There’s more to the story.
Positioning and messaging for the moments that matter.
I ask the questions others miss, uncover what’s been overlooked, and help you see what comes next.
Emmy Award–winning journalist. Inside ACTIVE Network during its IPO. Behind TriTech’s rise to top-three market share and UrbanStems’ path to profitability.
01About
01About
What’s really happening here?
I spent seventeen years as a journalist, where truth was the only currency that mattered. I covered the Good Friday peace talks, 9/11, the Beltway sniper attacks, and the death of Pope John Paul II for ABC, the BBC, and FOX News. Those were stories where getting it wrong meant everyone noticed immediately.
It’s the first question every reporter asks, and I still ask it. Now I help leaders see what’s really happening, then act on it.
By day, I lead marketing and strategy for a global nonprofit, so I know a good mission doesn’t make the hard calls for you. I keep a few seats for CEOs and executive directors at the moments that matter: a merger, a handover, or a decision that won’t wait.
I’ve worked inside ACTIVE Network through its IPO and its acquisition by Vista, and consulted for Starbucks, Disney, Toyota, Sony, Beam Suntory, and the Museum of the Bible. I helped take TriTech from a crowded market to top-three share. I took UrbanStems upmarket when every advisor said don’t. They hit profitability in eighteen months.
The pattern never changes. Truth first. Then the decision. Then the story.
I founded Seafarer in 2020 because I kept watching good brands drown in sameness. I sail when the weather lets me. The water taught me you can’t control the conditions, only how you respond. Big decisions work the same way.
Newsrooms
ABC, NBC, CBS, BBC, FOX News
Brands
Starbucks, Disney, Toyota, Sony, Beam Suntory, Museum of the Bible, TriTech, UrbanStems
Inside
ACTIVE Network
Book
Framing Faith, Thomas Nelson, 2014
In their own words
“His unique perspective helped us be customer-obsessed which drove greater awareness, enhanced our reputation, and made us an industry leader.”
“From high-level strategy to granular details, Matt crafts a narrative that draws in the people he partners with.”
02Clarity Audit
02Clarity Audit
Look closer.
Five minutes. Free. Instant results.
Most leaders decide on the story they already believe. Answer honestly and you’ll see what’s in the way: the facts, the decision, the story or your people.
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03Advisory
03Advisory
Three ways to work with me.
I don’t do retainers that drift.
I don’t do decks that sit in folders.
I do clarity that ships.
Find
Three to four weeks
I interview your leaders, board, staff and the people you serve, the way a reporter would. You get what’s true, the choice it forces, and how to explain it.
Call me when
Founders and organizations who need a second set of eyes when you’re blocked or the market has moved and your position hasn’t.
You leave with
The facts, the decision, and the words to explain it.
Focus
Six to eight weeks
Usually after a review. We set the direction together, then turn it into the story your organization will tell, inside and out.
Call me when
You’re growing faster than the plan, or the team can’t agree on the next one.
Recent example
UrbanStems was rebuilt around gifting, not flowers. It turned profitable.
Frame
Every month
Two sessions a month, and a call when news breaks. Someone who has led a team of 72, without a full-time hire.
Call me when
Companies ready to lead their category and stop competing on who shouts loudest.
You leave with
Better calls, made sooner, with someone who has sat in the chair.
I work with a few companies and nonprofits each quarter. It starts with a conversation. If I’m the right person, I’ll say so. If not, I’ll point you to someone who is. I don’t make logos, campaigns or websites.
04Thoughts
04Thoughts
Short notes, written to be useful.
On what’s changing, what isn’t, and the questions that follow for leaders and the people doing the work.
05Work
05Work
Every number has a story.
Here are the short versions, and the number each one comes down to.
- FOX NewsChief of Photography. Newsrooms from Phoenix to the BBC World Service in London.17 Emmys
- PulseBuilt marketing, brand, and communications for a global nonprofit.500M+ people a year
- Seed CompanyLed a 72-person team, saved more than $1M, and reached an NPS of 52.8.+400% engagement
- ACTIVE NetworkRepositioned the company before its IPO and its acquisition by Vista.+35% sales
- TriTechRetold the story around what only it could do, and the customers who proved it.Top-three share
- UrbanStemsMoved from flowers to gifting when every advisor said don’t.Profitable in 18 months