As a skilled athlete, Joel Samuels learned the importance of setting himself up to perform well in all aspects of life. His dedication and hard work ethic have led him to be able to successfully balance multiple careers and excel at everything he does.
Back in Joel’s early days, he found something that he would hold on to for the rest of his life—hockey. At first, he didn’t feel like he fit in because his teammates were predominantly white; however, he made himself a spot on the team by becoming the best player on the ice.
He would go on to receive many awards such as the two times ACC Ice Hockey Champion in 2009 and 2010 as well as a two times MACH Ice Hockey Champion in 2011 and 2013.
He would put in a lot of time training and going to hockey camps worldwide to improve his game and excel at the sport he loves.
By the time he was ready to go to college, he was already a force to be reckoned with on the ice. However, hockey wasn’t his own passion; he also had a passion for business. So, he decided to go to Virginia Tech where he received the “George T Estelle M Crowder” scholarship.
He pursued a degree in Economics and Agribusiness Management while becoming deeply involved with the Virginia Tech hockey team. After a fallout of admins who declined to support the budding hockey team, Joel and his teammates banded together and elevated the team through direct management.
During his time at Virginia Tech, he was given the opportunity to attend Richmond (The American International University in London) for a time due to his success in his academic career.
After graduating, he moved to California and attended Chapman University where he received his Master’s in Business Administration. Still pursuing his passion for hockey, he became a part of a professional ice hockey team—the Anaheim Ducks.
He also has a role as the Senior Manager in the Innovation & Business Development department—where he is primarily responsible for identifying new business opportunities, areas for growth, and the future of sales for Maxx Performance.
On top of his hockey and entrepreneurial career, Joel has another life passion—to help others better their mental health. He has a saying that he likes to get people “fit” from within.
By that, he means that he likes to first help others become mentally fit and then help them become physically fit.
On that note, Joel comments: “I want everyone to succeed in their own right. To avoid complacency with our daily lives and, most importantly, attract the energy you feel is favorable to your needs and growth. Through encouragement and recognition, we can all build each other up.”
He enjoys teaching others the “I can, I will, and I did” motto which shows people that they are capable (I can), then teaches them to make a goal (I will). The last step (I did), is all about following through. Joel has found this motto to be extremely helpful in successfully executing tasks and rising to new heights.
All in all, Joel Samuels has been able to manage multiple different career paths while successfully excelling in each one. His dedication to always improve his hockey game has made him into a force to be reckoned with and has set him up with both a healthy physical and mental state to excel in other areas of his life.
