How a near-death experience changed this founder’s approach to fear

In this episode of Masters of Scale, host Jeff Berman interviews Matthew Pohlson, the founder and CEO of Omaze, about his journey scaling a for-profit business model that fuels charitable giving. Pohlson recounts the inspiration behind Omaze, stemming from a Magic Johnson charity auction, and details the evolution of the company from offering celebrity experiences to focusing on high-value prizes like houses. He shares a near-death experience that reshaped his perspective on fear and business decisions, leading to pivotal changes such as shifting from celebrity-based campaigns to prize-focused models and concentrating operations in the UK. Pohlson emphasizes the importance of storytelling in entrepreneurship and explains how Omaze selects charities, highlighting the company's impact with the London Air Ambulance. He also touches on the broader role of companies in doing good, even if impact isn't core to their business model, and expresses optimism about the prevalence of empathy and compassion in the world.