The work & the Path to it...


This work was not born in a comfort zone. Nothing here was learned quickly.
My journey began in 2011 at Sandhurst, commissioning into the Royal Gurkha Rifles. In 2012, just as I reached my physical peak, I was diagnosed with Stage 2 cancer. Offered a medical discharge, I declined. Rebuilding resilience under adversity revealed new ways to lead, make decisions, and perform when the stakes are highest; lessons that continue to inform how leaders and high-performing individuals are guided through pressure today.
Throughout a military career spanning operational tours, jungle warfare training, and service in a discreet counter-terrorism unit in Singapore, I gained first-hand insight into leadership and human performance under extreme conditions. Alongside service, I studied philosophy and psychology and became a formally qualified coach. This combination of academic perspective and practical experience enables guidance that is both rigorous and grounded, helping individuals navigate high-pressure challenges and pursue meaningful growth.
Through fearless coaching, combining challenge and empathy, I work with individuals committed to understanding themselves, strengthening resilience, and acting deliberately under pressure. The focus is on leadership, mindset, identity, resilience, and high-pressure decision-making; creating frameworks for clarity, consistency, and performance that last.
Outside of work, life is recharged through mixed martial arts, motorcycles, long walks with family and my loyal hound, Cub, and reading fantasy and historical fiction.
In 2026, I’m venturing into ultra-distance running; a way to “feed the rat” and keep testing myself, both physically and mentally.
Matthew Addison-Black
Coach | Speaker | Psychologist
Memento mori
Remember you must die






