When Pain Becomes Power with Matthew Ory

Matthew Ory is a defense attorney, commercial real-estate developer, and quasi-venture capitalist. He occupies a special place, not only in my life, but in the Man Overseas sphere. I've written about Matt on the blog and referenced him on a big podcast.

Matt was my roommate for four years—three years at Nicholls State University and one year during his first year of law school in Houston. Living with Matt helped me to realize the importance of surrounding yourself with people who not only encourage and inspire you, but also plan to do big things with their life.

On this podcast, you'll hear someone who has an appetite for life & success that is infectious. Matt's burning desire to succeed fuels high stress-levels, which he uses to his advantage.

His sense of urgency, he says, stems from his dad. Dr. Dirk Ory, even at 81 years old, takes 10,000-15,000 steps every day, never eats fast food and exercises every morning.

We discuss:

• Riding in a Mardi Gras parade

• Discipline learned playing college basebal

• No excuses.

• Why he decided to become a real estate investor

• Habits & hard work

• Living with a sense of urgency

• Growth vs. Enough

• Focus under duress

• Accountability

Relationships:

• Caring for yourself to care for others

• How to think about friends (as you get older)

• Comparing work ethic vs. intelligence

• A true friend is a low-maintenance friend

Mike Ory (Matt's brother):

• Mike always saw the good in people

• Had uncanny mental tenacity—read lots of SEAL books

• Selfless to the end—diverted funds to those he considered less fortunate

• So many people attended Mike's funeral that the start was delayed

Lessons from Pain:

• What Matt went through at the end of Mike's life

• Being a trans following trauma

• How to approach a friend who has just lost someone close to them

• He remembers Mike every day, but still can't talk about him

• Mike's spirit is with him at all times—it drives him

• Crushing blow—sky is now the limit

• Holding himself accountable to Mike

Being a Criminal Defense Attorney:

• The stress of being a criminal defense attorney

• Operating on others' demise

• Things he wish he'd known in undergrad

• Advice to those considering law

• Whether movies are accurate portrayals of law

• Biggest misconception of defense attorneys

• The business side of being an attorney

• What he looks for when hiring

• The gratitude he feels for how hard his staff works