After being diagnosed with an incurable cancer while he was still in college, Joe decided to commit whatever time he had left to spending five hours per day, five days per week, studying life. He wanted to identify what he now refers to as Simple, Common, Timeless Human Truths about life. In his quest, Joe felt compelled to answer a simple, yet difficult question, before he was overcome by the cancer:
What is the essence of a fulfilling, successful and happy life?

What Joe couldn’t know when he made this promise was that with incredible advances in chemotherapy, he would become one of the first people ever cured of metastasized, testicular cancer. With this gift, he decided he would continue his study, and began to systematically collect and analyze his findings about the essence of a fulfilling, successful and happy life. His efforts culminated in a best-selling book and PBS special, both called The Power of Losing Control, as well as a highly successful career as a compelling and engaging keynote speaker.


As the world began to learn more about Joe, and vice versa, businesses and organizations wanted him to apply his findings to their needs. With that, Joe set about applying his tried and true approach of studying life to studying the Simple, Common, Timeless, Truths about Business and organizational success, which he now applies with leadership teams and organizations worldwide.

Joe is acclaimed as one of the most respected business and organizational advisors in the world. He is the only non-multinational CEO to be invited to address the Admirals and Generals at the National Defense University. Joe has also been invited to teach and share his findings at the Keenan Flagler Business School, and the Naval Post-Graduate Academy, and was named one of the 50 Most Influential Minds in Personal Development by Nightingale-Conant.

Joe lives one third of the year on an island between Michigan and Canada with his wife, Carol. The rest of the year they travel for business and pleasure.