Start Smart!

From Ambitious Student to Sensational Leader

Ditch Resolutions, Develop Habits!

author
Mateo Chaney-Martinez
05 January, 2021
New Year’s is an exciting time. Amidst a break from school, everyone stays up late and enjoys brilliant fireworks. New Year’s is also the turning of a page. It’s a chance to start anew. And so, as the New Year begins, we make resolutions. ‘I’m going to lose weight,’ we say. ‘I’m going to read...

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My Digital Detox

author
Mateo Chaney-Martinez
29 December, 2020
American culture is all about right now. Think about digital entertainment. 10 to 15 years ago, you might drive to a Hollywood Video or Blockbuster, just to rent a movie. Then we got Redbox, which offered a similar service but was conveniently located in places we already visited. Now even...

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The Importance of Reset Seasons

author
Mateo Chaney-Martinez
15 December, 2020
Life is lived in seasons. We go through childhood, young adulthood, parenthood, and beyond. Within each season, there are phases as well. Childhood can easily be broken up by schooling, from elementary school to middle school and into high school. Once again, those phases can be narrowed even...

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How To Radically Increase Productivity by Changing Where You Work

author
Mateo Chaney-Martinez
07 December, 2020
Our brains are marvelous tools. It only makes sense, then, that we learn to best use them. By capitalizing on our minds’ natural affinities, we can increase our efficiency and our success. One of our brains’ tendencies is to be associative. We see it all the time in relationships. With some...

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Your Relationship Bank Account

author
Mateo Chaney-Martinez
30 November, 2020
Social media, for as much as it gets dragged through the mud, is amazing! Yes, it easily eats up an absurd amount of time, but the ability to reconnect with old friends and network with new ones is unparalleled. Yesterday, as part of my college essay writing process, I wound up talking...

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Intentional Exuberance

author
Mateo Chaney-Martinez
16 November, 2020
Imagine you’re in a new social setting. There are a few people around you, but most of them keep to themselves, remaining quiet and observing. Then there’s that one extrovert, starting conversations and laughing as he goes. At some point, he ends up chatting with you. He asks engaging questions,...

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My Favorite Time Management Concept: The Eisenhower Matrix

author
Mateo Chaney-Martinez
09 November, 2020
Today we’re just going to jump right in. No story, just a really powerful concept. I present to you, the Eisenhower Matrix! Now, it’s pretty self-explanatory, but I’ll elaborate just to make sure we’re all on the same page. As you can see, the Eisenhower Matrix is made up of four...

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Your Pain of Choice

author
Mateo Chaney-Martinez
02 November, 2020
Life is full of choices. From silly slogans like, ‘take off your shoes or sweep the floor,’ to very real decisions of, ‘go to college or get a job,’ we make decisions all the time. What fascinates me more than the choices we intentionally make, however, are the ones we unconsciously fall into....

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Act In 20 Seconds Of Crazy Courage

author
Mateo Chaney-Martinez
26 October, 2020
Considering how much I read, it’s ironic that one of my first insights on leadership came from the 2011 movie, We Bought a Zoo. Throughout the movie, a frequent motif is acting in ‘20 seconds of crazy courage.’ Cliche? Probably. Impactful? Most definitely. In my own life, I recently witnessed...

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Get More Done by Learning How to Wake Up Motivated

author
Mateo Chaney-Martinez
19 October, 2020
Alarm ringing, dreams receding. The day has begun. Do you have the motivation to get up? To accomplish the day’s tasks and keep moving forward? I often don’t. More often than I like to admit, honestly. Now, I can hear you: “Mateo, you run a business at 17! Don’t complain about lacking...

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ABOUT

Hey!


Welcome to the Blog!


You've found one of my favorite places. I love sharing powerful ideas, and here I get to do so on a weekly basis!


This blog—which I'm calling Start Smart!—exists to communicate life-changing mindsets and actions we can implement to further our journey towards becoming sensational leaders. Think of it like a library full of the most impactful ideas, all neatly condensed in this one place. Sounds pretty nice, right?


As a reader, you can expect a new post every Monday. As readership grows, however, I'll start posting twice per week. So, if you're enjoying the posts and want to see more, be sure to share it with your friends!


While topics will vary, they will generally fall within one of our four pillars:

  1. Leadership
  2. Time Management
  3. Relationships
  4. Reflection Skills


As a writer, I'm excited to be sharing these ideas. Many of them have had a profound impact on my life. If you apply them, I believe they'll have a similar effect on you.


Just like everything else done through Smart Start University, the mission is always to best serve you on your journey from ambitious student to sensational leader. Please be sure to comment your thoughts, pass along any powerful ideas, and share the transformations you're engaging in. It encourages me more than you know.


Happy Reading!