Ep#157 Achieving Goals and Going Global with Mat Batterbee from Pax8

Host: Jon

Hi everybody and welcome to the Jon Myer podcast. Normally I do this very, very, very, very long introduction about our guests and the awesome stuff like this, but we're going to kick things off with Mat Batterbee. Mat. Holy sh** buddy. Long time no see talk.

Guest: Mat

Yeah, it has been a while and it's been a crazy time since we last caught up. Since joining Pax8. I mean, I'm not exactly discreet about the fact that I work for Pax8 going on. I can tell a lot is going on. They have swagged me up. My favorite piece of swag that I've ever had though is that hockey jersey. It's just the best thing.

Host: Jon

That's pretty cool. I love how you have it all out there. It's like little Easter eggs. I'm like, where else can we find any others that you got out there? See hat, oh, you got a logo on your desk or whatever back there. I can see it down there. Wait, you got a tattoo yet?

Guest: Mat

No. Although I did say to the sales team when I joined, I was like, if you do this, I'll get a Pax8 tattoo and then they did it so quick and I was like, I did not write that down so it doesn't count.

Host: Jon

Oh, man. No, no, no, no. You can't do that if you give a sales guy a goal and he is the goal of what you're going to be like. Yeah, I didn't write it down so it's not legit.

Guest: Mat

Maybe one day, if Microsoft does inspire again or something in Vegas, then you're in Vegas. Then maybe there's a Pax8 tattoo or maybe next year at our big event in Denver that we do every year at Beyond maybe, who knows, maybe there's a tattoo parlor near to the venue location. Who knows?

Host: Jon

You should know. Alright, well we kicked things off. I mean, hit the ground running. The last time you and I talked was about September, August, and September last year. We haven't recorded in quite a while. I don't think we recorded since you joined Pax8.

Guest: Mat

No, no. You were the first people person podcast that I did when the announcement was made that I was joining Pax8, which is still my most watched video on LinkedIn I do a lot of content, but announcing where I was going after my last employment, seemed to be big news.

Host: Jon

Everybody wanted to see where you went, where are you at, and what are you doing. I mean, we all know you're at Pax8, just saying it's not obvious or anything.

Guest: Mat

Yeah, yeah, so now I'm the global go-to-market director for Microsoft Business Applications, so all things Dynamics 365 and the power platform for Microsoft and I'm leading the overall go-to-market strategy worldwide, so there's been a lot of travel places I never dreamed I'd be going to and presenting at like I was in Bangkok earlier this year. That was a dream to be able to go all that way and present and represent Pax8. That was so cool. Been in the US multiple times across Europe. It's been crazy since joining, but especially since 2023, it's just been a lot. This is the first time this year. I haven't got a flight booked. It's quite nice. I'm at home for a decent period. It feels good. But yeah, I get to work with our teams worldwide. I get to work with Microsoft worldwide, so it's been good. It's been a good learning experience. There are a lot of differences between Pax8 and where previously was, but I do love the fast-paced, positive, culture at Pax8. It's just like nothing I've experienced and it's amazing. Well,

Host: Jon

From all your social media posts, I can tell you're enjoying it and I swear you're like the face of it. I see nothing else Pax8, by the way. Nothing. All I see is your stuff coming out. Not only Instagram. I always see you on it. Yeah, and then I see you on LinkedIn all the time. Hey, going here, sharing this, love the stuff that you're doing, but I think you're just the face of Pax8. They need to give you a raise.

Guest: Mat

Hey, we'll keep that recorded and we'll have that on the loop and I'll send it. My boss is great.

Host: Jon

Only if you get the tattoo and put it down in writing. Literally ink,

Guest: Mat

This is it. Yeah, maybe that's How's how I got the tattoo? It's like, oh, you get a raise if you do it, give me money. I'll do it.

Host: Jon

Have there been any other tattoos since our last conversation?

Guest: Mat

I don't think so. I'm thinking because I have my second baby girl on the way in November. I think both my daughter's names don't know where though yet. I keep coming back here, but I don't know. It's a risk. You'll notice all my tattoos if I'm wearing a suit, you cannot see I've got any tattoos, so it's then having one around here. I'm not sure, but maybe the inside of my arms they're quite bare, so maybe I'll do that one each, two daughters, two arms. It kind of fits quite well, but what about you? You've got some tattoos. Whoa,

Host: Jon

Wait a second. Wait a second. No, not about me yet. I got to talk about, first of all, congratulations. Thank you. On your second child coming up daughters, you're going to have your hands full. I have an older daughter who's 22. We'll talk about that. Some exciting things. I have a middle daughter who's 13. She is a handful as well. I have my son. He's awesome, proud, just all around cool kid, just a soccer player, and all that stuff, but congratulations. Thank you. I think I got my kids. I have their initials here and then I have my wife's initials here, so they're all on the back of each of the arms and I did get one on the shoulder that you might've seen. We can talk about that later.

Guest: Mat

Yeah, yeah. No, I've got my wife, she's down here on my chest, so I've got my wife's name. So yeah, it's the baby girls. That's the next.

Host: Jon

That's it before me. I know it's a back-and-forth thing, but I'm very inquisitive since we haven't talked in a while what is next for you? I see all this exciting stuff happening. You don't have a flight booked, but what is your next goal? I mean, personal professional doesn't Mater.

Guest: Mat

Yeah, I think mean professionally speaking, one of my things when I joined Pax8, I love what I do. I love the business applications area that I work in. I even love working with Microsoft, but I know that I can have more value to a business. I know that I can do that. So for me, my goals are to progress where I can add more value to Pax8 and we'll see how that looks over the coming months and years. But I'm vocal about those goals. I'm very lucky. I'm not just saying this, this is recorded. I've got a great boss and we have frequent one-to-ones talk about career progression, those things, and yeah, she knows I want to add more value to Pax8. That's my goal. But aside from that, I mean joining Pax8 and pushing their business applications business, all my goals at the moment are around doubling if not more than business and adding that value.

Guest: Mat

But at the moment it's just enjoying things. Pax8 is a nice place to work. It's enjoyable. I was really lucky that as soon as I joined, they flew me out to Denver. I was over there for two weeks and got to meet with so many people and it's helped me build those relationships internally. So in terms of goals, it's just helping as many people as possible with impacts eight, whether it's getting up early in the morning to work with our A N Z team or staying up late to work with our US team, Canadian team or working normal hours and working with our immediate team. It's just to help Pax8 grow. And I know that's a little bit of a cheesy way of putting it, but there's something about this business that just makes you passionate and makes you want to help the business grow.

Host: Jon

When you go to these events and I see these posts, what are you doing there? I swear the public speaker for the company, you're at these events, really, what is your entire goal and what are you trying to achieve there at these events?

Guest: Mat

So it can be a whole host of things and sometimes some of the events that I've been to, there was one, was it last year? Earlier this year. It's been a crazy year, but in Slovenia and I mean, I was asked to be one of the hosts of the event and that was something that I was asked. I think I was asked before I joined Pax8 or it was during my garden leave, so that was kind of separate from Pax8. It was kind of we want you to come and host, and then I delivered some sessions again as me and then as Pax8 as well. I mean, I'm always in the Pax8 swag, so it's always represented. But yeah, I mean sometimes especially in the Microsoft partner community, there is so much stuff that is just partners don't know about.

Guest: Mat

So sometimes it's just, you know what, I just want to help, want to help partners, whether they're Pax8 partners or not, I just want to help 'em, want to point them in the right direction or some things that are going to help 'em grow their business. I'd buy you to customers. There's a bit of, hey, come and work with Pax8. Some of those sessions that have been going on at these events as well around the value that Pax8 can bring to the partner community with Microsoft and other vendors as well, like a W Ss and so on. So yeah, a whole host of different things going on at these events, and it's just been good fun. It's been a good whirlwind.

Host: Jon

I'm going to have to count how many times you say Pax8 in this recording by the way. I think we're up to 30. I'm going to do it. That's going to be a social post. How many times does Mat say Pax8?

Guest: Mat

You must, I bet this was during Microsoft Inspire. It was funny. I said, oh, we should, during the keynote, we should take a shot. Every time they say ai, we'd have been gone after five minutes. It was just ai, ai, ai. So yeah, I get that. I get that. Yeah.

Host: Jon

Alright, so I got some exciting news to share with you. I have not posted it on social media yet. I was waiting for things too, is it okay to post it? Is it okay to share it yet? My grandson was born two days ago.

Guest: Mat

Congratulations buddy. That's amazing.

Host: Jon

I was waiting for that. Yeah, old. I don't want to say I become a grandfather. I don't want that word. It just sounds old to me.

Guest: Mat

I think you know what? My dad, it's funny because MVA couldn't say granddad, which it's a big word for a little one-year-old that starts, so it's just stuck that it's gaga and if she says granddad, my dad's like, no, it's gaga. Granddad makes me feel old. So I get that you do not look old enough to be a grandfather at this point. What are you going for then? What's your name going to be?

Host: Jon

I think I'm leaning towards Paps.

Guest: Mat

I like that. That's

Host: Jon

Cool. It's a cooler name for me. I feel it doesn't grand. Oh, it just seems old. I envision. Anyway, his name is Xander. He's a cute little guy. I

Guest: Mat

Like that

Host: Jon

Already. Just born Sunday morning whenever this recording goes out, it'll probably be like two weeks later, three weeks later, I'm not sure. But very proud grandparents, my wife included, very super happy. Just like, all right, I'll see you. I'm going over. I know I get it.

Guest: Mat

Yeah, no, that's amazing. Congratulations. Yeah, I am very much looking forward to baby number two. We've had some appointments this week. It all feels very real. Now we're decorating What was the spare room is now the new baby's room. So I say we're decorating if my wife that she's like, what do you mean we, you've got no part of this. So yeah, she's doing a lot of work nesting for the new baby

Host: Jon

Unless hang this, hold this. That's the work you're doing.

Guest: Mat

She doesn't even trust me with that stuff.

Host: Jon

I get that. No, I'm just kidding. I was talking to my wife and we have this room in our house. It was like the toy room and then as the kids got older, she got these desks for the room and they were going to do their homework in there and as they got older, they're barely in this room and I'm like, wow, this room's going to become a normal room and then here comes grandson. Nope, it's going back to a toy room. I know where it's going and these are the memories that happen.

Guest: Mat

Yeah, it's crazy and it's just, I mean it's flown by. Even with MVA, I started doing school runs. She's two and a half. She's going to, I live in Wales, so we call it kil and it's like a nursery for the younger ones to go to and get used to going to school. So three days a week she's in school. It's just crazy. I remember having this baby that couldn't even lift its head and now all of a sudden I'm taking her to school and that's just insane to me.

Host: Jon

Well, you're about to start it all over again.

Guest: Mat

I know.

Host: Jon

They grow so fast though,

Guest: Mat

And this is the thing because they grow so fast. I'm like, my wife said something the other day and was like, oh yeah, we need to do this. No, she tested me on something. It was, how do you sterilize a bowl? And I was like, I have no idea. I was like, I've forgotten. Even though I did it probably about five times a day, maybe more. I've completely forgotten. And I was like, it took me a good 15 minutes. And I was like, I remember. And I said she was like, yep, you got that right. It's like, yep, I need to read those books again.

Host: Jon

Yeah, you need to go back to step 101. There's nothing like when you're a new parent or existing parent and you go through them and get the routine down and now you're like a pro and then you haven't done it for years and you come back and be like, it's riding a bike. How the hell do I get on this bike? Wait, what do I do?

Guest: Mat

Exactly. All these things. It's just like even swaddling and I'm just like, I don't remember. I don't remember any of this stuff. So yeah, I'm going to be rereading my daddy's books that are on my Kindle over the next couple of weeks to just rejig my memory on all of this stuff. All I remember is waking up at 1:00 AM and then 4:00 AM

Host: Jon

I think I remember how to do it completely. I think I was a pro at it. My wife's going to listen to this. Yeah, yeah, you were.

Guest: Mat

Yeah. You never did that.

Host: Jon

Yeah, I did actually with my daughter. I said I loved wrapping them in. Yeah. All right, so that's happening. The other two's in cheer. My daughter's in cheerleading, so she's so freaking busy. Middle school cheerleading, she coaches cheerleading. She has cheerleading. And then my son has soccer two days a week and then football. And so he is hardcore great. I got to tell you about this cool thing my son did, and I told him a couple of times, he's upstairs, so he's probably going to hear this about another time on Saturday during his game. He's usually a defender, always in the back. He loves it. He and another kid, are the best team in the back. And during the game, he got the ball back and he took it down the field, passing players left and I was just like, oh my God, his foot skills on this. It was just so amazing to me to watch him play and do that for his team. And I had to tell him a bunch of times. I didn't want to get to his head, but I wanted to share with him how proud I was that he accomplished that.

Guest: Mat

Yeah, that's amazing. My little nephew is going to be seven in November. This is his first season playing football. And the way they do it in the UK at that kind of age group, there are no goalkeepers, no netminders. It's just playing. They're just learning the rules. They're making sure that passing's important in the game and all those things. As a referee, no goalkeepers. And I like that because if a team gets beaten, they're just going to blame the goalkeepers. So it's nice at that age that doesn't happen the way they've got it set up. But he played his first game on the weekend. I'm going this weekend. And then, yeah, for his birthday, I've already, I said to my brother, I was like, okay, does he need new football boots? And they were like, maybe get him a size up. I was like, cool, that's his birthday present sorted. I am going to get him really good football boots, everything matching, and make sure he is geared up because he loves his football. They've got a goal in the garden, everything, just any chances he gets, he wants to be kicking the ball around. It's great.

Host: Jon

Just all the stuff that the kids are doing. Like I said, they grow so fast that things going on. I remember him all being small. My wife was looking forward to the grandchild being born because she's like, I missed that baby. I'm like, well now you got your baby fixed because there's no more else coming around.

Guest: Mat

And that's the same movie. She's got all her, she's doing ballet, which is just, it's an interesting one because we don't get to see her doing it. You kind of drop her off. She goes to a proper performing arts school. So she goes in, she comes out, she does show us. They'll say to us, she'll tell us, oh, I've been dancing to Moana. And it's like, okay, cool. So it's like Alexa plays Moana and then she starts doing these moves around and lying down and rolling and I'm like, you learned that in an hour? That's amazing. So she has a show, it's on, I dunno if our Father's Day is different in the UK or us. I know Mother's Day is different. I'm not too sure, but it's Father's Day next year is her very first dance show and I'm already like, I can't wait on Father's Day as well. That's going to be the best present.

Host: Jon

Father's Day is the third weekend in June, I think usually 17th T is right around there.

Guest: Mat

Yeah, I think we're the same then I think. Yeah, it's Mother's Day. That's different. I think I remember once I was over in the US and everyone was wishing on our team's channel Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers. And I was like, okay, I have a wife that's a mother, I have my mother, I have my grandmother. I'm like, did I miss this? And then I googled and it was like, ah, it's us. Okay, cool. Did not miss it, it's all good. I'm not in trouble.

Host: Jon

I'll give you a little insight. I was born on Mother's Day.

Guest: Mat

Could never forget it. Could never forget

Host: Jon

It. Exactly. That's one that we'll just, I don't know if I was her best president or her worst. I don't. We'll just leave that to her. So anyway, all right, let me switch gears a little bit. You didn't see my tattoo and lemme

Guest: Mat

See it.

Host: Jon

Alright, hold on. I got to move my mic.

Guest: Mat

It's fresh.

Host: Jon

Sorry, I just had shoulder surgery three weeks ago

Guest: Mat

In the wars. Okay, that is cool.

Host: Jon

So you see the eagle and then the broken clock and so what it symbolizes is the eagle's freedom, and patriotism, and then the clock lives in the moment.

Guest: Mat

Love that. That's so cool. That's a really good piece of

Host: Jon

Work. I did it all in one sitting, seven hours sitting there. No, was it? Yeah, I went in at 12 and I was done at like 7, 7:30.

Guest: Mat

See I have to admit with tattoos, I dunno, my limit seems to be two hours seriously more. And I think I've done a little bit longer on my leg and maybe, but my last big piece was my chest getting all that done and after two hours of just constant on the chest, it was just like I'm done. So I remember this one time I booked him for three hours and I wasn't even clock watching and I just got to a point where every time the needle was touching me or he was just rubbing up anything, I was just like in pain and I looked at the clock, I was like, it's been exactly two hours. So okay, that's all I'm going to book for the future because two hours and I'm in a lot of pain.

Host: Jon

This wasn't bad, it was right around the six-hour mark when she started doing a lot of the detail and rubbing over the same area. Same area, same area. And it was just starting to get to a point, just like you said, now the chest is very sensitive because of the chest plate and everything. While my arm was fine, at the six-hour mark I'm like, I'm just not going to be able to handle this anymore.

Guest: Mat

Yeah, I'll have to say I need to get bucking in, got my leg needs finishing. And then like I say, I want to think about what I want for my daughters. But yeah, I keep going back and forth on the idea of where, because I like, I've seen some nice cool writing tattoos on the neck. I'm like, that looks so

Host: Jon

Cool.

Guest: Mat

And then I go, if I'm in a meeting, I've got tattoos. It's that thing. And I know they're not as taboo now. Tattoos, more and more people have them and things, but it's nice being able to have them. But if I'm wearing a shirt, a button down, nice smart shirt trousers, like a suit you can't see and some people appreciate that. So yeah, I'll think about it and see where I land though for my next one.

Host: Jon

I'll give you a tip. Be yourself and they'll accept you. I mean I've seen so many people on their arms in a meeting and whatnot and I'm thinking, that's cool. You are yourself, you're sharing it. There's no more. I like being able to be yourself at work and home and just being one person all around.

Guest: Mat

And you know what? I have to admit, so obviously I was on my free month garden leave when I left my last role and during that time there was Microsoft Inspire and there's so much content. I'm on garden leave, I don't want to be doing work. So Pax8 does a recap of the whole event. We did it this year and I flew over for that. It was great to be part of it, but last year obviously couldn't be a part of it. I didn't work for the company yet and I was watching and it was my now boss was the host and she's got a full, and it's beautiful, this full sleeve tattoo and that was the first thing that caught my eye was, amazing. My boss has a sleeve tattoo, so that's great. And she sat there with it. I'm like, that's cool. I'm never going to have to cover up my tattoos when I meet her for the first time. So straight away it was like, okay, that's an icebreaker. And we've not even spoken to each other yet.

Host: Jon

They speak volumes actually without saying anything you can understand. You see somebody with it and it's a connection.

Guest: Mat

No, it's funny. I remember once I was told to progress and everything, it was like I needed to look more like an executive and my response was very simple, just I have a Mickey Mouse tattoo on my arm. How much of an executive can I look like with a Mickey Mouse, and Donald Duck on the other arm? It's like, it's not happening. I'm just myself. This is it. This is what you get.

Host: Jon

You know what? That's perfect. Mat, before I wrap things up, I want to tell you about some of the cool things. A W Ss reinvent is happening at the end of November, as always. Now you're probably not going to be there, but if you happen to be Yeah, I got to come over to hit a Win. I have a video production studio called the Blue Wire Studio, fully secured for the week. We're going to be recording content in person. So much is happening. I can't wait. I'm super excited. I have the studio for the whole week and so many sponsors are joining us for this awesome event.

Guest: Mat

That's cool. I thought I saw you posted not that long ago on LinkedIn actually before coming up to my office to record this. That's awesome. I know we're going to have people from Pax8 there a hundred percent. So I'm going to find out who and nudge them in your direction. We got some amazing people on that W team. They're so amazing that even I have passed four AWS sets because I was like, I'm going to learn a little bit, I'm going to help them out. I'm going to learn what all this a w s stuff about. So yeah, then we've got some amazing people on that team. So hopefully they'll come over and say hello and maybe record some content with you.

Host: Jon

Well, Mat, this has been awesome. Thanks for sitting down and just shooting shit with me, man.

Guest: Mat

It's been an absolute pleasure. Always a pleasure to record content with you and anytime you want me back on, always a pleasure catching up buddy.

Host: Jon

Well, next time we will send it around the subject, but this time we're just shooting it and catching up on some old times. It's been almost a year, so this has been good. Nice to find out what you're doing. I will have to keep count of how many times. You said Pax8?

Guest: Mat

Yeah. Love Pax8. Just one more

Host: Jon

Another time. Alright everybody, Mat Batterbee, I'm your host Jon Myer. Thank you for watching. Mat. Thank you so much.

Guest: Mat

Thank you. Pleasure.

Host: Jon

Don't forget to hit that, like subscribe, and notify because we're out of here. I.