Matt Stevens: From SEAL to CEO - The Honor Foundation, Ep. 115

Matt Stevens transitioned from the U.S. Navy in 2017 after serving for 26 years as a SEAL.

Transitioning from the SEAL teams to civilian life brought him to The Honor Foundation, a national nonprofit dedicated to supporting U.S. Special Operations Forces as they transition from elite military careers into impactful civilian roles. 

Matt attended The Honor Foundation’s (THF) inaugural East Coast class in the spring of 2016, joined their SOF Advisory Board in the spring of 2017, and then joined their Board of Directors in February 2018. 

A native of Charlotte, NC, Matt graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1991 with a B.S. in Ocean Engineering. He graduated BUD/S in 1992 with class 179 and was assigned to the East Coast, where he served in various SEAL Teams, SEAL Delivery Vehicle Teams, and Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG).

Matt commanded at every level in the Naval Special Warfare Community, including a Squadron at DEVGRU, SEAL Team Two, Naval Special Warfare Unit Three, and Naval Special Warfare Group Four. 

He served on staff tours at the Joint Special Operations Command in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, as the Operations Officer at Naval Special Warfare Group TWO in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict (ASD SO/LIC) in the Pentagon. 

Matt served on the leadership team of an emerging technology company from 2017 to 2019, before assuming the role of CEO of The Honor Foundation.

Learn more about The Honor Foundation at www.Honor.org

Timestamps:

00:00:22 Introduction to Matt Stevens

00:02:00 26 Years in the Teams

00:03:25 DEVGRU and Seal Teams

00:04:36 The Hardest Part of BUD/S

00:06:16 Sponsor Note: Our Book Building The Elite

00:07:03 Toughest Moments of Matt Stevens' Career 

00:09:32 Giving Bad News About Performance

00:11:12 Becoming a Good Leader

00:15:08 Becoming Better at Public Speaking

00:17:04 Transitioning Out of the Military

00:20:21 How Did Mentorship Affect Matt Stevens’ Career?

00:23:20 How Did the Honor Foundation Come About?

00:26:28 The Honor Foundation's Three-Phase Program

00:31:09 Impacting Veterans Lives

00:34:31 What a Special Operations Background Brings to the Table

00:37:23 Surviving in the Civilian World

00:40:31 Who is the Honor Foundation For?

00:41:45 Honor Foundation's Goals

00:45:19 Supporting the Honor Foundation

00:46:09 Advice for Special Operators Transitioning Out

00:49:00 One Book Everyone Should Read

00:49:43 Best and Worst Advice Ever Received

00:50:25 Outro