Mike 'The Matador' Mata

Mike ( The Matador ) Mata is founder and CEO of MatadorStore.com. 

The Matador is an entrepreneur and owns a majority stake in various ventures doing business internationally.

The Way of the Matador

You are in the ring with a 1000 pound beast that wants to rip you a couple of new ones. The stakes are high. You are there because you choose to be. You are there because you have guts. You are there for glory.  After a lifetime of preparation, you confidently step out and acknowledge the adoring crowd. You hear the loud cheers. You smile. Then, all of a sudden it hits you. The stench of blood rises from the previous battles of the day – the blood of Bulls and Matadors.

 In the seconds before the Bull’s fury is unleashed, the sun betrays you. You begin to feel the sweat trickle down your lower back and brow. You force yourself to focus and you no longer hear the crowd chanting your name. It’s at that moment that you begin to question everything. You ask yourself “Tell me again, why am I here?  Are my feet in the right position? Do I have my sword?”

The seconds are quickly ticking by and soon your enemy will charge at you full speed ahead. His every intention is to make you a mere memory. The enemy you were born to fight will show no mercy. Your purpose and your legacy have all come down to this. You know that only one of you will survive.

You can hear your heart pounding. Your adrenaline is soaring.  Your instincts scream “Run! No, wait! Stab him as hard as you can and get it over with! ”But your instincts are wrong. Make no mistake. There are precise rules of engagement. Rules that you know; rules that the Bull knows. Think you’re ready for the Bull?

The Matador is a celebrated and revered warrior in Spain. He is celebrated for his bravery. He is revered because he has mastered the strategy of Positioning and Redirection. Historically, the Bullfight is said to symbolize the Spanish re-conquest of its land in the 15th century from the more powerful Muslim invaders. In the 21st century, learning the Way of the Matador is learning to re-conquer that what has been lost in life and in business.

The life of the Matador is one of adventure, high risk and glory. If you picked up this book, you probably aspire to one or all. However, becoming a Matador is absolutely optional. At some point in your life you may have to take on responsibilities that you are not particularly fond of, but you never, ever have to be a Matador.  Becoming a Matador means you have chosen to enter into an arena that is fast-paced and potentially fatal. It truly is kill, or be killed.

Like it or not, the arena that is life is not much different than the arena in which the Matador excels. Life, like the Bull, can rage at you with the hell and fury of a vicious animal. It is unpredictable and in constant flux. Children grow and their needs change. Relationships change. Finances change. Unless you learn to position yourself and redirect challenges, you will relegate yourself to a victim of circumstance. Unless you live The Way Of The Matador, you may be living your life based on the whims and desires others.

Business constantly changes. New markets, new rules and new competitors show up everyday. Consistent positioning and redirection of your business is necessary in order to survive and prosper. The Way of the Matador is to position and redirect, not to confront directly. This strategy empowers you to defeat even the most powerful competitor. The bigger the competitor, the easier it is to use his momentum against him.

In Jiu – Jitsu, an ancient Japanese martial art, the Warrior is taught to use his enemy’s own strength and momentum against him. When the enemy pushes, you pull. When the enemy pulls, you push. The enemy’s strength will be his weakness. Whereas some cultures employ only direct confrontation and rely solely on brute force, you will learn to conquer a seemingly more powerful enemy through proper positioning and redirection. The Way of The Matador is designed to frustrate and confuse the enemy before you go in for the kill.

Eventually, you will be faced with your enemy – the enemy you were born to fight. This epic battle will reveal your purpose. How you deal with your enemy will be your legacy. To learn The Way of the Matador is to learn to tame circumstances, to harness emotions and to enjoy what they call in Costa Rica “La Pura Vida”. Adventure, high risk and glory; it’s all here.