The Comeback Mindset: Matt Haycox on Living Unapologetically, Staying Optimistic, and Helping Others
Oct. 7 2025, Published 1:21 a.m. ET
Entrepreneur and podcaster Matt Haycox has lived through highs and lows that would test anyone. He’s built multi-million–pound companies, raised hundreds of millions in finance to support UK businesses, and employed thousands of people. He’s also had to pick up the pieces more than once when businesses collapsed and the kind of adversity most would shy away from came straight at him.
But ask him what defines him, and he won’t say the money or the setbacks. For Haycox, the most important thing is staying unapologetically himself. “I know when I’m not being true to who I am — and I hate it. Pressure has a way of forcing people to put on masks, but that’s never been me. I’m me, for better or worse. The people who get it, get it. And I’d rather be real than polished.”
Choosing optimism when it’s hardest
That authenticity goes hand in hand with optimism, which Haycox describes not as a personality trait, but as a deliberate choice.
“Some people confuse optimism with ignoring problems or pretending everything’s fine in a state of delusion, but it’s not that at all.
For me it’s a mindset and making sure you’re just controlling what you can control. If you go into anything in life fearing the worst, it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy, but once you know that - you know that it also works the other way too.
I’m a big believer in taking action and ensuring that your next move is a positive one, led by a positive thought, however small the first step is.
I find momentum can become unstoppable once you get the ball rolling in the right direction.”
Entrepreneur and investor Haycox, 44, admits he’s had what he calls “years from hell,” when the walls were closing in and the stress felt overwhelming. But each of those battles, he says, left him sharper and more determined.
“Every fight I’ve come through has made me stronger, more ambitious, and more focused on what matters.
I wouldn’t wish tough times on anyone, but I wouldn’t trade mine either. They shaped me.”
Why health now comes before business
Part of that optimism, he believes, comes from taking care of himself physically. Haycox is known by his followers for putting as much focus on his health as on his business.
“This is something that I’ve learned to love and prioritise more as I get older, but for me now it’s always body first, then head, then circumstances. Fix your body, fix your mind, and then you’ve given yourself half a chance of fixing what's happening around you.”
That philosophy shows up in his daily routines — training, diet, discipline — and in the extreme challenges he takes on. Earlier this year, he climbed Mount Everest, an experience he describes not as a stunt but as training for resilience. He did it alongside Ant Middleton, the media personality and former Special Forces soldier. The two first connected through Haycox’s podcast, and he credits Middleton’s elite mindset with sharpening his own approach to overcoming challenges.
“I f---ing hate the comfort zone. That’s where people stagnate and ambition dies. The good stuff’s always on the other side of the dragon. If you want the gold, you’ve got to slay it! Everest was just another way to prove to myself that I can take on difficult challenges, but health is very much a key part of my life now.”
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Lessons from the rich and successful
Haycox doesn’t just draw lessons from his own life. For the past eight years, he’s hosted a weekly business podcast, with over 700 conversations recorded with celebrities, entrepreneurs, athletes, musicians, self-made millionaires, even members of the Royal Family.
“The details of their journeys are all different, but the pattern is always the same — nobody’s had it easy.
And the people who succeed at the highest level aren’t the ones who avoid problems. They’re the ones who stay optimistic and keep moving forward, no matter what. Anyone at the top of their game has to be comfortable with things going wrong, and that’s probably the main difference that sets them apart. There’s a comfort in knowing that f---ing up is inevitable for everyone, no matter how well you prepare.
It’s a case of making sure it’s used to learn and grow stronger.”
When success means helping others
That philosophy has had an impact beyond business. Haycox regularly hears from people who’ve engaged with his content — sometimes in moments of real despair.
“I’ve had messages from people saying something I said or posted has helped them through a dark time or my story has been able to show a positive route forward, when they might not have seen it before.
It’s humbling when people say you’ve been able to help, and it does help put things in perspective.”
It’s this human side of entrepreneurship that Haycox says drives him today. “I know what it’s like when the challenges feel unbearable. I know how close people can get to giving up.
If my story or my voice can make someone feel less alone in that moment, or help them find the strength to keep going, then I’ve done something that matters.”
Fatherhood and a fresh perspective
Becoming a father for the second time has also given him a new perspective. “It does change how you see the world. Of course I still want to win, I’m still extremely ambitious, but I do think more about what I’m passing on, and the relationships I have with my family.
That’ll always be more important than any number in a bank account.”
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Staying true, no matter what
For Haycox, it always comes back to being real. “I’ve had massive wins and big losses. I’ve lived through storms most people can’t imagine. But none of it has ever made me want to stop being me. Stress, negativity — they’re real, but they don’t define me. I define me. And I’ll always choose to stay true to who I am, and to be optimistic about what’s next.”
It’s hard not to see him as the embodiment of that old saying: tough times don’t last, tough people do. And if his past is anything to go by, Haycox’s next chapter might just be the most compelling yet.
