Trust Your Gut... Then Back It Up

Hey Team!

I just got home from an amazing weekend north of Toronto in what the locals call cottage country: the Muskokas. I had never been up that way before, and it did not disappoint. But the highlight of the weekend wasn't the scenery. It was being surrounded by such a rad collection of humans. A few old friends, many new ones, and the kind of souls that could light up the dark skies all night long.

Before arriving, I made a commitment to myself that I was going to put my phone away. I wanted to be completely present. No IG reels, minimal photos... just memories. And that is exactly what happened. In fact, the only photo I took all weekend was with my friend Kelsey. Heck, it was her 50th birthday, so that felt like a pretty good reason to pull the phone out once.

It was a long journey to get there. Literally, almost every mode of transportation. But now that I am back in Tofino, I keep reflecting on how lucky I feel to have friends like Kelsey and so many others in my life.

A Mental Edge

When I woke up in Toronto last Friday morning, just before heading north to the lakes, I had this overwhelming feeling of excitement. That full-body, “fuck ya” kind of excitement.

The week leading up to it had been a big one. More run clubs were joining the OPS RUN platform, and by Friday morning, we had grown to more than 60 clubs across 20-plus cities. It felt like a moment worth celebrating.

I called one of my business partners, John, and told him it was the first time in nearly two years that I had felt this way. The closest comparison was crossing the finish line in Whistler after running 125 kilometres from Vancouver. And for some reason, Simone Biles' now-famous mic-drop statement came to mind: “Fuck around and find out.”

We still have an enormous amount of work ahead of us. But a win is a win.

When the idea for a platform built specifically for run clubs first came together, it felt like a great concept. But as my friend Fiona, a world expert in innovation, often says: there are millions of great ideas. What matters is execution.

Friday felt like evidence. Evidence that there is a real market for what we are building. Evidence that the early execution is working. And evidence that despite the people who did not quite understand it, did not believe in it, or pointed to similar ideas that had failed before... we might truly be onto something.

That feeling comes from listening to my gut and maintaining an unwavering belief in what we are building. It is no different from my run to Whistler. I was told it could not be done, but something inside me knew otherwise.

We are nowhere near the finish line with OPS RUN. This is only the beginning. But the hardest battle is often getting yourself onto the start line... and we are beyond that now.

One of the most important lessons I have learned over the past several years is to keep listening to that internal signal. That does not mean walking blindly into something. We have an incredibly talented team, expert contributors, real customers, and plenty of information guiding our decisions. But intuition is often what gives you the drive to keep moving long enough for the execution to happen.

That is what I am celebrating. Because these moments create momentum. They become reminders you can return to when things inevitably get difficult. Not if they get difficult... when.

Keep listening to the customer. Keep watching how the market responds. And do not ignore what is happening in your gut.

From The Field

Among all the business excitement, I am finally back in the saddle and running again.

I ended up taking more than six weeks away from running, which is still hard to fathom. Just when everything seemed to be going well, my body told me otherwise. The issue was most likely caused by switching shoe models and jumping too quickly into a lot of volume. Lesson learned.

I am now refocused on training for the New York City Marathon, which will eventually dovetail into my ultramarathon preparation later this year. At the moment, I actually have two coaches: one helping me prepare for New York and another preparing me for next year's 250- and 240-mile races.

There is obviously some overlap, but right now I am treating the relationship with my ultra coach as an onboarding period. It gives him time to understand how I operate, what kind of base I have, how my body responds, and what I will need when the bigger training begins.

Until this year, I never thought I needed a coach. It has turned out to be one of the best investments I have made.

For a couple hundred dollars a month, I remove hours of uncertainty and planning. I no longer have to wonder whether I am doing enough, doing too much, or building things in the right order. There is tremendous peace of mind in knowing that someone experienced is looking at the bigger picture.

AI is incredible and genuinely revolutionary. But much like the technology behind OPS RUN, I still believe someone experienced needs to be behind the wheel. My coaches may use AI to support their work, but I know the plans are being reviewed, challenged, and adjusted by a real person before they reach me.

That alone is worth the cost of admission.

Sometimes life gives you a real shot at something, and I am a big believer in exploring every tool and every option available to help you make the most of it.

This is the era I am in right now... and it feels right.

Trusting your gut does not mean ignoring the evidence or believing you have to do everything alone. Sometimes it means having the conviction to begin, the awareness to adjust, and the humility to let the right people help steer the way.

Catch you on the Start Line,
—Matty