Today Ete sits down with Howard Mattson, founder and owner of Plan One Financial Group.

These days researchers are finding that there are specific characteristics that help people to succeed in life, in business, in everything. You've no doubt heard about the importance of "grit," and having a "growth mindset," and realizing "post traumatic growth." Howard Mattson is the poster boy for these qualities/skills, which becomes apparent when you hear a few of his life stories.

As a teenager, Howard ended up in a coma, nearly died, and missed his senior year of high school. But he counts the accident as one of the greatest "blessings" in his life because of what it led to. Howard wanted to learn about investing, so he "bugged" someone in the business until that person finally relented and agreed to show Howard the ropes. Confident that he could do this, confident that he could learn whatever he needed, he threw himself into this work and realized he loved it. Despite doing all the right things, working hard, having success, and investing all his money into the company, this unbelievable (but true) story ends up with Howard making the choice to walk away with absolutely nothing. The injustice of what actually happened is heartbreaking and maddening. But what does he have to say about the events? He explains why these crazy events turned out to be beneficial in the long run. When asked about difficult times, Howard tells us that it was difficult to come up with one, because he "couldn't think of one struggle that wasn't followed by tremendous growth." Is he delusional? Is he in denial? Not at all. This is who he is. And we hope this comes through in the show. Howard has consistently decided to move forward with genuine optimism and gratitude no matter what has been thrown at him.

Howard's unique strengths and abilities are no doubt a major part of why, today, he finds himself running a highly successful business, a work which he absolutely loves, while living a rich and fulfilling life outside of business, full of family (he takes Friday - Sunday off and uses it exclusively for family time) and music and art and books and travel. He's built a life around his values and desires, and it's certainly worked out for him. "I pinch myself every day," he tells us.

Lest you think that this episode is all about life lessons, we must say that Howard dishes out some meaty, very-worth-a-listen insights about business in this conversation. Though he doesn't toot his own horn in this episode, Howard's company, Plan One Financial Group, is very impressive and very successful. He knows what he's talking about. If you want to build a brand with a stellar reputation this episode is a MUST listen. And take notes. From forming real relationships with clients, to what creating the right team has done for him, to finding mentors (including a different take on what they can teach you), to getting involved in coaching programs, to the 3 rules of starting and running a business that stand out to him, check out what Howard Mattson has to share in this episode of The Company Next Door.