Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Cobas.
Hi Matt, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I grew up in Vista, CA. I graduated from Rancho Buena Vista High School and completed my undergraduate degree in Economics at UCSD. After serving as an officer in the Navy, I completed a Master’s in Financial Tax Planning at SDSU and obtained my Certified Financial Planning credential. Last year, I started my own company, Kaiyo Wealth, where I offer financial planning and investment management. I am currently on the board of trustees at the San Diego Ronald McDonald House.
How did I get to where I am today? In both my professional and personal life, I feel incredibly grateful and fortunate for my circumstances.
I come from an incredibly tight-knit family and I’ve always enjoyed a close relationship with my parents and my older sister. My parents always said that they raised us to be good citizens. And I believe that mindset encouraged me to live a life of purpose – and to pursue goals that would offer fulfillment in lieu of short-term happiness.
I have an amazing partner and wife. She is easily the best thing that has ever happened to me. My wife, Rachel, is an amazing mother to our two boys, Henry and Austin, and also a fantastic teacher in Chula Vista. She has a huge heart – for our family and the students in her classroom. She’s my editor, confidant, sometimes manager, and I don’t believe any of the success I’ve enjoyed in the past 10 years happens without her. She’s also pretty fun to be around.
Two programs that I feel greatly contributed to where I am today are the Master’s program at SDSU and LEAD San Diego. Like many transitioning veterans, I was in need of a bridge in skill sets to life after serving. San Diego State gave me the skills I needed to move on to the next chapter in my life. LEAD San Diego, often referred to as a Masters in San Diego – opened my eyes and the door to how I could find a way to engage and work for a community I love.
Through LEAD San Diego, I was eventually put in contact with Chuck Day, CEO to the San Diego Ronald McDonald House, where I am now a member of the board of trustees. The mission of the Ronald McDonald is to provide a home away from home to families that have children who are critically injured or sick and are undergoing treatment at a local hospital. Having been a guest at another Ronald McDonald House, I know first-hand the difference it makes to those families. As a parent to young children – our greatest fear is something happening to our kids. There’s no sense in sugar-coating, it’s devastating. What Chuck and the staff at the Ronald McDonald House provide for the families, keeps them close and alleviates one more stressor so they can focus on what matters. I believe as a community it is the least we can do, and I am immensely proud to be a part of it.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’m of the opinion that no worthwhile pursuit comes without struggle. Would it feel the same to be handed an Olympic Gold medal having never trained a day in your life? Or is it there a deeper satisfaction that comes with a lifetime of sacrifice and overcoming daily obstacles to one day achieve success?
At least for me, the struggle is an important part of the journey.
One thing that I have occasionally struggled with is Imposter syndrome. Upon joining the board at the Ronald McDonald House, which is packed full of incredibly talented and successful folks, it was hard not to be a bit intimidated!
There’s no one size fits all strategy to overcome feeling like you don’t belong, but in this instance, what works for me is 1) remembering where I’ve been and what I’ve accomplished and 2) staying hyper-focused on the mission.
In a large way I “grew up” in the military. As many veterans will tell you there’s no shortage of personal challenges and opportunities to grow in character and as a leader. Remembering those experiences helps to ease the insecurities of a new venture.
More importantly, though, I think focusing on what you either individually or as a group are trying to accomplish is the best way to move forward. In this instance, I know that I, along with the other members of the board and the professional staff at the House, are 100% focused on showing up for those families in need – and rallying our community to support them. If I just focus on the problem set, everything else falls by the wayside.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I founded Kaiyo Wealth last year to work specifically with clients that wanted financial planning and investment management – but desired a greater impact from their investments beyond just investment returns. I think consumers are really waking up to the idea that they hold enormous power by choosing what they buy and who they buy from. Similarly, investors are seeing that being intentional with how they invest, there is the opportunity to engage the largest companies and the economy and push our country and the world to a more sustainable future. I believe climate change is real – and that it demands individual action to ensure the quality of life for generations to come. I am a member of 1% for the planet, which means I donate 1% of gross sales to environmental non-profits.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
My advice would be instead of looking for one mentor that can be a resource through all aspects of your professional or personal life – to instead have many mentors that have something to contribute. At least that’s what worked for me! Some of my “mentors’ probably don’t know that they are – I’ve been fortunate to work for and with some incredibly talented individuals. I’ve tried to my best to learn and be receptive to their thoughts and opinions, even when it conflicts with my own.
On networking, I’d much rather have a smaller network with people I trust and respect, than a large network with a surface level relationships. I’ve tried to be selective about who I spend my time with and I feel fortunate to have the friends/colleagues/and mentors that I do.
Contact Info:
- Email: mattcobas@kaiyowealth.com
- Website: www.kaiyowealth.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaiyowealth/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaiyowealth
