Three Years of Waves Connects: A wave of a ride

Today, as I celebrate the third anniversary of Waves Connects, I'm heading to the beach for a play in the waves with my fam. What a way to celebrate.

It was just over three years ago when I lost my pops, in the midst of the pandemic and was unsure of what to do next.

With helpful advice from an incredibly supportive EWD pal, I decided to give it a go solo... so I registered the business and Waves Connects was born.

To be honest, I embarked on this journey without a clear roadmap, unsure of what direction the business would take or where the world would end up post pandemic and what the opportunities may be. It was a time of exploration, of discovering what truly ignited my soul.

And now, looking back on these last three years, sure, I made some mistakes, but I can confidently say that I am loving every single second of where we are today. That's not to say it's easy - but it's far more enjoyable.

From the beginning, Waves Connects has been a platform for expression and connection.

With the launch of my first podcast, which ranked in the top slots in the world, then writing blogs, conducting interviews, and facilitating events and roundtables it became not just part of the job but a source of enjoyment and with each conversation, each connection, I was hit by a further wave of inspiration.

Whilst the business has been steadily growing, what I'm most proud of is how much more time I've been able to spend with my famalam. If the pandemic taught me anything, it was that I didn't want to return to how it was before - travelling every week, spending more time away than I was home.

I still get to attend my favourite events of course, but, I get to spend more time doing all the other things I love too, one of which is my favourite addition to my working week - "Adventure Thursdays."

Adventure Thursdays

On these days, my littlest one and I venture out on micro adventures, exploring the world around us with wide-eyed wonder - paddleboarding the coastline and rivers, climbing "mountains", building dens, forest adventures and a whole lot more - these have been the best "work days" of my life so far - I'm just gutted she's starting school in September.

Being able to shut down the screens and escape to the beach or trails with our children is a privilege I hold dear. We laugh, we learn, and we open our minds to new ways of thinking, new ways of doing things, fresh perspectives and new ways to fire the creativity that comes with what Waves Connects does for its clients.

I am supported by an awesome wifey, family and incredible eventprof clients and friends who have been instrumental in their support. Oh and my mom moved in last year too - it's been quite the ride, but she has been equally amazing – a real inspiration, kicking cancers arse.

It's more than just a business

Over the past three years, my journey has extended beyond personal and business growth and precious moments with my family.

It has become a gateway for me to delve deeper into the world of neurodiverse conditions, particularly ADHD, and understand the unique challenges individuals face in both their professional and personal lives. It has allowed me to foster connection and engagement within our local community through initiatives such as our surf lifesaving club, my RunPals run group, and forest school activities.

From exhibition halls to forest school floors and conference stages to beach shorebreaks, I am passionate about learning, understanding and developing environments that support and empower people to flourish in their own unique way - something that is incredibly important to me at Waves Connects.

In business, it is incredibly important to be able to identify your passions, build relationships with like-minded people, and develop an environment where you can thrive – this has been the success for me of late, setting ourselves free from others agendas and doing what we're passionate about - helping tell stories.

Looking ahead to the future

Success to me might look a bit different to you and that's the beautiful thing about people - we're all different.

For me, as long as I can deliver quality to my clients, have fun with my family and give back to our community, supporting causes close to my heart - that's all that really matters.

I'm looking forward to using my knowledge and experience working in the events industry for over 20 years to continue creating content, facilitating conversations and developing ideas that may help shape our future.

The last three years of running Waves Connects has been a rollercoaster, but I am incredibly grateful for the adventure and journey it has taken me on and thankful to every client and person that has helped support me along the way.

So, here's to continuing our journey together, creating more opportunities for meaningful connections, driving conversations that matter, and inspiring others to live their best life.

What are we doing today? After a catch up with an industry colleague, I'm off for a surf with my fam - playing in the Waves that Connect us.

Aloha

Matt