Rising Stars: Meet Joel Rojas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joel Rojas.

Hi Joel, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am 39 years of age. Due to several health issues, I lost my 9 to 5. Eventually ended up wheelchair ridden leaving me with lots of depression and feeling like a failure to my daughters. Living in pain tends to really put things into perspective. Some time passed and I ended up moving from New Jersey to Pennsylvania. One day I was home recovering from surgery and a friend of mine reached out to me and asked me if I’d be interested in being a co-host in his podcast. I agreed and I was actually good at it. I eventually branched out on my own and created Beyond The Cage With Joel Podcast. In my show, we discuss mental health, addiction ( I myself am over 18 years clean from opioids,which developed after my first back surgery at 20 years old), domestic violence, sexual assault survivors sharing their story and more. I aim to get the stories of athletes in a manner that is not usually done.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
In the beginning, it was a bit tough. I already had some connections in the sport, but I still had to convince guests and potential guests that I could be trusted to talk about sensitive subjects and handle it in a respectful and polite way. After the first year, it was smooth sailing.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
What sets me apart from others in the same field is that I’ve gone through things that many would go a lifetime and never face. From growing up in a broken home with a then drug and alcohol addicted mother, to being abused physically and mentally, to literally being found dead by one of my daughters when I had a heart attack in my sleep, I’ve been through adversity that would break others. I use those experiences as a starting point to break the ice and find commonalities between the guest and I. Discussing Mental health is something I pride myself on as it is still viewed as a taboo by some and many are not comfortable speaking openly about. I’m proud that every guest (easily over 900) feels comfortable every time they come one. I started this towards the end of December 2019 and it’s been an unbelievable experience. Now they ask ME when they could come on the show. It’s a beautiful, humbling honor to be able to help guests build themselves in a way that their fans can really get to know them as the show says..Beyond The Cage.

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Listening, having a story that with all I’ve been through, there is a big chance I’ve experienced something they have, and consistency. Also, being creative. I’ve even went as far as reciting music lyrics I’ve written and have guests sing or share theirs on-air as well.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: Instagram.com/beyondthecagewithjoelpodcast
• Facebook: Facebook.com/BeyondthecageWithJoelR
• Twitter: Twitter.com/beyond_cagemma