EP 93: Reinvention, Accountability & the Life You’re Not Done Living — with Matt Vincent
What happens when life changes the rules—and the identity you’ve built no longer fits?
In this powerful episode of Don’t Waste the Chaos, I sit down with Matt Vincent: two-time Highland Games World Champion, entrepreneur, author, podcaster, retreat leader, and the force behind the global Not Dead Yet movement.
After career-ending injuries stripped him of the identity he’d spent decades building, Matt learned to reinvent himself from the ground up. In doing so, he created a community centered on radical accountability, real authenticity, and reclaiming a life that actually feels alive.
If you’re navigating reinvention, wrestling with identity, or trying to rebuild while staying true to your purpose—this is your episode.
The Moment Reinvention Becomes Non-Negotiable
Matt’s story didn’t begin with intentional reinvention—it began with being forced into it.
After a series of injuries and 10 knee surgeries, he realized the competitive athlete in him was gone for good. What followed was grief, denial, and eventually, an honest reckoning with who he was without strength sports.
But the lesson?
Change doesn’t happen when you’re ready. It happens when you’re no longer able to stay the same.
“I didn’t fall in love with competing. I fell in love with the pursuit—and that’s something I could take into the rest of my life.”
Matt shares how self-awareness, ego-checking, and curiosity became the catalysts for his next chapter—not because he wanted to change, but because he had to.
Identity, Ego & Letting Go of the Old You
Letting go of an identity is one of the hardest parts of growth—especially when the world praises you for the version of you that no longer fits.
Matt dives into:
The internal tension of “I’m not that person anymore—but I don’t know who I am yet”
Why the pursuit matters more than the achievement
How to tell when an identity is keeping you stuck
What happens when you cling to who you used to be
Why ego often makes us hold on too long
And for anyone afraid of changing direction, Matt says it plainly:
“Just because something no longer serves you doesn’t mean it was a mistake.”
The Birth of the Not Dead Yet Community
After letting go of his athletic career and later losing his job, Matt rebuilt his life through community—a community he ultimately had to create himself.
Not Dead Yet is built on one core belief:
The life in front of you is more important than the one behind you.
Through that lens, Matt has built:
A free community gym in St. Louis
A thriving coaching platform
International retreats that sell out months in advance
A global movement helping people take radical ownership of their lives
What makes the community work?
Lowering the barrier for access
Leading with vulnerability
Consistency over perfection
Authenticity louder than algorithms
Matt is unapologetically honest about trying, failing, and creating again—and that’s exactly what makes people trust him.
Authenticity in a World of Algorithms
Our conversation cuts deep into content, influence, and the pressure to perform online.
Matt shares:
Why he refuses to make content he doesn’t want to make
How viral doesn’t equal aligned
Why authenticity outperforms strategy long term
The subtle difference between getting attention and building connection
The real reason gimmicks don’t work
Pull Quote:
“If I trick people into following me, I’m stuck creating content for people I don’t want to lead.”
This is a must-listen for any creator or leader navigating visibility in the age of AI and algorithm-driven influence.
Healing, Accountability & Doing the Inner Work
Matt’s reinvention wasn’t just career-based—it was deeply personal.
We talk about:
Accountability as a spiritual practice
Building a community that challenges you and holds you
Navigating sobriety and alcohol with intention
How GLP-1 medications changed his relationship with food, scrolling, and impulse
Why men especially resist tools that would help them
The connection between healing and self-awareness
Matt’s honesty about the messy middle—the dark, confusing in-between—is refreshing and rare.
Entrepreneurship, Creativity & the Art of Trying Again
One of the most inspiring parts of this conversation is Matt’s perspective on entrepreneurship.
He shares:
Why he doesn’t fear failure
Why perfection is the enemy of momentum
How iterations—not “big breaks”—build businesses
Why he keeps reinventing offers, products, and communities
The truth behind building something “loud enough” to draw your people
Why your best work comes from curiosity, not strategy
If you’re building something, this conversation will energize you.
“I can fail chasing my dreams—or I can play it safe and die at the end of both. I know which one I’m choosing.”
Matt’s Book: Not Dead Yet
Matt’s latest creative project is a stunning 10x10 coffee table book featuring:
52 essays rooted in growth, reinvention, and mindset
Journal prompts to help readers apply the lessons
Photography from around the world
Insights that helped him crawl out of the darkest chapters of his life
This book is for anyone asking, “Is this it?”
It’s a blueprint for people who feel stuck between versions of themselves.
Get Matt’s book
Fight for the Forgotten: The Mission in Uganda
Matt is also deeply involved with Fight for the Forgotten, a nonprofit serving communities in Uganda with:
Clean water initiatives
Housing
Healthcare support
Vocational training
Community infrastructure
He shares stories from his upcoming trip, why the work matters, and how the experience reframed his definition of “problems.”
“I don’t have problems. I have stress. They are not the same thing.”
Learn more or donate here.
Connect with Matt Vincent
Instagram: @mattvincent
Podcast: Not Dead Yet
Connect with Kerri
Instagram: @kerrimroberts
Build your HR foundation: HR in a Box
Kerri’s favorite NAD+ (15% off)
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