Strategy
Where you really are, where you want to go, and what has to happen next.
Hi, I'm Joe.
Make the complicated clear.
Business founder. Sales leader. Nonprofit chairman. Author. I help leaders figure out what's really going on and build plans people will actually follow.
Founder · Author · AdviserWhat I do
Four kinds of work, one way of doing it
01
02
Growth
Sales, partnerships, and business development your team can repeat.
03
Systems
Getting what lives in a few heads written down and working for everyone.
04
Communication
Talks, workshops, and writing that make complex ideas stick.
The common threadHealthcare. Telecom. Nonprofits. Churches.
The setting changes. The job usually doesn't. Understand what's really going on, build a plan people can follow, and stay close enough to make sure it happens.
Track record
Where this comes from
Business
Helped found a healthcare company and took a buyout at 35.
Sales leadership
Years leading sales and business development in telecom, including inside large public companies.
Nonprofit
Chaired the board of a 50-year nonprofit serving adults with intellectual disabilities. Founded a healthcare foundation.
Advising
Consult with nonprofits and churches on direction, growth, and how the work gets done.
Writing
Author of Sweat Equity and Anointed Algorithm. Co-author of Guardrail Parenting.
Before all that
Division I track athlete at the University of Oklahoma.
Books
Written down, so it outlasts the meeting
Joe CookSweat Equity
For leaders
Sweat Equity
Valuing the people who give their time
For leaders of businesses and nonprofits. Treat the people who give their time as well as the people who write checks.
With Danielle Cook
Guardrail Parenting
Love + Boundaries = Raising Kids with Character, Confidence & Courage
Three decades of raising four kids, and what we'd do differently.
Paperback & Kindle →
Coming soon
Anointed Algorithm
How to Be Spirit-Led in a Tech-Driven World
For pastors and church leaders using AI wisely, ethically, and well.
Ideas
Systems4 min readPractical AI4 min readLeadership3 min read
What Happens When Tribal Knowledge Walks Out the Door
Every organization runs on things only a few people know. That works until one of them leaves.
Most AI Problems Are Really Process Problems
When AI disappoints, the tool is rarely the issue. The work underneath was never defined well enough to hand off.
Your Volunteers Aren't Free
We thank donors carefully and take volunteers for granted. The people giving their time are often giving more.
Outside of work
Family first
Danielle and I have been married more than 33 years. We raised four kids who are grown now, and being grandparents has turned out to be the best job either of us has had.
I like eclectic music, nearly any game on TV, and time with family, friends, and the people in our community.
Let's fix something.
Tell me what you're building, what's stuck, or what you can't quite name yet.
Start a conversation