What We Learned When No One Wanted What We Loved (and how that saved us money!)

A/B testing online for customer preferences was a tried and true strategy for Joe as he built websites and digital marketing campaigns in the automotive space, but how could he apply those lessons for CPG retail in the "real world?" He shares a wake-up moment as a founder about confidence, bias, and the importance of testing ideas before scaling. From launching a canned water experiment that looked clever on paper—but creeped people out in real life—to uncovering what customers actually want, this conversation is packed with lessons for entrepreneurs who think their “gut” is enough.

5 Key Takeaways:

• Your confidence doesn’t equal customer preference: Watch, listen and learn from your customers especially in early stages of product development.

• How to test in the real world to prevent expensive mistakes: simple DIY experiments can yield valuable insights.

• If you're inside the bottle, you can't read the label: Good branding is important but being overly clever can backfire when customers don’t “get it.”

• Data beats opinions: whether from surveys, ads, or in-person experiments you don't need a lot of data to make better decisions and you've got no excuse for not collecting data.

• Tips to avoid paralysis by analysis: meet your customers where they are, test only what matters, and keep going.

Tips to Approach Diet & Fitness: Test, Track & Take Action Now

Joe gets candid about his journey from neglecting fitness while grinding to grow his business to losing 45 pounds, running marathons, and sustaining healthier habits to be a better business leader, father, and husband. The connection between entrepreneurship and personal health is often overlooked so we break down the myths of “perfect routines,” why waiting until “next week” never works, and how small changes with realistic expectations can transform both your health and your business. Plus Joe shares his own shortcomings to help others assess what’s right for their own lifestyles.

Key Take-Aways:

• Start Now, Not “Next Week:” Putting off health until “Monday” or “after the holiday” is just a delay tactic. If you don’t tolerate delays in your business, why would you delay making changes to improve your health?
• Better Health = Better Leadership: Prioritizing fitness and diet leads to greater energy, mental clarity, and confidence, directly impacting performance as an entrepreneur.
• Sleep Is the Foundation: Without adequate rest, exercise and nutrition won’t deliver results—protect your sleep first.
• In Your Diet, Track Weeks, Not Days: Weight loss and body transformation are 90% diet; tracking calories and protein intake is a game-changer, but you have to track results over weeks, not days.

Accountability Creates Momentum: Challenges, races, or workout partners provide the structure and motivation to stick with new habits.

Rule of Thirds for Startups: Big Wins, Paper Cuts & When to Call a Spiritual Healer

In an Ask-Me-Anything episode Joe shares intimate stories from behind the scenes of starting and running his businesses including the surreal moment of getting a $200+ Million offer and when the only solution was to call a spiritual healer to cleanse the business.

Key Take-Aways For Entrepreneurs:

• Measuring growth in thirds to find the right balance
• Why you should keep banging on the doors of opportunity
• How to handle wins that validate risk and losses that can't be corrected
• How losing key employees can be a time to reset operational needs
• Having an optimistic attitude to protect against unpredictable setbacks