GETTING TO KNOW YOU
Getting to Know Matt Jackson
What inspired you to start your business ? What are your goals and values ? The concept for affectors was inspired by a question , “ what if we prioritised the affect of our actions over the effect of our actions ”? I didn ’ t launch the business until 2013 which was the same year our son Rip was born . At the same time I was offered a steady job with a large consultancy firm which promised a high salary . It was a time of my life when security was very desirable . Whilst I was locked in limbo about the decision I had a daydream of a future conversation with my son where he was struggling with a decision . I knew my advice to him would be to follow his heart . I was terrified of being a hypocrite in that conversation so I launched the business and let go of my attachment to the illusion of security .
That fear lead to the first of affectors values :
• If you ’ re not standing up for what you believe in you are pretending .
• If you ’ re not making memories you are wasting time .
• If you ’ re not asking how you can help , you don ’ t care . My goals
• My professional goals are set on building a bridge between commerce and the arts for the benefit of both sides .
• My personal goals are set around increasing my own self awareness and inspiring others to also .
• My family goals are to encourage and support everyone ’ s growth .
What was the driving force behind your decision to specialise in this area of business ? My career as a business owner , author , performer and life as a father and husband all require self awareness and an awareness of others in order to be fulfilling and sustainable .
I have learned how to move hearts and minds and believe everyone can . Knowing how to affect people is the first step toward becoming aware of when you are doing it and whether you are affecting them in positive or negative ways . Developing an awareness for how people affect you and how you affect others is the first step toward affecting each other , business , the community and the planet more creatively . Unfortunately very few of us think this way very often and I believe that is why we see humans so often having a destructive effect on each other and things .
What types of customers do you help ? What experience do you have helping small business customers ? We are brought in to help stir up creative thinking in an organisation or improve communication . I have consulted one on one with sole business traders and start up entrepreneurs . I have also consulted to organisations such as Adobe and AMP who have tens of thousands of employees . Clients relate to our values and can see how becoming aware of the way we interact with one another is crucial in an age that requires creative thinking to innovate on a daily basis , higher level communication to manage diversity in the workplace and empathy because people are becoming increasingly disconnected from each other emotionally even though we are technologically more connected than ever before .
Do you service other sectors as well ? We have worked with software , financial , not for profit , elite sport , logistics , children ’ s foundations , property and management consulting . We are now keen to work with
52 ModernBusiness June 2016