Overview

Lt. Col. Joe "Coach" Cruz has spent 32 years in uniform and every year of it trying to make the people around him better. This episode covers building meaningful connection and military peer training pipelines that actually work, running a 50-mile ultramarathon at 50 years old, and the three mantras that have guided everything Joe Cruz does.

About Joe Cruz

Lt. Col. Joe "Coach" Cruz is an Army officer and human performance leader with more than 32 years of military service, and a concurrent career dedicated to optimizing human performance. He currently serves as the Transformation and Innovation Officer to The Adjutant General for the New Mexico Army National Guard, where he leads initiatives focused on readiness, innovation, and organizational transformation.

Coach Cruz has commanded at both the company and battalion levels and deployed twice to the CENTCOM area of operations, serving on Embedded Transition and Military Engagement Teams that advised and assisted Afghan National Army and Jordanian Armed Forces personnel in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Spartan Shield.

Before transitioning to the Army's Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) program in 2020, he spent a decade as a Human Performance Program Manager supporting U.S. Special Operations Forces. He later served as H2F Program Director for the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team at Fort Bliss, Texas, and the 165th Infantry Training Brigade at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

Coach Cruz is passionate about building systems that improve readiness through leadership, physical preparation, education, and interdisciplinary collaboration. His mission is to help individuals and organizations live ready and win.

Episode Takeaways

• Live ready and win — not a slogan, a standard. The commitment to being physically, mentally, and spiritually prepared for whatever comes next
• Never out of the fight — keep moving forward regardless of pace, conditions, or how far you have left to go
• Don't be defined by what you do — be defined by who you are. You don't need a uniform or a title to contribute goodness to the world
• Always improve your fighting position — constant forward motion, constant refinement, constant contribution
• Hire for character and train for skill — emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills are harder to develop than technical competency
• The challenge became the gift — at mile 38 of a 50-mile ultra, Joe wasn't suffering. He was grateful.
• Reciprocal energy — the best rooms are the ones where energy flows both ways. Build those rooms intentionally.
• Show up for people — when Coach Uch needed someone, Joe canceled his trips and drove to Arizona. That's the standard.
• Meaningful connection requires intentionality — the circle gets smaller as life gets busier. Protect it and maximize every overlap.
• We are contagious — when you live your best life and stay ready, you don't infect people. You inspire them.

Episode Links

The Talent War — by Mike Sarraille and George Randle
Armed Forces Series Challenge
North Fork 50-miler