Today we’d like to introduce you to Hirdesh Matta.
Hi Hirdesh, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I have a bit of a unique journey. I always wanted to be a sports journalist, starting from writing for my middle school paper to becoming the editor-in-chief of my high school paper. However, once I was in college, I pivoted to marketing and information systems, but never lost my passion for sports.
After graduating, I started in tech consulting before pivoting to management consulting, where I have had the privilege of leading the content strategy for multiple $100M+ contracts and leading go-to-market efforts for different products at my company.
Outside of my full-time job, I have worked as a credentialed sports reporter for the Washington Wizards and Maryland Terrapins before moving to the west coast. I also left my consulting job previously to pursue real estate full-time, which led to me catching the investing bug. Although I returned to management consulting, I have maintained a real estate portfolio of rentals along with doing some renovation projects outside of my full-time job. Thus far, I have completed 6+ flips across DC, Maryland, San Antonio, and San Diego. I also just started pursuing commercial modeling and am excited to see where that journey takes me.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’ve always been taught that it’s not about the end goal but the journey, and you have to enjoy the ride. It hasn’t always been a smooth road. I was aligned to tech consulting at my firm since I had an information systems background, and started off doing software development and testing, which I had no passion for. I took a leave of absence and eventually found myself back at the firm, slowly shifting over to change management and then content-oriented roles. It took some time but, better late than never.
I also didn’t end up a full-time sports reporter as was my goal growing up, but I did have the opportunity to serve as a credentialed reporter, sitting side-by-side with some of my journalism heroes and getting the opportunity to rub shoulders with NBA players.
I also spent time as a full-time real estate agent, but came to the realization that I liked the investing side of things more than working with buyers and sellers, which was a good learning experience as well. Although most of my projects have been successful, I had a recent deal where I jumped in without doing my full due diligence and ended up buying in a bad part of town out of state. That deal ended up losing money but it definitely was an eye opener of what to do and not do, especially with long distance investing.
As an individual, I have a tough time being content, so I’m always looking for something to keep me busy, which can be a good and bad thing. Have I accomplished everything I want in life? Nope, but I’ve come to realize that I’m continuing to learn and grow and I’m trying to enjoy the journey along the way. Life isn’t always a straight path, but then again, if you got everything you wanted without putting in effort and/or running into challenges, would it really feel as special?
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I work in management consulting full-time, where I have had the chance to lead the content strategy for multiple clients. I specialize in content development and strategic communications, and feel the most rewarded when my work makes a tangible difference. I’ve had the opportunity to lead content efforts in promotion of the improved GI Bill education benefits experience, and through our team’s efforts, GI Bill applications went up as did feedback on the overall application process. Seeing Veterans take advantage of the benefits they rightfully earned to ensure a better future for themselves and their families was definitely rewarding.
Outside of work, I am most proud of my ability to make inroads in different industries. My biggest accomplishment is self-publishing two children’s picture books, Tommy the G.O.A.T. and Nat Your Average Underdog Story. I had no idea what I was doing when I came up with the idea to write a book, but what started as a joke and some rhymes, turned into something that has sold over 2,500 copies and peaked at #5 among all children’s football books on Amazon. I also got into real estate investing, starting with a BRRRR (buy-rehab-rent-refinance-repeat) in Baltimore and then continued with multiple flips. I find joy in seeing a project come together and seeing what a difference a nice renovation can make to the before-and-after of a property.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
First and foremost, I want to give credit to my parents and siblings, who have always encourage me to follow my passions and whatever harebrained schemes I come up with. I appreciate them allowing me to utilize my creativity while providing encouragement along the way. Now that I’m married, my wife has become my biggest cheerleader, supporting me in all of my endeavors.
My high school journalism teacher, Mr. Woodward, helped expand my passion for journalism and allowed me to grow from a staff writer to editor-in-chief. He showed me the art of the possible and helped me increase my belief in myself.
At work, I’ve had countless mentors who have helped me pivot my career to where I am. Networking is big in consulting and once you find the right advocates, you have to make sure to hang on to them.
Finally, in real estate, I learned a lot from our family real estate agent, Kevin Andrews, who helped show me and my sister the ropes as we were looking to get started in investing. He set an example of what could be done in the investing space while working a full-time job and helped peak my interest in real estate.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.hirdeshmatta.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hmatta23/
- Other: https://www.flippingsd.com/
