About Mark Matthews – The Crisp Guy
Stripped Back Leadership.
Real Lessons.
No Masks.
The Crisp Guy
My Journey
From building a multi-million business and speaking internationally… to losing everything through betrayal, fraud, and insolvency.
I’ve lived both the highs and the darkest lows.
Where “The Crisp Guy” Comes From
The name might sound unusual, but it represents a turning point in my life and leadership.
8 Years ago, I found myself stuck — working 70+ hours a week, burned out, and sliding into depression.
Then two things happened that changed everything:
First, a friend anonymously sent me The Fred Factor, a book that reignited my love of learning.
Second, I noticed an empty crisp packet outside my office door. For weeks, 15 employees walked past it without picking it up — and it drove me mad.
The one night it hit me: it wasn’t their fault. It was mine…..I’d never shown them what “good” looked like. That moment reshaped how I led my business and my life. From then on, I built a culture based on clarity, values, and trust.
The “Crisp Guy” was born — a reminder that leadership isn’t about control, it’s about guiding people to their best.
What i learned
🏛 Culture matters more than profit.
💬 Vulnerability is strength.
🌑 Resilience is forged in the dark.
My Purpose
My purpose is simple: to strip things back and help people see the truth.
I believe vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness, and that values and accountability are the real foundations of resilience. My mission is to use my own story — the wins, the betrayals, the rebuilding — to show others they can not only survive the storms but come back stronger.
What I Do Today
Crisp Guy is about cutting through the noise.
No jargon. No corporate gloss. No pretending everything’s fine.
Just stripped-back truth, raw stories, and the lessons that come from being tested when everything’s on the line.
It’s leadership without the mask — practical, vulnerable, and real. The kind that helps you not only survive, but grow stronger, bolder, and more honest as a leader.
Today, that means writing the book Stripped Back, speaking to business owners and leadership teams, and mentoring people who want to build values-driven cultures that stand firm when tested.
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