S2e22: Matt Brannagan – Communities of Meaning

Matt Brannagan, Hoffman teacher and coach, is our guest today in this delightful finale for season two. Matt shares about his time in the Process and in the military and speaks to what it is he loves about both. He also shares with us what it was like to help lead the Institute through the rough waters of 2020, which included the pandemic and the fire at White Sulphur Springs. Matt has found support and connection through many communities of meaning.

Matt was twenty-five years old when he did the Process. He’d been in the military but was in a kind of funk, looking for a sense of purpose. So, Matt came to the Process to get a better sense of his life’s vision.

One of the most valuable things for Matt in his Process was the recognition of how much time and energy he was wasting being stuck in patterns.

“I was aware of them and trying to think my way out of them, which was both frustrating and self-defeating. The Process helped me shift my approach and my point of emphasis. I feel more efficient with my energy and as a result, more present throughout my day.”

One year after completing the Process, and just after 9/11, Matt was deployed to Kuwait. While serving in that region, Matt learned how to not hold back as a leader out of fear. It was a high-stakes environment and he rose to leadership because people were counting on him. It was there that he began to integrate the work he’d done at the Process.

More about Matt Branagan:

Matt Brannagan also serves as Vice-President and COO for the Hoffman Institute. It is exactly Matt’s dynamic leadership presence that has helped support Hoffman’s powerful pivot through this past year. As a core part of Hoffman’s leadership team, he has helped guide the Institute to create a bundle of new virtual offerings, find and settle into Hoffman’s new permanent home at Earthrise, and support other new creations, including this podcast.

Matt holds a B.A. in sociology from Sacramento State University; and an M.A. in transpersonal psychology from Naropa University. He is a retired U.S. Army veteran, a Professional Certified Coach, a psychology professor, and formerly a Master Resilience Trainer for the Army.

“I love when the process really clicks for the students, and they begin to take on the tools and practices themselves. It is great to see that what we provide really works. Students often offer such great insights. I really get to take on learning even as I am teaching.”

Matt lives in Los Angeles with his wife Nicole and dog Wilver.