Cole, Talking

Lots of traction. Loss of traction. A broken ankle. A shift. In the end, the lesson is, "be consistent."

What do you say? Do we try and convince people to engage our art, product, or business? Or do we just let what happens happen?

We've all heard it, "with great power comes great responsibility." But what does that mean for leaders? Here's an important aspect of being a leader and not messing people up.

It's not just putting on Netflix and veg-ing out. It means knowing what refuels you and doing it.

It's easy to think that the way we see things is the way things actually are. But when we're willing to acknowledge the bigger picture, things turn out for the better.

It's easy to look at successful people and say, "oh, they just have something I don't have." Most likely, they're just like you, but have just made different choices.

If we're dead set on a utopian vision, we're going to end up disappointed every day. But if we take on this perspective, it helps us continue moving forward

Sure, as a creative person or entrepreneur, you can just make stuff and hope people encounter it. But by keeping our audience in mind, we can help usher them into an experience with our work.

We don't stumble into achieving the things we set out to achieve. They don't happen by accident. Here's a simple thing we MUST do to achieve things.

It's tempting for leaders to keep a tight hold of things. But there's only one reason that happens -- fear. Get over your fear and empower your employees!

There are lots of things you can do in this world. Whatever you end up choosing, make sure you're surrounded by people you want to be doing those things with.

Whether for-profit or non-profit, there are those who will use money as a tool for leverage. If you're a leader, these people may be enticing. But, in the long term, it'll mess up your mission.

It's all about inspiration leading to action.

In every environment, leaders have an opportunity to elevate the oppressed. This isn't just a national conversation. This begins right where we are.

We an waste our emotional and mental energy fighting change. Or we can accept it... and sometimes even leverage it. Here's how.

If you believe in something. If you have a passion for it. The only way to do it is to MAKE time. Do it!

I so often want to react viscerally to the things happening around me. But when I'm willing to slow down and consider, I find my words can become more helpful.

It's easy to get wrapped up in work and forget what's important. Remember, always, to surround yourself with people whom you can love and who love you back.

Don't exist in a bubble... even the bubble of your own thoughts and perceptions. Incredible things can happen when we're willing to invite others to give their feedback.

Choice is simultaneously a blessing and a curse. While there are limitless opportunities, having so many options can become immobilizing pretty quickly. Here's what to do in the face of so many choices.

In starting something, there will be lots of things we don't like doing. BUT, there may be opportunities to turn those things you hate into things you love.

My natural inclination is to pursue one opportunity, wait for a "yes" or "no" and then move on to the next opportunity if necessary. But maybe there's a better way that gets us to a "yes" faster AND could potentially get us to a better "yes" in the end.

When we focus our energy on one off experiences or pieces of content, it only has an additive effect. But when we discover an overarching narrative, it gives us the opportunity for multiplication.

At some point, most of us think that there will be an end to asking for help. But that's an illusion. The bigger you get, the more help you'll need. Start early by asking for help at the beginning, and don't stop.

My Lyft driver told me some amazing stories of his ingenuity and entrepreneurship over the last few decades of his work life.

To grow, you have to get out of your element. Here's how I'm trying to do that today.

Working hard is good. Creating meaning is even better. Take time to create meaningful moments for yourself, your team, and your audience.

Ideas can feel overwhelming. But you don't have to get it all done today. In fact, if that's the way you're looking at it, chances are that things will feel too overwhelming to even get started. Here's a good way to start taking small steps everyday.

Sometimes, it can feel frustrating trying to communicate direction and vision. Here are two things to do if you feel like people just aren't getting it.

Having a big vision means years of really small steps. In this video, I talk with Andrae Bailey about how we continue to do that with IMMERSE. There's also some encouragement for creative people who are trying to grow their idea into a reality.

We can get into ways of thinking and operating that don't work for the long haul. As a leader, it's essential to rethink what you're doing and how you're doing it. Also, a potentially exciting opportunity for us to pitch IMMERSE from the Creative City Project to a new Gimlet Media Podcast!

Sustainability. Growth. Innovation... they're the result of our ability to forge relationships outside ourselves. This has been the bedrock of the growth of our organization and our event.

Part of starting things from scratch means not getting paid for your time at 100% of its value. If that's what you want, go work for someone else. That's honorable and noble. But if you're starting something, press through. The better your product, the more your growth will look like a hockey stick!

Your customers have a point of view, and knowing that point of view is the key to connecting. Perception is EVERYTHING! Here's how to understand, build a bridge, and take your customer on the important journey of connecting.

We work with companies everyday who are throwing their money away. And we used to do this same thing. But as we've shifted our own focus, we've learned this valuable secret that brings HUGE engagement and exponential results for us and our partners!

I am so grateful to have been included alongside so many friends in Orlando Magazine's "50 Most Powerful People." It's a huge honor, for sure. And I don't take it lightly. BUT, there's a reality behind being a "powerful person" that's much bigger than one person attempting to do stuff.

Sometimes we win by turning the system on its head. It's easy to think competitively, but sometimes there's an entirely different way of doing things. More lessons on the road to building IMMERSE from the Creative City Project.

I love doing good. Everything we're doing at Creative City Project is about building community. But I was always asking the question, "What can we get." But we should have been asking a totally different one.

It's essential to work hard, but we mustn't ever lose sight of the things that bring us life. More stories from building Creative City Project's IMMERSE.

Every space, every moment, everything is an opportunity. Creative Cities don't just rush to decisions. They take time to seize opportunities to do something meaningful. Here's an idea of how implementing creativity might be more effective than just removing all these statues.

Making things happen often involves getting permission. And, depending on what you're asking, that can be easy or difficult. This is one of the tough questions our team is asking this month as a prep for Creative City Project's IMMERSE in October.

Work. Work. Work. When is it time to get away? Another glimpse into the process of building IMMERSE from the Creative City Project.

If you're out looking for investors or customers, chances are, you experience "no" a lot. Me too. Another glimpse into the process of building IMMERSE from the Creative City Project.

Often times, leaders and entrepreneurs are afraid to invite people into their thing. But the truth is, partners are the only way we'll scale what we're doing. Follow the journey as we building IMMERSE from the Creative City Project. 

The best way to waste our lives :: convince ourselves we're doing something productive but doing those things with zero intentionality. Here are three simple ways we can increase our intentionality and see better results in achieving our objectives. 

It's easy to make policy when we ignore how it affects people. But when we know their stories, it changes the game.

Today, we look to the future and consider what the advancement of technology means for the workforce.

Today, we'll explore the foundation of capitalism, profit, and what that means for people and the environment.

Modern American Christianity often sells its religion as the solution to people's problems – the idea that, somehow, things will be easier if you buy in. But what if the opposite is true?

We all hold some things tightly. But those are the things that cause us to build walls between who we are today and who we're meant to be. It's also what causes us to build walls between us and those around us. Let's open our hands and begin to explore with curiosity.

I share some stories from my past and invite you to do the same.