Grow or Fold

Transform Yourself in Midlife and Beyond

Grow or Fold, a genre-flipping, profoundly personal, and provocative book, reclassifies what it means to succeed in midlife and beyond. With insight, sincerity, and a tool kit shaped by adversity, Matt Ross—former CEO of School of Rock and architect of One River School—invites you on his journey of metamorphosis, purpose, and resilience.

At fifty years old, staring personal hardship and chaos in the face, Ross chose to grow rather than give up. This book is his blueprint and your invitation to do the same. Combining unvarnished storytelling and applied knowledge, Grow or Foldwill steer you through the turbulence of change with confidence and clarity. You’ll be able to assess your direction, reestablish your core values, and create a future that aligns with your truest self.

If you’re feeling stagnant, unsure, or want more, the call to action is in your hands. When confronted with challenges, there is only one option: GROW OR FOLD?

$30.00
ISBN: 979-8-89138-865-9
Imprint: Amplify Publishing
SKU: 18-1457-01
Categories:Amplify Publishing, Entrepreneurship, Self-Esteem and Personal Success

"Matt Ross proves it’s never too late to change everything. Grow or Fold is raw, honest, and packed with the kind of wisdom you only earn by living it. If you’re at a crossroads in your life, this book will show you how to move forward on your terms."

—Mel Robbins, New York Times bestselling author of The Let Them Theory and host of The Mel Robbins Podcast

“Matt Ross has done a remarkable job staring life’s greatest challenges in the eye and moving through them thoughtfully and with great passion. Midlife is such a unique time for all of us and a chance to reset our path for the rest of our lives, and Matt’s journey and compelling toolkit will light a fire in you and help guide you through the process of transforming your life.”

—Jack Canfield, coauthor of the #1 New York Times bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul® series and The Success Principles™: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be

“Grow or Fold is a wake-up call for anyone who thinks midlife is about coasting. Matt Ross takes you inside the messiness of reinvention with grit, humor, and hard-won wisdom from a life in music, art, and business. He shows that midlife isn’t about slowing down—it’s about choosing growth, even when the world dares you to fold.”

—Marshall Goldsmith, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Triggers, What Got You Here Won't Get You There, and The Earned Life

Matt Ross

Founder and Former CEO

Matt Ross is an entrepreneur, author, and former media executive with over thirty years of experience building businesses that inspire passion and creativity. From rocking New York’s airwaves to scaling global education brands, he’s spent his career blending business savvy with a passion for the arts. Now, he is the author of Grow or Fold, a profound story of awakening your enthusiasm for growth with a call to action to transform yourself in midlife and beyond.

Since 2012, Matt has been the Founder and CEO of One River School, a company whose mission is to “Transform Art Education®.” Today, One River School operates fifteen schools in six states with plans for substantial growth over the next five years. In 2005, Matt invested in and became the CEO of School of Rock and turned a struggling music education startup into a dominant brand. Under his leadership, the company grew from five to fifty-five locations, while securing commitments for another fifty locations. In 2009, he engineered a sale of majority ownership to Sterling Capital and stayed on as an investor and multi-unit franchise operator until its sale to Roark Capital in 2023.

From 1989 to 2005, Matt led some of the most important radio brands, including: Q104.3, New York’s Classic Rock Station, and Hot 97, New York’s Hip Hop Station. Matt was featured in Crain’s New York Business’s “40 Under 40” and is responsible for increasing shareholder value by billions of dollars for Clear Channel, Viacom, Emmis, and Broadcasting Partners Inc.

Matt holds an MBA in Finance from the Stern School of Business at NYU and is a cum laude graduate in Marketing from SUNY Albany. He is also a former member of the Board of Trustees for Art 21 and the Bergen Performing Arts Center.

His advocacy efforts focus on two main areas: supporting organizations that build communities for adults with autism, such as Reed Autism Services and United Way of Bergen County, and championing artists and arts-based organizations. Along the way, he has also built a personal collection of contemporary art that now includes over 400 artworks from more than 100 artists.

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