GO with Joe

Most people give presentations the wrong way — leading with credentials, cramming slides full of text, and talking about themselves when the audience only cares about one thing: what's in it for me. The result? Tuned-out rooms, forgotten pitches, and missed opportunities that could have changed everything.

Joe has given hundreds of presentations, from weekly all-staff meetings to major keynotes, and he's sat on the other side of the table just as many times. In this episode, he breaks down exactly why most presenters lose their audience before they even get started, and the storytelling framework that makes people take notes, take action, and remember you long after you've left the room.

What you'll learn:

For: Entrepreneurs, sales professionals, founders, and anyone who needs to present ideas and get people to care.

Topics: Presentations, public speaking tips, sales pitch, storytelling for business, how to win a room, entrepreneurship, personal development

This is bigger than the Internet. It's a new way of being in the world. And its transformation of "work" is a force multiplier.

(Part 3 in a mini-series on how to use AI now.)

Most people think AI is a tool you learn, like Excel. It's not. It's something you have to learn to think with — and that changes everything. Joe and Dakota discuss why the people who get that now will be years ahead of everyone else, and why the ones who don't are already behind.

What you'll learn:

For: Anyone who wants to stop reacting to the future and start building it.

Topics: artificial intelligence, future of work, entrepreneurship, personal development, career strategy, AI tools, mindset, productivity

This is what democratized tech solutions look like, for business and life.

(Part 2 in a mini-series on how to use AI right now.)

From a custom app that rewards his son's treadmill miles with screen time to a personal news feed curated around his exact interests, to developing a bespoke headless commerce app for his business, Joe makes the case that anyone, not just entrepreneurs, can now design the technology experiences they've always wanted but never had. 

Discussion Highlights:

For: Business owners, entrepreneurs, parents, and anyone who has ever used a product and thought — I'd have built this differently.

Topics: headless commerce, API integration, e-commerce personalization, AI tools, democratized technology, custom apps, small business software

Googling Gives You Answers. AI Builds Tools to Solve Your Problems. Just Ask It.

(Part 1 in a mini-series on tips for using AI)

Most business leaders are using AI to draft emails and summarize documents. Joe is using it to build custom operating systems, automated and integrated CRM platforms, and lead-scoring tools — without writing a single line of code. The biggest unlock isn't knowing how to code. It's knowing how to describe your problem.

In this episode, Joe walks through real examples from his own businesses — including how he automated a multi-step wholesale retailer approval process that used to take an hour — and shares how he helped a nonprofit CEO realize AI could transform their weekend voicemail backlog into an automated, real-time response system.

Key Takeaways:

For: Business owners, entrepreneurs, and operators across any industry who know AI can do more for their business but don't know where to start.

Topics: AI for business, business automation, no-code tools, AI prompting, CRM, lead scoring, ChatGPT for business, AI productivity, nonprofit technology, operational efficiency

Why Big Goals Work and How Lived Experience Can't Be Measured

The goal was 5:35. The qualifying time for a double amputee to get into the Boston Marathon. It was an outrageous target and Joe had no idea. In this episode, recorded on the road while traveling to an Innovation Summit, Joe shares the Cedric King story that changed how he thinks about goal-setting, performance, and the surprising relationship between the two. What looks like a running story is really a lesson about what happens when you strip away past performance data and commit fully to what's possible.

Key Takeaways:

For: Entrepreneurs, business leaders, coaches, athletes, and anyone who has ever let past results talk them out of a goal worth chasing.

Topics: Goal setting, outrageous goals, performance vs. experience, Boston Marathon, Cedric King, guide running, double amputee athlete, business mindset, leadership, ignoring past performance, what's possible

How to align information with action, not distraction.

Comparison is the thief of joy — and it might be the thing quietly killing your momentum. Joe breaks down why watching competitors, obsessively consuming industry content, and chasing every "squirrel" in your feed can keep you from reaching your own destination. To get where you’re going, you have to know why and how you want to get there.

Key Takeaways:

For: Entrepreneurs, business owners, brand builders, athletes, and anyone prone to measuring their progress against others instead of their own goals.

Topics: Comparison trap, staying focused, goal setting, time-bound goals, social media distraction, entrepreneur mindset, business strategy, building a brand, joy and motivation, competition vs. vision

What happens when the life or business you've built becomes the very thing preventing you from growing? In this episode, Joe digs into the hard truth that the things (the co-workers, the business structure, the story about who you are and what you do) that got you to where you are today, may not be what gets you to where you ultimately want to go. From the factory floor to entrepreneurship, from personal bouts of injury and depression, Joe reflects on what he’s learned about radical transformation, and the courage it takes to “burn it down” and build something better, including a story about his friend Ben Mollin who inspired the creation of one of Go Brewing’s first beers.

Whether you're an entrepreneur navigating a critical growth stage, a professional feeling stuck in a career that no longer fits, or someone searching for a personal reset, this conversation will challenge the way you think about success, happiness, and starting over.

What you'll learn in this episode:

Topics Discussed: Business scaling and team building, fundraising challenges, personal reinvention, changing your environment, overcoming adversity, entrepreneurship, mental health and happiness, minimalism, ultra-running and fitness as transformation, craft beer and brand evolution.

See also Joe’s interview with Ben Mollin:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3CkJJtggnWzg5jH7Dbnwrx?si=75cbc65d480a4761

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/burn-it-down-with-ben-mollin-of-the-ben-mollin/id1547273354?i=1000535916616

An event with Ben Mollin at Go Brewing on March 7 & 8:

https://gobrewing.com/pages/burn-it-down-x-ben-mollin

The Alter-Ego Trick To Beat Performance Anxiety

Anxiety can be debilitating whether it manifests as a stutter, a bad attitude or feeling stuck. In this episode, Joe shares how he went from a kid with a stutter to a keynote speaker using a powerful mental technique: creating an alter ego. Learn the persona method Joe used to overcome his anxiety, how he taught his daughter to use it for sports performance, and why preparation and repetition are the real keys to building confidence. This episode delivers actionable techniques for turning fear into your greatest advantage.

Key Takeaways:

Key Topics: Public speaking anxiety, overcoming stuttering, alter ego technique, performance anxiety, building confidence, imposter syndrome, parenting advice for athletes, deliberate practice, entrepreneurship mindset, turning adversity into strength

How to get the trademark you want and need.

Ready to launch and name your new business? Don't file anything until you listen to this. Veteran entrepreneur Joe Chura shares the complete process for choosing a business name that won't get you sued—from Google searches and domain availability to USPTO trademark filing and protecting your brand equity.

Key Takeaways:

Whether you're launching a startup, side hustle, or scaling a brand, learn the step-by-step checklist for securing your business name legally—before you invest in logos, websites, and packaging.

Topics: how to trademark a business name, naming your business, USPTO trademark search, business name availability, domain name strategy, trademark attorney, startup legal tips

And why taking a lesser valuation might actually accelerate your growth.

Veteran entrepreneur and investor, Joe Chura, breaks down the critical questions every entrepreneur needs to answer before raising capital—and explains why even successful founders get more "nos" than you'd expect.

What you'll learn:

Real talk on valuation, dilution, time horizons, and why proving yourself matters more than your pitch deck. Whether you're bootstrapping or ready to raise, this episode reveals what investors are really thinking when they evaluate your business.

For: Startup founders, entrepreneurs seeking funding, business owners considering investment, first-time founders

Topics: Raising capital, angel investors, venture capital, convertible notes, SAFEs, startup funding, founder equity, business valuation, investor pitch