Meet Matthew Callans | Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Matthew Callans and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Matthew, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Taking risks is an essential part of evolving into the best version of yourself. Any big opportunity that presents itself in your life is going to come with a certain level of perceived risk. Transformation doesn’t come without discomfort and sacrifice. What a lot of people don’t understand is that taking steps forward in the direction of that risk, opens you up to receive answers that will push you further along the path of actualizing the opportunity. You have to put yourself in it, submerse yourself, dive in the pool. Answers come to those who show the courage and initiative to step onto the path with full commitment to their journey. I’ve experienced this several times in my own life. Making the decision to be an entrepreneur is a risk in a lot of ways. Turning down lucrative job positions to work for myself and create something out of nothing required some serious self reflection and willingness to surrender to the journey. Fully committing to something makes you develop a “whatever it takes” mentality. Making that initial decision was definitely a risk, but once I committed to the journey, I began to learn and progress at a rapid rate. Obviously, all risk taking should be calculated. There needs to be a “why” that you can define for yourself so the vision can remain strong through the inevitable trials and tribulations.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
About three years ago, one of my best childhood friends and I started the world’s first ever vegan CBD infused protein bar. We called it Shredibles. This was our first stab at starting a business and we were learning on the fly. We lived in LA at the time, but couldn’t afford a space to work out of, so we rented a commercial kitchen space in Las Vegas where we made all the bars. Each week we would make the four and a half hour drive to our kitchen with all the ingredient’s we’d need, spend a few days making bars (usually working 12+ hour days) then drive back to LA where we’d fulfill all the orders from our apartment. By the time all the bars got sent out, it would be time to drive back to Vegas to make more. We grew organically and after about a year and a half, we were in 250 retail locations across the United States. In 2019, a publicly traded company acquired majority ownership of the brand and offered us a deal that would scale Shredibles to a global level. This was a dream come true for us at the time, but ultimately our vision did not align with our acquirer, and we took the company back in 2020. Now, Shredibles is gearing up for another massive launch with a Plant Powered Bar and an Adaptogen Keto Bar set to hit the market. Building Shredibles was a huge challenge, but along the way we developed skills and a network of resources that made our next brand a lot easier to get off the ground. Shroomy (our second brand) is the world’s first adaptogen mushroom extract gummy. Adaptogen mushrooms have been used in ancient civilizations for thousands of years to fight disease, boost immunity, promote longevity, and enhance cognition. After experiencing the benefits in our own life, we wanted to create a product that gives consumers an enjoyable way to experience the effects. Shroomy is the first product to turn a potent blend of Lion’s Mane, Cordyceps, and Reishi mushroom extracts into a tasty gummy. Our third brand is “The Symphony,” a media platform that values community, information sharing, and collective growth. Each week we publish a podcast episode that breaks down one important topic in 30 minutes or less. We publish articles on our blog, and weekly updates and bite sized information on our social media. Just as a Symphony combines several instruments to make one beautiful piece, our goal is to combine information, resources, and people to give our audience a more harmonious life. We pride ourselves on creating brands and concepts that will add value to the lives of our consumers. Whether it be healthy on the go nutrition, delicious brain candy, or thought provoking media that promotes living intentionally, we want to play a role in elevating the lives of anyone who comes in contact with our brands.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I have never been a city boy. Cities stress me out. I can find enjoyment in a city for a few hours at a time, but that’s about it. If a friend is coming to visit me, chances are we will be spending most of that week outside in big nature. I bounce around a lot geographically but typically I stay close to the coast or the mountains. Surfing, hiking, skiing, or some sort of outdoor exercise will definitely be on the agenda. You can be sure that if you’re spending time with me, you will have several delicious vegan meals cooked for you. Morning meditations, nature walks, and some reflective journaling will be part of the experience, as well as lots of laughter and good old human connection.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The support of my friends, family, and business partners first and foremost. They have made all of this possible. “Tools of Titans” and “The 4 Hour Work Week” by Tim Ferriss provided tactical advice for creating an economy of wealth and time. I’ve taken tremendous value from the writings of Marcus Aurelius, Henry David Thoreau, Leo Tolstoy, John Steinbeck, Kurt Vonnegut, Anthony de Mello, Paulo Coelho, Aldous Huxley, David Sinclair, Steven Kotler, and many others. My all time favorite book that’s encouraged several of my own life philosophies is “Musashi,” by Eiji Yoshikawa.

Website: https://shrediblesnutrition.com/. https://shroomygummies.com/. https://www.thesymphonyco.com/

Instagram: @shredibles @goshroomy @thesymphonyco

Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/6MGAgFX7purkH4K2e0wCJv?si=dHkOub1VSIKbwezjHoG6aw