Success without fulfillment is a recipe for misery and self-loathing—trust me, I know. For years, I built businesses and followed society’s playbook, chasing what I thought was success. But despite the outward achievements, I felt trapped in a cycle of frustration. I constantly questioned if there was something wrong with me, battling expectations that didn’t align with who I really was. It wasn’t until my CEO challenged me to ‘level up’ that I began a journey of deep introspection…
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“Joey, you’re a great guy, but you’re a B-grader. You need to level up.” I’ll never forget hearing those words from the CEO of the company I was working with. He had given me a huge opportunity to work with him and his team. I respected this man. I trusted him. And as much as those words felt like a slap in the face, I needed to hear them. That was in 2016, but let’s rewind further back.
Enter mid-20s Joey. Cushy corporate gig, steady paycheck, benefits, retirement plan, nice condo. On paper, I’d “made it”. I did everything I was supposed to do. I’d lived the American – or rather, Canadian – dream.
But every Monday when I went and sat down in my “corporate cubicle cage”, I wanted to curl up into a fetal position under my desk and cry. Ever seen that movie Office Space? That was my life – and I hated it.
So I did what any smart guy in his 20s with job security would do – I quit. I took all the money I had saved up and bought a horse farm. I also started a gym, because you know, why not? And because I had so much free time on my hands (kidding), I spent nights and weekends diving into the world of digital marketing and affiliate management. Cowboy by morning, gym buff by afternoon, dot-com millionaire wannabe by night. I was living the entrepreneurial dream – again, on paper. But I still hated my life.
From the outside looking in, it would appear as though I was “successful” in everything I did. But to me, no matter how much money I made or professional growth I achieved, it was never good enough. My businesses were killing me. My marriage was failing. I was drinking away a pain I knew to be emotional, but couldn’t identify the source. I blamed everyone but myself for my misery. I was checked out, high-strung, and ready to implode.
I was suffering through one of the worst periods of my life when I got called into that meeting with my CEO and heard those words that served as my wake-up call. I didn’t fully grasp it at the time, but that moment was the death of the ego-driven version of Joey and the beginning of my personal evolution.
about myself, about my beliefs, about what it means to be successful, about the people I surrounded myself with, about the situations and experiences that had influenced my perception of the world since before I could remember. I asked myself: “If I’m a B-grader, what is an A-grader doing differently? What do I need to do emotionally, mentally, spiritually? What do I need to fix? How can I change?” If I’d done everything the “right” way and it made me miserable, clearly more of the same wasn’t going to get me to the next level – whatever that looked like.
Still, I knew I needed a clean slate – a fresh start. So I got divorced, sold the farm and gym, and went back to the drawing board – literally. I pulled out my trusty old whiteboard and started mapping out the vision I had for Joey 2.0. I got really clear on what I truly wanted my life to look like, who I wanted to be, and how I wanted to present myself to the world. For the first time ever, it wasn’t about what I thought I should do, but I was intentional about what Joey actually wanted.
I read every book and took every course I could get my hands on. I hired mindset experts and surrounded myself with others on a journey of personal transformation. I went to therapy. I tried meditating. I experimented with emotional freedom techniques and tapping. I was open to doing anything and everything, accepting feedback, and learning from others who seemed to be living the type of life I aspired to have.
I became obsessed with the “art of influence” and the idea that we all have this innate ability to influence ourselves rather than rely on the influences of outside people and forces. I realized that for most of my life I had been trying to live up to someone else’s vision of what I should do with my life and chasing society’s version of success. But by challenging those assumptions and becoming deeply introspective, I was able to identify the “lies” that existed in my habitual thoughts and beliefs.
Slowly but surely, I started experiencing a transformation. I learned to forgive, accept, and love myself – and the people I cared about most, even those who had “wronged” me. I made amends. I realized that the success, joy, and peace I was looking for didn’t exist at the end of some mythical rainbow – they were right in front of me all along. I’d just been ignoring the signs.
I eventually met my soulmate and, as one does, told her I wanted kids on our first date. I removed the mask, stopped pretending, and got vulnerable. It wasn’t long before we welcomed a beautiful baby boy into the world, and then another. We purchased our dream waterfront home in a quiet little town – just like I’d pictured on my vision board. Today, I’m having more fun in my business than I’ve ever had. I’m making more money than ever, too – except it rarely feels like “work”. I don’t do anything that I feel like I have to do. Now, I get to build businesses and work on projects I’m truly passionate about.
Now, I’m on a mission to help others who are open to changing their life do the same. Because when you can master the art of self-influence, you can transform your entire reality, design a life you truly love, and step into the fullest expression of who you are meant to be.
My journey isn’t just about finding success—it’s about living with purpose, authenticity, and the deep knowing that you hold the power to shape your life. And now, I’m here to help others unlock that same power, to stop settling for ‘good enough,’ and to start creating the life they were always destined to live.
My hope is that you take some of what I’ve experience from both the good and the bad and draw inspiration in your own journey and apply some of the teachings I have to offer into your own life.
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