Abacoa & Alton Neighbors - September 2026

10 A B A C O A & A LT O N N E I G H B O R S | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6 In a high-pressure industry, maintaining that balance requires deliberate effort. “You’ve got to stop yourself,” he explained. “Because you can’t let emotions and the amygdala be in charge. You’ve got to keep calming that down constantly.” The goal is an organization that operates with consistency, regardless of external conditions. “I want the company to be very, very solid technically, while being very emotionally neutral,” he added. “Don’t get high, don’t get low. Just very sort of in the middle.” At the same time, that composure is paired with a clear understanding of boundaries. “In business, if you’re not careful, you become the doormat,” Brian explained. “Whether it’s partners, customers, collaborators, you name it.” For Matthews, though, it ultimately comes down to the example he sets for others. It’s not about directing others, he notes, but about creating a path that others want to follow. “Leadership is not ‘you do this, you do that’, that’s not leadership,” he said. “Leadership is, you walk the path, and people are like, ‘I want to be on that path.’” That philosophy extends beyond just business. “I tell everyone, including my kids, you can pick anything you’d like to do, but there are two things: you have to add value, it has to be valuable to society, and you have to be passionate about it.” Because in a field as demanding as energy, passion is not optional—it is essential. “The hardest days, the thing that keeps you going, is your passion. Otherwise, you just quit.”