Issue 00011 - Who's on your theme?
Welcome to 5 Bites – The BLTnT Newsletter!
That’s not a typo.
You probably thought I was about to ask, “Who’s on your team?” But this week, I’m leveling up. Let’s talk about the Theme behind the team—the throughline, the backdrop, the compass.
[INTERRUPTION: you know I like side bars…so a quick thank you to my buddy Scott Schoenebergerfor teaching me about “through lines”…if I over use the term, blame him…I never knew what it meant until recently…just kidding, I love you buddy, thanks for always teaching me something new.]
A couple months ago, I had a virtual meeting (we used Teams, but Zoom could work too…don’t need to start a holy war)…with a friend of mine, Davin Salvagno. Davin is a great guy, speaker, and Author of a couple books including Thieves of Purpose.
He asked, so what’s the story of the pictures behind you? (see screenshot) I rattled off everything important to me about those people and their influence on me.
He said “Matt, I just learned more about you in those 3 minutes than I have in the past 3 years”.
Last week, I was in my office shooting a video when for some reason, the wall behind me came alive to me and I thought…“That wall is my Theme”– a physical representation of the voices, values, and vibes that hold my story together.
Not sure if this one will break down into five bites or not. But here we go.
▶️ Bite 1: The Four Teams + One
For you avid 5 Bites readers and listeners we’ve talked about his before (issue 00005 and 00009). In Beyond High Performance, Jason Jaggardlays out four essential teams for any leader or high performer:
- The Team You Work For
- The Team You Work With
- The Team That Works For You
- The Team That Works On You
But what’s underneath all of that? What glues them together? Your Theme.
Your Theme is the unseen force behind how you show up for every team. It’s the stories you retell, the quotes you default to, the pictures you put on your wall.
▶️ Bite 2: The Wall of Mentors (Seen & Unseen)
Let’s look at our own Zoom background. Our office shelves. Our saved photos. What do they say about us?
Mine? It’s a mix of the bold, the grounded, and even the hilarious. And that’s intentional.
Here are some of the faces and forces that make up my Theme (abreviated expalanations cuz we only have 10 minutes):
- Jesus Christ— The OG. The perfect model for servant leadership, grace, and transformation.
- St. Francis of Assisi— “Make me a channel of your peace”…and be kind to animals (that goes for us hunters too)
- Patrick Lencioni — So many things, but my fav…The Ideal Team Player: Humble. Hungry. Smart.
- Zig Ziglar — “You can have everything in life you want if you just help enough other people get what they want.” (as my friend Pete Thomaswould say encouragingly “come on now!”)
- Hulk Hogan — “Take your vitamins and say your prayers, you little Hulkamaniacs.” –
- Rodney Dangerfield as Al Czervik— Humor + audacity. A reminder to not take it all too seriously.
- George Bernard Shaw— “The biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place”….ever act as a spectator in a conversation with other people and you’re like…he is not hearing what she’s saying!?
- Mel Robbins — “Let Them.” And the 5 Second Rule. Simple. Repeatable. Transformational.
- Warren Buffett— “Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.” among other thoughts
- Jimmy Buffett — Joy, balance, and delegation. Trusted others. Lived fully. Did you know the Margaritavilleempire started because he trusted his friend Sunshine Smith to start it and make sure it didn’t make him look bad?
- Kobe Bryant— The Mamba Mentality. “A constant quest to be better today than you were yesterday…and better tomorrow than you were the day before”
These aren’t just quotes or posters. I see them as mirrors, reminders, standards.
▶️ Bite 3: Groupings Within the Theme
This wall isn’t random. Here’s how the people I listed above break down into pillars of my Theme or through lines:
✨ Faith & Grounding— Jesus, St. Francis, Lencioni, Warren Buffett, Mel Robbins
✊ Leadership & Performance— Jesus, Lencioni, Ziglar, Kobe
🎉 Joy & Levity — Jimmy Buffett, Hulk Hogan, Rodney Dangerfield
🔍 Truth & Clarity (Communication)— Shaw, Mel Robbins (again), Jesus (always)
Not about perfection—it’s about pattern recognition. These are the messages I want soaking into my subconscious.
▶️ Bite 4: No Theme = Drift
Without a Theme, we risk being adrift. We adopt the loudest voice in the room. We become the person others expect instead of who WE intend to be.
It’s easy to build skill in leadership, collaboration, or performance—but if there’s no through line behind it, we start showing up differentlydepending on who we’re around. That’s exhausting. And confusing.
Theme creates consistency.
▶️ Bite 5: Who’s On Your Theme?
Here’s your homework. Or maybe heart-work:
Who would be on your wall?
What quotes do you repeat most often?
What values live behind your visible teams?
Who do you let influence you on purpose?
You can have mentors you’ve never met. You can let their lives mentor yours.
So the next time someone asks about your team, pause for a second.
And think first about your Theme.
Bonus Wisdom ✨
“A constant quest to try to be better today than you were yesterday and better tomorrow than you were the day before.” —Kobe Bryant
So I’ve talked a lot about Jaggard’s book…I’d also like to turn you on to one by someone I was recently introduced to by my friend Nick DeMiro …and that’s Aaron Salko.
He’s got a book called “Boogers Have Feeling Too”….that’s true, but I haven’t read that one (that’s his children’s book he wrote with his daughter). The one I’m reading is called “The 9th Stratum: Your Guide to High Performance”. This guy gives the science backed blue print for achieving high performance. So if you’re looking to up your life in any area, I would highly recommend it.
And you know something funny…I would have been somewhat intimidated by a guy like Aaron…when I met him, he had just finished 36 holes of golf and then was going to run (allegedly doing lunges) up and down a serious hill to go for a 10 mile swim…(ok I’m exaggerating a little)…
But then Nick gave me Aaron’s book and watched a YouTube video of Aaron being interviewed on a podcast — when he showed his softer side as a dad who could write a book about boogers with his daughter, that was when I said “ok, I can listen to this guy”…
Wrap-Up
Well look at that…it did break down into 5 bites…I’m kinda proud about that…!
Our Theme is not just our inspiration—it’s our infrastructure. It’s what holds the house up when the storms come in. We get to pick our Theme. And if you haven’t yet, it’s never too late to start.
Let your wall be more than a backdrop. Let it be a declaration.
And be human, be fallible, and like Aaron, don’t be afraid to talk about some bodily function that makes you laugh once in a while…
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Excelsior, Matt
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