EQ Unlocked: Regulation Before Awareness. Choice Follows.

Most workplace problems are not caused by poor communication or bad culture—they emerge when unregulated nervous systems operate under pressure. Stress narrows thinking, distorts awareness, and removes choice, leading to escalation, burnout, and inco... more

Host Matthew F. Stevens reverses the traditional emotional intelligence order, arguing that regulation must come before awareness and choices. He explains that insight without nervous-system recovery leads to rumination and repeated behaviors, and sh... more

In Episode 7 of EQ Unlocked, Matthew F. Stevens explores the shift from automatic reaction to emotional regulation. This episode explains how emotional intelligence helps us pause, notice, and choose more intentional responses in everyday life. Rathe... more

In this personal episode, Matthew F. Stevens recounts the last times he saw his parents and Ashley, revealing unexpected moments that shifted his memory and purpose. He reflects on selfish patterns, honest conversations, a sudden breakdown on the roa... more

In this episode Matthew Stevens explores the hard work of ownership: facing the harm we caused, accepting responsibility without shame, and using emotional intelligence to make better choices. He shares personal stories about realizing when his unreg... more

Matthew F. Stevens shares how a lifetime shaped by trauma became his identity and how a simple instruction—"take care of yourself"—gave him permission to begin healing. He describes the survival behaviors that once protected him, how they later limit... more

There was a time when my reactions kept me alive — but they were also keeping me stuck.

In this episode of EQ Unlocked, I explore how survival responses can quietly turn into identity, shaping how we think, relate, parent, lead, and love. I share pe... more

This episode is a moment of clarity. I know who I am now and this is where we're going.

For years, I’ve shared my voice publicly—through social media, books, and past podcasts—often speaking honestly, but from a place shaped by hurt, pain, and unres... more