Why Top Performers Love The Hard Part
Why Top Performers Love The Hard Part  
Podcast: The Playbook With David Meltzer
Published On: Wed May 27 2026
Description: In today’s episode, I sit down with Sequel co-founders Matt Smith and Alex Macdonald, who bring together the worlds of professional sports, entrepreneurship, and early-stage investing. Matt shares how discipline, devotion, and constant self-improvement carried him from the lower levels of English football to the top tier, while Alex talks about building companies through rejection, resilience, and relentless curiosity. We discuss why the best athletes and entrepreneurs are often the first ones in and the last ones out, how identity can shift after success, and why fulfillment comes from the pursuit itself rather than the outcome. It’s a conversation about mindset, purpose, and making the most of every minute.