Using Play to Improve Focus with Matt Toy, Movement Trainer, Cooperative Business Owner and Baker

0:00 Baking in the movement are really the same thing. It's really about the individual showing up. And how am I going to show up in this environment? Doesn't really matter what the environment is so much as this is how I sha. So it's deciding deciding, to lead your life rather than always be sort of trying to fit different molds. What fuels, a multi passionate life, I'm Jessica one. And in this podcast, I interview people who straddle two, completely different worlds. I Call them a Sands and we are collectively designing. The Ampersand manifest. I'm so excited today to be talking to Matt toy. Matt is a movement trainer who helps students move better in their yoga, practice athletic, Pursuits and daily lives all while creating a culture of mindfulness and Mastery through movement.

0:58 He's also a co-owner and Lead Baker at the cheese board, Collective a workers Cooperative Bakery and Pizzeria in Berkeley California. That regularly has lines around the block with a black belt in freestyle. Martial arts, Matt has been teaching, adults, and kids, how to move better his whole life. He recently earned his trainer certification from GMB to teach Locomotion, and mixed movement, and he teaches yoga weekly At the green Yogi, Studio mat. Welcome to the show. Thanks so much Jessica. It is a real honor to be here. Thank you. Thank you. We have known each other.

1:38 Now, a couple of years because you are my yoga teacher. Before I met you, I done yoga on and off throughout the years. But when I found your class, it wasn't just the movement, but the community that felt really special. How do you build community in your classes? I would say, a lot of people come to a yoga class. They walk into the room, sometimes there's music playing, sometimes it's dead quiet. And there's this sort of, let's say, like tension or awkwardness that can often exists there where it's like, should I talk to my neighbors? Should I not talk to the person next to me? And so I want it to be really Direct in my classes and just basically say, hey, if there's someone next to you, get to know them. Right?

2:22 Introduce yourself. Say hello. Tell them what it is. You do for work. Or if you Of kids share something. So we start every single class at the beginning and just say, hey meet your neighbor and share, one thing you're working on and that could be yoga related. It could also be something completely different in that just that single act of connecting and it only takes a few minutes. Really brings people together to see each other as people instead of this sort of awkward silence. Any time we finish a very hard sequence or position and it can be sort of stressful at times. Times prior or strenuous let's say glance at your neighbor and say, hey neighbor, good job.

3:04 We got through that sequence together, we got through that post together. So, it's just another way of bringing people together, creating Community within the yoga classes. Thank you for that. I know I've met people and I see a lot of regulars in your classes and we wave. Hi to each other. When we see each other in the neighborhood to now, which is so nice. I'm so glad you bring that up to Jessica something I really enjoy about your Approach is the freedom to be childlike. We experiment with movement, that's fun. And on restrictive, you have all sorts of students in your classes. Ranging from kids to folks in their 70s and maybe even older. How does this playful approach benefit people of all ages?

3:47 So I've been practicing yoga for a very long time since 2007, pretty much non-stop. The one point I did stop in my life, had a complete meltdown. Total burnout from everything in my life. The primary reason was I was taking life way too seriously. Now that includes my yoga practice, my yoga practice, I was taking so seriously and in particular, there was one move, I was trying to get handstand, you know, and I would see these Advanced Yogi's just effortlessly float into a handstand. And I became so jealous. I became so obsessed. So not even upsets possessed so serious. That it destroyed all the joy that yoga used to bring me all the relaxation. All the benefits, right?

4:29 And all of that actually rippled into other areas of my life, we won't get into all of that right now. But work relationships, self-care, practice, aside from yoga. So after that, and that was about a six to eight-month period where I can, please just stopped activities, stop practicing yoga. And then when I finally came back, I just was like, you know what, I want to play. I want to try something completely different. I'm going to stop judging myself. If I can't get a posture, I'm going to stop criticizing Myself. And I'm just going to, I'm just going to do it. And so over time, you know, in this is again long time ago. But over time, I started to realize. Wow, this playful attitude is what's missing so much in the yoga culture, which tend to be very serious, very strict and it has so many benefits. So, one of the benefits is a gets you out of that sort of serious mindset to.

5:21 We just experienced what it is in front of you. How your body's moving feeling your body or even potentially noticing what someone else is doing it. Getting inspired by it, but not getting jealous of it, right? Or switching that another thing is being playful. Actually allows you to get better results. And what I mean by that is when you notice a kid playing or learning a new skill, they do it until they're tired, then they take a break, I don't adults, do the same thing. Why do we have to grind and grind and grind? And think like, oh, I just put my nose to the grindstone. That's the only way I can achieve this and don't get me wrong. Sometimes we need to push through, but there's other times, like, who, what if I should say? Played with this like a kid with and when I get tired I take a break and then I come back and sure enough over time. That repetition feeling good through your movements. That's how you start to develop skills, that's how you move better.

6:09 That's how you do it with a sense of ease. That's how you bounce strength and flexibility and then the last thing about playfulness, you know, sometimes people think playfulness is just being like a carrot just being sort of this willy-nilly but no playfulness could actually also be very focused and so they could be moments. Are you are very focused and precise and you're still playing and you have the ability to then switch it to any moment, right? And then, you can be all, you know, I want to be a little more expensive. I want to be like a kid again. Or, you know, actually do want to practice being serious for a minute, but there's again, there's an ability to switch and sort of play with different say dispositions at any point.

6:50 And I think that's very helpful for us students. I really feel a lot of what you said. Well, first about About yoga being a foundation that lifts all other aspects of your life. And also, I'm getting this image of an inner child. Like we all have an inner child within us and that inner child I think can come out, not just in yoga, but in other areas of Our Lives, you talked a lot about how your kids have inspired you, especially with what you bring to class. And movement. I'm curious what you were like as a kid.

7:33 I don't personally remember this, but I hear this from peers, as well, as the parents of my peers, and my friends said I was very charismatic as a kid. I don't think adventurous is the right word, but, but willing to try new things. So in some ways that might be adventurous and I think the sense that I get is, I also had Focus as a kid which most kids that sort of a struggle. And so being able to sit with a task for a while and really dive deep into it. Whether it be listening to some new Jazz album that my dad gave me or, for example, in martial arts learning a specific skill. Oh, here's one example. Learning to do this the straddle splits, when I was, you know, in sixth grade or so.

8:17 So, you know, almost adolescent, but to spending so much time and focus on that Switching gears a little bit. What has your journey looked like as a baker? So, let's see, after college ended up working for an adventure travel company called back roads, actually based in Berkeley and they specialize in adventure travel. So biking cycling hiking kayaking all that sort of stuff and they needed support for their group. So anytime that the group would land somewhere. So I was what they call the Camp Chef at the time, it was a really fun job. I had cooked before that. But basically, this was like my first professional application of cooking in an outdoor setting. So like my office Was the Grand Canyon, you know, essentially for a summer it was so much fun met, so many cool people.

9:03 And from there ended up working at a non-profit that dealt with food and agriculture. I wasn't really doing much Hands-On work production work at the time and then sort of steered, huh? What would it be like to own a business? You know, I was really interested in small business at the time, primarily from working through this farmers market which essentially know each each stall is its own business. And in a way each Farm, I wanted some of that experience. And happened to find Arizmendi which is very similar to the cheese board. It's basically a sister cooperative and Association of bakeries went through their whole training process, became a co-owner of the bakery and Santa fell, which is where I lived at the time. Also, where I grew up and really fell in love with baking bread and rolling and working with a team and leading a team and navigating the Ages of not just business, but also as a Cooperative, which is just so different than your top-down hierarchical business structure, was there for several years, and then ended up moving to cheese board because we move to Berkeley and have been a cheese board now, for almost almost eight years, so it wasn't necessarily intentionally. I want to be a baker but it was more. There was an interest there of.

10:25 Hmm. I want to own my own business and I want to try this food thing. Wonder what it's like. The cheese board is so much more than just a bakery listeners. If you are in the Bay Area, you know, it's an institution very much in its place in Berkeley and also its place in the world of workers cooperatives. What have you learned from this business side of being a co-owner at the cheese board? I'll patience. And patience is the biggest thing, particularly, for our model, every cooperative Business is a little different ours, in particular we strive for consensus and we have a modified consensus model, so there can be a little descent but not very much. There's not a, we're slowly starting to allow a little more descent, let's say, but that requires so much time, energy to shift culture shifting people's perspectives, shifting culture, pitching an idea, takes a Of time sometimes. And I think the biggest thing that I've learned is is being patient and also planning way ahead like hey okay we have this thing on the agenda we know it's not going to pass but let's introduce this idea.

11:41 The next meeting maybe have a breakout group and discuss some of the points that are a little sticky or people are not really on the same page with and then maybe by you know the next quarter we can actually propose this and have it passed so it takes a lot of time. In a Cooperative, you know, it's not just one person saying we're going to do this or even a small Board of folks saying we're going to do this. And here's here's the next Direction, it's really a group effort. The cheese board is unique in that it's, you know, firmly planted in the Bay Area. Which over the past few decades has been the world of VC and startups and fast-paced and a lot of times hierarchical and these tend to be the people who are buying bread too, I think startups and tech companies could learn from coops.

12:35 There's two things. One is the patient's factor, which is so hard in a tech environment, you know, many of my friends work in Tech and so I hear sort of their struggles. Super fast paced again, hierarchical, but being able to take, maybe just a little more time. And again, I Tech world is very challenging. I understand that's very challenging, but I think the second thing is, And this is what we say within our own business, at she sport, the wisdom of the group. And what we mean by that is you have folks that are actually doing very high-level work, that an executive would be doing a cheese board. Now they don't have the same power and say necessarily but their role in terms of being strategic their role. In terms of being a leader or getting people to rise to certain challenges, we listen to those people but we also listen to the people who don't have those skills necessarily but maybe Well in other areas and rolling bread or add cooking staff meals.

13:32 And so we get this big variety of perspectives. Also backgrounds, we are very diverse, workplace, not just socio-economic, but also culture language. And so we get this really broad expansive view of where people are coming from. And while that's very challenging and unnecessary timely, it provides sort of worldly wisdom in a way. that I think everyone not just the tech industry but everyone could benefit from Let's take a moment to reflect on this question, think of your team? How could you help draw out more wisdom of the team outside of Hosting this podcast? I partner with leaders in the workplace as they rise up. Perhaps you've gotten a promotion landed, a new role or taken on a lot more responsibility and you need a It's sounding board to support you as you support your team. I coach individuals and Leadership teams to rise to the challenge with my a and blend of analytical and creative. If any of this intrigues, you reach out to me at Jessica one.com.

14:51 Now, back to the show, your work at the cheese board starts really early in the morning. How does healthy movement play a role when you're in the kitchen? In and working those super early shifts. So, Saturday is my early shift. Yeah. Wake up at 3 a.m. get to work a little before. 4:00 a.m. rolling, all the bread, starting to bake. Some of the sweet stuff movement is essential as a baker or even through any sort of, let's say, production sort of work. You are limited in what movements you do and they tend to be repetitive. So, taking a moment to take a stretch break, for example, like at work, we do. At 55 am take a stretch break, start to move our bodies in different ways and that really starts to loosen up areas of tension.

15:41 Also just gives you a different perspective about your work when you're able to step back on my breaks I tend to go downstairs and what we call a third garage it's just a big garage with a bunch of flowers and stuff in it. I put up some gymnastics rings and I actually go through a movement routine to get different movement from my body. The benefit of doing that is I have so much more energy for the rest of the time until I get off, which is around 12 or 13. One and if I don't do that, I notice immediately I'm just dragging. And so for me, it's really a way of what a inspiring other people to move. That's what we take that stretch bake but for myself knowing that, hey, if I do this and I'm not going in doing anything crazy, but if I go through this movement, routine takes some mindful approach through it. It really just has that ripple effect so that my body's feeling good.

16:27 But also so that I'm focused in what it is that I'm doing that. I'm not spacing out or just staring at the clock. Wondering. Yeah. Can I go home and take my nap? Now, I'm so tired. So, you know move it plays a huge role. I would say it's the foundation for, you know, not just keeping your body working well but also keeping your mind in a place that is productive and positive. It's funny you bring up gymnastics rings because they seem to have sparked a lot of conversation. One of your current projects is morning parent workouts at your kids school. These are 20 to 30-minute movement it's and another dad saw you with your gymnastics rings and now the whole schools talking about movement, posture squats, handstands Etc.

17:13 What does this current project mean to you in any business venture? We always, you know, we do our market research or even even within the coop or doing our research, okay. Is this product and sell, whatever? Doing all this research, is this thing going to work, but sometimes we just have to play with it and just try something. So, for example, in this case, I had my gymnastics rings on my backpack. Another dad saw it and rather than me like organizing something, it was just sort of spontaneous. This Dad saw at told another dad, another dad saw it moms are no jumping into it. It's just fun, you know? And as a parent we have so many restrictions on our time or energy location, I was like, you know what, all this is going to take is like 20 minutes, sometimes, 30 minutes.

17:58 If we have a little more time, you know, in the in the drop off at preschool went smoothly and everything and it's just Has been so much fun playing around with these other parents learning how to pull, better learning how to squat better seeing, how other folks are moving asking questions, right? Again, that community that playfulness and then also the results. I mean, oftentimes we have this fallacy of that. We need to put in hours and hours and hours, to see results. And actually, even just in 20 minutes of going through, one of these routines that I put together and have amazing benefits. And so, I keep getting texts from all the partners of whoever Has Come, For example, Like one of my other friends texted me like saying wow. You know, Seth walk through the door with this huge smile on his face.

18:39 I don't know what you did, but but it's, you know, it's great. Keep doing it so, yeah, we'll see what happens with it. But right now, it's really just a matter of moving around together in community being playful and then seeing the the amazing results from that, what do you think is the intersection of baking and movement? So we're going to get a little philosophical. Because as a Sands were straddling, sort of two identities. And sometimes those identities are a little rigid, little fix. Like, I am this. Hmm. And sometimes we need that for that confidence, for that courage. Yeah, this is me. This is what I do. And that's great, you know, yourself, but maybe taking it even a broader a bigger approach. We're baking that movement is like a meditation. Just like your movement training, just like your movement practice the application, Looks different because wonderful flower you're working with do here on the table.

19:39 The other, your might be moving through yoga routine or again, a strength circuit or Locomotion. But ultimately, it's how am I applying my focus. How am I expressing myself through these movements? Right? So if you're rolling a baguette in, you're doing it and you're sort of tie in rigid, that baguettes, not going to turn out very nice. You might fly in it, you might not give it. Enough tension. If you put too much tension and you start to rip the do. Same thing goes with your movement, pulling a little too hard. Oh there goes your bicep or maybe you're not engaging enough and you're not getting much out of it. You're not fully expressed, so I think really. Now the baking and the movement are really the same thing as really about the individual showing up. I how am I going to show up in this environment? Doesn't really matter what the environment is so much is this is how I shop.

20:31 So it's deciding To lead your life rather than always be sort of ton of fit different molds and don't get me wrong, does it? There's workability within that, but truly, this is how I shot. This is how I move my body. So that that's taken a long time to sort of come to that conclusion of really harmonizing. Again, these two seemingly different worlds and having them be actually. Oh, maybe they're, they're one of the same or interchangeable. I hadn't really thought before about How the body effects, what'd you bake, but you hear a lot about, you know, if you bake with love, then the results are good.

21:13 But I'm hearing even more than that. It's really a product of Being Human. Why we bake for others? Yeah, so back 10 years ago in 2013, you set foot on the Camino de Santiago. And after that Journey, you wrote a book called The preparedness guide. For the Camino de Santiago 10 years later. How has that Journey stayed with you? Well, in the most practical sense, continuing to hike, continuing to run to be outside to be in motion. And life is always about movements always being in motion. But I think the beautiful thing about the Camino de Santiago is.

21:56 You can choose your pace, you can take a rest, you can stop. And that was a huge, huge element that was missing. In my life, right before, I had gone on the Camino earlier, I'd reference like that sort of Life burned out. And again, we're not going to get into all that stuff, but being able to slow down and find a pace that works for you and not any point. Yeah, you can turn that Tempo up or you can back off. So the Camino really taught me how to in other words, self-regulating right on the journey and another thing that I sort of forgot but have now, recently rediscovered is looking Those little clues in your life that are helping you along and guide you in the direction that you want to go and paying attention, I'd paying attention to those side. So those are sort of the two main takeaways is is yeah. I like being able to regulate your pace. And then second thing is hanging attention to your surroundings. The little clues that are helping you guide along and eventually, you know, you will reach something. Ah, go we're at whatever.

22:58 Santiago sort of metaphorically is for you. You'll arrive there but it's just Trusting that process and keeping moving. Yeah. What advice do you have for people who are pursuing or thinking of pursuing, an ampersand life, if you're thinking about pursuing an ampersand life, I want you to just do it. I want you to start moving that movement. Might be really small, doesn't necessarily mean you have to quit one thing to start another. Sometimes that might be the case, but really it's what's the smallest thing that I could do right now? How can I take just one step? How could I really step? To this fully you know it's quit say but life is so short. So if you have something that is pulling you stop resisting, instead use that force to move into it.

23:47 And I mean, it's like again, this is my martial arts background, but someone is pulling you and you're resisting the pole, that gives them all the power, but if someone pulls you and you strike into it, they've just lost all their power. So the same sort of principle can apply. If you've Got that pole. Something's pulling at you. I want to do this thing. I'm a little scared. I'm not sure. Overthinking it. You just step right into it. Strike go because it works out. It always does just have to trust yourself. I'm hearing, just go for it and we are all in motion anyway. So why not take that step? Exactly through all of these interviews. We are co-creating principles for leading a multi passionate life. What would you like to add to the Ampersand Manifesto? So first thing is trusting yourself, I think that's that's huge.

24:37 Trusting yourself. Second thing I would say is rather than focusing so much on results which are important. Don't get me wrong, very important. I want to see a Sands and this goes for for everyone really to be fully expressed. And what I mean by that is showing up as you and that kind of goes back to trust in yourself but showing up And being you. And that's that's the second thing that it has been. Such a pleasure talking with you and I'll see you in class on Friday folks. You can check out Max work at Matt toy.com. That's matto, y, or an Instagram at met toy yoga and we'll link to these in the show notes.

25:22 If you liked this show hit, like, subscribe and share with your friends and fellow ampersands, I had a chance to listen back on my conversation with Matt and I wanted to share a few key takeaways one. There's an interesting interplay between focus and playing that. I'm curious to explore in my own life. As a child, I was a bit like Matt able to focus for long periods of time. I remember being interpreted as serious and mature, now as an adult, I am looking for places to play and while Focus and play are different. They are not diametrically opposed. In fact, I wonder if playing ushers in Focus before inhabiting a playful attitude and loving what we're doing. Maybe that's when focus is ignited to it was fascinating to hear about how workers cooperatives operate and the idea of developing patients through work in my experience in the corporate.

26:29 And startup world even though it's fast-paced I would 100% agree that adaptations to culture and new ideas, take time and sometimes it seems like the faster route. The more hierarchical route just makes change happen. But there are consequences I think we need to talk more about these consequences about the big picture, both in the business world and in society at large 3, We are always in motion as a coach. I often hear from clients that navigating change is one of the hardest struggles feeling unmoored or not secure. But when we think about it, even when we are settled or in one place, there is always change happening. So, how do we get more comfortable and accept that? We are always in motion, like Walking the Camino. It's not about the The destination. Like it to add to the are presented a festo. Thanks for trusting me so much Jessica. I feel very honored actually.