Matt Kasee on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We recently had the chance to connect with Matt Kasee and have shared our conversation below.

Matt, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. Are you walking a path—or wandering?
I am going to cop out and say both. Both are vital. I am very much on a determined path for what I do for work, but to balance myself out, think deeply, and renew myself, I have to have time to wander. I don’t mind putting a task off for a while and escaping for a movie or a long walk with our dog. For work, I know what I want to build and where I want to go, but to stay on the path, I like to wander with some detours.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Matt Kasee, I own a personal training gym in Cincinnati, OH. I was a bit of a dorky kid, got picked on a fair amount in grade school growing up but found a love of physical culture. I wanted to create a gym that introduced people to the fun and power of strength training. So many people need guidance in that area and we wanted to create a place that was fun, welcoming, and took the job seriously at the same time. We are very serious about our exercises and how we teach and progress, but we also want people to realize they don’t have to take it so seriously. Fun and empowering yourself should always be at the center. We want people to eat some vegetables, lift some weights, go for a nice walk, and enjoy a cookie!

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
I work in the personal training world. I always have a few early memories that shaped my love of strength training, muscles, and fitness. I was a little nerdy kid who loved comics, cartoons, and pro wrestling, but the real-life example of what drew me to fitness and working hard was my maternal grandfather. He had polio, worked hard his entire life, and he was super strong and jacked. I remember stories of him doing one-arm pull-ups, supporting himself on a door as his legs gave out. We would sit in his living room, and my grandmother would walk by and ask him to flex so she could squeeze his biceps. My grandpa also had a knack for jokes and pranks. I genuinely love what I do now, and he would love it too with the balance of hard work, fun, and strength.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
I have not truly suffered a lot in the modern world we live in, compared to much of the true human suffering you see in the world. I have failed a lot, had a lot of challenging experiences, and made a lot of mistakes, just like everybody. The suffering of failures teaches you the temporary nature of everything. It puts into perspective that any singular instance doesn’t define you. Failing builds up so much resiliency and teaches more lessons than success does. You learn how to respond to challenging situations emotionally and strategically. The true goal is to pass the lessons learned along and help build those around you.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
My public/work persona is a version of me. I am dialed up to a 10 and sometimes a 15 when I am at work. I have to put on a performance to try and brighten everybody’s day and elevate their energy that I run into in the gym. Outside of my work, I am very introverted. It always surprises people when they learn this about me, if they know me from the gym first vs outside of the gym. I would say the people who know me first outside of the gym, know that I am the same person – I stand by and highlight the same values and ideals as the “real me,” I am just dialed up. Once they see me in an environment or with people I don’t fully feel comfortable with, they will see me quickly slide quietly into observation mode.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I am very much doing what I was born to do. I have never had a problem avoiding or rebelling against what I was told to do…I think my wife would very quickly confirm this lol. I had to find my way to get to what I am doing, and I took several detours along the way to truly find a way to combine freedom, what I love, and what I want to do. I love strength training, and I love nothing more than getting people to have a good time with it. I love that I get to build a business exactly how I want to build it. I also love that I get to do it whenever I want to. I can take an afternoon off, switch projects, dabble in some side businesses…I love that I have the freedom to work however I want. More than anything, I love that we are creating a place that people genuinely love, connect with like-minded individuals, and find a sense of joy and accomplishment in what they can do through the gym. The gym is a spark that lets people take on life and tackle whatever comes their way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tirlogyfitnesssystems.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trilogyfitnesssystems
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trilogyfitnesssystems

Image Credits
Headshots: Jon Medina Photography