2024 is going to be different.

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You choose your child, your family, and your health. You choose rightly

When I clicked this, I thought I was about to hear some divorce/separation sob story slash gossip, instead, I got life advice on the pursuit of happiness. More power to you Matt! We loved you way before you scaled to a larger team. We are still here. Notable (and honorable) nods to the very worthy guests for those invaluable nuggets, Jason and Ali. Thank you.

I think there is a strange obsession with "hustle culture" and glorification of running a big youtube business when the reality is that it just brings more stress and more potential for failure. So many big creators have told me to hire editors and managers, but now those creators are struggling month to month because their overhead is so high. Personally I've never wanted to scale my creator business and build a team. I enjoy doing everything solo and working a little bit slower. The great thing about KZfaq is that you can approach it any way that you want to.

Incredible video, such an honour to be featured in it too ❤ Good luck with this new chapter 😊

This reminds me of a quote I read a few years back that said, “Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell”. It resonated with me in my struggle with corporate life. I’m happy for you and really proud of you for having the courage to make a change.

Here I am thinking you got divorced.

matt - this is a story that would resonate with so many of us. thanks for having the courage and the guts to say it - as it is.

I am coming back to your channel after years. I could not connect with your content for the past 2 years or so ,and this video takes me back to the beginning. This was the style that drew me in and I am so glad you're back to the home base.

Thank you for the VERY heartful video. I have a similar story, though not identical. I built an online music education company, and while I did have employees, we were a very small team, and everyone knew what to do and we had VERY few meetings and management related tasks. Cut to me selling the company to investors so I could "scale the company." Suddenly, all day, every day, was wasted on pointless meetings, product development took a back seat to quarterly figures, and all of the joy went out of the business. I applaud you for taking control back over your life and doing things in a way that makes sense to you.

De-scaling in the creative business is not moving backwards, it is still moving forward, just with something different. I can’t wait to support you in your next endeavor. ❤

Thanks Matt. This is something I've been thinking about a lot lately. I've considered hiring people and outsourcing things simply because "that's what you do as a KZfaqr". In fact, I've often felt like I'm doing things /wrong/ because I don't have a huge team like Ali or Marques. But I'm starting to believe that it's perfectly okay to stay solo and to grow extremely slowly - and this video has helped cement that belief.

Honestly haven’t felt this pumped for a Matt D’Avella video in a long time! (And NOT just because that smart bald man I’m married to made an appearance. 😅) Your willingness to share the unflinching truth about your own personal journey as a creator and entrepreneur is what I’ve loved most about your videos over the years. So excited to watch the next chapter unfold. There are lots of us here eager to support you at every new twist in the story! Grateful to call you a friend. 👍

I know this all too well. Loved it and happy for you making the changes for your happiness xM

This rings so true. As a creative, I never took home as little as the year I grossed the most. Ironic. Scaled back my team and found my pace. We all needed to hear this message that “scale, Scale, SCALE!” Is not always the right answer.

I’ve had a stagnant year, riddled with self-doubt, insecurities and constant stress and anxiety. Here’s to hoping for a better year, to Matt and everyone who struggled.

Man, I feel this so much. I missed having fun on KZfaq because it became "work." So I'm bringing it back to basics in 2024! Thanks for this great video Matt.

Powerful, Honest, Vulnerable. Thank you for sharing this!

This video is a powerful reminder that success isn't just about growth and numbers. It's about finding joy and fulfillment in what we do. It takes courage to step back and reevaluate our paths. Thanks for sharing your journey and inspiring us to focus on what truly matters in our creative endeavors. Who else feels motivated to embrace simplicity and authenticity in their work after watching this?

It's incredible how similar my last 10 years and specifically the last year has been to yours. I made the same moves and I'm healthier and happier because of it. I think you're doing the smart thing and I wish you the best 👍🏼

I can't lie, I haven't been as excited to watch new Matt D'Avella videos recently. I think I could feel that they didn't have the same "je ne sais quoi" as they used to. So I'm really excited for this transition back to simpler times! I think you're an awesome story teller and fantastic video editor and I'm excited to feel your excitement come alive in your videos again!

This is probably my favorite video you’ve made in a long time. Felt like OG Matt. Welcome back 🙏🏽

It's amazing how you inspire all of us in those different situations that you've been in. You're an amazing man. Your transparency is something that more creators should learn from. Thank you, Matt. I'm excited for the next chapter! :)

Oh mate, I totally feel ya. I was in a similar place at the end of 2019 ❤ loved this video.

I just wanted to give you confirmation that when you help yourself and share it with us, you’re helping everyone…. It’s extremely meaningful.

I totally agree with you. Slowing down and simplifying things in order to keep off pressure from our chest are the nicest decision I made in my life.

I think a lot of us are out here trying to reconcile the want for sustainable happiness (including, but not limited to, that which is found through our work) with the old programming of growth, hustle, and consistency. Started watching your videos for the minimalism, stayed for the personal growth, and am excited to see what comes next. Thanks for all you do and share!

"Enough. Calm businesses." YES. I have burned out on 2 businesses from pushing so hard. I've been watching this channel since before the "boom" and noticed the change for you.

When you started years ago, I could see the passion and thought and most importantly, humour, you added to your shots. You were a person like every other, relatable, familiar that worked on something and decided to share that with us. Minimalism and how that worked for you, budget and how you got rid of debt, fitness and everyday habits to get better. Relatable stories that inspire us to strive for better. But while you told your stories, over these years you still had growth and learned more. And how we watch TV shows to see the characters grow with us, maybe you'll find the fire again in sharing your wisdom and stories, as you grow and your family grows. I'm glad you're making difficult decisions and learning from them. Thank you.

This year, I took a step back also. I used to study while working for 10 years and I also had a part time job. I quit my part time job and stoped the studies and suddenly my life got away more enjoyable. Im traveling more, spending much more time with my beloved ones and Im working out pretty much every day. Maybe, sometimes, we dont need more money and business development, but the right things to give us a better life.

Thank you Matt. This confirms exactly what I’m working towards. The process at the speed I choose. Everyone has a different path. I like yours and I’m excited to see your videos this year. Great video!

I’m so glad you touched on striving for enough. Frankly I’m pretty fed up of this obsession with ‘the grind’. In a time in our civilisation where people are afraid of losing out to machines, we’re becoming more and more like machines ourselves with these ridiculous hyper optimisation and productivity. If that lifestyle makes someone happy then good for them, but that’s not for me. Over the past few years I’m feeling driven to do less by making what I do count.

Thanks for sharing Matt! Reminds me of a quote from Derek Sivers: “Even if what you're doing is slowing the growth of your business-if it makes you happy, that's OK. It's your choice to remain small. Whatever you make, it's your creation, so make it your personal dream come true“. Wish you you'll find the path that makes you happy!

this is the most relatable video I’ve seen in so long. My life got 10x more stressful after hiring employees and for 2.5 years I have assumed it was my fault for just not being good at managing things. I appreciate hearing all of this so much.

Dude the tightness in the chest is so real. Often, when we embark on the journey that we really love and care about, we don't see the effect of the effort or the stress as it grows until it is too late. I also stepped back and it was one of the most meaningful moves I could have made.

I respect that so much brother. Went through exactly the same journey this year. Building a creative comapny. Scaling. Realizing that's what I really wanted. Got to a point where it felt dreadful and unfulfilling. Stopped it. Simplified. And now: Pursuing my passion alone.

Nothing has resonated more. Super proud of this decision for you. Stoked to see your voice being presented fully by YOU again :)

I'm glad you decided to step back before it was too late. Thank you for being so transparent about your journey and being willing to take us along with you. Coming from someone who is inspired by successful KZfaqrs and strives to become one as well, it's something that I now keep in mind because I have seen so many either straight up quit due to burnout or decide to go on a long-term sabbatical. I don't want to run into that situation so that lets me know to continue to grow at my current pace and not rush to success thinking it will feel much better on the other side.

I'm grateful for the impeccable timing of this video and how much it resonates. Wishing you all the best in this new chapter!

This is such a refreshing take. Also feeling validated about wanting to hold onto editing even though it’s a time drain! I love the creative process

Thank you for this very honest video. I guess the hardest part is admitting to oneself that, 'this is not what I thought it would be and I'm not enjoying this.' Really not easy. I wish you so much good as you develop a calm path that is fulfilling.

Usually people do serious announcements as just a simple talk-to-camera. i like that you told the whole story and invited others with diff perspectives to speak!

Matt, it was such an honor being one of your early employees. I learned so much about how to be a kind and thoughtful creator - and a great boss! Working for you helped my wife and I launch our own KZfaq channel, and I'm pretty sure she's sick of hearing "...well, Matt always used to say..." Thanks so much for the continued honesty, clarity, and quality that you bring to KZfaq. I wish you and your family the best. Thanks so much for all you do (and don't do!).

Sometimes the fun lies when we have control over everything, be it video production or editing.

thanks Matt, you're perhaps the only relatable creator on KZfaq, and the timing of this video was serendipitous!❤

It takes such courage to put this out there, being so honest and transparent about the whole situation. It makes me feel very proud of you and it's also very inspiring to others. Keep going, you definitely are on the right track! :)

This message applies to personal career goals as well. All my life I've chased a better version of me, better job, life. I'm more successful now but never been so unhappy, stressed and burned out. It's not a good path. Wish I had taken more time to do what I wanted to do rather than focus on what others thought of me. Pleased to hear you are on a good path to pull it back 👍

If it´s not broken, don´t fix it! I´ll follow along no matter what! Love your content, what ever makes your boat float, makes it float! Cheers dude!

I feel like this is the perfect video to emphasise - grass isn’t greener on the other side and you have to do what’s right for you. For some of us having our own business and employees is a dream whereas for others they’d rather do everything alone and are happy that way. It’s so easy to look at other people’s journey and compare but it will never be enough until you’re truly happy within yourself. Wishing you all the best for 2024 - can’t wait to see where this new route takes you ☺️

The most honest and most personally profounding video I've seen in a long time. Timing couldn't be better as I am facing similar success yet challenges and diminishing passion while in a different career. I've followed you for a long time as your content always helps my life if only in minute ways. You contributed to my life in many positive ways. This video was over the top. Been battling with the same thoughts. I feel more inspired now to reevaluate what i am chasing and why. I commend you! Stay on the path you feel is right for you and your family!

Matt, your journey has inspired me repeatedly over the years. As someone who started a business that grew to 14 employees, I can only say that quickly I learned that chasing the dream was synonymous with chasing my tail. In 2008 I lost my business, my home, my savings, and everything I had built my career around. Then something funny happened. After losing everything, I focused on what I had left. My family, my hobbies, my friends. I was never happier in my life than the years following the loss of everything. Life is a journey and stripped down to it's core is the realization that you only have so much time to spend. Making Quality over Quantity the true scale of measurement for success. I cannot wait to see what follows for you. In true Matt D'Avella fashion, I know it will be inspiring.

So much love and respect for you Matt ❤ I believe we all need to simplify our lives and you have the courage to do it ! Whatever you do, I'll always support your work as it brought me tremendous insight and inspiration. Thank you.

Wow Matt - really felt this one. I did something similar in my job and, while it means less income, the benefits have been priceless. Super grateful for your videos and cheers to the new year!

LOVE IT. I love your courageous authenticity (as always) and ... I think ... you find yourself on the cutting edge once again .... you find yourself in the position once again ... of being a guiding light for yet another movement that is about people taking control of their lives and happiness. Thank you, Matt.

This is so raw and one of the best mindsets to start the new year. Pumped to see what you decide to do this year Matt!

I know EXACTLY how you feel. Not just the lack of excitement to tackle the day, but also the paralysis that results from the obligations and responsibilities that build up as we mature and age. Sometimes I have to remind myself that taking any action, any movement, however imperfect, is better than spending one more day doing the same thing that made me miserable in the first place.

First time commenting on your videos because this one hit a nerve. I am in the exact same place now in my career where I feel like I am doing what I am doing because I have to, even though i've already reached the "top of the mountain" and am no longer motivated by what i have been doing over the past few years. This video has been very helpful. When your friend said that you needed something NEW and that you needed to identify the story you want to tell, that really resonated with me and I felt a spark in my heart hearing it. It was kind of like a "duh" moment. I was like "Of course!". It's so simple and yet somehow I hadn't been able to consciously REALIZE it before hearing it from your friend. Thank you for sharing your feelings and experience with us. I hope 2024 will be a wonderful year for you and your family.

its amazing how we all go through the same ups and downs in life, no matter how much experience we have. ive only been working on myself for a few years, only seriously for around a year and yet you, a person with far more experience, is going through the same thing i went through a few weeks ago. thanks for sharing.

Your videos always show up at the right moment in time for me Matt. A year ago I was trying to scale up myself, becoming a better person, and a habit tracking video showed up when I opened youtube, same thing happened 4 months ago when I gave it another shot, this time it was the mood tracker video and now once more! Thanks for the engaging content and good luck!

I was just struggling with the same thing, this video genuinely gave me so much more hope and that I'm not alone, so thank you. 🍀

I was wondering why your content had reduced. All that matters to me is that you and your family are okay and Matt, you will figure stuff out as you go along, just as you have in the past. Stay hopeful and have faith in yourself ❤

For a long time I wanted to be a CEO, run a successful small business, scale it, and hit all the bells and whistles. I had grown up inundated with that vision from KZfaq, and "success" stories I'd seen around me. I chased it for several years, and nearly fulfilled my vision, and realized I hated it. It didn't look at all from the inside as it did from the outside. At a fundamental level, I didn't care about the metrics and meetings and milestones that were always increasing, quarter after quarter. So I turned my path and am doing something else. It will never be a success story on the news, but it feels like success to me and that's all that I care about (now).

Proud of you Matt! Sounds like this was a really hard decision for you but ultimately this is what your channel is about - minimalism. Simplifying your business to make more space for the things you truly value is minimalism at its core and it’s authentic to you. I’m happy for you and grateful that you shared this with us. Best of luck to you. Truly wishing you the best!

Thanks for sharing your experience and insights! I love the idea of growing sustainably and slowly like you mention 💚 I'd love to hear more about working solo once you're at the size you're at.

Congrats on this decision! Definitely will be for the best. Can’t wait to see what you make this year player!

I truly appreciate your authenticity. It takes a lot of courage to speak your truth, and I want you to know that I see and value that. Your words will surely resonate with many others, and I'm excited to witness the impact you'll make. Wishing you all the best in your future endeavors and a happy new year filled with joy and success.

How valuable! Thank you for your honesty, your courage, and your willingness to face the truth heads up. You are leading the way for so many!

As a current jobseeker myself, hope the full-time employees who were let go are able get back on their feet soonest. 🤞

It took me most of the way through this video to realize it is about minimalism. I admire your willingness to follow through on your life principles.

I respect you for being honest and I love always your titles they are so minimalistic and catchy and I know there is a good content over there

Much respect Matt! It takes a lot of courage to drop back and truly reflect on is going on in your life, then act.

Glad you had the confidence to do it, I don’t imagine it to be easy at all, especially all the people depending on you. It’s a lot of pressure

I’m so happy for you Matt. You have have found “success” but never lost awareness of what success truly means to you. Keep up the great work.

Hits my heart, thank you! Myself and two friends made a transition last year, giving up something old to start something new... After half a year, the inner turmoil is slowly subsiding... Enduring this is the real strength, a much greater strength than to let something grow immeasurably (and forget yourself in the process)! Thank you, dear Matt, your videos give me strength! I wish you good luck in finding the courage to take a break.

Well done. Letting go and feeling that freedom of creating at your own pace it’s priceless.

Must be something in the air because I know you're not the only person who's craving radical change in their life. Cheers and best of luck! Here to support whatever is next.

You've always been my fave KZfaqr, cause you really were YOU. It's beautiful to see you still being authentic. As a perfectionist myself.. It's hard to work with others on a vision only I see. When it has to do with something I'm passionate about. It's like asking for help when you are a painter... You are the artist, you cant be duplicated ✨ keep on painting matt

What a huge way to start the year ! Knowing when enough was enough. Looking forward to seeing your journey and others (like me) starting ours and reflecting on this.

Hey Matt! I had some tears coming up at the end of the video because, well being human is this too, figuring out what are the things that excited you now, what things make you cry, what things make you you. I also felt those words deeply because finding out it’s a journey and one that you didn’t even know you needed to take. I want to thank you for all the amazing gifts you brought to my personal journey, I had literally quotes writing down around my room and you brought back something that I had lost which is the curiosity to try. You have brought so much to our life’s, I hope your body finds that peace and that creative sparks finds new places to light

Frankie has had a huge impact on my priorities and as a dad with a couple employees it’s pretty overwhelming. I’m not sure what I’m going to do as he gets older but it’s good to see that you CAN change and you will survive. Thanks for another honest video Matt.

I imagine this could be so frustrating to you. But the secret is to love what you do whatever it is. Love! Alright! You are the best KZfaqr I've ever ever seen. I don't wanna lose you. You helped me a lot in different ways. I'm literally crying right now. Keep what you're doing up plz for us

this is so refreshing to hear. This is exactly where I'm at with my business at the moment where it's grown further than i ever dreamed and can keep up with right now.

So great that you opened this up with us. It really helped me on the moment I'm in right now. Thanks and good luck with this new phase.

I think it's a personality thing, but I can't really understand how people could "hate" editing. It's a zen for me, and sometimes it's the only way I can calm down and focus on something. And you get your complete creative freedom when you edit, like you and Jason alluded to. I'm glad you are taking a step back for yourself, Matt!

I hope you see this comment. This change makes perfect sense to me as someone who has followed you a long time as just a fan. By de-scaling, you did minimalism/essentialism towards your time and creativity! This is truly inspiring to me! You had the tough conversation with yourself and others to scale back and let go of time clutter. I'm excited that you're now doing less so that you can take more time to explore your next chapter. I'm here for it!

Happy new year Matt, congratulations to your wife and you for the baby that's on his way and all the best in finding a new mountain top! I'm sure you'll pull it through.

Finally someone explaining the costs of scaling. When you look at the posts on X, you quickly get the impression that there’s no other way than scaling. I never understood the idea, because the more responsibilities, the less freedom you have.

Matt I am so freaking happy that the tightness in your chest has gone away. Thank you for being honest about what you've gone through, no doubt that had to be tough to articulate as you trusted your audience enough to be real about it. My husband and I are entrepreneurs as well and are very familiar with this tight chest panic feeling from all the pressure. We're on the same journey to slowness, and this video was so encouraging to know that someone else is excited about the pursuit of "enough", when so many others really just don't get it, or question if we're going to be okay with a simple business that makes... just enough. Thank you for all that you do. It's been a joy to be invited in, and I'm really excited about whats next.

What an honest video Matt, and hats off to you for your thought process and for implementing what you’ve realised will make life better for yourself and your family ❤ I’m going through something similar and this video made me think, thank you ❤

Thank you for sharing this. Going through a lot of the same questions myself and this really adds a perspective I hadn’t really heard yet.

thank you for sharing your journey on the 'i dont know''. so many of us are here and it is truly important to be seen and be seen as normal and okay, as it is a part of life.

So interesting Matt. I have had my YT channel for 15 years and it's been a slow build. I'm actually putting together a talk on growth and hiring for a conference in May and this his helping shift how I want to address all the aspects of that.

I’ve been watching you since 2018 and I’m not sure if I’ve ever left a comment but I had to this time, When you asked “what do I do Jason?” Damn, it hit home, when I first started getting interested in streaming I wanted to get heavily into twitch and bought a whole bunch of gear and equipment and it was your videos that I looked to as a blue print to organize my life a bit, and when it didn’t come to fruition I felt so defeated, I appreciated you sharing this, raw and unfiltered experience to show the dark sides of creating for the fun/doing it for a job! No matter how much we would like to think of ourselves being so far ahead sometimes we get stuck, and this video helped me to realize that it’s okay to take a step back and it’s okay not to know the answer to everything! With that being said I’m in the middle of a dark period where I’m feeling very unfulfilled for the current job I’m in and I feel so stuck,the kicker is I don’t even know what I want to even do🙈, this does lend me some comfort to push through. Matt thank you, I really needed and appreciate this!

thank you for this! i'm sure no matter what changes people will still relate 'cause no matter how well craftet and edited, the main reason that keeps me here is the sincerity. just keep it real and the awesomeness will just click wherever it takes you

Please do more videos on what you are going through. It really resonated with me and I think so many can relate. We need to redefine success. Thank you for being so vulnerable and brave!

I thought you broke up with Nat

This must be hard to video to let your fans know, but honesty plays a long way. Well done and all the best!

Great seeing you Matt! Your existence alone is enough bro. We will always be proud of any step you take. Keep up the great reflections! All will be well :) much love and Happy New Year!

Oh, man. This hits home. My therapist and I have been talking about how I need to cut things out of my life both physically and in terms of my commitments, and I have been really feeing it. Thank you for letting us know a bit more about where you're going and why you decided to make the decisions you have.