What Will Your Story Be?

I had come off of a year serving with NET Ministries, when I had only had my conversion two months before starting my year with NET. And to come home from a year of constant community and support to a place where I hadn’t previously had any community or framework built was difficult, and I found myself slipping back into the life I had previously lived. So I was looking for guidance on how to continue to live out my faith in such conditions, and through a good amount of sessions we had many breakthroughs, and uncovered things that I didn’t know I had buried deep.
The way that I process my thoughts and emotions have changed because coaching has helped me to change my thoughts processes towards living virtue rather than avoiding sin. The way that we thought through things and looked for the root cause of thoughts and beliefs, along with the flexibility in scheduling were the most helpful parts of coaching for me. The goals that I have after finishing my coaching are entirely different from those I had at the beginning, and I feel like I wouldn’t be going in the direction I am now without it.

"Matt is considerate of his clients and treats them more like friends than a customer. I felt seen by him. He wasn't condescending and he related to me in my struggles. That being said, he also took action when I was in the wrong and showed me a better path than the one I was seeing. Coaching has helped me to connect to God by chasing after virtue and resting in the way the Lord intends, rather than seeking my own pleasure. It has allowed me to look outside of myself and helped me to grasp the strengths and skills that the Lord has planted in me since I was young."

"My time of coaching with Matt was instrumental in my transition to this stage of my life. His value to me as a Catholic life coach and young man I could relate to was invaluable. I appreciated that he didn't tell me what to do but instead helped me to think and see things differently. I was able to grow so much more in confidence for my own decisions big or small. My relationship with God now doesn't feel like a separate part of my life but integrated with all of my life and I'm able to see beauty in the entire world so much easier. Praying at the beginning of our sessions was a big deal to me and reinforced the fact that I can hear God's voice. Because I was genuinely open to allowing Matt's coaching to affect my life and the way I view the world, I accomplished my goals and am now able to make decisions in confidence whereas before I would question them often."

"I met Matt Jandernoa during my transition into the Catholic faith. Matt led the RCIA class and we often met outside of class to discuss various topics which helped me understand life’s challenges and grow as a person. Matt played a huge role in becoming the person I am today! He is definitely someone we can all learn from."

"Mr. Jandernoa has made a tremendous impact on my life in the best way.
He guides me with advice on how to deal with my daily battles. I have had issues with substance abuse in the past and he has given me the tools to fight addiction and win.
From our sessions to creating a budget plan his ability to help people is bar none. He is also very skilled in educating individuals on religion. I highly recommend him to anyone who would like to gain insight on how to improve their life.

"During a period of deep confusion in my life, I turned to Matthew for life coaching and guidance. Matthew encouraged me to explore what the deepest desires of my heart really were in a way that gave me greater clarity about why I felt the negative emotions felt and made the bad choices I made in my life. The support I received from Matthew helped me claim healthy self-confidence in my life in a way I had not previously done, eventually leading me to my becoming (I believe) a stronger leader, a more empathetic man, and a less judgmental and anxious person. Were it not for Matthew’s advice, I think I would have significantly less self-knowledge than I do today and would be less capable of loving others and receiving love from them in return. I encourage other men to pursue life coaching from Matthew for a season of their lives so that they can more readily become healthy, happy, and free."

"College marked a tough chapter in my life; it was the first time I truly confronted the effects of my emotionally abusive mother and the resulting clinical depression. Despite grappling with these inner struggles, I had perfected the art of masking my pain with a facade of happiness whenever I was around others. The false image was exhausting to maintain, often leading me to withdraw from social interactions for weeks or even months at a time.
Then, I crossed paths with Matt, and everything changed. He wasn't one to let me slip away unnoticed. With an intensity and determination that set him apart, he refused to let me disappear into isolation. I'll never forget the day when I felt too drained to even answer a call or text—Matt sensed my struggle and didn't give up. Instead, he showed up, ready to lend an ear and offer comfort.
Matt has a unique gift for gently steering conversations back to God, providing a source of solace and strength during my darkest moments. Under his guidance, I found myself turning to prayer more often, feeling a closeness to Christ that I had never experienced before.
But Matt's impact wasn't limited to our one-on-one interactions; he led a group of us on a journey to deepen our relationship with Jesus. His example of brotherly love was unparalleled, and I am endlessly grateful for his presence in my life.
As I look ahead, I am filled with anticipation for the remarkable things I know Matt will continue to accomplish. I consider myself fortunate to have him as a friend, and anyone who has Matt in their corner is truly blessed.

"I got to know Matthew in college when I joined the household he started at university. A household is basically a club focused on intentionally fostering a deeper relationship with the Lord in a community of other men. The three points that come to mind for Matthew's influence on me are (1) seeing God as loving Father, (2) genuinely responding to our adoption as sons of God with an outpouring of love, and (3) his recourse to the spiritual master, St. Francis de Sales.



When I first joined the household, I was very much in a "warrior" mindset about God. There was fasting, giving up meat and sweets and other treats, sleeping on the floor, all that stuff. It was appropriate given that I had recently come to earnestly desire to strive after the Lord, but even so, such striving can often be harmful if left unchecked. Knowing that God is my loving Father grounded my striving. It has also stuck with me as I have grown in my relationship with the Lord. Knowing that the Lord Jesus died on a cross to forgive me of my sins and to make me His beloved son is central to my love for God. That perspective humbles me, and fuels and directs my love.



When I first met Matthew, I was opposed to praise and worship as a kind of prayer. I thought it was overly emotional and silly. He helped show me how PnW, when properly prayed, is a valid kind of prayer that does justice to the dignity of the one praying, and to whom the prayer is directed. Matthew has helped me grow confident in my expressions of love for the Lord Jesus and in His power to save by teaching me how to praise the Lord with my full voice and body.



Lastly, before I knew Matthew, I had never read anything by Saint Francis de Sales. Matthew regularly would quote St. Francis from memory and held him up as an example for the men of his household to imitate. Now, I have read quite a bit of St. Francis, thanks to Matthew's witness, and I encourage others to do the same. In fact, Matthew bought me a small book on his golden councils, and when I became the leader of the household, I started a tradition of reading one of his councils every meeting. Matthew's knowledge and desire to teach others about St. Francis de Sales benefitted me and planted seeds that will benefit many men for years to come.



I would also like to add that Mrs. Estes, who is in charge of the households, said that the way of life proposed by Matthew attracts men who genuinely are seeking the Lord, and fosters a deeper relationship with Jesus. She said that his household really is something special."

"Matthew Jandernoa is a poet, a spontaneous generator of content. He tells you what he thinks and cares that you agree with him. He is extraordinarily concerned that you have the knowledge so as to do well. This makes him an ideal personal coach, one that will not leave his clients questioning whether they got their money’s worth. Matthew brought his old faith-household friends together for a shared Lenten observance. Save Jesus, the sole unifying kernel of this group was none other than Matthew himself and the household he founded. Believe us, you will be regretting your choice to work with this guy for all the right reasons. He will see you and love you enough to call you into the burning light of day. Every shadow in you will want to escape, but there is no escape. Matthew has experience guiding people, especially young men. He did not simply found a faith-household at Ave Maria University, but baptized the university in it. In founding the household, he did not merely cheech and chach around, rather he spontaneously crafted an entire program of spiritual formation for college-aged men in the 21st century. I still remember it. It was authentic without cynicism, rigorous without shame or vainglory, deliberate without unsatisfactory pseudo-meaning, fun without flippancy, masculine without toxicity, etc. In a word, it was poetic in the spontaneous-creative sense. If you want to marry wild ferocity with cultivation, prayer with robust action, your career with your deepest aspirations, Matthew Jandernoa may be able to help."

"Matt Jandernoa has been a steadfast presence of good in my life. Ever since we met he has drawn me out of myself and towards the person I want to be. He has spent countless hours listening to me vent and really seeing the struggle of my heart even when I may be focused on other things.

Matt has a way of loving the hell out of you literally. In the face of the ever churning chaos of life he is a constant voice of stability and reason giving you the deep breath you need to reset. His advice is equal part tlc and the kick in the pants that you need to get yourself going. I could not have asked for anyone better to be a guide, a mentor, and a friend."

"Matthew's mentorship has greatly helped me. He walked with me during my first two years of college. He led a faith-based group at our campus. During this time, he helped me balance school, pursue my catholic faith, and love others more authentically. He speaks with others intentionally and selflessly, he leads confidently and naturally, and he always exudes zeal for Christ. I'm very grateful God put him in my life."