Decision State with Joe Steele

She built one of Japan's leading organic food brands from a $2,000 investment at a Tokyo farmers market. Fourteen years later, she moved to New York with her daughter to start over — alone, in a language she taught herself, in a market she thought she understood. She didn't. To enter the U.S. market and position for an IPO, she hired three C-suite executives and built the structure she bel...

A concern was there before the contract was signed. Rob Broadhead had worked with the contractor before. The relationship was good. The project looked viable. The timing was right. And when the questions started showing up, he chose to trust rather than push harder. A few months later, the missing work surfaced. The result wasn't just rework. It became hundreds of unbilled hours, opportunity cost...

A partnership with a major company looked like an obvious win. The reach was there. The brand was there. The market opportunity was there. What wasn't obvious was the amount of education, alignment, and execution required after the agreement was signed. What looked like a growth engine became a slow-moving operational challenge that continued to absorb time, attention, and momentum long after...

Everybody agreed on the problem. The recommendation was clear. The meetings happened. The conversations happened. And nothing changed. In this episode, Joe Steele sits down with Brandon Moon of TD Pine Advisors to explore what organizations reveal after agreement has already been reached. The conversation moves through founder bottlenecks, perceived authority versus actual authority, why people sa...

A fast-growing company fixes a checkout problem in days — and quietly creates a much bigger one underneath it. This episode with James Lang explores what happens inside organizations when speed starts overriding understanding. From payment systems to vendor relationships to engineering conflict, the conversation stays focused on a pattern most operators recognize immediately: everyone in the room...

Jerry Brazie has built, bought, and sold more than a dozen companies over thirty years. He was doing $25 million a year in revenue and clearing a quarter million a month in profit when a $4 million transportation company came across his desk. He took the financials to his peer group — the same people he'd been sitting with for twelve years, whose advice had helped build everything he had. They...

Eric Hoffman spent years as an attorney before building a legal tech company on his own. What started as a conversation about cold calling and startup pressure turned into something more specific: what happens when nobody is around to interrupt your thinking while you're carrying too much. In this episode, Eric talks about the Reddit post that made him question whether he was really building a com...

Angelo D’Amico runs a $25M+ manufacturing company and a second consumer brand with 60 people between them. When the wrong people started accumulating inside the business, he did what a good leader does — he tried to help them. Coached them. Gave them time. Gave them the benefit of the doubt. It didn’t work. And while he was trying to fix the individual, the people around them were quietly absorbin...

The partnership looked strong on paper. High volume. Big dollar figure. A sales leader confident enough to move it forward. But the product team knew the call would pull the company away from its roadmap. They talked about it with each other. They just didn't have enough political capital to make the concern reach the person making the decision. Six months later, the contract was canceled and...

Most hiring decisions don't fail immediately. The candidate checks out. The process is clean. The client signs off. And then something small goes sideways — sometimes eight months later. Darren Tompkins runs a multi-division recruiting firm with no debt, no office, and no outside capital, placing people into engineering, construction, and data-center projects where a wrong read has consequence...

Most leadership mistakes don’t look like mistakes in the moment. They feel necessary. In this conversation, Laurent Cohen reflects on what happens when hiring decisions speed up under pressure — and how intuition gets quietly overridden as momentum builds. Drawing from 30+ years of building companies across Europe, the U.S., and Israel, he describes how judgment narrows, why teams stop pushing bac...

Decision State explores how leadership judgment changes under sustained responsibility — often before results reflect it. Most senior leaders don’t burn out dramatically. Performance continues. Teams deliver. Outcomes hold. But decision quality can quietly shift. This show looks at how pressure influences clarity, timing, interpretation, and risk assessment over time — especially in demanding seas...

In this dynamic episode, host Joe Steele chats with Mark Wonderlin, the CEO and Founder of Austin-based Mosaic Media Films, to explore the art of video for brands and businesses. The episode dives into Mark's expertise in video marketing and how he helps businesses convert passive audiences into engaged customers. Mark shares his journey of building Mosaic Media Films, the strategies behind cr...

In this episode, host Joe Steele interviews Lindy Nowak, the founder and CEO of UpinaDay.co, to uncover the secret to standing out in a crowded marketplace: exceptional service. This episode explores how Lindy built her business on the foundation of providing unparalleled customer service and delivering rapid, high-quality results. Lindy shares her journey from launching UpinaDay.co, a company tha...

In this engaging episode of Experience Curve, host Joe Steele sits down with Manu Venditti, a seasoned linguist and founder of Italy Made Easy, to explore the fascinating world of language learning. The episode delves into Manu's belief that everyone has the potential to become a skilled linguist. Manu shares his journey of mastering multiple languages, the techniques he uses to help others do...

In this insightful episode of Experience Curve, host Joe Steele interviews Sean Tepper, the savvy entrepreneur and Founder of Tykr, to discuss the critical process of finding product-market fit. We delve into Sean’s experiences and strategies for aligning products with market needs. Sean shares his journey of trial and error, the lessons learned in honing his offerings, and how staying focused on...

In this episode, host Joe Steele sits down with Lance Cayko, an accomplished architect and co-founder of F9 Productions, to explore the inner workings of his architectural firm. The episode provides a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges and triumphs of running a successful architecture practice. Lance shares his insights on the creative process, the business side of architecture, and the impo...

In this enlightening episode, host Joe Steele talks with Mark Majkrzak, the innovative Founder and CEO of Responsibly Rain. This episode dives into Mark's mission to create a sustainable and responsible bottled water company. Mark shares his journey from identifying a critical environmental need to developing a product that addresses it head-on. He discusses the challenges of building an eco-f...

In this transformative episode, host Joe Steele interviews Kit Pang, the Founder and CEO of Boston Speaks, a leading public speaking coaching business. This episode explores Kit's journey from overcoming his own fear of public speaking to building a successful career helping others do the same. Kit shares his personal story of conquering anxiety, the pivotal moments that led to the creation of...

In this episode, host Joe Steele sits down with Wayne Mullins, the innovative Founder and CEO of Ugly Mug Marketing, to discuss the philosophy of prioritizing results over aesthetics. This episode delves into Wayne's unconventional approach to marketing as well as his own journey from business to business as a serial entrepreneur. Wayne shares his journey of building a successful marketing fir...

In this engaging episode, host Joe Steele converses with Giovanni Vanini, the visionary founder of Fides, an Italian company revolutionizing the tech industry with blockchain technology. This episode explores Giovanni's entrepreneurial journey and the innovative strides Fides is making in the blockchain space. Giovanni discusses the unique challenges and opportunities of operating a tech compa...

In this episode, host Joe Steele welcomes Valerie Trapunsky, the dynamic CEO and Founder of Chatterboss, to discuss the transformative power of delegation. This episode delves into Valerie's journey of building a successful business that helps entrepreneurs and executives manage their workloads more effectively. Valerie shares her expertise on the importance of delegation for personal and prof...

In this episode of Experience Curve, host Joe Steele sits down with Derick Johnson, a decorated Army veteran who is transforming lives through fitness. This episode delves into Derick's journey overcoming personal challenges to achieve, through his military service to building a thriving career dedicated to helping others. Derick shares his insights on maintaining a positive mindset, the impac...

In this episode, host Joe Steele sits down with Katrina Owens, the visionary founder of Knockout Directive PR firm, to explore the art of shaping stories and building influential brands. Katrina shares her journey from launching her own PR firm to becoming a leading force in the industry. She delves into the strategies and insights that have driven her success, including the importance of authenti...

In this episode, host Joe Steele engages in a compelling conversation with Amanda Goodall, a professional resume writer turned executive leadership coach. Amanda shares her unique journey from crafting standout resumes to guiding leaders towards their full potential. She discusses the evolving role of resumes in the age of AI and offers valuable advice for job seekers and entrepreneurs alike looki...