About Me

My name is Steve Mattus.

I don’t really have or want a title, so you can call me what you want.  My aunt Linda used to call me Sparky Dinkeldorf when I was growing up.  I have no idea why she did that.  (Nor do I have any idea why I just broadcast that on the internet.)

Professional Background

Since 1999, I have been working with Ameriprise Financial Advisors, helping advisors to grow and develop their practices in a way that brings them and their lives back to center, back to balance.  As a partner with a Premiere Franchise Consultant (Eric Lejeune – see below), our advisor growth metrics make us one of the top ranked FC’s in the country.  2011 year end recent reporting metrics showed the advisors working with actualinfinity have had an average growth rate of 40% over the prior year.  I’ve worked with hundreds of advisors from both P1 and P2, those new to the business and those who’ve earned their Diamond Ring.  I’ve also worked closely with many of the top advisors and leaders in the company, and have spent well over 10,600 hours coaching.  Of course, those hours are above and beyond the thousands of hours of coach training and skill development I’ve undertaken to perfect what I love to do.  I definitely wouldn’t consider it a job, and barely consider it work… I just love it with a passion that’s hard to explain.  Everything I do is to inspire advisors to think different so they can run a successful, growing practice without sacrificing what’s personally most important to them.

Personal Background

I’m proud to say I’m a living example of how to be who you are, and get what you want, while running a growing business. I walk my talk and am a living example of everything actualinfinity is about.  In fact, my own personal example of getting what I want is so profound that I was a guest on the Oprah Winfrey Network® in 2011 to share my story with Gayle King.  You see, in 2007, I realized everything in my life was backwards – I wasn’t getting what I wanted.  So, I took drastic action to change things and get myself congruent – starting with getting clear about who I was, who I wanted to be and then taking decisive action to get it.  I changed almost everything in my life – from what I did when I woke up in the morning to choosing new friends to moving to a new location and eventually quitting my corporate job with no back-up in place.  I refused to believe I had to stay within the confines of some box that someone drew around me, defining what I was “supposed” to do.  I made my own rules.  I started to play my own game… a big game. Although I was riddled with fear and uncertainty at the beginning, I took action, got clearer along the way, aligned myself with a support structure and network to help me keep on track, and of course it worked out.  The fear was unfounded and uncertainty was just a touch of ignorance on my part.

Other Details You May or May Not Care About

When I quit my corporate job in 2009, I followed my heart to Chicago, Illinois, where I currently live downtown.  I think Chicago is the greatest city in the USA and I am thrilled to be living here.  I’m a single guy, so I am able to really enjoy everything the city has to offer.  I spend a great deal of my free time getting better at my craft through education, reading, studying, practicing and testing theories, beliefs and principles to enhance life, business, overall effectiveness and “gettingwhatyouwant-ness”.  My favorite activities and hobbies are spending time by the lake, walking, reading or running.  When I’m not helping advisors, I also enjoy photography, photo-editing, graphic design and singing.  I even spent a season singing with the Chicago Gay Mens Chorus. That was an adventure!  I love music and have it playing almost always.  I’d be happy if Michael Bublé or Harry Connick, Jr. were the only recording artists on the planet.

I also happen to love cinnamon rolls, pizza, Breyer’s Natural Vanilla Ice Cream, mac-n-cheese, and bacon, cheddar cheese burgers with BBQ sauce.  Thankfully, I view these more as treats rather than staples in my diet.  OH…. and I love Good Earth’s “Sweet & Spicy” tea…. it’s so good.  Best. Tea. Ever.

My core valued states of being are: Receptivity, Heart-centered, Uncertainty, Authenticity, Awareness, Interest, Curiosity, Clarity, Purpose, Detachment, Gratitude and Pleasure.  All of these are wrapped in a warm tortilla of love.

My strengths are: Positivity, Empathy, Communication, Connectedness and Strategy

I have each of those strengths and valued states of being clearly defined for my life and know exactly how they fit into everything I do.  And speaking of ‘everything I do’, I also have what I consider to be a key to my clarity and happiness, which is a statement of my WHY.  It’s why I do what I do, why I wake up every morning, and why anyone should care.  It sums me up perfectly and is completely congruent with my personal and professional life.  My WHY is as follows:

Everything I do is to inspire people to think different, so they can be who they want, do what they want and get what they want.

I’m also thrilled to be close friends and a business partner with Eric Lejeune.  Let me tell you a bit about him.

A Little About Eric

Eric Lejeune is a huge fan of people who want  to accomplish great things.  He has tremendous respect for people who are willing to turn a dream into action.  He gets excited when he sees or hears about people who are doing unconventional things that help other people.  In fact, he gets so inspired by them, that he made it into a career.  He now finds people (or they find him) who are ready to do great things, live life more fully, or just start having more fun  - and then he helps them do it.  Yep, it’s a pretty awesome job.  He’s created his own path, made some pretty unconventional choices, and he’s now reaping the rewards.

Eric is the core of Stride Leadership and you can learn more about Eric on his site at: strideleadership.com.