Joe refused to become an employee and instead negotiated a partnership deal that eventually led to full ownership of Northern Air, hammering out the details during late-night conversations in high school football bleachers with his future business partner. The transition from solo entrepreneur to company owner brought unexpected challenges as Joe grappled with the profound responsibility of leading a team and the weight of decisions that affect not just his own future, but the livelihoods of employees and their families. This conversation explores the psychological burden of business ownership and the commitment to creating the best possible workplace in their community.

BIG IDEA

The responsibility that's on you for the people that work for the company, for the reputation of the company and for the longevity and the legacy that the company's going to leave behind weighs on business owners in ways that people don't see.

Contact us at FeelNorthernAir.com.

Joe transformed his HVAC company from six to twenty employees by confronting a fundamental truth about entrepreneurial psychology: the tension between wanting to skip steps and learning essential lessons the hard way. This conversation explores the mental shift from fearing your first hire to actively seeking team expansion, and why some people are simply unemployable once they've tasted true ownership. The discussion reveals how providential relationships and honest self-awareness about personal limitations can become the foundation for unexpected business partnerships and sustainable growth.

BIG IDEA

I would make a terrible employee because I always think I can do it better, I always think I have the better way, and I'm usually not too shy about sharing that.

Contact us at FeelNorthernAir.com.

Joe shares his journey from being a solo plumber trapped by fear and scarcity thinking to acquiring Northern Air and building a real team. He opens up about the mental barriers that kept him stuck doing all the work himself, even with part-time help, and how the opportunity to partner with an established company shifted his entire approach to growth. This conversation explores the psychological challenges of scaling a service business and the moment when everything changed.

BIG IDEA

"I was to a point with my original, my first company to where it I still couldn't grow even though I had a couple of part-time helpers. I was the one like in the trenches still doing all the work."

Contact us at FeelNorthernAir.com.