About Mat

When I was about six years old, I prayed: »Please let me see things clearly. Let me see the Truth.« The pursuit of capital-T Truth influenced most of my life.

For the first two years of primary school, I observed everyone and talked to no one.

I trained Judo and Shaolin Kung Fu for 20 years and never got a black belt in either one.

I qualified for the German Nationals in Compound Archery, which then got cancelled.

My friend Deniz and I were lucky to be among the first Parkour athletes in Germany. We got the chance to perform for every major German television channel, did shows for Adidas and co-founded ParkourONE until I fell from a tree and almost lost my arm.

Five surgeries later I went on a yearlong recovery journey. Alex, who’s a masterful therapist, helped me become a better athlete than I was before the accident.

During my time at university, I worked as a croupier for a poker tournament circuit, then played roughly 2 million hands of online poker myself. I was a winning player, but not quite good enough to fully turn pro.

I’ve been in a 12-, 6- and 3-year relationship, got married and divorced. In a very real sense, my partners have been among my biggest teachers.

After watching 990 episodes and 13 movies of Star Trek I now drive a Tesla. It’s the closest thing to a spaceship I could get my hands on.

I love both Apple products and spiritual teachings.

Before coaching I had a career in digital design and creative consulting. My team and I won the Favourite Website Award, Red Dot Award and iF Communication Design Award, just to name a few. The agency world wasn’t for me though — long unpaid hours for the pipe dream of fame.

Knowing little to nothing about trauma, I once overstepped with a client and triggered something in them. I then studied trauma integration with Gabor Maté for one year, followed by two mentorships of six months each, so that this won’t happen again.

Occasionally, my little dog Xavi, outclasses me as a coach — and he doesn’t even speak.

For five consecutive years I have been teaching 30–50 master’s students at the University of Applied Sciences in Dortmund. The course is titled Self-Management and Social Competences — and that’s exactly what they teach me back.

I participated in a bunch of intense retreats and walked out of one of them halfway through. I co-hosted a bunch of intense retreats and at the latest one, one of our participants walked out halfway through.

I’ve been consistently meditating for over 10 years and contrary to popular belief, my life is less peaceful than before.

I published three books and I don’t know how to write. My music is on Spotify and I can’t play an instrument. I studied illustration and I can’t draw.

I dig dad jokes, like: »Say something constructive! LEGO.« or »Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.« – you get the idea.