From Baseball Dreams to Financial Freedom: Matt Morizio’s Journey of Faith and Finance
In our latest episode of The No Half Cakes podcast, I had the privilege of sitting down with Matt Morizio, founder of Reconstructing Wealth and former professional baseball player, for a conversation that took some beautifully unexpected turns. What started as a discussion about finance evolved into a powerful exploration of faith, family, and finding purpose beyond our professional identities.
From the Diamond to the Boardroom
Matt’s story begins on the baseball field, where he spent five seasons in the Kansas City Royals farm system chasing a childhood dream. Living on what he calls a “four-figure salary” – roughly $6,000 per year – Matt learned early about sacrifice and determination. But when that dream ended at 26, he faced an identity crisis that many of us can relate to: Who are we when what we do is no longer who we are?
This pivotal moment launched Matt on a journey that would take him from borrowing his mother’s credit card for groceries while supporting five children, to building a successful wealth management firm. But the real transformation wasn’t in his bank account – it was in his relationship with money itself.
The Two Paths to Financial Wisdom
Matt shared two powerful approaches to transforming your relationship with money:
1. Education and Conversation: In our age of information, Matt emphasizes that financial literacy is within everyone’s reach. He suggests starting with simple conversations or even asking ChatGPT for the top five personal finance questions you should be asking. The key is moving from a “little league” understanding of money to seeing the full game – understanding not just that you need money to pay bills, but how the entire system works.
2. The Power of Giving: Perhaps most counterintuitively, Matt advocates for giving money away as a path to financial freedom. He and his family maintain a “blessing account” where 10% of their income goes toward helping others. This practice, he explains, rewires our psychology around money, shifting us from fear-based hoarding to love-based generosity.
Faith, Family, and Finding Balance
One of the most powerful moments in our conversation came when Matt shared how his wife confronted him during his grueling finance career: “I didn’t sign up to be a single mom.” This wake-up call forced him to reconsider what success really means and to find ways to provide for his family without sacrificing his presence in their lives.
As a father of seven children (all homeschooled!), Matt has learned that true wealth isn’t just about the numbers in your bank account. It’s about understanding money as a tool rather than an idol, and using it to build a life of meaning and impact.
Your Next Steps
Matt has generously created a free three-part video course on transforming your relationship with money from scarcity to abundance. Each video is about eight minutes long and provides practical steps for beginning or deepening your financial journey. You can connect with Matt on Instagram at @MattMorizio to access this resource.
Whether you’re struggling to make ends meet or looking to take your financial understanding to the next level, Matt’s story reminds us that transformation is possible – and it often starts with changing not just what we do with money, but how we think about it.
