Matt Paxton, a regular on A&E TV’s Hoarders, traced his success back to his Mary Washington days during a February presentation on campus. Karen Pearlman
Garbage guru Matt Paxton ’97 shared his struggles and successes with a standing-room-only crowd in Monroe Hall on Feb. 1.
“I wouldn’t be the best trash dude in the world if I hadn’t screwed up,” said Paxton, author of The Secret Lives of Hoarders and extreme cleaning expert on the A&E television show Hoarders.
The business administration major displayed a photo of himself and his Mary Washington roommates in Bushnell Hall, looking like typical ’90s college students.
After graduation, however, his life took several unexpected turns.
Paxton, who owns the Richmond-based company Clutter Cleaner, spoke openly about his struggles with unemployment, failed business ventures, and the death of his father. All, he said, led him to his gig on an Emmy-nominated reality show.
He shared hard-earned wisdom with today’s students. “Suffering is awesome,” he said.
“Don’t be afraid of rock bottom.” And, “There is opportunity in everything.”
He also stressed maintaining a connection with one’s alma mater as a tool to success. “Everywhere I went,” Paxton said, “I ran into someone from Mary Washington.”
In March, Paxton delivered Memoirs: How We Cope, a discussion on helping others with personal biological and psychological issues, at Virginia Festival of the Book in Charlottesville. Other speakers included Virginia Poet Laureate Kelly Cherry ’61 and UMW Chappell Great Lives Lecture Series Associate Director Charles J. Shields.