Matt Hunter’s path to becoming a sought-after executive coach didn’t begin in the business world—it started on the basketball court. As a college athlete, Matt honed the qualities that now shape his approach to leadership: discipline, strategy, and perseverance. Today, as the head of Hunter Consulting, Matt works with venture-backed founders and CEOs who are navigating the pressures of scaling businesses and managing teams. His clients lead companies with a combined market cap in the billions, but for Matt, the real measure of success lies beyond financial metrics. His focus is on helping leaders connect with their teams, operate from authenticity, and unlock their full potential.
From Startup Founder to Executive Coach
Before he became a coach, Matt walked the path of entrepreneurship himself. As the co-founder of Turnstyle—a company that Yelp eventually acquired—he experienced the highs and lows of building a business from the ground up. Later, he took on the role of President and CEO at Founders Pledge, where he helped raise over $10 billion for charitable causes. It was here that Matt began to recognize a recurring theme: many successful founders excelled in strategy but struggled with leadership on a deeper level.
They knew how to execute a vision, but often overlooked the personal dynamics that could make or break their teams. This realization led Matt to develop his coaching philosophy, centered on the belief that leadership is fundamentally relational.
A Relational Approach to Leadership
Matt’s coaching method isn’t about offering a set playbook for success. It’s about working with clients to uncover the deeper, often hidden forces driving their decisions, behaviors, and interactions. “We’ll talk strategy,” he says, “but we’ll also go beneath the surface into what’s really driving you.” This inside-out approach to leadership has become Matt’s trademark. He encourages leaders to examine not just how they lead, but why they lead in a particular way.
For Matt, leadership is about more than making the right business moves; it’s about fostering strong, authentic relationships. He teaches his clients that the strength of their companies will always reflect the strength of the connections within their teams.
Success Stories: Transforming Leaders and Their Companies
The impact of Matt’s coaching can be seen in the glowing testimonials from his clients. Ed and Matt from Mantra Health describe his approach as “transformational,” praising his understanding of founder dynamics and startup scaling. Ben from Splash attributes his growth as a leader directly to Matt’s guidance, while Ivan from Iterative.ai highlights Matt’s empathy and real-world experience. Brie from Altvia echoes these sentiments, noting that Matt’s coaching left an “indelible mark” on her professional and personal life.
What sets Matt apart is his ability to combine tactical business advice with deep personal insight. His clients come to him because they want to scale their businesses, but they stay because they grow as individuals. Matt helps them evolve into leaders who are not just effective, but also self-aware and purpose-driven.
The Importance of Mental Health in Leadership
Having faced the pressures of leading a company himself, Matt understands the mental toll that comes with entrepreneurship. The stress of raising funds, managing teams, and making critical decisions can take a heavy psychological toll. Matt’s own experiences taught him that leaders often struggle silently with these burdens. This is why he integrates mental health awareness into his coaching. He encourages his clients to not only focus on business strategies but also prioritize their mental well-being.
Matt believes that a leader’s state of mind has a profound impact on the organization they lead. “You can’t be at your best for others if you’re not taking care of yourself,” he reminds his clients. This emphasis on self-care has resonated with many founders, who find themselves navigating the often turbulent emotional landscape of scaling a business.
Bringing the Lessons of Sports to the Boardroom
Matt’s background in athletics also informs his coaching. As a former college basketball player and competitive golfer, he draws on lessons from sports to teach his clients about mental toughness, resilience, and focus. “In both sports and business, success comes down to how well you perform under pressure,” he explains. Matt often uses sports analogies to help his clients understand the importance of preparation, teamwork, and staying calm in high-stakes situations.
This athletic mindset—one that values discipline, endurance, and adaptability—has become a cornerstone of Matt’s approach. However, unlike traditional business coaching, which may prioritize performance at all costs, Matt tempers his lessons with a focus on emotional intelligence and relational leadership.
Inside-Out Leadership: A Holistic Approach
Matt’s coaching philosophy is built on the principle that great leadership starts from within. He encourages his clients to look inward and to understand their own strengths, weaknesses, and motivations. This introspection, he believes, is essential for leading from a place of authenticity. “You have to be good at being you,” he often says. This belief in the power of self-awareness sets Matt apart from other executive coaches, who may focus more on external metrics like revenue and market share.
His method blends practical advice with introspection, drawing from a wide range of disciplines. Matt has studied everything from negotiation techniques at Harvard to the principles of nonviolent communication and the Enneagram—a personality framework that helps leaders understand the dynamics within their teams. He also integrates insights from Buddhism, therapy, and even athletic training into his sessions. This holistic approach helps clients grow not just as business leaders, but as people.
Client-Centered Coaching: Building Long-Term Success
What makes Matt Hunter stand out in the crowded field of executive coaching is his commitment to the long-term success of his clients. His work isn’t just about helping them hit short-term goals or raise the next round of funding. It’s about creating sustainable growth—both for the business and the leader at its helm. His clients, ranging from startup founders to seasoned CEOs, often reflect on the deep, lasting impact Matt’s coaching has had on their leadership styles.
He asks them tough questions—questions that challenge their assumptions, push them out of their comfort zones, and make them reflect on their broader purpose as leaders. “What’s holding you back?” he’ll ask. “And what’s driving you to move forward?” These questions, and the introspection they provoke, are at the heart of Matt’s coaching style.
Creating Cultures of Trust and High Performance
Matt believes that the culture of an organization starts with its leadership. The way a CEO leads sets the tone for the entire company, influencing everything from how teams communicate to how they handle conflict. That’s why Matt places so much emphasis on helping leaders build cultures of trust, collaboration, and psychological safety. He teaches them to lead with empathy, listen deeply, and create environments where people feel empowered to do their best work.
This focus on culture-building has been instrumental in the success of many of Matt’s clients. By creating strong relationships within their organizations, they’ve been able to build teams that not only perform well but also stick together through tough times. “Culture isn’t something you can force,” Matt says. “It has to be built, day by day, through the relationships you nurture.”
A Journey of Self-Discovery and Leadership
At its core, Matt Hunter’s work is about helping leaders embark on a journey of self-discovery. It’s not about following a strict set of rules or adopting a particular leadership style. It’s about understanding who you are, what drives you, and how you can use that self-awareness to lead others. “The best leaders,” Matt says, “are the ones who are true to themselves.”
Through his unique blend of business strategy, personal insight, and relational coaching, Matt has helped countless founders and CEOs unlock their potential. His clients leave his sessions not only with new strategies for scaling their businesses but also with a deeper understanding of who they are as leaders. In Matt’s world, leadership isn’t just about hitting the next milestone—it’s about building a legacy grounded in authenticity, purpose, and meaningful connections.
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