S1, E86: FlowHaus - Mitch Matthews
In the journey from professional sports to entrepreneurship, Mitch Matthews exemplifies how life's transitions can lead to profound personal growth and community building. As a former NFL player who transitioned into business ownership, Matthews' story offers valuable insights into navigating major life changes while staying true to one's deeper purpose.
Matthews' football career began in Oregon before taking him to BYU and eventually to four NFL teams. Like many professional athletes, he experienced the rollercoaster of high expectations, disappointments, and the constant pressure of fighting for a position. "I was cut four times over two years," Matthews shares, highlighting the emotional resilience required to survive in professional sports. This experience taught him that even in elite environments, very few positions are secure – a lesson that would later inform his approach to business and life.
When Matthews' football career ended due to an ankle injury, he faced the challenge many athletes encounter: redefining identity and purpose. "I always promised myself that when football was done, whenever it was, that I was going to be really freaking good at the next thing I did," he explains. This commitment led him first to pest control, where he built and eventually sold a successful business, and then to his current venture, Flow House.
What makes Matthews' journey particularly compelling is how personal tragedy and transformation influenced his entrepreneurial path. Following his mother's passing and the end of his football career, Matthews found himself seeking new peaks after experiencing significant valleys. A fortuitous introduction to Wim Hof, the renowned extreme athlete known for cold therapy methods, became a turning point. During a retreat in Poland, Matthews and others hiked Mount Sznezka in freezing temperatures wearing only shorts, shoes, and gloves – an experience that demonstrated the extraordinary potential of the human body and mind when properly conditioned.
This transformative experience inspired Matthews to create Flow House, a wellness facility offering cold plunges, saunas, breath work, and guided experiences. However, Flow House represents more than physical therapies – it embodies Matthews' vision of community healing. "Flow House is first a message and a feeling," Matthews explains. "Second, it's a community. It's are we doing this enough together to protect each other? And then, thirdly, it's a space."
In a world increasingly characterized by disconnection and digital relationships, Matthews emphasizes that true community takes time and intention. "A lot of followers isn't necessarily a community. A lot of people knowing you isn't a community," he observes. Flow House creates an environment where strangers can connect authentically, bonded by shared experiences that elevate their physical and mental states.
Perhaps most profound is Matthews' philosophy on success versus fulfillment. He notes, "If you want a good career and you want a good business, listen to everyone who's gone before you and done it. But if you want a successful life, sometimes it means listening to nobody." This insight challenges us to balance learning from others with trusting our intuition – what Matthews calls the "celery test," filtering external advice through our internal wisdom.
As we navigate our own transitions and seek meaningful connection, Matthews' journey reminds us that our greatest challenges often contain the seeds of our most significant contributions. By embracing change, following authentic interests, and creating spaces for genuine human connection, we can transform personal adversity into community healing.
Listen to full episode :
