GO with Joe

Hijacking Super Bowl Commercials. Brand vs. Performance Marketing. Social Proofs Ads vs. Demographic Targeting. 

Feeling stuck on how to start marketing on Facebook, Instagram or Google? Joe cuts through the noise to share a simple and proven, early-stage business strategy. Learn how to build buzz, drive sales, and make every dollar work harder—without falling into the common traps that drain budgets. From hijacking big brand moments to letting the algorithm find your perfect customer, this episode gives you the blueprint to build your online business.

Key Takeaways:

- Brand + Performance Marketing: Master the two-part formula for awareness and sales.

- PR is your secret weapon—and your ad content goldmine.

- Ride the wave of competitor campaigns and cultural moments (Go Brewing landing pages vs. Heineken Zero Super Bowl commercials).

- Feed the algorithm with creative variety, not guesses at demographic targeting.

- What metrics to measure so your ads pay for themselves.

Joe shares expert advice based on his experience building and selling two companies that were at the forefront of digital marketing, as well as real-world examples building a non-alcoholic beverage company that sells online.

Build Email Flows that Unlock Value, Drive Sales & Create Relationships

The most undervalued resource of your business is your ability to contact customers directly so why would you spend money to drive people to your website or store if you can't stay in touch with them? In this episode Joe explains why you shouldn't spend money on ads until you build a system to earn customers' contact information and then send emails (or text messages) that will:

Joe shares a behind-the-curtain look at the automated email flows that he developed for Go Brewing and Easy Man, but these practical tips can apply to any business even ones that are not in e-commerce.

In this episode, Joe explains what many startups fail to do before they spend their first dollar on ads. From crafting a clear value proposition to optimizing your website for the buyer's journey, you'll learn how to build a brand experience that converts. Using real examples—like the launch of Easy Man, a hemp-derived THC beverage—we explore the importance of testing, simple UX, lead capture, and focusing on one customer persona. Whether you're a first-time founder or scaling an e-commerce brand, this episode reveals the foundation you must build before launching any campaign. Get the infrastructure right—then go grow.

In this episode, we dismantle the myth that market research requires big budgets or third-party consultants. Instead, Joe breaks down a founder-tested approach to validating ideas using nothing more than a spreadsheet, common sense, and hard-earned insight.

We walk through:

Why you don’t need fancy market research to validate your idea—just your brain and Google.

How to use pricing data and margin math to identify viable product opportunities.

The crucial decision between co-manufacturing vs. in-house production and its long-term implications.

Why subscriptions can be a game-changer, and how Go Brewing built its recurring revenue from day one.

The overlooked cost of customer acquisition and why owning your data (email, SMS) trumps retail or Amazon-only models.

How products like Jolie and Liquid Death disrupted legacy categories by reframing formats and lifestyle positioning.

The reality of building something ahead of its time—including the lonely early days of Go Brewing’s non-alcoholic taproom.

A candid take on why great product > great marketing—you can’t market your way out of mediocrity.

The takeaway? You don’t need permission or perfection to start—you need proof. And you can get that by doing the work yourself before hiring or scaling.

You've got the idea. You've done the research. So why are you still waiting? Multi-exit founder breaks down the psychology that keeps most people stuck in the "someday" phase - and the exact questions he asks himself before taking the leap.

The Crucial Role of Attorneys in Startups: Lessons from a Seasoned Entrepreneur

In this episode, Joe reflects on his entrepreneurial journey, emphasizing the importance of hiring specialized legal counsel when starting a business. He discusses his experiences with different types of business structures and the significant financial benefits he achieved through proper legal advice, such as qualifying for QSBS (Qualified Small Business Stock) by structuring his software company as a C corporation. Joe advises new entrepreneurs to consult industry-specific attorneys to lay a strong foundation for their business and shares insights on effectively forming and maintaining legal relationships.

00:00 Introduction: Lessons from Starting a Company

Where does ambition really come from? Joe and his cohost dive deep into the messy reality behind entrepreneurial success—from studying 15 seconds at a time on the assembly line to scaling Go Brewing while implementing new systems with a lean team.

James Lawrence, "The Iron Cowboy," and Joe sit down to discuss many topics, including a part of his story that isn't well known, Ironman training, mental toughness, and so much more. 

• https://www.notalmostthere.com

Dan Cnossen is a Navy Seal, Paralympic gold Medalist, and leadership guru.  Dan became a Navy Seal in 2003. Over the next six years, Dan was deployed multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan and rose in rank to become the officer-in-charge of an 18-man SEAL platoon. In 2009, Dan was deployed to Afghanistan, into an area of heavy combat. There, on a night mission in the mountains, he stepped on an IED, losing both legs in the blast. He would later be awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star with Valor. As part of his rehab, he was introduced to the sports of cross-country skiing and biathlon. Never one to shy from a challenge, he eventually earned a spot on the 2014 U.S. Paralympic Team. At the 2018 Paralympic Games Dan stole the show, remarkably winning one gold, four silver and one bronze medal over a period of eight days earning the honor of Best Male Athlete of The Games. 

🔍 Breakdown with Dan Cnossen:

Chapter 2 (1:53) Joining the seal team

Chapter 3 (10:35) Learning leadership ideals from seals

Chapter 4 (16:27) The BUDS experience

Chapter 5 (24:55) Mental tools used to get through BUDS

Chapter 6 (30:39) First years as a seal

Chapter 7 (36:37) What Afghanistan was like

Chapter 8 (41:18) The explosion

Chapter 9 (49:45) The hard road of recovery

Chapter 10 (57:27) Finding a future in sports

Chapter 11 (70:10) Mindset through challenges

Chapter 12 (77:24) Closing Remarks

👊 To learn more about Not Almost There by visiting this link 

Connect with Joe on social here:

Ayelet Fishbach PhD, is the Professor of Behavioral Science and Marketing at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and the past president of the Society for the Study of Motivation and the International Social Cognition Network (ISCON). She is an expert on motivation and decision making and the author of Get it Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation. Ayelet’s groundbreaking research on human motivation has won her several international awards, including the Society of Experimental Social Psychology’s Best Dissertation Award and Career Trajectory Award, and the Fulbright Educational Foundation Award.

IN THIS EPISODE…Joe discusses with Ayelet, who has dedicated her life to the science behind motivation and most recently published a book they get into today, how to best set yourself up for success in your personal goal setting. In this conversation, you will understand how to set goals you will stick with, focus on success in the middle of the journey of your goals, as the beginning and end tend to be blissful, and of course, significant strategy and tips you can start using today.

🔍 Breakdown with Ayelet Fishbach:

📞 Connect with Ayelet Fishbach

👊 To learn more about Not Almost There by visiting this link 

Connect with Joe on social here: