Joe was originally born in Albuquerque, New Mexico as Robert Joseph Hartwig. His parents have always called him Joe (or Joey) and the name just stuck. He had a great childhood running around and playing in the high desert foothills outside of Albuquerque. While in New Mexico he graduated from Albuquerque Academy.

In 1999, Joe moved to Colorado and fell in love with mountains and with the Denver metro area. He graduated from the University of Colorado in 2004 with a B.A. in Environmental Biology. While deeply appreciative of the education and perspective he received briefly working in the field, Joe realized his true love was working with people. He spent time working in the restaurant industry and spent a few years living and working in Belgrade, Serbia in eastern Europe.

Joe eventually found his way to law school and graduated from the University of Colorado Law School in May, 2013. He was admitted to the Colorado Bar the following November. Joe took some time to learn more about this field after school, taking a judicial fellowship with Denver Probate Court and working with a variety of estate planning and elder law attorneys. He is a member of the Trust and Estates Section of the Colorado Bar Association and regularly attends professional development meetings and classes.

Joe continues to cultivate his love for the outdoors and is an avid runner and skier. He is also the proud "guardian" of the world's craziest and most adorable dog Lola.