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Millionaire CEO spends Fridays giving career advice to strangers, says cold messages can change life

Joey Gonzalez said he reads every unsolicited message he receives and makes an effort to reply.

2 min readNew DelhiJan 22, 2026 05:58 PM IST

According to him, asking for guidance should not be viewed as a sign of desperation (Credit: Pixabay)

Despite a packed schedule, Joey Gonzalez, executive chairman of American fitness studio chain Barry’s, has made it a habit to dedicate his Fridays to career conversations with strangers.

From MBA students and fitness trainers to what he calls “random people on LinkedIn,” Gonzalez told Fortune that he intentionally takes time each week to respond to messages, a practice he says has shaped some of the most important professional relationships of his career, including the one that led him to his successor.

“I used to dedicate, and I still do, most of my day on Friday, to anybody who wants to have a conversation around careers, even random people on LinkedIn, who reach out to me,” Gonzalez said. “I would set aside the day to help meet with an MBA student who has questions about my career and how I got here. Or a trainer who’s working somewhere who wants to open up their own place.”

Further, Gonzalez said he reads every unsolicited message he receives and makes an effort to reply.

According to him, asking for guidance should not be viewed as a sign of desperation, but as a strategic move that stems from ambition. Even for professionals who are not actively looking to change jobs, he believes building relationships can significantly influence promotions and long-term career growth.

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“Take a look around and notice, what are the qualities of the people around you who are growing with the company? What do you see? Ask them: Can I have a coffee?” he suggested.

Addressing concerns that cold can come across as intrusive, Gonzalez states such fears are baseless. Managers, he explained, often welcome these conversations and see them as a positive indicator of drive and curiosity.

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“People are generally really good, and want to help, and you have so much to learn, especially from other individuals who are in your same company,” Gonzalez told Fortune. “And they’ll appreciate you having that kind of ambition and dialogue.”