In this deeply reflective conversation, Matt sits down with author and ikigai researcher Nicholas Kemp to explore the true meaning of the Japanese concept of ikigai — a word often misunderstood, oversimplified, and misapplied in Western culture.

Rather than a Venn diagram, a career formula, or a secret to longevity, Nicholas explains that ikigai is an emotional experience — the feeling that life is worth living. It’s found in small moments, meaningful connections, personal agency, and the quiet sense of being alive “here and now.”

Together, Matt and Nicholas unpack why ikigai is misunderstood, how to reconnect with intrinsic motivation, and why purpose doesn’t need to be chased — only felt. This episode is a grounding reminder that a “life worth living” is built moment by moment, not achieved all at once.

Key Takeaways

• What ikigai truly means in Japanese culture

• Why Western interpretations — including the Venn diagram — miss the point

• Ikigai as a feeling, not a life goal

• How intrinsic motivation shapes our sense of purpose

• The role of connection, agency, and belonging

• Misconceptions linking ikigai to longevity and Okinawa

• The importance of embracing ambiguity and cultural nuance

• How to cultivate everyday meaning in your own life

• Ikigai lives in everyday life, not a grand destiny

• It’s about felt experience, not achievement or productivity

• Meaning grows through connection, curiosity, and agency

• Letting go of pressure opens space for genuine fulfillment

• A “life worth living” is personal, emotional, and always evolving

Connect With Nicholas Kemp

Website: https://ikigaitribe.com
Book: Ikigai-Kan: Feel a Life Worth Living
Instagram: @ikigaitribe

Connect with Matt

Website: mentalnoteswithmatt.com
Instagram: @mentalnoteswithmatt
LinkedIn Newsletter: Morning Mental Notes

In this episode of Mental Notes with Matt, I sit down with Stewart Pearce, world-renowned voice coach and master sound healer. Stewart has worked with some of the world’s most recognized performers, leaders, and visionaries, including Princess Diana, to help them unlock the deeper resonance of their voice.

I first met Stewart over twenty years ago while studying at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London as part of my acting conservatory program. He was my voice teacher then, and even in that short window of time, his presence and wisdom left a lasting mark. This conversation felt like a return, a chance to revisit the part of me that first learned to breathe, speak, and show up with courage.

We talk about what it means to find your signature note, that inner frequency that lives beneath fear, conditioning, and self-doubt, and how reconnecting to it can change the way we move through the world. We explore authenticity, breath, sound, trauma, and the quiet, unseen ways that voice and presence can bring us back to ourselves.

It’s a conversation about resonance, healing, and the lifelong practice of learning to sound like you.

💡 In This Episode, We Explore:

• What it means to discover your “signature note”

• The connection between breath, emotion, and authenticity

• How fear and social conditioning mask our true voice

• The difference between doing and being

• Why stillness and presence are acts of resistance in a noisy world

• The physical and spiritual power of vibration and sound

• How simple practices—like humming—can help the body heal and decompress

• The importance of unlearning everything that made us doubt our voice

🧭 Key TakeawayYour voice isn’t just how you speak, it’s who you are. When you stop performing and start breathing, you don’t need to be louder to be heard; you simply resonate.

📚 Learn More About Stewart Pearce🌐 ⁠stewartpearce.com⁠📖 "The Alchemy of Voice" and Diana: The Voice of Change🎓 Founder of The Magnetic Voice Academy

You can find this episode and more at ⁠mentalnoteswithmatt.com⁠ or wherever you get your podcasts.

👉 If this episode resonates with you, please subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a comment or review. It goes a long way in helping the show grow.

In this episode of Mental Notes with Matt, I sit down with my very first acting teacher, Ron Millkie. While many may know him as Officer Dorf from the original Friday the 13th, I know him as the person who saw something in me before I fully saw it in myself.

Ron was the first person to invite me into the world of professional acting, and this conversation is a chance to not only honor that legacy but also explore what it means to live a life in the arts—with all its twists, setbacks, and unexpected moments of serendipity.

We talk about ambition, rejection, mentorship, making peace with missed opportunities, and the power of showing up for yourself even when no one else does. It’s a full-circle conversation about legacy, resilience, and what it really takes to keep going when you're wired to feel everything deeply.

This one means a lot to me, and I hope it speaks to something in you too.

💡 In This Episode, We Explore:

• What drew Ron to acting and how teaching found him

• The five prerequisites for success in the entertainment industry

• The story behind landing his role in Friday the 13th

• Taking initiative and the role of serendipity

• How to stay grounded through years of rejection

• What it means to “follow your bliss”, and the risk of not trying

• Building confidence without external validation

• The ongoing tension between sensitivity and resilience

• Creating and directing independent horror films in 2025

• The lasting impact of being truly seen by a mentor

🧭 Key Takeaway
Sometimes the people who shape us most aren’t the ones with the biggest spotlight, but the ones who saw us early, before we fully knew who we were. This episode is about honoring those people, recognizing the quiet power of mentorship, and remembering that every step forward starts with a moment of being seen.

📺 Check Out Ron’s Work
🎬 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTXa-94F2JNAwkNSOAGNImA
📼 Short films, horror projects, and student collaborations

You can find this episode and more at mentalnoteswithmatt.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

👉 If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a comment or review. It goes a long way in helping this channel grow.