Coach Ride-Along Interview: Matthew Barbosa

Welcome to another Coach Ride-Along Interview. This time, we’re interviewing Service Excellence’s newest coach, Matthew Barbosa. In addition to spending his life in the trades, Matthew has the unique perspective of someone who has been through Service Excellence’s training classes and is now working as a coach to help other people in the trades radically transform their lives and businesses. Read on and watch the interview to learn more about Matthew! 

Meet Matthew Barbosa!

Matthew was born and raised in Dallas, TX. His Dad owned a business in Dallas, so  Matthew was ‘born into’ the trades industry and got an up-close look at how it works. Up until high school, Matthew worked for his Dad in the company, gaining even more insight into the industry. He went on to earn a teaching degree from Texas A&M and was a middle school teacher for a couple of years after college. 

Matthew decided teaching in that capacity wasn’t the right fit for him and returned to work for his Dad. He ended up working for his Dad for 7 years in several positions in the industry. He got his plumbing license, he worked as an HVAC tech, he completed installs and even worked in sales. During this time, Matthew attended training with Service Excellence through his Dad’s company. He knew multiple Service Excellence coaches and saw how much they could offer to all members of the industry.

Matthew wanted to leave the nest a little bit, so he took a full-time sales job outside his Dad’s business for 4 years. He began to realize that he had a unique background of knowledge from playing many different roles in the industry, and he had a teaching degree. He wanted to contact Todd to see if Service Excellence was an option for him, and now he’s glad to be brought on board!

What’s Matthew’s Coaching Style?

While Matthew has only been coaching for 2 weeks, he’s starting to have his independence on the team and figure out the kind of coach he wants to be. He wants to embody everything that Service Excellence is, including the important core values they espouse. He knows his colleagues are really great people to look to for guidance, but he also wants to bring his own unique personality to everyone on the team. He claims that being a middle school teacher blessed him with patience, and he jokes that learning how to handle middle schoolers was his penance for how he behaved in his own childhood! 

Matthew’s Advice

“Sometimes the fastest way to move forward is to hit the brakes and go backward. You have to look in the mirror and ask yourself why you do certain things.”

He’s also very clear with his clients about how to define success. “Whatever improvement and growth look like, we’ll roll up our sleeves, put in the work and get there together.”

What Radical Transformations Have Changed Your Life?

When Matthew attended his first big conference with his Dad after moving back to Chicago, his perception of the trades changed radically. “It’s such an underappreciated trade full of talented hard-working men and women who have dedicated their lives to improving the trades,” Matthew says. That was a moment that he felt he could really apply himself to the industry and go all in. 

Going through Service Excellence’s training when he worked as a technician completely changed him too. His sales skyrocketed after he learned how to transform his professional skills. He always thought he didn’t need help and acted in the moment, but having a tried and true process proved him wrong. 

Signs You Need Professional Coaching/Training

If you are absent from your life, stressed out or not enjoying life because of your job in the trades, you don’t want to be in that position! Pursue professional help before it gets that bad. Even if your career is going well, you should always explore ways that it could be better and prevent yourself from burning out or falling down the ladder. Service Excellence holds you accountable and values your time. You will have more time to do the things you really want to be doing. 

What Traits Do You Need To Be A Coach?

Quoting from the book, The Coaching Habit, “Stay curious a little bit longer.” Matthew says that you can’t be too eager to give your advice as a coach. Most of the time, listening and being curious a little bit longer will shed some light on how you can help somebody the best. In fact, staying curious even allows you to learn something from your clients. 

What Do You Think About Service Excellence?

“To be totally transparent, this job is harder than I thought it would be,” Matthew says. “I have to work harder than I thought I would. And I love seeing what that work contributes to. The preparation I spend my time on means success for the client. It’s really rewarding and really fun!”

Our Coaches Can Help You Thrive!

Watch the full interview with our newest coach Matthew Barbosa. If you’re interested in training with Matthew, or any of our fantastic coaches, contact Service Excellence today! We can’t wait to meet you and help you find effective solutions to your problems.