This week on the show, I sit down with Fez—Sales & Marketing Manager at The Matrix Club in Naperville, aspiring entrepreneur, and host of the Happy, Healthy, Wealthy & Wise Podcast—for a raw and inspiring conversation about mindset, entrepreneurship, chasing success, and creating the life you’ve always wanted. We talk about: How sales teaches you everything about life and businessThe importance of energy, discipline, and self-awarenessFez’s vision for launching his own venue and busin...

Is Mission: Impossible still the gold standard of action films—or has the franchise lost its way? In this episode of BTS with Joe, I’m joined by returning guest and fellow movie nerd Connor Hernan to unpack the latest Mission: Impossible installment (Dead Reckoning? Final Reckoning? They changed the name, we talk about it). We dive deep into: Why the newest Mission: Impossible feels like a studio FrankensteinHow Tom Cruise became the savior of cinemaThe problem with two-part blockbustersThe s...

In this episode of The Just Joe BTS Podcast, Joe sits down with indie folk artist Nick Wiesner for an unfiltered, behind-the-scenes conversation about the reality of life as a working musician. 🎤 Nick opens up about: Life on the road: the good, the bad, and the absurd (including a brutal abscessed tooth mid-tour)The emotional toll of touring and how it reshaped his creative processRecording his debut album and finding his voice as a songwriterHow faith, pain, and perseverance shaped his newes...

This week on The Just Joe BTS Podcast, we’re diving into creativity, culture, and cinema with Chicago-based musician and Letterboxd legend James Palos. From growing up in a huge, film-obsessed family to falling in love with guitar during COVID, James shares his personal journey into music, his obsession with great storytelling, and the unexpected ways art helps us figure out who we are. We cover: 🎸 How music became his therapy and voice 🎬 The first movie that changed his life forever &n...

From viral YouTube videos to high-level B2B marketing, filmmaker Matthew shares his raw journey—balancing creativity, career, and family while unlocking storytelling secrets that separate amateurs from pros. In this episode of The Just Joe BTS Podcast, we dive deep into: How early YouTube fame shaped his pathThe brutal reality of filmmaking jobsWhy storytelling beats camera gear every timeThe power of pre-production—even in run-and-gun shootsOvercoming imposter syndrome and finding your “why”...

In this episode, I sit down with Connor Hernan, a college student, storyteller, and passionate film reviewer, for a deep conversation about the Oscars, Best Picture winners, and whether or not the Academy still gets it right. We talk about: Why “Anora” won Best Picture (and why it deserved it)The difference between books and movies as storytelling mediumsHot takes on Dune: Part Two, Wicked, Oppenheimer, The Fall Guy, and TwistersThe evolution of film school, self-taught creators, and filmmaki...

In the very first episode of JustJoeBTS, host Joe sits down with the filmmaking brothers, Joseph Thomas and Francis Thomas, from the Chicago area. Together, they dive into a raw and insightful conversation about their journey in the film industry, from childhood inspiration to launching full-scale creative projects. This episode is packed with heartfelt stories, filmmaking wisdom, and a healthy dose of humor as the trio reflects on what it means to be a creative in today’s ever-evolving ...