My Backstory
Early Adventures in Creative Leadership
I studied business at the University of Richmond only to promptly leave the U.S. and purchase and operate a vacation rental business in Casco Viejo Panama, a UNESCO World Heritage neighborhood that had fallen on harder times (2006).
As the only luxury accommodations in town, I became a community leader with the co-creation of a gang-intervention program, Esperanza San Felipe, demobilizing street gangs and creating jobs through entrepreneurship.
Applying my Casco Viejo community lessons to the virtual world I created VRMB.com, an online platform helping vacation rental owners and operators with marketing breakthroughs.
I eventually left Panama for Miami where swimming in the ocean each morning and riding my bike to meetings became a level-up. Back in my home country (but still immersed in Latino culture) is where I started hosting in-person retreats.
This is when things got interesting (slide the prism forward)...
"I am the bottleneck!"
Leaning Into Creative Blockages
I reached a point in my career where I had everything that made me "successful" on paper (a passive-income business, travel shows and documentaries, speaking gigs around the world)...but I subconsciously sensed there was a deeper level to clarity and growth.
In 2022, I met two gurus, Jordan Bower and Erwin Pearlman, who specialize in transformative growth, serendipitously at a BBQ! In Vancouver!
Their wisdom encouraged me to take a step back to see the bigger picture and explore what I really wanted for myself in business and life. Jordan and Erwin challenged me to go places I had never been and entertain futures I had never dreamed.
Having worked with hundreds of clients in group settings, I was excited but also unsure as to what this new level of growth might look like beyond my familiar world.
Inside My Own Echo Chamber
The same people, ideas, and conversations were being recycled and everything started feeling stale.
Lack of Creative Intelligence
My capacity to think outside the box was stifled by my need to control all the outcomes. Doh!
Success Without Meaning
It felt empty running from mountain top to mountain top. The money was great but I was losing the soul of my business.
My Big
It's hard to put my finger on any one inflection point that was the catalyst because the transformation process has been an unfolding string of experiences that have each enhanced my vision for the future.
In a meditation cave in Tibet, I had a flash vision of myself combusting into a million crystal shards in outer space, which was interesting. I Googled it and discovered the sensation is a hallmark of ego death in psychedelics, near death experiences, and (get this) Tibetan meditation caves LOL!
Another inflection point took place on a conference stage in Barcelona where the decision to ditch my presentation and follow my heart created a highly pressurized situation between Israeli and Palestinian attendees. The tension resolved almost magically and for those few moments it felt like we were channeling the universe.
Another eye-opening experience: I visited the House of Beautiful Business in Morocco and was mind-blown to see what next-level business gatherings can look like. Astounded to meet some of the world's most beautiful leaders. Emboldened to think, I too can hang!
These are just a few of the many inflection points that have characterized my creative growth process. Following wonder and charm is mysterious and rewarding... like blinking arrows pointing towards a hidden door.
In one meeting Matt shifted the way I think about designing futures. Chasing good vibes isn’t a side quest, it’s the whole damn point.Jinnie Templin, digital creator
The Landau Method
In my transformation journey I began documenting what was working (and what wasn't) and developing a framework for myself that accelerates the epiphanies. Here are some core themes
Deeper Personalization
The Landau Method is a personal approach to business that prioritizes bespoke experiences that feel less like transactions and more like meaningful encounters. Technology can support the process from beneath the surface, but the method is predicated on human discovery.
Heightened Intuition
The Landau Method is a mindful process of subduing intellect, heightening intuition and then reintroducing intellect at a higher level as an observer (not as a driver) in a way that makes people feel important. Letting go of thinking and the pressure to perform so we can tune into the real needs of others. Refining our own energy so interactions with others become more natural, inspired, and in-tune with the laws of nature.
Natural Storytelling
Better speaking happens through lived experience, not scripts or playbooks. The Landau Method uses stories, experimentation, relationships, and adventure to self-generate stories that reveal something new. The Landau Method empowers others to develop their authentic voice in an A.I. saturated world: real, lived, personal story cuts through the noise.
With simple language Matt creates profound moments over and over again, leading to a new awakening; a new way of seeing ourselves."Paul Waldschmidt, OwnerRez
I have seen a lot of presenters and facilitators across many industries. However, I have never seen anyone like Matt with the talent and the passion to facilitate and drive a peer group to a resolution."Carlos Corzo, Streamline Software
The Landau Method helped me excavate my unrealized dream, nurturing a tiny spark and helping to uncover my truest self. Matt leads from the heart with an open mind and is filled with joy. My advice to anyone is to take the leap of faith, you won’t regret it!"Clair Stoddard, Cascade Vacation Rentals
Matt’s call for human connection speaks to the feelings of emptiness that many feel within. The insights apply to the human quality of our experiences."Cindy Rhoades, Vacation Homes Key West
My Next Phase of Operations
The benefits of creative growth are what it feels like taking off a tight shoe.
First, a relief because I had so much pent-up energy bottlenecked. Then a sense of freedom and expansion, as new ideas flowed and new people began to come out of the woodwork, attracted to my new energy and ideas.
My next phase of operations is working with people and companies who are early adopters in prioritizing purpose and passion in the age of A.I. What's obvious for some is radical for others.
I host transformation retreats several times a year. And talks each month in Miami where residents from all walks of life can enjoy the benefits of creative leadership (free of charge). I've started recording my talks as a podcast titled, Storylines.
If you are wondering about working together, here are some of the benefits you can expect
A Sense of Accomplishment
Pouring 100% of my focus and passion into the work I find most purposeful (and removing the rest) creates a true sense of pride and progress.
Greater Adaptive Energy
The capacity to adjust intelligently to changing circumstances without losing my balance or clarity.
Deeper Relationships
The richness of leading others with more love and creativity and connecting as humans through challenging times.
Unstoppable Vision
Intentionally putting myself in the unknown yields high-grade intel. Learning new things and making new mistakes, all for the sake of deepening my vision.
Who Is
I'm Matt Landau! And thanks for visiting my website!
Some people know me as a retreat facilitator, some have heard me speak, and others consider me an advisor with an early adopter approach to business.
In 2022, I experienced a profound life-shift after meeting two gurus at a backyard BBQ in Vancouver. The chance encounter set off a series of discoveries, epiphanies, and mystical experiences that have fundamentally enhanced who I am and how I see the world.
My job consists of sharing my own quirky, beautiful, aha moments in creative growth in order to help others find their true nature and match their lives to it.
This website depicts my story arc with the hope it can spark aha moments of your own. Use the transformation bar at the bottom to scroll back and forth through time.
Thanks for visiting!
Matt’s at the beginning of something big. It’s gonna be a tidal wave and we’re all gonna be caught up in it. Matt’s able to help people do something about it.John Suzuki, tech evangelist