Leaving the World of Supposed To’s with Matt Cheuvront

This Friday, Proof Branding Founder Matt Cheuvront will take the CreativeMornings stage at Mountain, in Downtown Nashville. Matt is one of those rare cats that was actually born and raised in this fair city. That means he was here when Outback was the only cool place to be on a Saturday night. And he’s still here, and over the last four years has worked with international Fortune 500 companies, one of the hippest new coffee joints in town, and many businesses in between. He knows this city the way he knows all 126 episodes of Saved By the Bell. In other words, he knows this city by heart.

“Minus a couple years spent in Chicago,” Matt says, “I’ve been here my entire life, and it has evolved a ton. This community lives and breathes craftsmanship—from the food scene to the design world and everything in-between, Nashville embodies passion for the craft. It’s been incredible to witness it, and now, to be a part of the movement myself.”

Like all CreativeMornings events this month, Matt’s presentation will center around one inspiration touchpoint: the word “crossover.” And besides Michael Jordan’s crossover into acting with Space Jam, the word has a ton of meaning in Matt’s life. To him, it means it’s never too late to reinvent yourself, or move into or onto something new. “Crossover,” means to leave the world of “supposed to’s” and live in the world of charting your own course.

That’s what Matt did when he started Proof in 2010. But the work of branding and creativity isn’t always easy. And since the work began, Matt’s learned that there are no guarantees when it comes to owning your own business.

“Every single day is a challenge,” he says. “It’s really freaking hard. The hardest part is managing the ebb and flow from month to month, week to week, day to day. I can’t ‘show up’ and know that everything will take care of itself. I’m in the drivers seat without a map to point me in the right direction. Sometimes that’s downright terrifying. But it’s also wildly exciting.”

For inspiration, Matt and the entire Proof team turn to books, blogs, magazines… just about anything they can read to spur on their creative juices. And in addition to reading material, they crave time with innovative people—people that can offer fresh perspective. So this Friday, when we gather together—you can expect one or two Saved by the Bell references from Matt, for sure. (Maybe even a Good Morning Miss Bliss, reference?!) But also prepare to have your perspective on the world altered, even if just a bit. After all, that’s what “crossover” is all about.

Learn more about Matt at proofbranding.com & on twitter!

Guest Post by Claire Gibson