflect on what identity you’ve been trained to wear
• Ask yourself: what would I do if I weren’t chasing approval?
Quotes:
• “Maybe this isn’t who I am… just who I was trained to be.”
• “Your body will shut you down if you don’t shut down your ego.”
• “I don’t have anxiety anymore... not because life’s easy, but because I finally listen.”
• “I’m not here to teach from elevation, I teach from experience.”
🔗 Links:
• Matt Gerlach's Website
• Follow Matt on Instagram
• matt@mattgerlach.com
If your life looks great on paper but hurts to live, this episode is for you. Subscribe, share, and let’s keep growing together.
