School Nutrition Education Program
Conquering Your Challenges
USDA Professional Standards Code 3330/3450/3430/4120/4130/4140/4150/4160
Matt Upton
Matt Upton is an experienced Executive Coach, Consultant, and Professional Development specialist
passionate about helping individuals and organizations conquer their challenges. Matt is dedicated to
empowering his clients to overcome obstacles and achieve their dreams. Matt aims to inspire, motivate,
and empower individuals to achieve their best.
Matt as a Chief Encouragement officer (CEO)
The title was created for two reasons. There was a dark time in my life during my journey, and I decided
to change my attitude. It took me a while to work out of that darkness and become the encourager people
see me as now. I became the CEO or Chief Encouragement Officer and aimed to be every school district’s
CEO. I want to be every S&P’s CEO, cheering, hollering, and batting for them to win home runs.
How do you stay at the top of your game and succeed? Share some tools or strategies that you used
during that period of your life to really propel you to where you are today.
- Find time to read. It’s important to read because you digest it and take it inside.
- Limit my time with what I call pesky people. There are pesky people out there that are prickly
and thorny, and they’re difficult to get along with. The ways to recognize a pesky person:
• They are power drainers.
• They are energy zappers.
• They systematically shut down good people from speaking up.
• They always keep the conversation on what’s negative and wrong and how things
should be different.
• They always yield to their peskiness.
Write down something that you did or something that happened today that causes you to be grateful.
It’s amazing to hear that you have 1,132 things to be grateful for. Tonight, I’ll take some time to write
down the things I’m grateful for, such as the positive influence that people like yourself have on others.
Gratitude is a powerful thing that people often overlook, and I’ve had conversations with many who
struggle to keep a gratitude journal or find things to write down every night. However, as you mentioned,
there are countless things in our lives to be grateful for that we take for granted, such as the ability to
have a conversation, breathe air, drink water, or walk on two feet. These are privileges that we should be
thankful for because not everyone has them.
In our society, we often fall into the trap of seeking abundance and material possessions, which can make
us discontent with what we have and always look for the next thing. Instead, we should focus on being
genuinely grateful for the people we spend time with and the experiences we have every day.
What are some tips that you have on how to deal with a pesky person?
• Reframe that event, that condition, that circumstance and that pesky person’s meaning.
• Looking at the brighter side each time you have to dwell with these pesky people.
• You just have to get along to go along.
What are some recommendations that you have book-wise?
• Whale Done: The power of Positive Relationships (Author: Ken Blanchard)
• Row the Boat: A Never-Give-Up Approach to Lead with Enthusiasm and Optimism to Improve
Your Team and Culture (Author: Jon Gordon)
Tell us all something else you are absolutely obsessed with right now.
It’s very therapeutic for me because you need to do something. I think there’s a principle that we’re not
supposed to work all the time. Instead, we are supposed to rest. And so, what I do is I attempt every six
hours to take an hour and just do something for me. I think that keeps me focused and it gives me new
energy.
• I’m really enjoying watching the Yellowstone series on tv.
• Going out in to my garage and I enjoy doing, tinkering out there and making things out of wood
and crafting.
• I make charcuterie boards. I build them with resins and wood mixed together with rocks in there.
• I pour candles.
If you could put a message or a statement on a billboard for everyone to see on their daily commute,
what words of motivation would you provide to everyone?
I think I would put FORGIVENESS RELEASES YOU, NOT THEM. Oftentimes, I can’t forgive somebody
because they did this. I can’t give them a pardon. The truth is, we don’t have the authority to pardon
anybody and as long as we are bitter, angry, and resentful, we start thinking that we’re putting the person
or the situation that offended us under locking key, never realizing that it is us that’s in the cage.