About Dr. Joseph V. Russo

I was born and raised in Woodland Hills, California, and now reside in Laramie, Wyoming (or “Laradise” as we call it, for good reason), with my wife Cindy, our Australian shepherd, Ollie, and Markie-Mark the cat.

My first career was in business, for some 27 years.  I had one helluva run for those two and a half decades, and while I wasn’t always the best executive, I was certainly always the most eager.  In 2006, I shifted gears and entered the helping professions as a mental health counselor (becoming after a while a Life Coach) and, later, as an educator at The University of Wyoming. I earned an MA in 2010 and a Doctorate (PhD) in 2016, both in the discipline of Educational Psychology.

Those 27 years in business taught me a lot. I had a lot of great mentors – people like Ric Brutocao and Louise Martire; Jerry Kleeman at Vistage International; Gerry Klein at Brutoco and Klein, Attorneys at Law; and Mike O’Hara and Dan Fowler at Microsoft.  They remain very much on my mind now that I’ve entered my 60s and enter the last third of my life (my dad lived to almost 90 and my mom is in her mid-90s).  Those learnings are wasted if not put to use helping those coming up behind.

It is in my roles as a Life Coach and teacher, however, that I gain the greatest satisfaction in life. My doctoral dissertation focused on counselor ethics in the social media spaces. I teach part-time at the University of Wyoming, in both the Schools of Teacher Education and Business.

Thanks again for coming by.