by Matt Mattson

Thanks for listening to this new episode of The People People Podcast… This one is about LOVE! Romance! Amorousness! Passion! Marriage! And everything related to that. Welcome to the special “DOUBLE DATE” episode featuring special guests Tina VanSteenbergen, James Robilotta, Meggan Mattson, and your host Matt Mattson.

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You're one of us, aren't you? You're a people person. But you get that being a “people person” isn’t just about being chatty and smiley and super-duper nice, it’s about transforming the world through relationships. You're one of those people who understands that HUMAN CONNECTION is the key to everything. You're one of those people who understands that humans are social animals, and we're all deeply longing for real, meaningful, deep-spirited connection in all aspects of our life. You're one of those people who understands that the secret to creating the world you want is found in your ability to connect. You're one of us. We are people people. And you found our show.

This episode is really special. We put a microphone right in the middle of a double date. The show’s host, Matt Mattson along with his wife Meggan Mattson (an entrepreneur and indepent college counselor - click here to learn more) joined for an evening of conversation with James Robilotta and Tina Vansteenbergen. Learn more about James professionally here, and here’s a link for Tina.

The Mattsons have been married for 15 years. Tina and James got married last year. There were discussions about healthy relationships, communication patterns/habits, and the power of compliments and listening.

More than anything, there was genuine love expressed in a way that is too rare. We’re not sure if these two marriages are perfect, but they sure are beautiful and have lessons to share with any listener.

Social Excellence has very real applications to romantic relationships, and this episode offers a fun glimpse at what that looks like in practice.

More about our guests… professionally…

Tina VanSteenbergen is a professional speaker with a passion for working with women. She believes in the power of women, individually and collectively. Especially collectively. She says, “When we come together, really believing in one another, building communities and celebrating our shared womanhood—watch out world. Unfortunately, the world has taught us how to build better walls between one another than bridges. That’s where I come in. I help build bridges between women. My mission in life is to help women feel less alone in this world.” Tina speaks to college students, corporate audiences, to women and to everyone who seeks confidence and way to matter in this world. Tina has a background in actually teaching Social Excellence in the past. She is proudly from and makes her home (with James) in Minnesota.

James Robilotta is an author, a professional speaker, a personal coach, and an entrepreneur. His first book, Leading Imperfectly: The value of being authentic for leaders, professionals, and human beings is available here. James is also a trained stand-up and improv comedian. He created “North Coast” an improv team that incorporates freestyle rapping and beatboxing into long-form improv; they have impressed and delighted audiences worldwide. He grew up in Sayville, NY, went to UNCW and Clemson, lived in NYC for a bit, and now he and Tina have made a home in The Twin Cities.

Meggan Mattson has over 15 years of experience in college counseling. She started her professional career working on the college side as a college admissions counselor. After eight years on the college side, Meggan then worked as a high school counselor for another six years, guiding many students and families through the college process. Meggan earned her undergraduate degree from Bradley University (Peoria, IL) and her M.S.Ed. from Northern Illinois University (DeKalb, IL). She is an active volunteer in her industry, she has presented at professional conferences, and she has a particular passion for helping students from all backgrounds find the right “college fit” for them. She spent most of her childhood in Colorado, and now lives in Littleton, CO with her husband, Matt, and their two daughters.