The Art of Work: A Proven Path to Discovering What You Were Meant to Do

of his life.
Shortly after that project was completed, the friend called
again, this time inviting Matt to help him start a new
company, one that would generate sales leads for insurance
companies. At first, Matt said no. He liked working for
himself and enjoyed the freedom of being his own boss. But
the friend asked again, and he still said no. By this time,
though, things were starting to look desperate. With the
business slowing down, he had fewer and fewer options, so
he finally succumbed to his friend’s offer.
In December 2004, they went into business together.
The first thing they did was hire a programmer. Matt did all
the sales, affiliate management, and web design. He learned
about sales and marketing, even how to do some basic
programming. The days were long and the work was
exhausting, but he loved it.
By December 2007, the company had grown to forty
employees and more than twelve million dollars in annual
revenue. The company, based in Franklin, Tennessee,
eventually grew to nearly twenty million dollars, won
several awards, and was thriving in almost every respect—
except when it came to relationships.
Matt was on top of the world. This was his dream job. At
least, that’s what he thought. But as his success grew, so did
his ego. Notorious around the office for being a perfectionist
and someone who would tear into you for the slightest
infraction, Matt was a person you didn’t want to be caught
alone with in a hallway. You never knew what he might say.