Episode
455: How to Build a Business Without Losing Yourself - An Interview with Surfer, Entrepreneur & Imperfects founder Mike Lynch
- Published
- Jun 3, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3129
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- https://mitchmatthews.com/455
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Summary
What happens when you wake up one day and realize you've spent years helping build everyone else's dream… but quietly lost yourself in the process? This week, Mitch Matthews sits down with entrepreneur, designer, craftsman, and Imperfects founder, Mike Lynch... for a deeply honest conversation about burnout, creativity, entrepreneurship, identity, and what it really means to build something meaningful. Before launching Imperfects, Mike spent years building brands through his successful agency work. On paper, everything looked great. The business was growing. The clients were excited. The opportunities were there. But internally? He was exhausted. As Mike puts it, he realized he was "burnt out building everyone else's dreams." That realization eventually led him back to something unexpected: shaping surfboards by hand. Not because it made financial sense. Not because he had a master plan. But because it helped him reconnect with creativity, craftsmanship, presence, and himself. What started as a personal creative outlet slowly evolved into Imperfects—a fashion and lifestyle brand built around the belief that "the human experience is imperfect." And ironically, that acceptance of imperfection became the thing that unlocked more freedom, authenticity, meaning, and excellence in Mike's life and work. This conversation is for the entrepreneur, creator, leader, or dreamer who's achieved success… but still feels disconnected, burned out, rushed, or hungry for work that actually feels like them. Click here for the full shownotes: https://mitchmatthews.com/455