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

Hi Matt, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
During COVID lockdown, people were forced to stay inside and many lost access to outlets that kept them healthy mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. My partner, Shannan Slevin, and I brought over two decades of Fortune 500 corporate wellness and high level performance coaching to a virtual environment, so people around the globe could take better care of themselves.

At WellFests, we offer 15-minute wellness breaks throughout the day that broadcast a variety of well-being content like stretching, breathwork, live music, and guided visualizations to optimize for healthy living and success in any endeavor. Founded as a remote company with both team members and clients all over the world, we strive to make the world a better place through one person developing one healthy habit at a time. Learn more at www.wellfests.com.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
WellFests is a wellness broadcasting company that makes well-being feel like a festival everyday. Each day has a different lineup of accessible movements from international coaches, live music, guided breathwork, and meditation facilitation. Individuals can invest in access to the calendar, or companies can get access for their whole team, which has been scientific proven to reduce stress, fight burnout, enhance energy, and increase productivity. Our mission is to help the world build healthier habits by making well-being accessible, fun, and engaging. We’d love to serve you and your team!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh man, I love hosting and stringing together cool experiences, so here we go. For an active day, we’d wake up to an infrared sauna and cold plunge at Sweat Houz, then train with Xavier Biggs at the most authentic boxing gym in town, Decatur Boxing Club. After cleaning up, we’d brunch along the beltline at some of my favorite spots (Buena Vida Tapas, Ladybird, and New Realm to name a few), then drive out to Stone Mountain for an afternoon hike and a great place to catch sunset. At night, we’d grab a bite at Marcel’s in West Midtown, then play games and listen to live music at Painted Duck. Maybe we’d late night at Ormsby’s for more games or Habitat for good vibes and drinks… Now I want to go do all of this! Who’s with me?

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Shannan Slevin is my co-founder and partner in WellFests. She’s the lifeblood of our wellness work and has dedicated her life to making global workforces healthier, happier, and more energized. When COVID lockdown began, she reached out to recruit my help in serving those stuck at home without resources or outlets to avoid stress, injury from sedentary lifestyle, and burnout. I’m so grateful to be working alongside Shannan and serving those in need around the world.

Website: www.matthewjohnthomas.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/movingwithmatt

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathomas16/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mattthomas_

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mt30067/

Other: WellFests: www.wellfests.com Fight and Flow: www.fightandflow.co Brawl for a Cause: www.brawlforacause.com

Image Credits
Kersti Niglas

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