Entrepreneur · Author · Advisor

Not a unicorn
story. Real lessons
from a real business.

I spent 24 years building a company from scratch — through good decisions, bad ones, a financial crisis, a pandemic, difficult partnerships, and a successful exit. Now I write and consult for entrepreneurs who want the truth, not the highlight reel.

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Six
Pringles
An Honest Entrepreneur's Account of Building, Scaling, and Letting Go
Joseph A. Colao III

For the entrepreneur who wants the truth, not the polished version.

The Book

An honest account of what entrepreneurship actually costs

Too many business books are written by people at the very top — the billion-dollar founders, the Harvard MBAs, the venture-backed success stories. This isn't that book.

Six Pringles is written for the entrepreneur who works with their hands and their mind, who makes payroll, hires imperfect people, navigates crises without a safety net, and wonders — more often than they admit — if it's all worth it.

"I did as many things right as I did wrong. This book is an honest look at both — because that's the only kind of advice worth giving."

The title comes from a moment in childhood that taught me everything I needed to know about scarcity, gratitude, and the drive to build something of your own. It shapes every chapter that follows.

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What the book covers

"This is entrepreneurship — lonely and exhausting, fun and rewarding, often at the same time."

Consulting

Where I can help

I work with small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs — not on theory, but on the real decisions that define whether a business thrives or struggles.

01

Business Strategy

Helping owners think clearly about growth, direction, and the decisions that matter most. From pricing and positioning to knowing when to veer and when to hold the course.

Strategy & Growth
02

Scaling & Systems

Building a business that doesn't depend entirely on you. Org structure, people, processes, and the standard operating procedures that actually get followed.

Operations
03

Exit Planning

Most owners think about exits too late. I help you build toward a sellable business early — understanding your value drivers, your numbers, and what a buyer actually cares about.

Exits & Transitions
04

Partnerships & People

The hardest part of business isn't strategy — it's the humans. I help owners put the right agreements and relationships in place before problems force the issue.

Partnerships
05

Employee to Entrepreneur

Thinking of making the leap? I help aspiring entrepreneurs understand what they're actually signing up for — the emotional toll, the financial realities, and how to start smart.

Transition Coaching
06

Post-Exit Navigation

Nobody prepares you for the silence after the exit. The identity loss, the restlessness, what comes next. I'm living it and thinking about it honestly — and I can be a useful thinking partner.

Post-Exit Life
Joseph Colao

"That is what it means to be an entrepreneur. It is lonely and exhausting, and fun and rewarding, often at the same time."

— Six Pringles

About Joe

A builder, not a theorist

I didn't go to business school. I didn't raise venture capital. I built a business over 24 years — through good markets and devastating ones, through great hires and catastrophic ones, through partnerships that tested everything I had. Then I sold it.

Everything I know about entrepreneurship came from doing it. That's the only kind of advice I offer — and I believe it's the most useful kind, especially for the business owner who isn't running a startup or chasing a unicorn, but is simply trying to build something real and exit well.

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Let's talk about
what you're building

Whether you want to be notified when the book launches, or you're interested in working together — I'd genuinely like to hear from you.