Tell us about yourself?
Matt Sweetwood is a serial entrepreneur and start-up founder with over 30 years of business experience. He is the CEO of Greener Process Systems. He is an internationally known professional speaker, author, coach, photographer, and social media influencer.
However, his greatest achievement is having raised five successful children to adulthood as a single dad. He is a frequent national TV and publication contributor and has a #1 best-selling book: “Leader of the Pack: How a single dad of five led his kids, his business, and himself from disaster to success.”
What do you think is the single biggest misconception people have when it comes to startups?
Start-up life is unstructured and glamourous when in fact it requires a lot of tedious, menial work, begging, and prayer – and is anything but glamourous.
If you could go back in time to any moment from your journey, and give yourself one tip, what would it be?
Don’t get married! – Ok, really, I’d say don’t let the naysayers distract you or get you away from what you know to be the right way to do things.
What makes you stand out as an entrepreneur?
Unrelenting dedication to hard work and a never-fail attitude.
What are some of the best working habits you’ve gained over the past couple of years?
Be organised in every aspect of your life, and make sure you are physically fit if you expect to survive a startup.
Give us a bit of an insight into the influences behind the company?
There is worldwide problem of air pollution from ocean-going ships docked in ports. Greener Process Systems has a patented solution for solving that problem.
Where do you see your business in five years?
Having our systems installed in hundreds of ports worldwide and improving air quality for the planet. And we will have hundreds more ports waiting for us to install!
What do you think the biggest challenge will be for you in getting there?
Bringing together Governments, the ports and private industry to create the synergies needed to get systems installed.
Talk to us about your biggest success story so far?
In 2022, we will install our first three systems in three different ports in Italy. All funded by the Italian Ministry of the Environment.
How do clients and customers find you? Are you much of a salesperson for yourself?
It’s a combination of word of mouth, PR (like this Interview is doing!), and outreach to the ports worldwide
What one tip would you give to fellow startup founders?
Assume any funding you start with will be the only funding you get so have a path to success with that constraint.
And finally, what do you hope the future brings both you personally, and your business?
Personally, I am looking to build a great company that will make a huge positive impact on the planet and that aligns with what I hope the future brings for Greener Process Systems: to make the planet cleaner and healthier.
