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

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