GO with Joe Chura

Do This Before Spending ANY Money on Ads

In this episode, Joe explains what many startups fail to do before they spend their first dollar on ads. From crafting a clear value proposition to optimizing your website for the buyer's journey, you'll learn how to build a brand experience that converts. Using real examples—like the launch of Easy Man, a hemp-derived THC beverage—we explore the importance of testing, simple UX, lead capture, and focusing on one customer persona. Whether you're a first-time founder or scaling an e-commerce brand, this episode reveals the foundation you must build before launching any campaign. Get the infrastructure right—then go grow.

How to Know If Your Idea Is Worth Building (Without Spending a Dime)

In this episode, we dismantle the myth that market research requires big budgets or third-party consultants. Instead, Joe breaks down a founder-tested approach to validating ideas using nothing more than a spreadsheet, common sense, and hard-earned insight.

We walk through:

• Why you don’t need fancy market research to validate your idea—just your brain and Google.

• How to use pricing data and margin math to identify viable product opportunities.

• The crucial decision between co-manufacturing vs. in-house production and its long-term implications.

• Why subscriptions can be a game-changer, and how Go Brewing built its recurring revenue from day one.

• The overlooked cost of customer acquisition and why owning your data (email, SMS) trumps retail or Amazon-only models.

• How products like Jolie and Liquid Death disrupted legacy categories by reframing formats and lifestyle positioning.

• The reality of building something ahead of its time—including the lonely early days of Go Brewing’s non-alcoholic taproom.

• A candid take on why great product > great marketing—you can’t market your way out of mediocrity.

The takeaway? You don’t need permission or perfection to start—you need proof. And you can get that by doing the work yourself before hiring or scaling.

The Real Reason You Haven’t Started

You've got the idea. You've done the research. So why are you still waiting? Multi-exit founder breaks down the psychology that keeps most people stuck in the "someday" phase - and the exact questions he asks himself before taking the leap.

From validating passion over market size to why your first-year budget is probably wrong, this episode tackles the gap between wanting to start and actually starting. Plus: the brutal reality of letting go early employees, why fighting business problems makes them worse, and how to know when you're ready to risk it all.

Doing this one thing can save you millions in taxes

The Crucial Role of Attorneys in Startups: Lessons from a Seasoned Entrepreneur

In this episode, Joe reflects on his entrepreneurial journey, emphasizing the importance of hiring specialized legal counsel when starting a business. He discusses his experiences with different types of business structures and the significant financial benefits he achieved through proper legal advice, such as qualifying for QSBS (Qualified Small Business Stock) by structuring his software company as a C corporation. Joe advises new entrepreneurs to consult industry-specific attorneys to lay a strong foundation for their business and shares insights on effectively forming and maintaining legal relationships.

00:00 Introduction: Lessons from Starting a Company
00:16 The Importance of Hiring the Right Attorney
00:42 Choosing the Right Business Structure
00:58 Benefits of a C Corporation
02:11 The Role of Attorneys in Business Growth
02:23 Specialized Attorneys for Different Needs
02:45 Utilizing Attorneys as a Resource
03:31 The Value of Legal Advice in Partnerships
04:05 Finding the Right Attorney for Your Business

Go hire an Attorney

Go Find Your Way

Where does ambition really come from? Joe and his cohost dive deep into the messy reality behind entrepreneurial success—from studying 15 seconds at a time on the assembly line to scaling Go Brewing while implementing new systems with a lean team.

They explore why 'work-life balance' is BS for entrepreneurs, how spite can fuel success, and why the path that looks clean from the outside is actually dirty and chaotic behind the scenes.

Plus: why becoming obsessed beats building habits, and the liberating realization that no one actually cares about your journey as much as you think they do. Real talk about finding your own way in business and life.

Creating the Iron Cowboy with World Record Holder James Lawrence

James Lawrence, "The Iron Cowboy," and Joe sit down to discuss many topics, including a part of his story that isn't well known, Ironman training, mental toughness, and so much more. 

More info at

• https://www.notalmostthere.com
• https://www.gobrewing.com
• https://www.ironcowboy.com/
• https://chicagosep.com/contact-patrick-quinn/

Focus On The Process with Daniel Cnossen, Navy Seal and Olympian

Dan Cnossen is a Navy Seal, Paralympic gold Medalist, and leadership guru.  Dan became a Navy Seal in 2003. Over the next six years, Dan was deployed multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan and rose in rank to become the officer-in-charge of an 18-man SEAL platoon. In 2009, Dan was deployed to Afghanistan, into an area of heavy combat. There, on a night mission in the mountains, he stepped on an IED, losing both legs in the blast. He would later be awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star with Valor. As part of his rehab, he was introduced to the sports of cross-country skiing and biathlon. Never one to shy from a challenge, he eventually earned a spot on the 2014 U.S. Paralympic Team. At the 2018 Paralympic Games Dan stole the show, remarkably winning one gold, four silver and one bronze medal over a period of eight days earning the honor of Best Male Athlete of The Games. 

IN THIS EPISODE…Dan Cnossen shares his incredibly heroic story of enduring the unthinkable while serving as a Navy Seal; stepping on a pressure plate that forever changed his life. He shares with Joe how he was able to take this seemingly insurmountable set back and pushed himself to train and become an Paralympic gold medalist as well as a public speaker and leadership guru.

🔍 Breakdown with Dan Cnossen:
Chapter 1 (0:00): Introduction

Chapter 2 (1:53) Joining the seal team

Chapter 3 (10:35) Learning leadership ideals from seals

Chapter 4 (16:27) The BUDS experience

Chapter 5 (24:55) Mental tools used to get through BUDS

Chapter 6 (30:39) First years as a seal

Chapter 7 (36:37) What Afghanistan was like

Chapter 8 (41:18) The explosion

Chapter 9 (49:45) The hard road of recovery

Chapter 10 (57:27) Finding a future in sports

Chapter 11 (70:10) Mindset through challenges

Chapter 12 (77:24) Closing Remarks

📞 Connect with Dan Cnossen
→https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-cnossen-75b9181ab
→https://dancnossen.com
→https://www.teamusa.org/usparanordicskiing/athletes/Dan-Cnossen

👊 To learn more about Not Almost There by visiting this link 
→ Not Almost There http://notalmostthere.com

Connect with Joe on social here:
→https://www.instagram.com/notalmostthere
→Facebook https://www.facebook.com/notalmostthere
→Twitter http://twitter.com/joechura

The Science of Motivation with Author, PhD Professor at the University of Chicago, and Past President of the Society for the Study of Motivation, Ayelet Fishbach

Ayelet Fishbach PhD, is the Professor of Behavioral Science and Marketing at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and the past president of the Society for the Study of Motivation and the International Social Cognition Network (ISCON). She is an expert on motivation and decision making and the author of Get it Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation. Ayelet’s groundbreaking research on human motivation has won her several international awards, including the Society of Experimental Social Psychology’s Best Dissertation Award and Career Trajectory Award, and the Fulbright Educational Foundation Award.

IN THIS EPISODE…Joe discusses with Ayelet, who has dedicated her life to the science behind motivation and most recently published a book they get into today, how to best set yourself up for success in your personal goal setting. In this conversation, you will understand how to set goals you will stick with, focus on success in the middle of the journey of your goals, as the beginning and end tend to be blissful, and of course, significant strategy and tips you can start using today.

🔍 Breakdown with Ayelet Fishbach:
Chapter 1 (0:00): Introduction
Chapter 2 (3:11) Creating an environment for goals
Chapter 3 (10:10) Understanding how to craft goals
Chapter 4 (18:17) Empathy gap
Chapter 5 (23:32) Do and don’t goals
Chapter 6 (31:38) Intrinsic motivation
Chapter 7 (40:25) Recapping identifying goals
Chapter 8 (49:13) Instant gratification
Chapter 9 (54:47) Planning for future success
Chapter 10 (63:55) Closing Remarks

Material Referenced in this interview:
→Get It Done by Ayelet Fishback
→https://www.ayeletfishbach.com

📞 Connect with Ayelet Fishbach
→https://www.instagram.com/ayeletfishbach
→https://www.facebook.com/ayeletfishbach.getitdone
→https://twitter.com/ayeletfishbach
→https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-fishbach-b32a8b4

👊 To learn more about Not Almost There by visiting this link 
→ Not Almost There http://notalmostthere.com

Connect with Joe on social here:
→https://www.instagram.com/notalmostthere
→Facebook https://www.facebook.com/notalmostthere
→Twitter http://twitter.com/joechura

Find A Way with Amy Purdy three-time World Cup para-snowboard gold medalist

Amy Purdy is the top-ranked female adaptive snowboarder in the U.S., a three-time World Cup para-snowboard gold medalist, the 2014 Paralympic bronze medalist, and the founder of Adaptive Action Sports, a nonprofit organization that helps youth, young adults, and wounded veterans with physical disabilities get involved with action sports. She is a professional motivational speaker who has been featured at both TEDx and Pop Tech and is also an actress, model, dancer, clothing designer, and experienced product spokesperson. Amy was the breakout star and a finalist on season 18 of Dancing with the Stars. 

IN THIS EPISODE…Amy shares with Joe her story. She found herself in a seemingly insurmountable life situation at age 19, Amy contracted a virus that lead to the amputation of both of her legs. Not only does she share her feelings and the timeline of events of this life-changing moment, but most importantly, she shares how she was not only able to overcome the obstacles in her way, but dominate every goal she set for herself.

🔍 Breakdown with Amy Purdy:
Chapter 1 (0:00): Introduction
Joe introduces Amy and sets up the episode.

Chapter 2 (2:06) Recapping her story
Amy contracted meningitis at the age of 19 and in a 48 hour time frame she found herself fighting for her life.

Chapter 3 (10:10) Premonition from an unlikely source
While Amy shares a lot of her story, today she shared a story she hadn’t before. She was given a premonition from a massage therapist.

Chapter 4 (20:56) Spirituality intertwined with this life-changing event
Anyone would find themselves in depression or having feelings of inability to move on, but not Amy.

Chapter 5 (24:15) Coming to terms with amputation
Amy didn’t lose her legs immediately when she was admitted to the hospital, and she shares how she received the news.

Chapter 6 (31:51) Snowboarding
Snowboarding was always something Amy had a passion for and was not going to allow her amputation or a lack of equipment to stand in her way.

Chapter 7 (37:32) The power of being present
Amy’s mother demonstrated to Amy the power of positive thought and being present. Amy’s mother wouldn’t allow anyone with negative thoughts around her daughter.

Chapter 8 (46:02) Dancing with the stars
This was not an easy experience, but a very rewarding one. Once again Amy found herself in a situation where she had to get creative and engineer this opportunity.

Chapter 9 (59:34) What’s next
Amy embodies the “not almost there” mindset, and isn’t done yet. She is still setting goals and plans to crush them in 2022.

Chapter 10 (63:55) Closing Remarks
Joe wraps up the episode and shares his final thoughts

Material Referenced in this interview:
→On My Own Two Feet by Amy Purdy
→https://amypurdy.com

📞 Connect with Amy Purdy
→https://www.instagram.com/amypurdygurl
→https://www.facebook.com/AmyPurdyGurl
→https://twitter.com/AmyPurdyGurl
→https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-purdy-3055a343

👊 To learn more about Not Almost There by visiting this link 
→ Not Almost There http://notalmostthere.com

Connect with Joe on social here:
→https://www.instagram.com/notalmostthere
→Facebook https://www.facebook.com/notalmostthere
→Twitter http://twitter.com/joechura

Building Good Habits with Wendy Wood

Dr. Wendy Wood is a best-selling author and Provost Professor of Psychology and Business at the University of Southern California. Given her research over the past 30 years, she is widely considered the world's scientific expert on habit formation and change. She has published over 100 articles, and her research has been supported by Proctor & Gamble, National Science Foundation, the Templeton Foundation, and the Radcliffe Institute. She is the author of Good Habits, Bad Habits. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, NPR, Washington Post, on radio shows like Freakanomics, and in podcasts like the People’s Pharmacy. A 2008 Radcliffe Institute Fellow, and 2018 Distinguished Chair of Behavioral Science at the Sorbonne/INSEAD in Paris, Wood has advised the World Bank, the Centers for Disease Control, and industries such as Proctor & Gamble and Lever Bros. In 2018, she gave the inaugural address in Paris for the Sorbonne-INSEAD Distinguished Chair in Behavioral Science. 

IN THIS EPISODE…Wendy and Joe talk about her research and ideas in her book, Good Habits, Bad Habits: The Science of Making Positive Changes That Stick. Wendy Wood describes the “what the hell” effect when it comes to dieting and so many more case studies she shares with us. The best part of today’s episode is you will take away so many actionable tips you can start using today.

🔍 Breakdown with Wendy Wood:
Chapter 1 (0:00): Introduction
Joe introduces Wendy and sets up the episode.

Chapter 2 (2:54) Relationship with resolutons
New Year's resolutions have a tendency to fail and Wendy explains to Joe why and the science behind it.

Chapter 3 (5:09) Making new habits stick
You need to create habits that are not just occasional practices, but ones that will become second nature.

Chapter 4 (9:23) Instant gratification
We are a society of instant gratification and instant results. Habits take time to form and that is important to understand.

Chapter 5 (15:30) Time for a habit to stick
There are many conflicting anecdotal thoughts on how long it takes a habit to stick, however, Wendy has significant research to answer this question.

Chapter 6 (26:08) Eliminate friction
When creating a new habit, one of the most important aspects is to remove friction. Understanding your environment and removing obstacles is best.

Chapter 7 (34:47) Consistency and bad habits
You need to stick with it. Consistency will help you with your new good habits but can also keep you stuck in bad habits.

Chapter 8 (42:29) Vietnam study
There is an incredible study around drug use and soldiers from Vietnam. The research shows the importance of the environment.

Chapter 9 (46:56) Influences around us
Social media can be a major influence and habit in our lives. It can be so important to make sure we are putting up boundaries.

Chapter 10 (50:11) Closing Remarks
Joe wraps up the episode and shares his final thoughts

Material Referenced in this interview:
→Good Habits Bad Habits by Wendy Wood
→https://goodhabitsbadhabits.com

📞 Connect with Wendy Wood
→https://www.instagram.com/profwendywood
→https://www.facebook.com/GoodHabitsBadHabits
→https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-wood-15180a15
→https://twitter.com/ProfWendyWood

👊 To learn more about Not Almost There by visiting this link 
→ Not Almost There http://notalmostthere.com

Connect with Joe on social here:
→https://www.instagram.com/notalmostthere
→Facebook https://www.facebook.com/notalmostthere
→Twitter http://twitter.com/joechura