Former Hornet Carl Joseph on Resilience, Fuel, and Entrepreneurship
When Carl Joseph played running back for Shenandoah University (2011–2013), his life centered on speed, discipline, and execution. But inside a classroom, an offhand lesson in a sports nutrition class planted an unexpected seed: no food is inherently bad—it comes down to preparation, balance, and purpose. A decade later, that single insight shaped a growing entrepreneurial footprint.
Today, the West Baltimore, Maryland native, who credits his Shenandoah experience for much of his current success, runs two ventures: Cheetah Performance, providing speed and position-specific training to DMV-area athletes, and CJ’s Gourmet Oatmeal Bar, a Baltimore brand transforming a humble staple into the star of the menu with loaded bowls, overnight oats, and protein energy bites.
His path, however, was interrupted by heartbreak. In 2013, Joseph left Shenandoah following the passing of his mother. “When my mother died, I lost my fire,” Joseph recalls. “I had been working so hard to give back to her, and when she was gone, I lost my why.”
Guided by a core principle, “show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future,” he surrounded himself with mentors who challenged him to rebuild his ambition and his goals.
I knew how to train people; I didn’t know the restaurant industry,” says Joseph. “I needed mentors who wouldn’t gatekeep. Now I want to leave footprints so students coming up behind me can follow them, improve on them, and go further.”
Inspired by Booker T. Washington’s belief that success is measured by the obstacles overcome, Joseph’s message to the Hornet community is simple: “Trying is not nothing. Trying is doing.”
