Name: Built on Belief
Author: Matt Marcotte

About the Book

What Fuels Successful Brands? Belief. In Built on Belief, author and leadership advisor Matt Marcotte offers a powerful reminder that people—not products—are a brand’s secret sauce. This time-tested narrative shows what happens when leaders and teams turn belief into a competitive advantage. Belief fuels commitment—and commitment beats compliance every time. This book is for leaders who value collaboration over control, employees who thrive through connection, and customers who turn into advocates one experience at a time. You won’t find quick fixes or corporate buzzwords here. Instead, Marcotte leans into three decades of hands-on leadership to explore the following:

Clarifying and codifying the beliefs that shape your brand
Shifting from box-checking compliance to heart-led commitment
Inspiring people to strive toward a shared North Star

When you’re ready to build a culture of belief that starts in the heart, aligns the head, and moves through every hand, Built on Belief shows you the way.

Praise

“Built on Belief is what happens when a world-class leader finally shares his playbook. When Matt was leading our teams at Apple, he made belief tangible-it shaped how we operated, how we showed up, and how we grew. Now, he's captured that wisdom in a way that's accessible, inspiring, and deeply practical. A must-read for any leader serious about building something meaningful, lasting-and extraordinary.”

— Stephanie Fehr, Chief People Officer at UnitedHealthcare

“Reading Built on Belief felt like sitting in one of Matt's team meetings-where the conversation always starts with purpose, ends in action, and somehow expands your understanding of purposeful leadership. This book captures that rare gift. It's practical, powerful, and full of lived wisdom."”

— Brigitte Kleine, CEO of KHAITE

“Culture doesn't compete with strategy-it's what gives it power. In Built on Belief, Matt Marcotte shows that the most impactful brands are born from intention rooted in meaning. This book challenges leaders to go beyond managing work and start leading with purpose. When people understand why the work matters, they engage more deeply. And when culture reflects that meaning, it drives belonging, fuels performance, and creates the conditions for lasting, meaningful success.”

— Brian Solis, futurist, 9x bestselling author of Mindshift: Transform Leadership, Drive Innovation, and Reshape the Future

About Matt Marcotte

Matt Marcotte is the founder of M2 Collaborative, a leadership coaching and brand strategy consultancy. He has spent more than three decades in the C-suite building, scaling, reinventing, and leading some of the most valuable brands in the world including Apple, Gap, Tory Burch, Bergdorf Goodman, and Salesforce. Matt teaches an MBA course on consumer and brand relationships at Boston College, his alma mater, and is a Columbia University trained coach. He has been one of RETHINK Retail's 100 Most Influential People and Thinkers360 Top 100 Thought Leaders. He lives in Boston with his husband and dog.