Sage Against the Machine

Joe welcomes a longtime friend Matthew Curtis (now leading digital experiences at Ford) for a candid, grounded conversation about burnout, bravery, and becoming. They unpack the shift from achievement-at-all-costs to authentic leadership, the difference between reinvention and rediscovery, and how humility turns empathy into action at work and at home. From therapy and coaching to Viktor Frankl, f...

This week, Joe sits down with Christine Reyes to unpack one of the most misunderstood roles in business. If the visionary paints the mural, the integrator builds the scaffolding and gets it finished; on time, on purpose. They dive into what a fractional integrator really does, how to handle tough issues with courage and grace, and why awareness is only 10% while practice is mastery. If you’re a fo...

Ameen Fadel started Cedar Valley with $3,000 and a bottle of his mom’s legendary fattoush dressing. What began as a side hustle in high school has since evolved into a fast-growing national brand; and not by accident. In this episode, Joe and Ameen dive into the mindset shifts, family dynamics, and gut-check moments that led to Cedar Valley’s pivot from salad dressings to pita chip dominance.  The...

In this powerful episode of Sage Against the Machine , Joe sits down with Dale, co-owner of two Club Pilates studios in Windsor Ontario, for a deep dive into the mental and emotional terrain of entrepreneurship. They explore how Dale protects his energy as a hyper-vigilant leader, how his partnership with his wife Sarah evolved through growing their business, and how they’ve created a judgment-fre...

In this grounded episode of Sage Against the Machine , Joe reconnects with longtime friend and AlphaKOR president Frank Abbruzzese. What begins as a chat about Frank’s new book, Building Legacies , turns into a reflective journey across decades of leadership, humility, and human connection. Frank shares how a childhood on a roadside fruit stand shaped his views on service, how over a decade of blo...

In this heartfelt conversation with Amanda Gellman (a lifelong community builder, nonprofit leader, and passionate advocate for the arts), Joe explores what it really means to serve. They dig into Amanda’s journey from Newfoundland to Windsor, and the winding path that led her to revitalize a downtown film center in Windsor, ON. From mental health to human trafficking, from economic revitalization...

Most people think of accountants as necessary evils; cold calculators of taxes owed and deductions missed. But in this episode of Sage Against the Machine , Joe sits down with financial coach and accountant Moe Mustapha to blow up that stereotype. They explore what it means to create a judgment-free space around money, why most business owners are operating on emotional autopilot, and how the Prof...