I’m Jeff Matlow
I help leaders get out of their own way.
Most leaders don’t fail because they’re bad at business. They fail because they never learned how to stop doing everyone else’s job.
That’s where I come in.
I work with founders, executives, and newly minted VPs who are smart, successful, and quietly frustrated that growth has slowed — not because they’ve run out of ideas, but because they’ve run out of the capacity to make growth faster.
I help them build that capacity — by transforming how they lead.
Who I Am (without the resume fluff)
Over the past 25 years, I’ve relentlessly grown businesses, brands, and high-performing teams. I’ve been trusted by leaders at Nestlé, Kraft, Sony, the USOC, and the DoD.
I’ve spoken at conferences across industries, and started three companies, all of them acquired by public organizations.
After those exits, I realized something important: Success doesn’t automatically make you a great leader. It just gives you more people to disappoint if you don’t learn how to lead them well.
I’ve made it my work to help other leaders avoid the mistakes I made.
Now I coach leaders and founders across industries — from Fortune 100 companies like L’Oréal, Porsche, and Disney to creative agencies, government teams, and ambitious startups.
Along the way, I’ve learned something inconveniently simple: leadership isn’t about control. It’s about curiosity, accountability, and the courage to shut up long enough to let other people be brilliant.
My Style
I’m not a “rah-rah” coach. I don’t do trust falls or buzzwords.
I’m more like a mirror with a sense of humor.
Our conversations are equal parts insight and honesty. You’ll laugh, you’ll squirm, and you’ll walk away with a level of clarity you didn’t have before.
I don’t give advice. I help you see what’s in your way — and teach you how to get over it.
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The Human Stuff
I live in Los Angeles with my wife, our 13-year-old daughter, two cats, and a dog. You can see all of us when you scroll down.
When I’m not coaching, I’m probably running absurd distances, cycling, fly fishing, cooking, doing some sort of crafting, puzzling, or trying my best to write the great American novel.
Catherine
The Real Boss
AMGM
The Assistant to the Real Boss
Twiggy
Office Manager
Sparrow & Willow
Security
If We Work Together
You won’t get a canned framework or a motivational pep talk.
You’ll get truth, humor, and transformation — usually in that order.
If your business is growing but your leadership isn’t, we’ll fix that.
You don’t need more hustle. You need more awareness.
P.S. I don’t promise easy answers. But I do promise this: you’ll never look at leadership the same way again.
P.S.2. I also write The Best Leadership Newsletter Ever, where I turn everyday chaos into leadership lessons that make you think and occasionally make you snort-laugh.
