I’ve worn a lot of titles in my life: U.S. Navy officer, Fortune 50 executive, entrepreneur, author, and podcast host. But behind each of those roles, I carried the same quiet question so many of us ask: Do I really matter?
That question led me to develop what I now call The Mattering Effect. It is the profound psychological and social shift that happens when we feel truly seen, valued, and significant. This idea is so vital that I have devoted my upcoming book, launching Fall 2026, to exploring it in depth and sharing a breakthrough formula for building meaning, worth, and mattering in life and work.
What Is The Mattering Effect?
At its core, The Mattering Effect is about transforming the way we think, feel, and act when we know we are valued. It is not just a fleeting moment of feeling good. It is a catalyst that drives meaning, builds confidence, and fuels intentional living.
Without it, we risk sliding into anxiety, burnout, and disconnection. When we experience it, we unlock the clarity and courage to live fully and purposefully.
How the Mattering Effect Can Change Your Life
The Mattering Effect is at the core of what it means to be human.
- Mental health: It strengthens resilience and buffers against depression and self-doubt.
- Relationships: It deepens trust and intimacy, creating stronger bonds.
- Work and performance: People who feel they matter are more engaged, innovative, and collaborative.
Think about the teacher who believed in you or the friend who noticed you were struggling before you said a word. Those moments stick. They shape who we become.
3 Ways to Activate The Mattering Effect in Your Life
You don’t have to wait for others to make you feel you matter. You can create The Mattering Effect every day for yourself and for others.
- Name Value Out Loud
Be specific in your appreciation. Instead of “good job,” say “the way you handled that challenge inspired everyone in the room.” - Align Actions With Values
Live in a way that reflects what matters most to you. It’s how you remind yourself that your life is significant. - Create Micro-Moments of Recognition
Smile at a stranger, thank your barista, check in on a colleague. These small acts flip the brain’s switch from invisible to seen.
From The Mattering Effect to The Mattering Revolution
The Mattering Effect is powerful on an individual level, but when enough people practice it together, something bigger happens: The Mattering Revolution.
The Mattering Revolution is about rewriting the cultural script, moving from a world that measures worth by productivity and status to one that measures worth by presence, connection, and contribution.
When we each choose to start mattering and to help others matter, we’re not just improving our own lives. We’re changing the environments we live, work, and grow in.
The Matteringverse: A World Built on Belonging
The Matteringverse™ is my vision for what’s possible when mattering becomes the norm rather than the exception. It’s a world where families raise kids who know their voice counts, workplaces where people feel seen beyond their job title, and communities where no one is invisible.
That’s why I’m launching You Matter Luma, a children’s book series and interactive platform for families and educators. It’s designed to help kids discover their own worth, practice kindness, and understand how their actions create ripples of change.
Exciting News: The first book in the series, You Matter, Luma, launches February 24, 2026, and pre-orders are now open! Be among the first to bring this powerful story of belonging and self-worth into your home or classroom.
Because if we want a world where mattering is the default, we have to start with the next generation.
How Start Mattering Brings The Mattering Effect to Life
The Mattering Effect is more than an idea; it’s meant to be lived. That’s why I created Start Mattering, a purpose-driven apparel brand that helps you keep this truth front and center.
Our shirts and hoodies are daily reminders that significance isn’t earned, it’s lived. And every time someone reads Live Like You Matter or Choose to Matter on your shirt, you’re sparking a conversation and sharing the message that everyone deserves to feel seen.
Start Mattering is where The Mattering Effect becomes a movement and where The Mattering Revolution begins.
Passion Struck®: The Engine Behind the Mattering Revolution
Passion Struck® isn’t just a podcast; it’s a family of companies designed to ignite what I call the Mattering Revolution. Through the award-winning Passion Struck Podcast and national radio show, bestselling books, the Start Mattering movement, live events, our creator-first podcast network, and a growing speakers bureau, we are equipping mission-driven individuals and forward-thinking organizations to create cultures where everyone feels seen, valued, and significant.
With over 100 million downloads and views across platforms, Passion Struck has become a global leader in intentional living and human transformation. Every initiative we launch, whether media, education, or community, is built around one central belief: when people matter, they thrive; and when organizations create cultures where people matter, results follow.
The Ignited Life: Your Weekly Guide to Mattering
Living The Mattering Effect isn’t just about one big moment; it’s about the small, intentional choices we make every day. That’s why I created The Ignited Life, my weekly Substack newsletter dedicated to helping you put these ideas into practice.
Each week, I share stories, science-backed insights, and practical steps to help you build more meaning, belonging, and purpose into your life. It’s where we take concepts like The Mattering Effect and translate them into action you can take right now in your relationships, work, and community.
Final Thought: Join the Mattering Revolution
The Mattering Effect isn’t just an idea; it’s a choice you make every day. And when we make that choice together, we create nothing less than a revolution.
This is your invitation to be part of it.
Subscribe to The Ignited Life for weekly reflections and practical tools on living with purpose and mattering.
Explore Start Mattering and wear the message that reminds everyone — including you — that significance isn’t earned, it’s lived.
Be the first to know about my upcoming book, The Mattering Effect (Fall 2026), where I’ll reveal the full framework for bringing mattering back into our lives, workplaces, and communities.
The Matteringverse is waiting. Let’s build it — together.
