Meet Matthew West | Psychologist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Matthew West and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Matthew, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
Matt West is a psychologist and well-being tech founder at boom journal . Raised in Los Angeles, in a small-town called Palmdale, Matt West took a path of college and obtained two masters in psychology by the age of 24. This path has not only allowed him to help Millennials deal with stress but also aid millennials on the path of personal growth. Matt West currently resides in Los Angeles, CA.
Story

How I started my journey…

It’s in November 2000. Matt West was a junior in high school excited about playing in the up and coming soccer season. It’s the night before tryouts and I have a sharp pain in my knee. Not thinking about it much I continued to push myself through the pain during the early part of the season, and the increased frustration lead to a doctor’s visit, and resulted in the diagnosis of Osgood-Schlatter disease (OSD), and lead to be forced to sit out the remainder of the season. In hindsight, it was a blessing because it resulted in seeking a new passion, mindfulness.

Matt West (born in Northridge, CA on July 26th, 1983) is an American psychologist, podcaster, and well-being tech founder. Matt West was raised in Los Angeles, California in the small town of Palmdale, California. It was during his junior in High School when Matt was inspired by his Psychology Teacher, Mr. Prince where he was led down a path of wanting to understand why people do what they do, what really drives people to take action. On his journey Matt West become this high achiever, and from that moment on, excelled in sports, in school, and by the time Matt West was twenty-four years old, he obtained two masters in psychology from Pepperdine University and Cal State Northridge, married with one daughter, making 6-figures by the time he was thirty, living in Marina Del Rey, CA, fast forward five years later, Matt West woke up four months shy of his 35th birthday and realized his life wasn’t how he thought it would turn out. Not as he imagined for himself. At 35 he fell into a 9-5 corporate job, married at 30, father at 31, failed at starting a company called scrubscriptions, and was coasting along through life.

When I decided to take it to the next level…

In 2018, after a series of major life events Matt West was looking in the mirror and decided to take back control over his life and decided to take care of his emotional, physical, and mental well-being. He decides it was time to create a morning and night routine; improve his eating habits, sleeping habits, and add a fitness routine. He started waking up early and working out at home, two months later, He was laid out on the floor from exhaustion.

There was always an underlying voice nagging, “You should be doing something more. Something better. Something different.” But then he would become distracted by the illusion of social media and forget all about just being his authentic self. There was nothing intentional about the way he was spending his time and energy. And those things added up to an unproductive, an unhappy life, and feeling the effects of burnout.

He would occasionally attempt to turn off autopilot and take control of his life, by joining a gym and never adhered to the workout routine he established, creating countless business ideas that I would dream about the success that it would bring, failure after failure he kept going.

What is my cause….

Through mindfulness journaling, he started to slowly notice shifts in his thoughts and how he responded to the challenges he faced in life. It was like he started to rediscover who he really was. There was a truth that he realized that he wanted to share with others to empower other millennials to feel inspired, energized, and joyful. He still reflects back on creating a lifestyle of healthy emotional habits. At the beginning of 2019, no results, no change. None of that mattered. It took him months to finally figure out how to build emotional habits. Figuring out how motivation works, how to build the habit of mindfulness, how to set a night and morning routine, stop procrastinating, and take action towards his vision, the steps seemed endless. After months of reading and reiterating, Matt West finally started to notice the benefits of developing healthy emotional habits. That moment was the beginning of everything. It led Matt West to build a well-being tech-focused startup called Boom Journal.

My Mission…

Matt West’s mission is to empower millennials to feel inspired, energized, and joyful. Matt West believes life and business are rooted in the relationship we build together and our ability to manage our emotions. Matt West’s aim is to help you feel empowered, live freely and authentically, thrive in your relationships with yourself and others, and uncover meaningful work in your life and business.

Matt West received his undergraduate degree in BA. in Psychology from Cal State Northridge University and holds a Masters of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University. Matt West also holds another Masters of Science in Educational Psychology from Cal State Northridge University. Matt West’s area expertise is to focus on mindfulness, neuro cognitive-behavioral approaches that are grounded in neuroscience. Matt West’s passion is in the area of understanding the limitless potential of the human brain, and understanding what drives people to take action.

Matt West’s mission is to empower millennials to feel inspired, energized, and joyful. The one question that we will try to answer is how can we manage our mental and emotional states and be productive and joyful in life and business with mindful productivity. It’s time to Rethink our well-being, with inspiring stories from founders and entrepreneurs to help you live more mindfully on his podcast Brain Boom. and the well-being tech startup booming to empower millennials to feel inspired, energized, and joyful through guided mindfulness journaling.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Boom is digital wellness platform that empowers you to just be you. Exploring sounds, mindfulness exercises, and answer guided mindful journal prompts to build a rewarding mindfulness habit.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If you only have 1 day in LA and are wondering where to start, you’ve come to the right place. As a local, I can give you some good advice and tips for visiting the city. I can also help you plan the perfect 3 days Los Angeles itinerary that will leave you with lots of great memories.

It’s hard to know where to begin when you visit a large city like Los Angeles. Unlike other metropolises around the world, L.A’s attractions are spread all over. If you are coming from a smaller place, you will most likely feel overwhelmed here.

One thing to consider when planning your Los Angeles itinerary is the notorious L.A. traffic which will limit your ability to cover a lot of ground in these 3 days. That means you probably can’t put together a list of 20 some-odd objectives and expect to hit them all.

With the itinerary below you’ll be able to see some of the L.A’s most iconic places, without rushing. Trying to squeeze more into these three days will only drain your energy and leave you tired and confused.

Some of the places that I included in this list are totally free, which is always a plus. So here is your Los Angeles trip plan:

Santa Monica is one of the most romantic getaways in California. The 72 miles of coastline and approximately 330 days of sunshine are a magnet for the visitors of LA. Besides, the coastal areas are among the most scenic places in Southern California.

In all, there are over 60 beaches on this incredible stretch of coastline. Therefore, I think it’s best if you start your Los Angeles itinerary at the beach. The closest and most popular ones to downtown LA are Santa Monica, Venice and Malibu.

Stroll on the Santa Monica Beach and Pier
You can start your day at the Santa Monica Beach, just a short 20-minute drive from Downtown Los Angeles. The beach stretches along either side of the historic Santa Monica Pier.

There is plenty of parking, restrooms and beach side cafés along the beach. The paved path that follows the shoreline all the way to Venice Beach is a paradise for rollerblading, biking, or walking.

There are many small shops where you can rent bikes, rollerblades, boogie boards, chairs, and umbrellas. You can either lay down on the beach, or grab a bicycle and cruise from the Pier to Venice Beach and back.

Santa Monica Pier
The most popular spot in Santa Monica is the Pier at the foot of Colorado Avenue. This bustling wooden wharf is where the action is. With its shops, small restaurants, arcade, roller coaster and giant Ferris wheel, the historic Santa Monica Pier continues to be the main attraction in Los Angeles for families with kids.

Walk (bike, or rollerblade) to Venice Beach (free)
Just South of Santa Monica is one of Los Angeles’s most popular and eclectic places: Venice Beach. However, this beach is a mixed bag that isn’t for everyone. If you want to experience the bohemian spirit of Los Angeles, you should definitely come here. There are so many things to do on Venice Beach!

Be advised however that the free-spirited Venice Broadwalk may shock you with its colorful graffiti, street performers, and funky shops. You will see some things that you’ve never seen before and will shake your head. But you may very well find all these very entertaining.

Venice Beach, Los Angeles
Venice Beach
I love Venice Beach, always have. It has an indescribable vibe that I have only experienced here. When we were younger we used to rollerblade from here all the way to Santa Monica and back. If you enjoy people watching, then this is the place to be. It is for sure one of the most unique beach-going experiences you’ll have.

Drive to Malibu
Malibu is a must, no matter how many days you have in L.A. This is where the famous Pacific Coast Highway drive starts. Here is where you’ll see some of the most picturesque stretches of beach in Southern California.

The beaches in Malibu are however very different from the ones in Santa Monica or Venice. Some of them are private, so they allow alcohol on the beach (Paradise Cove), but they are notorious for the huge parking fees.

Malibu beach
In Malibu you will find surf beaches and stretches of shore with tide pools, caves and strange rock formations (Leo Carillo). If you want to explore the caves and rock formations, you should come prepared with good shoes because you’ll have to walk down a big bluff.

Tidepools at Malibu – Los Angeles Itinerary

Tidepool in Malibu
Malibu beaches offer a truly laidback experience where you can just lay in the sand and dip in the ocean. And if you are in Los Angeles when the whales migrate (Dec.-Jan, April-May) you’re likely to see some gray whales, dolphins and seals here. Especially if you visit Malibu early morning.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My mentor Joseph Mcclendon III holds several certifications in the neurosciences arena. He taught at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) for seven years and is frequently called upon to lecture at other higher learning institutions like Harvard University and many Fortune 500 companies in the United States as well as across Europe and Australia.

Joseph has delivered hundreds of workshops, coaching sessions, keynote addresses, seminars and training programs, and one-on-one therapeutic interventions and has presented to well over 3 million people around the globe. His remarkable ability to go straight to the core of the challenge and effect rapid change makes him a unique commodity in business, health and wellness, and personal improvement.

In 1986, Joseph met and teamed up with best-selling author and speaker Anthony Robbins. After mastering the technology, he became extremely proficient in assisting people to overcome the fears, phobias, and emotional challenges that hindered their lives and progress. From there, he went on to design a dynamic line of human change technology products and services.

Website: www.boomjournal.xyz

Instagram: www.instagram.com/iammattwest

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwest3

Twitter: https://twitter.com/iam_mattwest

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mattstarchildwest/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/iammattwest