Beyond Four Street Corners: Dr Joe Sanders on Calling, Youth Impact, and Unreasonable Responsibility

In this episode of the Journey Freedom Podcast, Dr. B sits down with Joe Sanders—CEO of Colorado Uplift and a 23-year Air Force veteran—for a moving conversation about purpose, service, leadership, and what it means to truly invest in the next generation.

Joe shares how his father’s post-military choices (serving in group homes, counseling, and pastoring a small church in an impoverished Louisiana neighborhood) once confused him—but later became the blueprint for Joe’s own calling. A pivotal moment came when Joe spoke to teenage boys in a Louisiana group home and realized they couldn’t imagine a future beyond “four street corners.” That contrast—against the limitless possibilities he heard from cadets at the Air Force Academy—sparked a prayerful transition that eventually led him to Colorado Uplift, an organization built on long-term, life-changing relationships with urban youth.

Together, Dr. B and Joe unpack identity and “the Sanders brand,” leadership without judgment, accountability rooted in relationship (not authority), the dangers of comparison in the social media era, and why becoming the person you’re called to be must come before what you do and what you have. Joe also shares daily rhythms that keep him growing—faith, reading, and meaningful conversations—and closes with a vision for Colorado Uplift’s exciting new campus initiative.

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