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Failed Restaurants, Massive Debt, and an NBA Ring: Joel Steele's Unbelievable Comeback

  1. Failed Restaurants, Massive Debt, and an NBA Ring: Joel Steele's Unbelievable Comeback Dave Gulas 27:02

Joel Steele had a gun pointed in his face at 2 AM in Camden, New Jersey at 17 years old.

The man holding it looked back and forth between Joel and his friend and said: which one should I put a hole in first? They got out.

Joel decided that was the last time he was going to press his luck. What followed was a healthy fast food restaurant built from scratch with no experience, no Money, and no restaurant background, three locations, national ambitions, and $850,000 in debt by the time he was 24. He walked the streets of Philadelphia envying the homeless people he passed because they had nothing left to lose. He did.

Then he became a financial advisor on straight commission.

He started at zero every single day. He paid off $850,000 in debt in less than two years. Then that stopped feeling like enough.

In this episode, Dave Gulas sits down with Joel Steele, author of Life Switch and minority owner of an NBA championship affiliate, to go through the whole arc. The gun. The restaurant collapse. The debt payoff. The moment success stopped feeling like success. The three Ps from his book, Potential, Passion, and Purpose and how he applies them to help other people find their own life switch moments.

And the NBA championship ring that showed up at his house after the Denver Nuggets won it all in 2023. That one he did not see coming.

Joel’s story runs through a gun in his face, $850,000 in debt at 24, and a championship ring he never put on a goal list. Each chapter built on what the last one cost him. __________________________________________

Connect with Joel Steele: linkedin.com/in/joel-steele-9685888/?skipRedirect=true

Learn more about our episode sponsor, Max Capital Hub: https://maxcapitalhub.com/

#entrepreneurship #founder #lifestruggles #lifeswitch #businessowner

Dave Gulas President & Co-Founder of EZDC 3PL, Host of The Beyond Fulfillment Podcast

Dave Gulas attended the University of Michigan-Dearborn prior to his 20+ year of sales/executive career within the medical and pharmaceutical industries. He since Co-Founded EZDC 3PL, a third-party logistics firm and he hosts the Beyond Fulfillment podcast, a weekly YouTube interview focused on entrepreneurial journeys. EZDC 3PL launched in 2022 and is headquartered in Kentucky, with an additional location in Maryland. They provide warehousing, fulfillment, and transportation services to manufacturers and ecommerce companies – reliably and affordably. Known for personal service, fast response time and flexibility, EZDC 3PL takes the “headache” out of fulfillment and helps customers grow as a true extension of their business. Visit them at ezdc3pl.com