“Shouldn’t you stay in your lane and write another business book?”

This was stated to me a few weeks ago from a fellow business owner, curious as to why I am writing a children’s book. He is a friend of mine, and asked me with the most helpful and curious intentions.

After the release of Painted Baby I felt a pulling on my heart to make my next book and message one that would impact children who may be going through what I went through as a child.

The more and more I share my story about my early years as a young entrepreneur, the more I realize how much bullying and abuse played a big part of my early and formative years. As a young child I was relentlessly bullied and felt alone. I was scared, lacked confidence and certainty and was always looking over my shoulder for the next bullying episode to occur.

Because of these experiences as a child, I searched for validation, certainty, love and acceptance in many things. I found some of this in business, but I also found these things in many unhealthy habits, lifestyle choices and addictions.

As a young child, I brought up the issue of being bullied to people who did their best to give me advice and provide solutions, but much of their advice wasn’t experience backed or helpful.

At the age of 26, I walked into a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu academy and began a journey that will be a part of my life forever. Learning the art and sport of jiu jitsu, and then beginning to teach it to children, brought me back to my childhood. Every time I teach a child jiu jitsu, I find myself wishing I knew these things when I was young.

I wish I knew about boundaries and how to set them, both verbally and physically. I wish I knew how to take a stand in front of people who were trying to do harm to me and others. I wish I knew that standing up for yourself and others is a balance of firmness and strength mixed with gentleness and kindness.

Looking back over my life and all the lessons I would go back to teach 7-year-old Matt, I decided to write JJ Learns Jiu Jitsu. The book shares the story of JJ, a brilliant young boy who finds himself feeling alone, scared and invisible to the world due to being severely bullied. JJ discovers the art of jiu jitsu and all the lessons and beauty it holds.

I wrote the book for the following reasons: