Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Smarro
Hi Joe, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My journey to where I am today has been shaped by a blend of personal experience and professional commitment. I grew up in a challenging environment, but I always knew I wanted to take a different path. I joined the Marine Corps at a young age, after becoming a father my senior year of high school, where I learned the value of discipline, resilience, and leadership. That experience paved the way for my later career as a police officer in San Antonio, where I spent 15 years working in high-pressure environments and learning firsthand the impact of mental health and emotional wellness on individuals and teams.
In the course of my law enforcement career, I became increasingly interested in de-escalation techniques and how they could be used to create better outcomes in tense situations. I realized that many of the strategies we use to manage conflict are grounded in understanding human behavior, and that’s where my passion for mind management, emotional intelligence, and wellness truly began to take shape.
In 2020, I decided to leave law enforcement and take what I had learned to a broader audience. I founded SolutionPoint+, a company dedicated to training first responders, public safety workers, and others in the fields of de-escalation, wellness, and resiliency. Our mission is to bridge the gap between public safety and behavioral health, and our programs have impacted thousands of individuals across the country.
As I continued my work with SolutionPoint+, I realized that much of my success came from a willingness to embrace vulnerability and authenticity, which I now teach others to do as well. My book Unarmed: De-Escalation Techniques to Cultivate Courage, Compassion, and Connection was born from this mindset and continues to help people build stronger, more empathetic connections with others.
Today, I’m fortunate to work with people and organizations across industries, from first responders to high achievers looking to unlock their full potential. I’m deeply committed to mental health advocacy and empowering people to step into their true selves, creating space for both personal growth and community impact. My journey hasn’t been without its challenges, but it has been incredibly rewarding to build a life around helping others be the best versions of themselves.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I have experienced many challenges along the way. Leaving my law enforcement career after 15 years was a scary decision, knowing I was walking away from my safety net. But as many mentors told me, you will never know what your business is capable of as long as you treat it like a side hustle. Once I resigned from the San Antonio Police Department and focused full-time on my company, we took off and grew 900% in the first year.
Which presented a whole new challenge. I have never started or run a business before so having this level of money and knowing how to manage it were foreign to me. The first two years I made a lot of mistakes and mismanaged capital because we grew too fast.
One more challenge to share, now that I am eight years into this venture, has been our most recent one. I have learned my company will over ever grow up to its constraint, systems, and processes. All of my deficiencies as a business owner are being exposed right now because while we have done well with our existing clients, after eight years I have never had to learn traditional methods of creating lead generation, sales funnels, and marketing protocols. So as some of our clients are shifting out and contracts are expiring I am feeling the pressure to learn these skills as fast as possible.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about SolutionPoint+?
At SolutionPoint+, we specialize in providing cutting-edge training and resources that focus on mental health, de-escalation, wellness, and resiliency, particularly within high-pressure environments like law enforcement, first responders, and public safety sectors. Our mission is to bridge the gap between public safety and behavioral health, equipping professionals with the skills needed to navigate challenging situations with empathy and effectiveness. What sets us apart is our commitment to real-world application; our training is not just theoretical—it’s designed to be directly applicable to the stressful situations our clients face daily.
We’re known for our innovative approach to de-escalation, which integrates emotional intelligence, mindset coaching, and practical skills. Our expertise in mental health and wellness is also a key differentiator, as we emphasize the importance of self-care, resilience, and emotional well-being for both the individual and the team.
One of the things we are most proud of is the positive impact we’ve had on countless individuals and organizations across North America. We have received feedback from clients who have reported life-changing transformations after participating in our programs, not only improving their professional interactions but enhancing their personal lives as well.
What I want readers to know is that SolutionPoint+ is more than just a training company. We are a movement toward fostering a compassionate and effective approach to public safety and human connection. We empower people to take control of their mental and emotional well-being, leading to more effective interactions, stronger communities, and a healthier work environment for those on the front lines. Whether it’s through our signature CIT training, de-escalation techniques, or wellness and resiliency focused training, our goal is to cultivate an environment where individuals can thrive—both personally and professionally.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, I was mostly in survival mode. I experienced childhood sexual and physical abuse so I learned very early how to create a mask to hide my true self. Thankfully, I learned humor and the benefits that come from that. I was class clown year after year, and only because I was willing to push the envelope to create a distraction away from the fact that I was not paying attention or smart enough to keep up. It was better for me to get “street cred” from my peers than have them knowing I was depressed and afraid to go home.
My interests were only in sports. I played soccer, basketball, and tennis year round. Being from upstate New York it is not like here in Texas where football is king. My school did not have a football program. But athletics were vital to my survival and finishing of high school.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.solutionpointplus.com & www.joesmarro.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joesmarro/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joseph.smarro.754
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-smarro-6bb39080/
