GeoHereoes - Matt Moler
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[00:00:00] Guy: Welcome back to GeoHero listeners, another great podcast. Interview you today with Matt Moler. Welcome, Matt.

[00:00:07] Matt: Hi guy. Thanks for having me.

[00:00:10] Guy: Matt, could you introduce yourself for our listeners? 

[00:00:12] Matt: Certainly. My name's Matt Moler. I live in Greensboro, North Carolina. I work for a company called S&ME and it's a firm in the southeast and Midwest of the United States. And I'm currently the regional Director of operations. Covering our offices in North Carolina and in Florida.

[00:00:32] Guy: And you, Matt are former president of the GBA, correct.

[00:00:36] Matt: That's right. Yeah. I just fulfilled my one year past President term and thoroughly enjoyed my my time with GBA, coming up through the committees and. Then on the board and eventually the executive track I learned a lot. So, very appreciative of all that I've learned through GBA over the those years.

[00:00:55] Guy: And I can assure the listeners that Matt is one of the truly nice people that you'll [00:01:00] meet in this life. So if you have not met Matt and you see him at A GBA conference, you should absolutely introduce yourself.

[00:01:06] Matt: Thanks Guy means a lot.

[00:01:08] Guy: So let's let's pull back the curtain and learn a little bit about how you got to where you are.

[00:01:13] Tell us about where you grew up, Matt, and what life was like when you were a young man, or young. Actually, boy, I wanna know about.

[00:01:20] Matt: I'd like to think my childhood was, you know, pretty special. I grew up, in Charlestown, West Virginia. It's the eastern panhandle of West Virginia. In fact, in West Virginia we all talk about the counties. We don't really talk about the towns we grew up in. So I was a Jefferson County kid and was there since the age of two. My, my parents moved out of the DC area and moved into West Virginia when I was two, and lived there through my childhood. I've got an older sister, Lisa, and a younger brother Andy. And of course both my parents are still alive. They've since retired and moved to Delaware. But in terms of childhood felt like it was, great experience.

[00:01:56] Lived in a kind of a residential neighborhood, had a lot of good [00:02:00] friends. Really enjoyed, you know, doing things that were in the outdoors. Played a lot of sports, mainly pickup games, did play some organized sports, but for the most part just really enjoyed finding things outside to do, whether it was fishing or. Bike riding. Always enjoyed finding things to get me out outside.

[00:02:18] Guy: How about school? Were you a good student?

[00:02:21] Matt: I would say I was I wouldn't, maybe above average didn't excel, it wasn't like the class valedictorian or anything. But I also realized school was important and I wanted to learn as much as I could. I would also say I felt pretty blessed 'cause things came pretty easy to me. It wasn't until I probably got to college that I realized, okay, you really, gotta get this studying thing figured out and, worked pretty hard at it, but no school was good and I recognized early on that some things clicked easier for me than others.

[00:02:51] And probably tended to, acclimate more to those subjects, probably math being one of 'em, and maybe a little bit of the science [00:03:00] history, memorizing tons and tons of facts. I really didn't enjoy a lot. But overall, great school experience going up through elementary, middle, junior high.

[00:03:09] We had junior high and then I on to high school. 

[00:03:12] Guy: So you had middle school and junior high school.

[00:03:14] Matt: we did. Yeah, it's a little bit different in West Virginia.

[00:03:17] Guy: Yeah, that's what I hear. How big was your high school?

[00:03:21] Matt: When I was there, I think our class was, maybe senior class was maybe about 350, 400 folks. So all told probably about 1200 soon after I graduated. They added a second high school in the county. I think that's why the, the county association for growing up in West Virginia was so strong. 'cause in general, most counties had one high school.

[00:03:43] So when a county played another county in football or a big sports event, everybody was pretty county focused. But it was a sizable high school and enjoyed it a lot when I was there.

[00:03:55] Guy: That's cool. How about in that time during school, did you have a part-time job or [00:04:00] do something on the side, make some 

[00:04:01] Matt: I, yeah. Oh yeah. I was

[00:04:03] always interested in making a little bit of money. So my dad he was a residential contractor. Did you know small additions, remodeling? Kitchens and, replacing roofs and I did a lot of that, whether it was over the summers or coming home for Christmas break during college always, opportunities to help him and, it was a good experience 'cause he is a very hard worker.

[00:04:25] He would get up very early. We'd be out the door 5 30, 6 o'clock and, put in a good long day's work. I enjoyed that a lot. I learned a lot of good house renovation skills through that, that

[00:04:37] I now use today, which is really helpful. But I tried some other things too. I worked at CVS for a summer, realized I did not wanna do that at all.

[00:04:45] Guy: Hmm.

[00:04:46] Matt: And I also was involved in working at a golf course that was behind her house and spent a lot of time on the golf course as well. And cutting grass. I mean, just all kinds of things. Just whatever I could find to, make a little bit of money and [00:05:00] learn.

[00:05:02] Guy: So you talked about working for your dad and remodeling and how that has helped you Now, you know.

[00:05:11] Did you appreciate that opportunity or they didn't connect the dots to how that would help you later?

[00:05:17] Matt: I think I definitely did. He was a. A very good boss, I guess you could say. You know, he expected a lot, which was good. Good memories are my dad appreciated when I could think two or three steps ahead for him. You know, he's constantly doing things and 

[00:05:31] if I can anticipate what tool he needed and have it ready and hand it to him versus him having to tell me that was a good step. We worked hard but he also knew when to kind of take breaks. So we would be up on roofs first thing in the morning so that we could avoid the afternoon sun. So we might start at five 30 or six, but be done by one or two. And so that was good. I really enjoyed working with my hands and of course he was fair when he paid me.

[00:05:55] And we learned a lot together. I think about each other too. It was a good chance for us to bond.[00:06:00] 

[00:06:00] Guy: Yeah, that sounds great. Did you see differences between working, you know, for your dad and, outside work?

[00:06:08] Matt: I, I would say

[00:06:09] yes. I think my dad is one that he used to work for the federal government and he saw a lot of things that just weren't very efficient, which is part of the reason why they left DC and moved to West Virginia and he started his own company. He was the epitome of efficiency and really tried hard to just constantly improving his processes.

[00:06:29] I appreciate that very much about my dad, his hard work ethic, but also, learning in improving as he went along. I definitely learned a lot and have applied some of those. Techniques and skills today. And in fact, if I'm doing a home remodeling project around the house, and, my kids aren't quite up to speed as they're helping me with bringing me the tools, I kind of like, well, here's your chance. You know? Yeah. My dad used to say if you got time to lean, you got time to clean, which was my cue to go get a broom and sweep up whatever job we were working on. 

[00:06:58] You know, idle, [00:07:00] idle hands should not be around on the job site.

[00:07:03] Guy: So perhaps CVS wasn't as interested in your ideas for efficiencies.

[00:07:08] Matt: No, I think I had one particular experience with CVS. I was checking a woman out and she handed me her credit card. And back in those days, CVS had this big device on the counter that would basically take the magnetic security strip off of, these high dollar cosmetics and things.

[00:07:26] Well, she handed me the card. Accidentally set it down on that that strip, which removed her coating on the card. And she got so mad at me that I basically voided her card. Probably the first time I've been cussed out pretty vocally by someone and so I was like, you know, I just don't know if this retail thing is for me.

[00:07:46] Guy: Yeah, well again, there's probably lessons there going forward hopefully you're more considerate of retail help that you come across in your life. I.

[00:07:53] Matt: Absolutely, yes. A good influence on the thankless job that many folks have that, you know, very much needed, but [00:08:00] maybe not appreciated.

[00:08:02] Guy: So you're you're getting up there towards your senior year in high school, usually a happy time. I don't know that in your case, how you came into your senior year, but what were you thinking in terms of going to college, like where you were gonna go, what were you gonna study?

[00:08:14] What was your mindset at that time?

[00:08:16] Matt: Growing up in West Virginia, there weren't many college choices. I had early on identified West Virginia University as where I wanted to go. Big campus, largest in the state and had a lot of programs. I mentioned earlier about how I was working at golf course and I did multiple jobs.

[00:08:34] There was what I called the cart dog cleaning off the carts when the golfers came in and did that for a summer. And then I moved into the maintenance group for a couple years and got to run those $20,000, grass cutting machines. And, I felt pretty privileged to be a part of that. Well, the superintendent there and I connected. I expressed some interest and he started showing me some things, related to taking care of the golf course, diseases and things to look out for, and [00:09:00] chemicals. And so as I was approaching my senior year, I very much thought I wanted to be a golf course superintendent and head down that path. I was decent at golf, but I was never gonna be a golf pro. But this intrigued me. So when I first thought about going to school, it was gonna be an agronomy in horticulture so I could, focus on golf course maintenance. But something happened, I think it was maybe the spring of my senior year or the summer. I think the light bulb went off that, gosh, this person that I'm working with at this golf course is working every weekend from sunup to sundown, and they look like they're not having much fun. And something clicked. I was like, I'm probably gonna be doing this myself. This is a full-time job and very rarely do you get time off, maybe a Monday or a Tuesday. So. The input I guess I got from that was, maybe there's something else for me. And so I went to looking at the degrees WVU offered and engineering caught my eye.

[00:09:56] I was like, I think this is what I wanna apply for. So I changed, [00:10:00] maybe I didn't even apply for horticulture yet, but I changed it to engineering was accepted. And that's been my focus in school from then on.

[00:10:09] Guy: So making the jump from engineering to geotechnical engineering tell me about that.

[00:10:15] Matt: So going through undergrad, of course, the general civil program had a very good experience with my first geotechnical class. And just thought it was it seemed to fit right. Everything was kind of more general than the structural classes or the transportation classes. We didn't have to focus on things to the, to decimal point, and a couple degrees beyond. So that intrigued me. And the fact that most of the data was gathered in the field intrigued me. So I spent some time with that professor and they encouraged me to maybe explore it a little bit further. So as I was finishing up my undergrad, I decided I wanted to go on to get a master's in geotechnical engineering, further this education.

[00:10:56] And went to Virginia Tech for a master's degree. [00:11:00] And at the time, that was a great experience because there were some them greats in the program Mike Duncan let's see. Dr. Brandon, Dr. Phils Jim Mitchell, they were still in the program. So some really influential folks that I got to meet and felt very privileged to learn.

[00:11:18] Guy: Did you do a thesis?

[00:11:20] Matt: I did do a thesis and wrote a paper and it was about water filled tubes to be used for flood mitigation and actually got to do some large scale testing. So Virginia Tech had this lab and I was able to build a testing apparatus box. It measured pore pressures and set up these water filled tubes and the strapping configurations that was gonna hold 'em all together. Very rewarding experience. Kind of build things, watch it fail under the loads and measure all the pressures and things and how it all works. Wrote a paper and it's published somewhere in the Virginia Tech Archives. It was a cool experience.

[00:11:54] Also had to do an oral defense when I graduated, which was probably one of the more stressful events I've ever [00:12:00] had in my life. But successfully passed that.

[00:12:03] Guy: Yeah, those are painful experiences. But I think you carry some of those lessons with you,

[00:12:09] Matt: Absolutely.

[00:12:10] Guy: even if you're not doing any Waterfield flood barriers. I'm not sure if you are. Have you used that again?

[00:12:16] Matt: No, I have not. But I have seen a lot of applications where folks are doing something similar in the market now where you can buy these, set 'em up around your house or put 'em around a hospital. So it's good to see that folks have taken that and run and turned it into more of a commercial enterprise.

[00:12:32] Guy: So now you've graduated with a master's degree, and so what does the world look like to Matt Moeller at that time?

[00:12:38] Matt: Well, I had met my wife Jamie when I was in grad school, and we got married pretty quickly. We were married, we met and were married within a year. As I finished up grad school we decided that we wanted to move away from West Virginia. That's where she was from too, and we chose Greensborough. She wanted to get her master's degree and I wanted to start working with [00:13:00] S&ME. I interviewed with them while I was at Virginia Tech and was thoroughly impressed, and they had an opening in Greensboro, so I started work and she started her master's degree the same day when we moved to Greensboro. So it was a great fit and we've been here ever since.

[00:13:15] Guy: It works out great. You met your wife, you decided where you're gonna go, and you picked the company that you decided to stay with.

[00:13:21] Matt: Yes, all the dominoes were falling into place really quickly. It was good to see.

[00:13:27] Guy: So now you're starting at S&ME, you probably had aspirations of what you were gonna do, and then you start your job. Did they match initially what you were originally working on and.

[00:13:38] Matt: I think, coming out, you feel like you know a lot, right? You've gone to school for, what, 16 years of your life? But I learned pretty quickly that, I didn't know a lot and thankfully the, the manager that I had at the time, he was very good about teaching and, allowed me to fail a little bit.

[00:13:57] So I would, learn those lessons and [00:14:00] maybe personalized for me. But one of the best things I think that happened to me, I was very focused on geotechnical engineering coming outta school. That's what I trained for. But he put me on a sizable construction materials testing project within about six months of joining the firm.

[00:14:15] And it was one where I was in the field for three years and managing others that were in the field with me. And I learned so much from being on that job, not only from , my coworkers, the hardworking technicians and other professionals, but probably more from the design team and the contractor and the interactions and all the back and forth was really helpful for me. So I felt like that kind of propelled my career, gave me a leg up because I got a inside track into how this consulting work was supposed to work. And the ins and outs and it's not just sending out recommendations, make sure that this is constructible and if it's not, then you see it in real time when the contractor's struggling to make things work on paper. And in [00:15:00] the field. I really enjoyed that, and at the time, I don't think I really appreciated it. It wasn't until afterwards that I looked back and said, wow, that was a really good, what I would call a derailment, but one that was very positive for me.

[00:15:12] Guy: So what do you think your big break was, to go from, a entry level position all the way up through the progression to regional manager where you are now? I.

[00:15:22] Matt: I think just, multiple kind of steps along the way. Not only was I starting out as kind of a self-management, a professional I then managed a small group, then I was offered an opportunity to manage something a little bit more regional. Then I took on a role where it was more of a service line leader, for the geotechnical group for a short time. And everything was incremental, right? It was bite size enough that I felt like I was ready for that next step. And the current role that I'm in now, that was somewhat of elite as well. I felt like it was gonna stretch me and it definitely has, but in a good way and I've enjoyed it. So I don't know if there was any kind of, aha [00:16:00] moment other than, gaining confidence and building my skills along the way that have really propelled me and prepared me for this role I'm in now.

[00:16:08] Guy: You mentioned one person you know, manager that, gave you some opportunity. What kind of opportunity do you think people should be looking for? Both receiving mentorship or giving mentorship? When you're reflect on your career.

[00:16:24] Matt: Probably the biggest thing is don't be quick to give answers to those that come to you for advice. You know, it's okay to encourage inquisitiveness. It's okay to encourage them coming up with ideas. They may be out of the box, but they may be very appropriate. I think that's one thing that that individual did was encourage me to come not only with a problem, but one or two solutions and, to help break out of maybe some status quo, this is how we've always done it, but bring some fresh perspective. You know, I felt like I had some new ideas and I was able to [00:17:00] implement those in some of the way we analyze say settlement for structure or the way we want to handle our data.

[00:17:06] And he was very good about encouraging that. And I've seen that, you know, time and again, there's individuals that. Have really been receptive to that versus others that maybe are like, Hey, this is just how we do it. So I would encourage those that are in those influence positions to just listen and adapt.

[00:17:23] And maybe the adapting has to happen by you, not necessarily the other individual. I think there's a lot to be learned there.

[00:17:30] Guy: Interesting. So some of those efficiency and preparedness lessons you learned from your dad, any of those translate into your current job?

[00:17:37] Matt: I think so I usually am trying to think two or three steps ahead and I'm not very good at it, but I always try to do it as look around a corner or two and figure out what could be coming that, maybe we need to prepare for. I think it's very rewarding when you develop plans and then you see those plans come to fruition.

[00:17:55] It's kinda like almost when you plan a vacation, right? Half of the [00:18:00] adventure and a vacation I think is in the planning and thinking about it and getting your mind ready for it, and then packing your bags. The vacation is fun, but I think all the prep that goes into it is part of the fun as well.

[00:18:11] So I think I apply that a lot to the role I'm in, the work that we do and and hopefully it makes for a better process and a better team integration as we go through it as well.

[00:18:22] Guy: Cool. So we talked earlier about, you know, you being a GBA past president. How did you connect to GBA initially?

[00:18:31] Matt: My first experience was through the FOPP fundamentals of professional practice. I was in Class 17 and S&ME at the time would send one or two individuals each year through that program. And I had a really good experience. Met a lot of great folks and just was enthralled by this GBA group at the time it was still ASFE. And so I mentioned to our then President Randy Newhouse, Hey, if there's opportunities for me to continue [00:19:00] involvement with GBA, let me know. And about two or three years later, GBA was starting I think their next emerging leaders class might have been class two. And I was enrolled in that and was able to get more involved with GBA and after the emerging leaders class was completed. Then I started getting involved with the committees and was involved with business practices and again, the progression, just seeing it grow. I was asked to be on the board and eventually asked to be on the executive track. It was all very rewarding, very fulfilling in terms of the information that I received. Usually well outweighed what I was giving. And so if I would give some to GBA, I would get two, three, sometimes tenfold back in relationships and information. And I would say clarity too. Because you know, if you're working in one firm, which I have my whole career, I think you can tend to get a little myopic.

[00:19:55] And this is just the way we do it and not have visibility into other firms. And I [00:20:00] think that's one of the great things about GBA is it pairs you with individuals that, you know, share experiences and you might learn a few things that you can bring back to your own business that you know, very much make our industry better because of that sharing.

[00:20:16] Guy: Hmm. Super well said. And great segue into our next section of the interview where we're gonna talk about the geoprofessions more generally. So Matt, you've been around and you have some unique perspectives in the way you got into the career and how you've experienced it.

[00:20:30] What have you seen?

[00:20:34] You know what's different now than from when you started?

[00:20:39] Matt: So it's 23 years that I've been in this career and not a lot has changed. I think we're somewhat slow in that regard and, morphing. But maybe it's just the way our industry is, a little bit slow. I mean, we still drive split spoons in the ground like we've done for eons.

[00:20:58] And we do have CPT [00:21:00] now we have geophysical tools. And that helps us really anticipate the conditions a little bit better. Maybe have a little bit sharper pencil as we're evaluating things. What's changed probably over the 20 years? I think it's the the use of technology a little bit more.

[00:21:16] Maybe, uh, I know that we are getting better at our data. Handling of our data. Probably when I started all this information was, put into written bound reports that were then stuck in file boxes and probably in the, early two thousands somebody said, we ought to start scanning all this stuff. And so then we scanned it into PDF, and then we start to have some, collection of data that way. But I think now the way that we're really looking at data. And hopefully harnessing that data so that we can make better decisions is really exciting. And so I would say the evolution of how we're managing all this data across all of our firms and then hopefully getting a better picture of the subsurface and geoenvironmental conditions is exciting.

[00:21:59] It's a [00:22:00] great opportunity.

[00:22:03] Guy: I'll come back to technological changes in a minute, but while we're talking about changes over your career, are there certain core competencies that remain a bedrock that you know have always been and likely to continue in perpetuity that you see in the geoprofession?

[00:22:18] Matt: Absolutely. I think when we interact with our clients, it requires skills that you might not learn in school. There's people skills, the reading of the room. Listening for tone that's never gonna go away. I think one of the great things that I've learned across my career is when I first came out and was preparing these geotechnical reports, I was really excited about delivering a report and thinking, man that's it right there.

[00:22:42] That's what, all that hard work, that's why they're paying us. And when I started hand delivering those reports and making the connections with the client and explaining, the conditions and why they're challenging on this site or how they could maybe save money, that connection really started to take off for me.

[00:22:58] And I think [00:23:00] that's what I get the most fulfillment out of is the personal to personal connection. And yes, we're collecting data and making recommendations, but it's really the relationships that we're developing with our clients, with our coworkers. That's the fun part. And I think, I don't think that's ever gonna change.

[00:23:17] I think we're always gonna be needed to be that trusted advisor. And, trust begins with a relationship and you can't build a relationship, when you're not focused on the individual and getting to know them and wanting to really help them in some way.

[00:23:33] Guy: It's interesting, Matt, and I don't wanna put words in your mouth, but I think I heard that you said you delivered all the reports that you developed and explained them as opposed to just sending 'em. That sounds pretty awesome, in terms of, the relationship side. I'm sure it was appreciated.

[00:23:46] Matt: Yeah, it was a great experience. The, early managers that I work with Scott Hancock, Keith Brown, Casey McCort, are all big proponents of you gotta go see your clients and so what an opportunity, to hand deliver that [00:24:00] bound report and flip open the profile and tell 'em why this site has got some challenges and what they need to look out for.

[00:24:05] And that's what I think made our clients really appreciate us is it wasn't just to check the box. Yeah, I've got this report and I can move on. It was they saw the value that we would bring. So we didn't do it on every report, every project, but we definitely tried to be intentional about the FaceTime and building the relationship.

[00:24:24] And I think we still do that today. Even though it's very easy to send emails and do it that way. You still gotta build time into, having the personal connection.

[00:24:32] Guy: Did you find that sometimes, maybe often, that your client's expectation or reaction to things was different than you expected when you wrote the report?

[00:24:42] Matt: Oh, sure. Yeah. I think everybody wants their site to be perfect and no challenges and things that cost money obviously have big implications for them in terms of financing and doing the project. But that was where the fun was, right? I think that's where, they would come to you and then have that look [00:25:00] in their eye of, I need your help and maybe we could find some cost saving opportunities to bring to the table. Maybe we had to do some more exploration or maybe we had to do some more testing to validate what our theories were. And they were on board with that. 'cause they trusted that, Hey, if I spend a little here, I might save a lot down the road. It was very good. Experience be in the room and feel that tension and understand their frustrations, and then be able to adapt and come up with some solutions to help 'em.

[00:25:27] Guy: Yeah, that's really great advice. So back to technology. You talked about data and I'm not leading you with data specifically, but there is a change of foot in the technological sector these days, and how do you see that impacting our profession, both good and bad?

[00:25:44] Matt: Let's talk about data. I know that other countries are maybe a little bit further along than the United States in terms of sharing their data and having platforms that are, built so that everyone can see and share. Much like GBA I know when we [00:26:00] come together and we work on something together, we're much better. And we're much stronger. And I think it's just a matter of time before we get to the point in the United States where we are more open to sharing our data in a free, a freer manner so that we have better understanding of what's in the ground. And while we might have to wrestle with how does that change our competitive advantage, if we've been doing work in an area for 50 years and we feel like we know what's going on better than anyone else, I think. As we get better and better about understanding what data we can look at and how we can work together to share it in a meaningful way, I think clients are gonna benefit and I think we as an industry are gonna benefit as well. I wish I could tell you, you know, we're gonna have this figured out in 10 years, 15 years.

[00:26:45] I know we've been talking about it for quite some time, and I think. Talking about it is the first step towards, gaining the momentum that's needed to move us in this direction. And whether it's full open source, everyone can see everything or not, or if it's just partial I'm not sure [00:27:00] yet.

[00:27:00] But I think, that's where we're probably headed. When we talk about, data that we're getting from various projects we're all working on.

[00:27:07] Guy: So that's interesting. Matt hadn't really heard it said that way, but if I am interpreting this, maybe a diminished role in the collection of data, but a enhanced role in the interpretation of such data.

[00:27:19] Matt: I think so.

[00:27:20] Guy: Yeah. So what do you think we look like in 10, 15 years? I.

[00:27:25] Matt: I would like to think we're, still in front of our clients I do not think that we're ever gonna be replaced by machines or that, we can hit a button and get the same information that we're now providing to our clients. I think there's always gonna be this human to human interaction, but what is exciting is the ways that we can maybe leverage some of the new tools that are out there, including AI and including all these big data sets that we have to make us better.

[00:27:53] And I think, you gotta take it back to value. And what value are we providing for our clients? And [00:28:00] so fast forward 10 to 15 years, I think we're still gonna provide tremendous value. All the work that we do in the geoprofessions is gonna remain to be needed. I think we'll get better at evaluating all this data whether it's internal to our firms or larger industry sets that we're all willing to share. And, providing the value that our clients need and really that we can deliver. Whether it saves 'em time, money, makes things more resilient. I'm open to all those options, but I think, we've got some changes coming and it's exciting to see how we're all gonna adapt both as firms, as individuals, and as an industry.

[00:28:39] Guy: Interesting. Interesting. Yeah, I'm always fascinated with these topics, so, you gave me some things to think about there, Matt. Thank you. Hopefully our listeners as well. Okay, now we're ready to move to the speed round. Matt, are you ready for the speed round?

[00:28:54] Matt: I am ready. I got all my running shoes. Let's

[00:28:55] Guy: Okay. It sounds like you are ready.

[00:28:57] What kind of running shoes are you wearing?[00:29:00] 

[00:29:00] Matt: I tend to wear I don't know. I've got quite a few, but, under Armour is kind of my favorite. So, those are the ones I'm wearing when I'm out running the streets. 

[00:29:08] Guy: Sounds like you're ready to go fast.

[00:29:10] Matt: Yep.

[00:29:11] Guy: Alright, well let's get started. Buckle up for the speed round listeners. Matt Moler, tell us about your favorite book.

[00:29:19] Matt: I like to read, tend to read a book a month, maybe two a month. But one that I tend to come back to a lot and probably read once a year is How To Win Friends and Influence People. Dale Carnegie wrote it and as I read that book today. I always pick up something new and different and, when you think about it, if you've never read the book, maybe you see the title, you're like, ah, it's kind of manipulative.

[00:29:40] You're winning friends and influencing people. It sounds like you're pushing somebody into something they don't want. And I think that's the whole point of the book is you just, I think that book articulates maybe what emotional intelligence is now in our vernacular. It's really just understanding what makes people tick and making connections with [00:30:00] people and so that's a good one that I seem to go back to.

[00:30:03] And I've also recommended that quite a few. I think I probably bought maybe, I don't know how many versions of that book and handed it out over the years 'cause it was so influential to me.

[00:30:16] Guy: I guess I should say I'm not surprised, but I also say, I just thought you were just this naturally connecting guy with a high emotional intelligence. But it's good to know even the masters have to to outside sources.

[00:30:31] Matt: Oh yeah, definitely. But I do like to read, my wife Jamie. Sometimes she'll tease me 'cause I do read a lot of business books and always wanna improve, who I am as a person. But I do like to read fiction books and one that maybe the listeners will appreciate. If you've never read, I would recommend Unbroken by Laura Hildebrand talks about Louise Amini and the experience he went through in World War II. And I remember reading this book, my daughter read it and she said, man, it's a great book. I started reading it one [00:31:00] evening and I couldn't put it down. It was like three o'clock in the morning before I finally said I gotta stop and go to bed. So it's one of those page turners that's tough to stop.

[00:31:08] Guy: I think there's a movie too, where they, used computer manipulation to make everybody look skinnier than they were because, they're starving prisoners. 

[00:31:16] Matt: That's

[00:31:16] right. Yeah. It's a good movie too.

[00:31:18] Guy: we digress, but it was a great book and it was a page turner. Good recommendations. My next question is your optimism index related to the geoprofessions as we sit here today.

[00:31:29] On a scale of one to five, one being low, five being really positive where do you feel we are right now? What are you thinking?

[00:31:36] Matt: I think in life and whether it's focused on work or family I tend to be a natural optimist. I probably almost always default to the five. Speaking of our profession specifically, I feel like there's always gonna be a need for what we do. The interpersonal connection that's needed when we're interacting with our clients and conveying, the information, whether it's environmental, [00:32:00] geotechnical, construction, testing, you name it, all the services that we provide as geoprofessionals. You've gotta have that person to person connection. So, I think that our profession is strong now and will only continue to grow especially in the United States. Our needs continue to rise for folks in our profession, around our infrastructure. A lot of the things that we've built need to be replaced.

[00:32:24] New things that we are envisioning need to be designed and built. So there's tremendous opportunity. Very encouraged by those that are, choosing this as a profession. I think they're gonna have a long, fulfilling career, just as I've had so far in my life.

[00:32:42] Guy: Well, that sounds great. I'm not surprised you're high on the optimism index, knowing you. But I will say that most of these interviews trend towards the more optimistic. So maybe that says something. So when I ask you to look at your career, Matt, what do you think has been your biggest impact, whether it's [00:33:00] a project or a client that you helped or staff or whatever when you reflect on your success to date what's your biggest impact?

[00:33:11] Matt: I think that I recognized early on that I am not that great and the power of a team is so much stronger than anything I can bring to the table. And so I think, and I reflect on what I've been able to do and been involved with. It's always centered around the synergy of a team and how a team can really come together and make great progress. And I've also been a part of situations where it is very difficult, it's a struggle from start to finish when the team isn't functioning at a high level. So I think that's probably my, takeaway at this point in my career is I'm much better when I'm working with others and when a team is aligned. And knows what each [00:34:00] member needs to accomplish, and we're all supporting each other. You just better get outta the way. 'cause that team is gonna be very efficient at accomplishing that goal or whatever tasks they're setting out to do.

[00:34:10] Guy: You think you're better at setting up teams for success at this stage in your career than perhaps earlier?

[00:34:15] Matt: Oh, definitely. Yeah. I think I've learned a lot about myself. I've learned a lot about what different team members bring to the table. It's really fun, to try and envision what needs to be accomplished, laying it all out so everyone can clearly understand what we're trying to do, and then encouraging in helping folks get to that next level so that we as a team can succeed. I feel like that's something I'm always gonna be learning and improving upon and I'm looking forward to it really. 'cause, projects and teams only need to get better as we move forward. So. There's tremendous power in the team, and I'm all for it.

[00:34:52] Guy: Just a small wormhole here, but any general advice on setting up effective teams?

[00:34:59] Matt: I [00:35:00] think clearly articulating the vision of what the team needs to accomplish is step number one. And you've gotta have someone that can sit down and think through, where are we today and what is it we're trying to accomplish? There's a book I read recently, Mark Kramer and his GeoHeroes podcast recommended it.

[00:35:17] It was the Who Not How book. And that one kind of recently shifted my focus. I would wrestle with problems and think, ah, I've gotta figure out all these steps and who I can engage. But now I'm realizing that the sooner I can bring in the who's the folks that can really help me accomplish what this vision is, the better off I am.

[00:35:37] And so I think. If you're setting up a team, the clearest thing you can do is really articulate what is it you're trying to accomplish? Maybe set up some initial timelines and then start gathering folks that you feel might compliment the team to help the team accomplish the goal.

[00:35:52] Guy: Hmm. Powerful, powerful. So again, you've had a lot of success to get to this point in your life, Matt, and I'm sure you take some [00:36:00] satisfaction in that you're a humble guy, so maybe you won't admit it, and I won't embarrass you by making you admit it, but I'm proud of you and what you've accomplished. But if you had to do it all over again and, you know, kind of rewind the tape and with the knowledge that you have today, any changes you'd make along the way?

[00:36:16] Matt: I think so. And I'm gonna share something. You might know this about me, but I tend to so let me give you an example. Maybe I'm in the throes of an activity and, I should be fully thinking about that activity. But instead I'm thinking about what's coming next? What do I have to do after this activity?

[00:36:36] And it could be an activity that I'm doing with the family, it could be a work activity. But I tend to think about those next steps. And maybe that's a remnant from what my dad always taught me. Be thinking about the next step, be prepared. But I've learned that I really need to enjoy the moment. Not necessarily slow down, but when I'm in a situation appreciate where I am. And so I've [00:37:00] tried to take that advice. I've actually got a squeegee on my desk that says just that, to remind me daily to do that. And I find that, when I'm taking PTO. My mind tends to wander towards work things, and I encourage myself and my teammates to really break away and try and, live in the moment.

[00:37:19] So when you're on PTO, you should relax and enjoy the time and not be thinking about the 10 things that are waiting for you around the corner. So I think if I could get better at that in the future, that would be a benefit for me, and definitely something that I wish I could do better or had done better throughout my career up to this point.

[00:37:38] Guy: So enjoying the journey as you progress through the various stages and the happiness that came into different stages.

[00:37:45] Matt: Exactly.

[00:37:46] Guy: Hmm. Well that's again revealing and insightful. Matt. Thank you for sharing that. So we're at our final question and I would ask you if you had one piece of advice for those [00:38:00] entering the geoprofession what would you offer?

[00:38:03] I.

[00:38:05] Matt: I talk a lot about this with my kids and so I'll pass it along to any listeners to this podcast. I think the sooner you can align your passions and things that kind of energize you with a career the better off you are. And I am energized and very passionate about what I do for S&ME and what I do for our geoprofessional industry. And I hope that it shows it gives me a lot of joy when I wake up in the morning and I'm excited about going to work and I put a lot of time into to this effort and it's always very fulfilling. If you're chasing something that is, mainly based on what you're gonna get paid, but you're really not excited about it or you're doing something that you realize, ah, I've got so much time and energy invested in this.

[00:38:51] I can't quit now, I might as well just keep doing it for the next 20 years. I would say just find what is passionate in your life and put [00:39:00] those efforts towards that passion, and I think you'll be much more fulfilled and encouraged in that. You won't have the Monday morning blues. Having to go back to work, you'll actually be excited about what you're getting ready to do for that week. So that'd be my advice is, find that passion and align it with a career, and I think you're gonna have a very fulfilling journey in life.

[00:39:22] Guy: Yeah, there's a saying about that. I'm trying to remember what it was. It was something like, pick the right path and you'll never work a day in the life or love your job and you'll never work a day in your life or something. Something like that. 

[00:39:33] Matt: That's the one. 

[00:39:33] Guy: probably, if I'm gonna throw up quotes, I should probably know what they are.

[00:39:37] But I get the vibe there and it's great advice, frankly, one that I should probably have taken a long time ago. Well that kind of wraps up the I interview Matt. I really as always enjoy spending time with you. You're truly are one of the nicest people I know, and you're really interesting.

[00:39:52] I think you had great insights in your career and the profession, and I appreciate you sharing them with us. I'll give you the final word.[00:40:00] 

[00:40:00] Matt: Well, thank you guy. Thank you for asking me to be on this GeoHero podcast. I have to admit, when you first asked me, I was like, I don't know if I've got what it takes to be a GeoHero, but I'm flattered and very honored to be on this. I will say for those that maybe are listening and not in involved in an association I would encourage you to do that.

[00:40:20] I've had tremendous experiences with GBA and would encourage you to look into that if you don't have an organization to be involved in. But whatever it is. Do it with passion and dive into committee work, dive into being involved in the leadership team and that association. You'll meet great folks, you'll make some great relationships and you'll learn a lot too.

[00:40:42] And I think that'll be a great compliment to what you're doing in your career with your current employer or whatever it is that you're doing. Look for those opportunities to get engaged outside of, your normal day to day. And I think you'll. Again, find a lot of fulfillment in that as well.

[00:40:58] Guy: Great stuff Matt. And [00:41:00] thank you listeners for tuning in again and staying with us to the end. More content coming. So we appreciate your listenership to the GBA podcast and hope to continue. So that'll be a wrap. Take care.