Matt Golden is the Co-Founder and CEO of MapHabit, an interactive care management platform that utilizes a patented visual mapping system with smart devices to improve cognition and reinforce routine habits. Designed for family members, professional support partners, and therapists, MapHabit™ improves the quality of care while reducing caregiver stress. Matt is a 7-time entrepreneur with 20 years of IT/Finance program management experience. Before MapHabit, Matt was the owner of Golden Motives, Inc, an IT/Finance consultancy, as well as the Managing Member of BetaLife Investements, LLC, an investment firm in the health and wellness field.
Matt describes himself as an efficiency junkie who enables technology to enrich lives. His own personal experiences have ignited within him a passion for helping others, whether in personal health or business.
In this episode, Matt and Bryan discuss:
- How healthy living and eating can help to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s and other neurocognitive disorders.
- Why it is important for caregivers to stay healthy through someone’s diagnosis.
- Matt’s plan to spend retirement advocating to get MapHabit in the hands of more people who can benefit from it for free.
Transcript:
Bryan Wish:
Matt, welcome to The One Away Show.
Matt Golden:
Good to be here, Bryan.
Bryan Wish:
It’s good to connect. I remember our conversation from the fall and reconnecting from Atlanta days. It’s been fun watching you build and grow in the Southeast. So Matt, tell me, what is the one away moment that you want to share with us today?
Matt Golden:
So probably the biggest change in my life or the one seminal moment that really has put me on a different trajectory is the creation of my current company which is MapHabit. When I graduated from college in 2001, I went to school at Emory University in Atlanta, that was a big change for me at the time because I had grown up in New York and really all my friends and family have only been up there. Really basically living in the Southeast in Atlanta and then really establishing a life and a family here, having a consulting business but those were all really somewhat systematic and calculated at the time. I had actually a really nice opportunity to consult at the Coca-Cola company here in Atlanta doing financial planning analysis and a lot of these strategic moves to the cloud from company-owned data centers.
Matt Golden:
It was a challenging time, a lot of opportunity in that space, in IT transformation and strategy. But at the end of the day, I really wasn’t loving what I was doing. It felt like one software implementation or one financial planning analysis struggle at a time. I wasn’t really feeling the fulfillment in my life that I wanted. I really wanted to have an impact on others. I want to pay homage to the people who really got me to the place that I’ve been and really doing one of these implementations over and over for just another company. I just wasn’t having that satisfaction and sense of fulfillment that I really wanted. I’ve reached a lot of successes with having two beautiful girls, a wife that I’m madly in love with still, and really doing all the things financially that I need to eventually be financially independent. But at the same time, when I woke up in the morning I just wasn’t happy with my life and really didn’t have something to look forward to.
Matt Golden:
Once that contract ended up being completed at the Coca-Cola company, I had a … Really a pivotal moment. Do I continue in management consulting or do I do something totally different? It just so happened that my uncle passed away from early-onset Alzheimer’s disease when I was really about four or five years after graduating Emory. And he was a huge mentor in my life. He got me my first computer. He really taught me the art of patience with older adults.
Matt Golden:
It just so happened that in his late 50s we started seeing changes in him. He was having trouble with small things like calculating the tip on a bill to things such as not being able to control his reactions when talking with family and even people that he was around. And things, unfortunately, started progressing from there so we got a formal diagnosis and it was indeed early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. And just with the nature of the illness and the struggles it has, not only on the individuals staying independent to do very basic things like bathing, dressing yourself, making coffee, just really staying independent, more people had to be involved in the support circle to the point where he eventually had to move into a memory care setting. And, unfortunately, he passed about seven years into the disease, and that was all in early 2000s timeframe.
Matt Golden:
I didn’t know I’d do anything with it at the time. But going back to that moment where, do I continue down this software and strategy transformation projects, or what about maybe paying homage to one of my biggest mentors in my life growing up who now really have a very growing number of people that, unfortunately, are getting Alzheimer’s disease. Every day 10,000 more people are turning 65 and older. It turns out for people with Alzheimer’s it’s becoming more and more prevalent earlier in life. And as people age, and our demographic with that 10,000 per day here, just in the U.S., about 1/3 of the people who are 85 and older are going to get that disease. Really when you look at the trends, my background in technology, the personal connection I have with my uncle, and it so happens I have a grandma who also had dementia, and I have a second cousin who has a neurodegenerative disease called Down Syndrome, I have a lot of risk that I’m exposed to.
Matt Golden:
It just made sense to me to really start something brand new. Had no experience in healthcare. And while I was an entrepreneur consulting at these companies, I never really took an idea and built an actual product that is ready to be scaled. And that’s really what MapHabit is. It’s a care management platform for families that are going through this so that they have advice and access to education and really tools to stay independent. And for me, taking that leap of faith into healthcare, into building a product, and really figuring out how to do it from the ground up was the biggest thing for me that really changed my trajectory.
Bryan Wish:
I appreciate the candid nature of the story. It’s like you had all the boxes checked, you have the kids, and you had the wife, and you transition from the north to the south, which is a culture shock in itself, and then you get to that point and you’re like why am I here? And life hits you in the face but you … It sounds like you really dug deep, and you took a lot of personal pain and interest and melded out your own unique company with … In a way that serves the market in a very meaningful way. One, amazing on just the bravery and courage, and then two, doing something that is making a difference for many families. Very cool.
Bryan Wish:
Something that I am curious about, maybe if you could explain. Obviously, you’re helping families through this time, but Alzheimer’s, in general, or some of the diseases that you’re helping. Or families. When I was reading about Alzheimer’s, I think my grandma had it as well. I was reading a lot about sugar, and exercise, and different things. What are some of those root triggers of Alzheimer’s that you learned? And do you think it’s something that’s preventative?
Matt Golden:
That’s a great question, Bryan. All the things you just mentioned are modifiable risk factors. There’s a longitudinal study, which basically means a study that was done over many, many years, it’s called the FINGER study. It looked at tens of thousands of people, mostly in Europe, but they’ve now expanded it throughout the world including the U.S, at different things that you could do to modify your risk. There are several tenants of that. Not smoking, drinking moderately, exercising at a high intensity at least three times a week for at least 20 minutes at a time. Eating low inflammatory diet with little processed sugars and focusing on vegetables and healthy proteins. Having social engagements and keeping connections alive giving you that sense of purpose. And sleep. Making sure that you are turning off your phone an hour before, not drinking two hours before, potentially meditating even for five minutes before you go to sleep or first thing in the morning. All those things can help when you are sleeping, regenerate some of the neurons and synapses. Making sure you stay more within the REM and the deep sleep cycles that you need to really attack the day.
Matt Golden:
Basically, long story short. From that FINGER study, they found that Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia’s, you can actually reduce your risk by 60% if you do some of those lifestyle changes, and that’s really what was most fascinating for me. Because I thought because I have both an uncle, a grandma, and a cousin, all on that same lineage, same side of the family, that I’m destined to get it. But I now know that if I exercise, eat right, get sleep, make sure that I’m staying connected with family and friends, I really have a great shot of reducing that possibility. More than anything else, and we’ll get to the science behind the MapHabit system later. If anyone on that’s listening to this has an opportunity to do some of those things, which really just requires you to be intentional, you can really reduce your risk and live happier lives.
Bryan Wish:
Totally. Well, I love that you broke it down in a holistic way. It’s these small habits, MapHabit, small habits over time that if you do the things for yourself long term you can really not pay the consequence maybe at a shorter period in life. Very cool. Now, Matt, what I’m curious about is, you had this moment where you woke up, you had the checklist, the boxes checked, you were doing things but you were unfulfilled. And you had the moment with a grandfather you wanted to pay homage. Where did you start? What map were you drawing on? What did those initial concepts look like?
Matt Golden:
Well, it was by chance how all this went down, to be honest. I knew that staying in consulting while it was being … It was good money and I was able to support my family, I knew that wasn’t the end game for me. I just happened to be walking around in my neighborhood, a couple months before I made the transition, and bumped into one of my neighbors who I really haven’t talked with very much. He now is the co-founder of MapHabit, Dr. Stewart Zola. And until that point, he was just the scientist in the neighborhood who stayed mostly in academia, that I thought. And I was this corporate guy doing well, and moving up the ladder, and getting roles of increasing importance and significance. Why did I need to associate myself with academia anymore? I felt like I was done with that, just to be totally honest. I now realize how immature and just not worldly of thinking that was.
Matt Golden:
So I really took a leap of faith and I said, “I’m going to talk to Stu. I’ve seen him around here, I know he’s provost at Emory, he’s had a really good career.” And we started talking. And he actually is a brain scientist and he has dedicated his life to understanding how the brain changes over time and I was fascinated about that. One because science is very important to me in that I placed out of my life science requirement at Emory so I, unfortunately, didn’t take any classes since high school but I still ha have been a science and STEM technology geek my whole life so I really am passionate about it.
Matt Golden:
But now that story with my uncle, my grandma, and my other family members, it just … Learning about what he has done in the brain science realm with clinical research, with this other company that he started called Neurotrack Technologies that has developed this really fascinating eye-tracking technique and really lifestyle modification program that can not only predict if someone will get Alzheimer’s disease or really what’s called mild cognitive impairment, which is typically the precursor to Alzheimer’s disease with a simple eye-tracking test. Looking at where you’re looking at an image the first time, and once you’re displayed that image another time, how intently you’re studying that same image. I just thought that was absolutely fascinating and that was a company that he co-founded that I didn’t realize about because I just thought he was this scientist, this professor.
Matt Golden:
Just talking with him and learning about his experience growing Neurotrack. Learning about the different memory systems of the brain and how most people think it’s just your everyday memory that, who’s the first president of the United States? Or what did I eat for lunch yesterday? Or what do I have to pack for my trip to North Carolina to visit my brother tomorrow? And, unfortunately, Alzheimer’s disease and neurodegenerative disorders, they Rob us of those memories. We can’t consciously recall the facts and information just because of all the plaques and tangles that are in the brain.
Matt Golden:
There is another memory system it’s called your habit system. This is what you use for everyday routines, and tasks, and procedures. The best example that I can give is driving a car. When you get in the car, you’re not consciously thinking about the lefts, or the rights, or how hard you’re putting your foot on the accelerator, a lot of that is just second nature. You’re really thinking about, what did I say during this interview that I really wanted to say differently? Or, I’ve got a mountain worth of papers that I need to go through when I get home later, and before you know it you’re home.
Matt Golden:
So it’s that non-conscious memory system that we have found a way … And we patented this pathway in the brain using sensory, using audio and visual techniques within the MapHabit system to basically display the same content over and over so that even someone with dementia, even pretty advanced dementia, can follow these visual maps and learn them on their own. I felt that was really, truly fascinating. Going back to your question, that was one of the things that was spontaneous and fortuitous. I didn’t know, by just talking with Stu at that moment, that I would just become so in love with this concept and so passionate about it that really that conversation is what convinced me not to stay in consulting and to take this new path.
Bryan Wish:
Absolutely. I mean, serendipity at its finest but also intentional openness to possibilities for what was ahead, and clearly something went off inside you that said, “I should explore this more deeply and see where it takes me,” and clearly down a fascinating path. And just a quick question, before we go into the product, and we won’t spend a lot of time here. I haven’t read anything like this but I’m curious. I know you work with other neurodegenerative disease as well, not just Alzheimer’s. Once you get Alzheimer’s and it starts happening, there’s no way to … Is there any way to reverse the effects of it, I’m just curious, through those habits? Or is it by putting in those healthy practices it’s more of a way to slow it down?
Matt Golden:
Really more the latter. Even with some of these pharmaceutical drugs that are coming into play, they can’t reverse the disease. They may be able to address the underlying pathology, those plaques and tangles that I mentioned that destroy those neurosynapses. But even when you clear those out, that doesn’t necessarily reverse the disease. And even by clearing those out, it doesn’t mean that you won’t get a worsening form of Alzheimer’s disease. It’s a misnomer out there. I’m the business guy so full disclosure. The scientists who are listening may have other evidence that they want to throw out there. There isn’t a way to reverse or cure Alzheimer’s disease. The best you can do with some of the things that I mentioned, those behavioral modifications and lifestyle changes, is just change the trajectory like you had said.
Matt Golden:
So instead of Alzheimer’s going down super fast and you lose your ability to stay independent and, unfortunately, have larger, more acute health issues, you can actually slow the progression of the decline. You can go down just a little bit slower and actually stay independent, retain your quality of life for just much longer if you do some of those things earlier in life like your 30s, 40s, or 50s like us. We can basically make sure we exercise, and eat well, and keep your social connections, and make sure that you have these good sleep habits, and certainly not smoke, and drink moderately. All of that actually can help push out the chance of you getting it so much later into your life, or if you are still genetically predisposed with certain genes or have, unfortunately, some of those risk factors. Diabetes and heart disease, they create inflammation, and inflammation is what creates in the brain some of those plaques and tangles. You can just slow down the slope of decline if you can really focus on the things that you can control.
Bryan Wish:
Wow. I appreciate all the research and the context, and just I think health, in general. I’ve become fascinated with it the last two and a half, three years. I mean, I’ve always had an interest but in a very technical way. I appreciate the work you do and also the knowledge. Curious for you, Matt. You’ve arrived on a product level as a care management platform for families, therapists, organizations. How did you arrive there? You met this provost who … With this doctor, doctorate, and he’s done something that sounds like incredible work with technology in the space, but how did you get from my grandfather, Alzheimer’s, a wake-up call to care management platform after meeting this guy? Tell us about that evolution.
Matt Golden:
So that’s where it’s a lot of trial by fire and basically, trying one thing, see if it works and if it doesn’t work then try something slightly different. It’s been tough. Anything that I thought would happen going into it, in the order which I thought would happen 100, 180 degrees. It just didn’t work out the way that you expect. We stuck with it. Stu’s background is in clinical research, so within about six months of us starting the company, and developing the idea, and we patented this concept, we made sure that we did that first before we really started talking about it externally. We were fortunate to get a grant from the Georgia Research Alliance to actually study this concept with Emory University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, and with the Department of Veterans Affairs, two organizations that traditionally, for a very small company that is really at its very beginning, they would not have had that access.
Matt Golden:
We’re very fortunate to have early grant funding by the Georgia Research Alliance to really prove out this concept that by basically sequencing pictures for a step-by-step task or routine. An example is making coffee. You may have four or five steps for making a pot of coffee. Getting out the carafe, filling it with water, putting the water in the coffee maker, getting out your coffee grinds, and basically turning it on. Those steps we do second nature, but someone with these diseases, they can’t. Or they don’t know when they’re presenting … Presented to it, how to do that just because they’ve lost that memory. Well, our theory was, well, if you give people a personalized set of instructions for, not everything throughout their day but just pick two or three things that either one, gives them satisfaction or makes their lives or their care partner or support partners easier, and just break it down into one or two various things that they can potentially relearn or learn for the first time through sequencing together these pictures and videos.
Matt Golden:
That’s basically what we did is have these early proof points and have the ability to, on a clinical research level, look at people’s starting points. We did a whole neuropsychological evaluation of their cognition level, what their scores are for immediate memories, spatial orientation, for paying attention, quality of life measures, sleep. We basically wrote all that down in a institutional review board-governed study, and basically had them on the MapHabit system for three months, and then we retested them for those same questions. And the funny thing was, for a disease that traditionally where you have that very progressive steep decline, we actually started seeing people actually score better on their cognition just because they’re paying more attention. They’re being intentional about what things that they need to do, and what are the steps you need to do to complete those.
Matt Golden:
So those early proof points that we found and were able to validate with pretty sophisticated institutions, later led us down to okay, now that we prove this works, how do we actually make this into a scalable product that hundreds of thousands of people eventually, hopefully, millions of people will benefit from? And that’s where really the care management platform came in our mind is we need to get this into an app. Not as many people are sitting in front of their laptops all the time, they’re using mobile phones and tablets, so we have to make it very simple, easy to use, especially for an older generation. And just make sure that we do a lot of product-market fit, product customer fit, and make sure that the science behind it is sound. And once we went down those paths it started coming together.
Bryan Wish:
Wow. I mean, it sounds incredibly technical and extremely well thought through. And then it’s like how do you think simple in an application that then people can use and then help people through? I mean, that’s not a problem I would ever want to take on because it sounds so complex, but it sounds incredibly helpful and rewarding. So let me ask you this. My grandfather, he’s 84. Don’t mark my word. I’m going to see him in five weeks. Let’s just say this. He went through and he took a screening and you said he’s scored here, here, here, and here, and you’re able to identify maybe he’s low in spatial reasoning, he’s high here. I mean, tell us how it works. So he would do that, and would he get a plan of these starting points and things that he should be aware of so it adapts to this fluid with where someone comes into the product?
Matt Golden:
No, great question. And that’s one of the most important aspects is the onboarding process which we call the intake process. So we have a series of questions that we ask. Who is the person? What did they do throughout their life professionally, or personally? What are their abilities right now? What can they do well? What are some areas that they potentially could benefit from in terms of having some assistance? What about the environment they’re in? Are there certain things that make them tick? Is there a flow of the day that makes sense? Are they morning people, are they evening people? Do they like to take a walk at 1:00 PM, and if they miss that walk does that just set them off for the rest of the day? Are there different cues, maybe verbal or non-verbal, auditory that can actually get them to perk up and maybe pay attention more? What are the connections in their life? Do they have dogs or pets, or a favorite grandchild that really makes them happy when they tell stories about X, Y, or Z?
Matt Golden:
It’s really not as scientific as you might think, you really just have to think about the person’s lifestyle and behaviors. And find those points where there are opportunities to maybe map out a routine that can address some of, either the things that they like and be able to reward them, or find areas that maybe your grandma or someone else that is coming in to help your grandfather where they may struggle with getting him to cooperate. And then that’s really how we determine what aspect of MapHabit would work best for him. We do a needs assessment, and then we work with our clients on a weekly basis initially but then usually on a monthly basis to make sure that they’re getting the value.
Bryan Wish:
It’s beyond cool. I’m sure at the end of life or periods towards those last chapter, to alleviate some of that lifestyle and the worry for the caregiver, the family around that person is … I mean, it has to go a long way, which is another question I have for you. Someone takes a survey or analysis and you’re able to see certain patterns and then okay, here’s this potential changes that you can go make for a more healthy, rewarding lifestyle. How does the work you do work with or impact those caregivers or the families around that person who you’re working to help? What’s the relationship there?
Matt Golden:
No, great question because there are 53 million care caregivers in the U.S. right now. They’re not all supporting people with Alzheimer’s disease, just a standard parent with a child is still a caregiver. They need to not only provide support for the people that they are rearing into life or supporting later in life, but they need to also take care of themselves. They need to take breaks. They need to know if they’re doing too much. What are some of the things that they can do from a mindfulness perspective? Or to get help to come in and know how to ask for help, whether it be working with the individuals that they’re directly supporting, or just taking a night out and going out to the movies, or have someone come in for a period of time so that they can catch up on themselves. It’s just as much for the individual to stay independent, but perhaps even more for the caregiver who most of the time are unpaid and they are usually a spouse or a child of someone, and they need help.
Matt Golden:
They need to know when someone has sundowning, which is when the sun goes down at night then someone with these kinds of conditions, their behavior may be erratic. How do you basically respond when someone never had that, but actually yesterday they started doing? That’ll freak you out. You won’t know what to do. And that’s where our behavioral coaches come in to really provide that lifeline, to build those relationships. And as things change, there’s no one size fits all. Just like autism, dementia is a spectrum. There’s just a whole bunch of different influences that can unfortunately change on a dime.
Matt Golden:
We provide help and respite to the caregivers in that we have educational maps that when they experience some of those things they can look on their phone or tablet on what to do. We have these sessions that we do monthly but they also can reach out in a chat and get ahold of us and we can jump on a Zoom like we’re doing now. We really are as much of a lifeline for the caregiver so that they know what to do in that moment and do a proper handoff to the people that can really best support them.
Bryan Wish:
Wow. Wow. The irony is, it’s you have a team of care professionals helping caregivers care for. Care is such a core identity to everything that makes your brand possible with clearly the well thought through product that goes along with it. As a founder, you get that … Those incredible rewards when you see that vision, you see it come to life, and then okay, then impacting a family or a person, or your intended audience. For you, what are some of the success stories or the people that you look at and … Whether they’re internal in your team or customers, and you say, “Wow, this is really, really special?”
Matt Golden:
Well, the one that just comes to mind first is our business development lead. She actually has two children who were part of our research study that we did with the Down Syndrome population. It was partially sponsored one, by National Institutes of Health where we have some of our funding, but also from LuMind IDSC organization up in Boston that is the largest non-government research organization supporting people with Down Syndrome. And she basically was part of one of our initial feasibility studies, clinical trials, to see if MapHabit would work with children with Down Syndrome. She basically has had some trouble with one of her daughters with basically toileting and going to the bathroom on her own, and knowing the steps to take and to do them without assistance from the parents or a sibling, which can really drain emotionally your … All of your energy, especially if it’s at two or three or four in the morning when that’s not the thing that you really want to be doing at that time.
Matt Golden:
Really this is just one of many stories. By just using MapHabit for a couple of weeks, they mapped out the specific steps for her daughter to go to the bathroom on her own. And because she’s already on tablets and using her iPad for everything else, she basically brought the tablet into the bathroom with her and followed that visual map on what to do. And it just so happened that when … Jill is her name. When she woke up in the morning her daughter came to her and said, “I did it all by myself.” And that was such an amazing moment for her and really such a huge sense of pride. She’s had therapists and other people come in, they’ve tried so many different things, and have not been able to really on the lasting basis have her learn that skill on her own. And because of what we built with MapHabit, she’s now able to basically handle that completely on her own.
Bryan Wish:
Wow.
Matt Golden:
So that was one example, I have other ones. To make that impact on just one family, that made it worth it right there.
Bryan Wish:
No. What you did for that one family, right, that is … I mean, for the test of time will change and could alleviate so much worry and pain from the parents and siblings of that family. The effect of that on the family, and mood, energy, it goes beyond, so much beyond just that individual level. Fascinating and a powerful story. It seems like, Matt, you built a incredible business, and, obviously, you’re still early and I’m sure have a much deeper vision which we can get to. As your business grows professionally, I think it requires an immense amount of personal growth. And without it, it’s hard to keep going on the other end. So for you as a founder, where have you found yourself had to grow the most personally, professionally, or all the above?
Matt Golden:
That’s a great question. I think a lot of people don’t realize how much work and personal sacrifice it takes to basically build the company. And I know you’ve done it yourself with everything you’ve built. It’s really hard. One, I thought I’d be able to pay myself a salary after six months with all the customers that would just come flocking to us, and all the money we would raise from investors. That didn’t happen. We really had to bootstrap this thing. Up until we got our first large NIH grant about a year and a half in, I couldn’t take a salary, my co-founder couldn’t take a salary. Any money that we raised or contributed from our personal funds had to go into paying other people or paying for patents. Or, basically any sales, marketing, legal, all that kind of thing all had to really just not come and provide a salary for us. The financial strain was tough. And even people who you talk to who say they would invest they … Some of them did, some of them didn’t and it … That was hard from just a financial perspective.
Matt Golden:
After we were able to get some of that initial traction, some of the data from those studies, which then led to us being able to submit to a grant and being awarded a grant on the second try, we were able to pay ourselves a salary. It’s still 1/5 of what I was making beforehand so I’m not flushing capital right now but I at least am able to pay most of my bills with what I’m I’m bringing in. Unfortunately, my wife is working as well and she’s contributing in many ways. Outside of just the financial strain, it’s really what … Where do you spend your time, energy, and resources?
Matt Golden:
There’s so many distractions. People sending you things, asking for favors, just it goes all over the place. Different types of scope or features to include within the app, you have to be very laser-focused to what is most important right now, and basically, tune out all the noise, and make sure that you … You’re working on the right things because with a startup it’s a time, it’s a numbers game. There’s only a certain amount of time before you either have to raise more money or you’ve run out of the funds that you have. For us, really scope management and making sure that we deliver on the things that we have intended to do, that’s been probably the hardest for me is to just tune out the distractions and focus on what’s important.
Bryan Wish:
No, absolutely. I mean, there’s always a million things you can do, and competing, exciting opportunities so where you can zero in, create laser focus is the juggle that never ends. And so on that note, obviously, there’s so many survival mode, paying yourself 1/5 of the salary. I mean, I get that to a degree. With you at the personal level, how have you had to maybe reintegrate family life, personal side of your life in a way that also allows the business to flourish but maybe at home also be able to give in a capacity that is meaningful there as well?
Matt Golden:
That’s a great point because without a support system and a family life I lose my motivation. This past two years for everyone, our mental health has suffered. I’ve been depressed many times wondering if did I make the right decision? This is really, really hard. We’re about to run out of cash. But I always come back to, why did I get in this in the first place? And why do I think that it’s important? Just really establishing those habits and routines for my own life to keep me motivated and centered. Making sure I spent time with my two girls, Brooklyn and Sienna.
Matt Golden:
Making sure that I exercise on a frequent basis so three to four days a week. I got to say the CrossFit gym that I am a part of, Move Functional Fitness, has been a huge glue that’s held my life together, just having the support system of my gym mates. There’s about 40 or 50 people at the gym. It’s not a huge gym but we all know each other really well, we support each other in and out of the exercises. We do different fitness and wellness challenges. So we have that social bonding, the nutrition, and the exercise, a lot of things we talked about earlier. So having that routine where I’m going to work out today, I’m going to spend time with my girls, even if it’s for a little while, and just be present, that has helped me just keep the focus on what we’re building with MapHabit.
Bryan Wish:
Absolutely. And so I mean, just the irony or the correlation between … It’s like you’re eating the dog food that you’re putting out into the world where you’re creating the routines and habits for your own life that enable you to be successful, but you’re also preaching that same message externally. And, of course, it’s a journey of alignment. To build what you’re building, it’s a clear connection to who you are as a person. That’s really neat.
Matt Golden:
Thanks, I appreciate that. And I know with BW Missions, you’re on the same path as well. I mean, you really have to believe and have that passion, and that’s how you get other people to rally around you, and then really inspire your partners, your team, and everyone else.
Bryan Wish:
No. Well, it’s cool to see others do … Or, share similar mindset, and then execute it, and make it fulfilling for families, and customers, and all the things. Okay. Walk us 10 years out, 15 years out. Where do you see the impact of this business and vision? What’s it all look like if you had to paint a beautiful picture?
Matt Golden:
Sure. Well, first off I would love for MapHabit to be free or no cost to the families that need it the most, that’s what’s Stu and I came to create here. Obviously, it’s a little more complicated than that. You can’t just build something without getting paid, but we know that if we continue down the path … We’re in talks with insurance payers right now to have MapHabit covered through Medicare Advantage plans as a supplemental benefit through a managed Medicaid plans. Here in the U.S., I know that’s how we’re going to really expand. That is part of the five-year plan is to really penetrate the payer and the providers that are supported by them and really get this and as many people who have insurance, whether it be low income, underserved populations, or just families that really would benefit from it, that it can be accessible here in the U.S. That’s the five-year plan.
Matt Golden:
The 10-year plan would be really partnering with the United Nations. They have a lot of sustainability goals worldwide to help people in developing countries with a lot of the same things that we have here with really well-established healthcare and a system, in general. I’d love for MapHabit to expand internationally. I would love to retire in 15 years. I’m 42, so in my mid-50s I’d love to be able to travel and do all the things that you want to do, or maybe 10 years earlier than the average person. I want a healthy family, and stay healthy.
Matt Golden:
Just I’m a simple guy, I don’t really need crazy material things. I’m not looking for a yacht or a G7 jet to fly in, I just want to maybe have a house or a second house in a fun beach area or the mountains, and just really give back. And spend the back half of my life either volunteering or being able to be an advocate for MapHabit’s and just get more people, even outside of our initial indications of dementia and disabilities, but it really can be useful in almost any chronic condition, any type of learning. We really think that visual mapping of a picture is worth a thousand words. A video is worth a thousand pictures. I really feel like I’m on a mission to get MapHabit in as many people’s hands for as little out-of-pocket money as possible for them.
Bryan Wish:
Wow. It’s a big, big vision. I think you’ve made it this far and a lot of the technical work behind it. Obviously, always product innovation to do but you … It’s a very neat and specialized service and a beautiful niche where you’re going to make a tremendous impact. Before we close out. Matt, is there anything you want to touch on here that we haven’t touched on?
Matt Golden:
Well, I think you covered a lot in terms of the … Of my story I think. I just want to try to get the word out. We’re still relatively unknown so definitely check us out at maphabit.com. And really want to touch as many people’s lives as possible.
Bryan Wish:
Awesome.
Matt Golden:
That’s most of it.
Bryan Wish:
Amazing. Well, Matt, I wish you the best of luck. I’m thrilled for you. The journey you’re on, going on, I’ve been down, and the life you’re trying to live. Where can people find the website? Where can people find you and reach out?
Matt Golden:
So maphabit.com is our website. I’m very active on LinkedIn so please connect with me if you want to learn more. We’re in Georgia, we’re based out of Atlanta, so if anyone’s in the Atlanta area we’re … We have an office at Georgia Tech. And we actually have employees in five different states. We have customers in 15 states right now and we’re growing. Just check us out and I’d love to see if we can help.
Bryan Wish:
All right. Well, thank you.
Matt Golden:
Appreciate it, Bryan.