-The Star Newspapers December 15, 2002
By Joe Takash
Did you know that when you turn 31 years, 8 months and 8 days old, you’ve lived 1 billion seconds?
You probably didn’t, but this is the stuff that excites Matt Baron.
By the time Baron was 10 years old, he recognized that he had a gift for processing numbers at a blinding speed, with stunning accuracy.
“I see the world through a mathematical lens,” Baron says. “My brain was wired, at conception, to see numbers in just about any situation.”
I asked him what 37 times 22 was and in less than two seconds, he spouted, “814.” For kicks, he multiplies and divides license plate numbers while driving and has never had an accident as a result.
On the business side, by Baron’s own joking estimation, he operates 6.4 enterprises on a monthly basis.
This includes being a freelance reporter for Time magazine, the Chicago Tribune and Sports Illustrated for Kids, and he runs an organizational development company in which he trains entrepreneurs.
Additionally, he is the Calculating Chief of a consulting and training enterprise, appropriately named, Go Figure.
Baron regularly tours the country educating organizations on the impact that numbers have on their bottom line and how they can communicate that information more effectively.
“It fires me up to be able to help people and companies translate a mound of indecipherable numbers into something that prompts them to say, ‘Wow, now I get it!’ ”
Perhaps it’s the selfless approach to his craft that ultimately adds to Baron’s success. He genuinely wants to help people succeed.
“The God-given talent I have amounts to zero unless I use it to empower others,” he said.
You may read this and think this guy is a numbers geek, but speaking to Baron is anything but boring.
For example, he has developed a baseball statistic called the Home Run Power Ratio, a historical inflation index that can logically compare legends from different eras, like Barry Bonds with Babe Ruth.
This has given baseball aficionados an apples-to-apples comparison as to who are truly the best athletes over time.
Baron is gifted with tools that instill confidence in people and help organizations understand their business more thoroughly, all while he successfully juggles multiple business empires.
Best of all, Matt Baron is a likable gentleman who doesn’t take himself too seriously, and he’ll be the first to tell you that attitude is the No. 1 key to his success.
“Monday is my favorite day because it means I have another fresh week to connect with people and, hopefully, make some positive impact,” Baron said.
“It helps that, since I have a home office, I’ve been able to cut my commute from 32 miles to 32 feet.”
Ah yes, life is definitely a numbers game.
Tak-Tip: If you’re up to challenging Matt on numbers and sports trivia or if you want to find out more about his Go Figure training seminars, visit his Web site at www.mattbaron.com.
Joe Takash speaks to organizations around the country and delivers programs to build morale and increase profit. He also serves as director of corporate relations for Robert Morris College.
