RETREAT above - me below
My Philosophy
Hi, I’m Josh. I’ve had the privilege of leading and learning throughout different realms including DI sports, the military, combat, non-profit, and corporate.
I’ve also dealt with lifelong anxiety, depression, and trauma – both personally and professionally, navigating the way from darkness to light.
I’ve been helping people and organizations realize the power and responsibility they have – to take care of themselves and those they’re responsible for at a deeper level, considering mental health.
Most of my work including speeches, workshops, retreats, and tailored programs focus on the human and the intersection of mental health and leadership.
With a leadership culture that considers mental health, we positively affect the inner lives and wellness of our people and their families. At the same time, this approach positively affects bottom line results, unit cohesion, engagement, teamwork, retention, and recruiting.
PARTNERS
humbling words from people that know me...
Honorable Patrick J. Murphy – Former Congressman, Undersecretary of the Army:
"Josh Rizzo is a force of nature! I’ve known him for over two decades and his passion is infectious and only matched by his love for his brother and sister Veterans when it comes to their mental health and well-being."
Christopher Ferrara – Client Development Director – Private Wealth Management, UBS:
"Josh’s integrity, commitment, and dependability are exemplary. He is always willing to help, to offer meaningful insight and to listen when you need him to. Josh does this all while consistently executing at the highest level. Josh goes beyond what is required of him and in every interaction we have. I come away feeling as though he not only understands what is important to me, but, more importantly, takes a personal approach that demonstrates how much he cares about what we've discussed."
Kevin Hilton – CEO, Ironworkers Management Progressive Action Cooperative Trust (IMPACT):
“Josh Rizzo is a great American! He hosted the most powerful business dinner I have ever attended, which included laughter, tears, and everything in between. In addition, he provided a heartfelt and emotionally charged presentation to nearly a thousand of our most important leaders and this was exquisite. If you haven’t heard him, it’s a must.”
Jacob Snyder – COO, ENERFAB:
“I think everyone who meets Josh immediately sees his energy, passion, concern for those around him, and a servant’s heart. But, at his core Josh is searching to be his best self, that place where a person understands their purpose, is challenged, is loved, and can find peace. And I believe Josh finds purpose in helping others be their best selves.
Whether it’s an organization trying to understand their team and get the best out of them, veterans trying to find their way, or an individual trying to find purpose or clarity, Josh has that innate ability to connect with people on a personal level and help people break down boundaries. Through his own challenges and successes as an individual, corporate, and military leader Josh has compelling perspective to share. Josh has been involved in my business for several years, and we couldn’t be more pleased. I consider myself privileged to call Josh a colleague and friend.”
Jim Sever – CEO, PSC Crane & Rigging:
"Josh Rizzo is a highly engaging, thoughtful but also thought provoking and super caring individual. His presentation drove every attendee from our organization to become emotionally engaged. All the feedback we received from our team members was extremely positive. They became more connected in those couple of hours than ever before, and our company (more importantly our team) is better from it. I strongly recommend working with Josh and allowing him the transparency to share his story, his objectives and his value with you and your company. Doing so will create a profound and positive impact!"
Ricky Reams – VP of Safety and Quality, Murphy Company:
"Josh has been an inspiration to me personally and professionally. When the world went crazy as Covid, shutdowns, and the unknown gripped the nation, Josh stayed calm. His mind wasn’t focused on him but rather how he could help his fellow man. What he could do to help and lead the industry during these troubling times.
Sometimes in life the simplest answer is the right one and Josh simply started a conversation and offered an open mind and a platform to express your thoughts, feelings, and fears. These became known as Safety Socials that Josh held on a weekly basis. What started as a very small group, grew into multiple sessions of dozens of safety professionals. Although we discussed some work topics, the focus was always on our wellbeing and mental health. Josh’s leadership ability and his true sincerity are what made this work. Josh wasn’t doing this to benefit himself. He was doing this because he has a giant heart and is willing to share his pain and journey to help guide others. Josh and his mission of selfless caring changed me and made me a better person and a stronger leader for my family and company. It’s an honor to know him and I’m really glad I got to be in that first small group on a Safety Social."
Don Freeman – President, WernerCo:
"I am honored to be able to share a short summary of my time working, learning, and interacting with Josh. He is one of the finest leaders that I have been around over my 25 years of working with teams. What makes Josh unique is that he truly cares about others and has helped me and others in our company to take the time to get to know people at a much deeper level…what makes them who they are, what’s important to them, understand people beyond what’s on the surface or the things they do at work.
Josh understands better than anyone that the way you move people is through human interaction and caring not targets and metrics – this is something he helped me adapt to. He’s special and I can say that he is one of the most remarkable people that I have ever known. Every touchpoint I had with Josh left me more inspired and motivated than prior to our connections."