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Voices that Inspire

Hear stories from some of our most inspirational voices — you!

Pictured: Matt Thompson at WFSU

Listen: Week of September 12, 2019

Transcript
What inspires you from WFSU Public Media? Here's this week's Voices That Inspire. Matt Thompson, I am managing partner for the table hospitality, which started Madison's social township, Centrale Soto, social catering and events, and happy motoring here in Tallahassee. You know, I tell my students, I go, there's two kind of defining moments in your career, at least I look back on. The first is when your wage is more than your hour, right? When you make that leap where you're no longer looked at as an hourly wage, but an impact player, and it doesn't matter if you work 15 minutes or if you work three hours on something, you're making an impact on it and you're charging by that impact. The second one is when you realize that you're in the people business, and whether you're managing people or whatever the case may be, but you're about getting the most out of the people around you and contributing to their lives so that way they contribute to the greater good or the function of whatever else is going on. Those two things, I think, are life lessons because you would have asked me that 10 years ago, I would have said money, right? Those two things really don't have anything to do with money. They have to do with the means to the end, I guess you could say. So I find myself, again, 10 years ago, man, I was that hustler. I used to love the pickup and outside project and it's kind of like just getting off your butt and getting involved and actively involved in what's around you. But I always thought, okay, if I make whatever, $80,000 this year, but next year I make 90. Oh my God, my life will be solved. And the reality is that's not how life works. That's not going to help you. It's helping create value in your own life, but creating values in others, I think, is truly what makes life meaningful. And it took me a long time to get there. And I'm still learning every day, but having children, I think, certainly helps. Matt Thompson, managing partner for the table hospitality, the makers of Madsau, Madison Social Township, Central A Happy Modering, Social Carey and so do. You're listening to voices that inspire.
Matt Thompson - Creating Value in Others

This week we speak with Matt Thompson, managing partner of For the Table Hospitality (https://www.linkedin.com/company/for-the-table-hospitality). He explains to us how, over time, his perspective on work has changed and how creating value in others' lives is truly what makes life meaningful. He looks at two defining moments in his career to help explain this concept.


Tell your inspirational story. Contact Kim Kelling at 850-645-6056 or kkelling@fsu.edu.