Joe Spector
KEYNOTE SPEAKER • AUTHOR • PODCASTER
Life gets hard.
Train for it.
I thought I was resilient.
Turns out I was untested.
Nearly 25 Years in Public Safety • Retired Firefighter
Former Police Officer • Suicide Near-Miss Survivor
Director of Public Safety Partnerships, Kadelyx Ketamine Therapy
Paid Speaking &
Training Engagements
Public Safety
Professionals Trained
Joe Spector
KEYNOTE SPEAKER • AUTHOR • PODCASTER
Life gets hard.
Train for it.
I thought I was resilient.
Turns out I was untested.
I wasn’t struggling or suffering in silence. I thought my life was pretty damn awesome. Then everything fell apart, and I ended up sitting in my truck with a gun in my mouth. I learned the hard way that being good at pushing through isn’t the same thing as knowing what to do when pushing harder doesn’t fix it.
Nearly 25 Years in Public Safety
Retired Firefighter
Former Police Officer
Suicide Near-Miss Survivor
Director of Public Safety Partnerships, Kadelyx Ketamine Therapy
Paid Speaking & Training Engagements
Public Safety Professionals Trained
2-minute speaker reel
“I laughed, I cried, and got chills.”
Diana Carrington • Soulshine Cruise
“Joe was amazing. His energy and spirit was spread all the way to the back of the room. His willingness to share his story, like all the others, was heartfelt. Sharing about his near miss with suicide and the pain when he was in that moment, how he was literally out of his mind, was so insightful. My husband passed from suicide, and even after many years, that put it all in a different perspective. Thanks so much for sharing.”
Anonymous Police Officer • National 1st Responder Conferences
I was really good at handling other people’s chaos.
Turns out I wasn’t so good at handling my own.
As a cop, I survived an active shooter incident with bullets literally flying over my head. As a firefighter, I led crews into burning buildings, worked pediatric codes, and walked into chaos for a living.
And afterward? I was fine.
At home, I was married to my high school sweetheart. I thought our marriage was incredible, and our 2 beautiful kids were thriving. I was happy, healthy, ambitious, and loved my career and being a husband and dad.
And then the whole house of cards fell apart. Over the next 18 months, a permanent brain injury ended my career. My best friend died by suicide. My dog and grandmother died within the same week. My wife lost both of her parents and her grandparents. My mom developed dementia. I was suddenly living on a pension that was 50% of what I’d been making. Bills piled up, and we nearly lost our home.
My wife started drinking. We fought constantly. My kids fell apart. I got depressed, disconnected, and dissociated.
So I did what had always worked.
I pushed harder.
Until I sat alone in my truck with a gun in my mouth and my finger on the trigger.
I started applying pressure.
I was one breath away from killing myself.
What I was missing wasn’t grit. It was skills.
I didn’t know how to regulate my emotions, move through grief and anger, communicate under pressure, resolve conflict, or really help someone who was hurting.
We learned through years of therapy, trauma treatment, hard work, and unnecessary pain.
And sadly, my family suffered a lot because I wasn’t equipped to help lead us through it.
Today my marriage is stronger than I knew a marriage could be. My kids are resilient as hell. They know how to regulate themselves, talk about what they’re feeling, and even help their friends through hard stuff.
We communicate with honesty and empathy, and there is more joy, gratitude, and connection in our home than I knew was possible.
We learned through years of therapy, trauma treatment, hard work, and unnecessary pain.
And sadly, my family suffered a lot because I wasn’t equipped to help lead us through it.
Today my marriage is stronger than I knew a marriage could be. My kids are resilient as hell. They know how to regulate themselves, talk about what they’re feeling, and even help their friends through hard stuff.
We communicate with honesty and empathy, and there is more joy, gratitude, and connection in our home than I knew was possible.
Life didn’t magically get easy.
Life didn’t magically get easy.
We got radically better at living it.
I wish I had known that then.
That’s why I share it now.
READ JOE’S STORY →
Your compassion, authenticity, and understanding within the first responder community is unmatched. The connections and meaningful conversations that happen in the room are a direct result of your openness and ability to generate a safe, trusting space... Your story hits close to home, and it’s encouraged me to share parts of mine with my counselor... which has opened new doors on my healing journey.”
Maggie Noll • Firefighter/Wellness Specialist, AZ Fire & Medical Authority
Move the audience. Offer them hope. Give them tools.
Move The Audience
When I step onstage, I go first. I talk honestly about the hardest moments of my life, where I fell on my face, and how badly my family suffered while I was trying to muscle my way through it.
Sometimes it gets uncomfortable. Sometimes people cry.
Then I make fun of myself. We laugh. The room stops feeling like a presentation. That’s when people drop their guard and what comes next can actually land.
Offer Them Hope
My story gets dark because life got dark. I don’t sanitize how bad it got or how much my family suffered. But I don’t leave people in the darkness. I show them what changed for us, and why their own lives and relationships can get a hell of a lot better too, without waiting for everything to fall apart first.
Give them tools
If people leave inspired and then 6 months later life punches them in the face and they have no idea what to do, I failed at my job.
So I teach practical tools for emotional regulation, communication, conflict, helping someone who’s struggling, and being more present when life is good.
Not theory to admire. Skills people can actually use at work, at home, and when life gets hard.
Survive when life gets rough. Thrive when it isn’t.
“I didn’t want to accept that I had a problem. On top of that, I didn’t know where to start... Until I attended Joe’s training... which made me realize how much all of my baggage affected not only me, but my family as well. When I began using the tactics and tools that Joe taught, my own grit, growth & gratitude started translating into better relationships with my wife & two sons, and my friends. What a difference. This stuff saves lives.”
Mario Santos • Fire Captain/Paramedic, Goodyear Fire Department
One message. Two ways to bring it to your people.
SIGNATURE KEYNOTE
60–90 minutes
The message is tailored to the people in the room.
IMMERSIVE WORKSHOP
Want to go deeper?
The workshop expands the keynote with more tools, conversation, practice, and real-world application around emotional regulation, communication, conflict, family stress, peer support, mindfulness, and the challenges facing that audience.
“This training is so valuable it’s impossible to put into words. Joe shares openly his journey from near-suicide to happy and resilient and the tools that led him there in a way that is much needed in the fire service, and he’s uniquely qualified to not only deliver it, but also get the whole room open to sharing and learning.”
Simeon Cheatham • Fire Captain, Goodyear Fire Department
Trusted by people who don’t usually love talking about this stuff.
This work was built in firehouses, police departments, briefing rooms, construction companies, and conference halls. It’s relevant anywhere human beings are expected to perform under pressure and still have a life when they go home.
“I spent 2 days at the Arizona Fire Chiefs Leadership Conference sitting through presentations, and honestly, I was worn out. I’d heard Joe’s story before, but when he spoke, I was completely moved. You could feel the energy in the entire room shift.”
Steve Gilbert • Battalion Chief, Surprise Fire-Medical
Great on stage.
Easy off stage.
You’re trusting me with your event and your people. I take that seriously.
I’ll come prepared, understand what you’re trying to accomplish, take care of your people, communicate clearly, and do everything I can to make your job easy.