Matt Ufford

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“My job now is [compared to my time in the Marine Corps] so delightfully meaningless and inconsequential that the only way that I an look at sports and covering sports is that it is the silliest, most fun thing. It allows me, after the ultimate seriousness of combat in the Marine Corps, to laugh at anything, no matter how seemingly serious it is.”- Matt Ufford

Matt Ufford is an Editor-at-Large and Video Host at SB Nation - a digital sports media brand and network of team sites built by and for the modern sports fan. He started out at Northwestern University, after which he served in the Marine Corps for four years as a Tank Officer. After the Marines he worked as a columnist at AOL Sports, as well as an editor at Uproxx Media, where he founded their sports and TV blogs.

The top reason to listen to this episode is:

Sports Writing - Matt set out to be a writer, and has worked his way up to a role where he now produced YouTube videos about sports. His story is inspiring, and is an example how through repetition and hard work, veterans can achieve any role. New Media - when Matt started out, Twitter didn't even exist. Now his role is all about YouTube. He talks about how the Sports and Media environment is rapidly changing, and what it's like to work in this constantly evolving space Perspective - I love the gratitude and perspective that Matt holds. He talks about how, compared to his military service, his job is stress free, and the gratitude he feels each day to be alive. Our Sponsor: Audible is offering one FREE audio book to Beyond the Uniform listeners. You can claim this offer here, and see a list of books recommended by my guests at BeyondTheUniform.io/books Selected Links Related Episodes Cal Newport - Matt is a great example of building and using career capital. Cal talks a lot about how one can go about doing this Nate Boyer - Nate served in the NFL and Matt references Resources The Things They Carried - Book that made Matt want to write On Writing: 10th Anniversary Edition: A Memoir of the Craft A few of Matt's YouTube videos:    • Colin Kaepernick's message is more im...      • Matt Ufford declares war on declaring...      • The Many Names of Brock Osweiler   Show Notes 3:32 - Matt's background 4:00 - How Matt approached his decision to leave the Marine Corps 7:07 - What Matt does right now at SB Nation 8:25 - What Matt's day-to-day life looks like covering sports at SB Nation 10:23 - How Matt brings his videos to life on YouTube 17:34 - Matt's journey from the Marine Corps to a career in sports media 22:42 - How Matt started his own blog, which lead to his current career 27:54 - Recommended resources 33:42 - Final words of wisdom