ave you ever met
someone for the
very first time
and you just clicked with them? You may feel an authentic connection, share similar life experiences and goals, or just think that person is cool as hell. That’s exactly how I felt when I met Matthew Del Negro almost two years ago.
I was on spring break with my family in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico enjoying a break from Chicago’s harsh winter, chillaxin by the pool and taking advantage of the all-inclusive drinks and eats the resort offered. At nighttime, when most of the restaurants shut down, the resort would feature a DJ and live music near the pool so that people could get their groove on. My two young boys love to dance so of course we ventured down to take advantage of the festivities. My boys also are very social (wonder who they get that from?) and make friends easily, so it wasn’t a surprise to see them busting a groove on the dance floor with some other kids that night. It was well after midnight, but my kids didn’t want to leave because they were having too much fun with their new friends and eventually we started talking to their friends’ mom and dad, which led to us having breakfast with their family the next morning. Both families hit it off and the dad, Matthew, and I ended up having more conversations over the next couple of days. Hell, he even helped rescue my son and I from the rough Cabo waves when our kayak tipped over in the ocean. (Tip: stay out of the water when you go to the beaches in Cabo San Lucas. Dangerous stuff!)
As I got to know more about Matthew, what he did, and what he was currently working on I was excited for him and inspired by him. He is an actor that has built an impressive career playing a wide range of roles in features, television, and theater, including major stints on The Sopranos, The West Wing, Scandal, The United States of Tara, Amazon's Goliath, Netflix's Huge in France, and his latest role opposite Kevin Bacon on Showtime's City on a Hill.
Spending his adult life working as an actor in one of the most competitive fields in modern American life, he often experiences rejection. Those experiences inspired him to launch his podcast 10,000 NOs which provides deep insights into how people from all walks of life overcome incredible challenges. Now, based on the popular podcast, Matthew is set to publish his first book, 10,000 NOs: How to Overcome Rejection on the Way to Your YES.
I think Matthew’s Podcast is one of the best and inspirational ones that I’ve listened to and I’m excited to check out his new book as well. But I was even more thrilled to interview him and to share his story in FLM. I’m a firm believer that people enter your life for specific reasons, and I cherish the connection that I made with Matthew. He is doing exceptional work to motivate and to inspire others and I hope as you learn about his journey you will be inspired too.
H