We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Joseph Lalonde. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Joseph below.

Joseph, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

I know not everyone has amazing parents. But mine have been pretty special. They’ve loved and cared for me and my siblings. But one of the things I think about often is the way my father instilled his thoughts about finances into my life. It’s been one of the best things he ever did for me and my family.
Being a creative, money can be tight at times. Figuring out what to do to make ends meet can be stressful. Because of what my father taught me, my wife and I have been able to pay off our house, make it through tight financial times, and live a life like no other.
Being on the right financial track as a creative is a godsend. It’s not always a path filled with wealth. But because we’ve gotten our financials right thanks to the teachings of my dad, I’m able to pursue something I am passionate about.

Joseph, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a leadership blogger and coach. This means I help people become better leaders of themselves and the organizations they lead. One of the really neat tools I’ve created is the Reel Leadership model. Through Reel Leadership, I help business leaders connect with their staff by showing them the leadership principles found in movies. Why is this important? Because Reel Leadership helps leaders connect the ideas and principles they want their team to understand with the entertainment many of those people are already watching. It connects stories with principles.

I’ve also published a book, Reel Leadership, in 2021. The book explores the leadership and life lessons found in movies. It’s a great read (I know, I’m biased but the reviews say it’s pretty good). I also offer coaching services through my website, jmlalonde.com/coaching.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Yes, there is. My goal is to help business leaders connect with their people. The language and ideas spoken by those in upper management can sound like a foreign language to those they’re leading. By using movies and entertainment, these leaders can learn a new language and speak it to those they lead. This creates a synergy between upper management and the entry-level employee.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

When I first started my personal development journey, I found so many people writing and teaching entertainment is bad. They would say it’s filling your mind with junk food or that it takes away time from learning important lessons through books, podcasts, and seminars. Because of this teaching, I cut out everything I enjoyed. Music, video games, and movies were gone. I couldn’t listen or watch or play them if I wanted to be successful. Or so I thought.
I had to turn this idea on its head.
I learned that stories tend to stick more than stats. That’s when it clicked. Movies and entertainment are stories. There’s a message (or messages) that can be taken from those stories. Let’s find a way to use these lessons to improve ourselves and those we lead.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jmlalonde.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReelLeadership
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephlalonde/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/JosephLalonde