SPEAKING — Matt Fenn

Kia Ora…

ABOUT MATT

Endurance athlete and change-maker Matt Fenn has an impressive track record, but it’s what lies ahead that’s so inspiring. What began as an idea and a means to raise mental health awareness in New Zealand has quickly become a way of life for Matt: the advocate and spirited runner tackling some world records in the process.

Matt has taken on numerous ultra-endurance physical challenges over the years, culminating in a 3401km run up and down the length of Aotearoa, twice, at the end of 2023 in support of Gumboot Friday and free kids counseling. Such feats have earned him the title of New Zealand’s Forrest Gump.

Matt’s journey speaks to the resilience of the human spirit, highlighting the importance of communication, understanding, love and support. As a speaker he is deeply passionate, down-to-earth and relatable, creating the approachable environment necessary for radical change, with heart.

DISCOVER MORE

“Matt was absolutely incredible with seamless flow from beginning to end. He has a very interesting story and was easy to relate to the examples he gave. Very thought-provoking and a great reminder to check in with yourself, and recalibrate when necessary. Inspirational.”

— Generate Kiwisaver

Approach

I lead with vulnerability. Telling my own story and communicating key lessons from this that can be taken away and engaged with in everyday life. Balancing big picture inspiration with real life tangible strategies that can be implemented.

Something I have learned through speaking in schools is that our message and words are received with far more weight when we open up and show vulnerability first. Authenticity trumps all else.

Key Messages

Caring for ourselves and performing at a high level are often seen as working in conflict with each other. It’s assumed that to achieve the greatest heights you must sacrifice your relationships, and mental and physical health. Well-being and performance are portrayed as enemies.

I communicate the idea that these two things if structured properly, can work in harmony to elevate each other. Enabling us all to achieve and enjoy so much more in every area of our lives, even when we have to adapt and embrace change.

Well-being

My personal journey. The struggle, story, and ongoing journey.

Navigating the feelings of Imposter Syndrome.

Resilience – a learnt skill that we must breathe life into.

Finding our pillars – exploring how we can structure our lives to find long-term mental and physical wellness.

Performance

How failure and self-feedback loops can be our greatest asset. Fail fast, fail frequently, and fail big.

One-way door vs two-way door decision making.

Reacting to the external. A Chinese proverb we can adopt every day.

Peak Performance vs Optimal Performance. How can we ensure we are at our optimal every day.

“Matt’s story is authentic and the takeaways he shared with our group were readily understood and able to be put into action. If you are a high performing team working in a challenging environment then I would highly recommend Matt for your next team meeting.”

— David Reid Homes

I’m passionate about the immense impact resilience, alongside love and support can have on enabling us to achieve absolutely anything, including conquering inner battles. I’m on a mission to speak to one million people in my life and excited to explore the opportunity of speaking to your team and together, create a lasting impact on the team’s well-being and performance.

BOOK A TIME FOR US TO CATCH UP

We had Matt speak at our annual Men’s Health Trust Breakfast at Eden Park and were blown away by his vulnerability and ability to connect with every audience member. We received countless messages and reviews of the impact his talk had for Men across a wide audience.”

— Men’s Health Trust NZ

WorldLine

I love how vulnerable Matt was with us, sharing the pain, the tears and heartache involved with not only reaching his all-time low but how he got out of that dark place. Thank you for sharing your heartwarming story with us to inspire the people in our own lives.

Simpson Grierson

Matt has the ability to get a strong message across through humility, vulnerability, and passion for what he does. Our people left the session feeling motivated to make some meaningful changes to their own wellbeing journey, using the tangible tips Matt provided.

The Warehouse Group

We asked Matt to speak to our management team about resilience and mental health. He was truly inspiring and received hugely positive feedback across our team. We would highly recommend him to anyone looking to improve the wellbeing of their team.

Goodman Fielder

I asked Matt to come in for a special session with a key group our leadership team as part of our new company wide ethos. Matt took the time to design a talk that was just perfect for his audience and truly embodied everything we had briefed him.

Dentons

I have had a bunch of positive feedback about Matt’s message. I always think that if you help even just one person then you have one a good thing and we may never know who really needed to hear what you had to say today.

EVENT Cinemas NZ

Matt’s talk was a resounding success. His vulnerability and honesty were truly inspiring, and the actionable insights he provided were incredibly valuable. We received fantastic feedback from all attendees.

WSP

Matt quickly captured the attention of the audience and kept them engaged for the entire time! They left with solid strategies to put themselves first and make important changes.

Hobart City Council

Matt tailored his presentation to suit our organisation. It was a smaller venue than I expect he is used to, with a much quieter audience but his energy was excellent. His honest enthusiasm and his authenticity came through and our staff responded well.

Bell Gully

We were amazed by Matt’s ability to connect with our team and deliver a powerful, inspiring message. His practical advice on well-being was exactly what we needed.

School Sports Australia

Matt not only shared his unique story, he managed to connect his experience and learning, to a wide and diverse range of members. Matt was the consummate professional and the most polished speaker that I have heard in years. His ability to read the audience and take them on a journey was outstanding.

Kami

Matt’s presentation was nothing short of phenomenal. He managed to inspire and engage our team with his powerful story and practical strategies. The feedback from our team has been overwhelmingly positive, and we feel more united than ever.

Precise Builders

Matt’s talk was a game-changer for our team. His ability to connect and deliver actionable insights was impressive. We left the session feeling motivated and equipped with new strategies to enhance our well-being.

Tompkins Wake

It was a privilege to have Matt share his own journey as our guest speaker. He shared lessons he has learnt along the way with others, emphasising the importance of self care and mental health awareness. Thank you for your time Matt. Our team really appreciated it.

The Urban Physio

We were thoroughly impressed by Matt’s ability to captivate and inspire our team. His story was not only moving but also packed with practical advice that we could apply immediately. Highly recommended!

AWS Legal

Matt’s talks were honest and encouraging. Delivered without fuss or a powerpoint, he talked from the heart about some all too familiar topics. This was followed up with some really good, easy to implement strategies for building our own wellbeing cushions. Matt was engaging, knowledgeable and thought-provoking, and feedback from our team was really positive. It was a privilege having him share his story with us.

Hesketh Henry

Matt’s presentation was engaging, insightful, and full of practical strategies for improving well-being. Our team was deeply moved by his story and left feeling empowered to make meaningful changes in their lives.

Minter Ellison Rudd Watts

Matt’s session was truly eye-opening. He shared his journey with such honesty and provided valuable tools for improving our mental and physical health. The entire team felt energized and ready to make positive changes.

Patterson Law

Matt spoke to our firm regarding exploring how we can structure our lives for mental and physical wellbeing. We all felt very motivated and wholeheartedly recommend Matt as a speaker for other businesses and groups.

Matley Accounting

Matt’s talk exceeded our expectations. He was genuine, engaging, and provided actionable strategies that our team could immediately implement. His impact on our team’s morale and well-being has been profound.

Argyle Welsh Finnigan

Matt’s talk was exactly what our team needed. He delivered his message with authenticity and offered practical takeaways that we could implement right away. It was an inspiring and uplifting experience for all of us.

Gibson Sheat

I found Matt’s presentation profoundly impactful. I was Inspired by his words, presentation and journey to date. His messages are words to live by in my opinion.

SRB Law

Thank you Matt - the team loved your talk and will all be thinking hard about the question posed around “What would you really like to be doing tomorrow?” - a very inspirational way to start our Monday!

Maisey Harris & Co

Matt’s ability to engage and inspire is second to none. His story was incredibly motivating, and the practical advice he shared has already started to make a positive impact on our team’s well-being.

Norris Ward McKinnon

Matt delivered a compelling and insightful talk that resonated deeply with our team. His strategies for well-being were practical and easy to adopt. We highly recommend him for any organization looking to inspire their people.