Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Casey J. Cornelius. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Casey, thanks for joining us today. We’ve love to hear an interesting investment story – what was one of the best or worst investments you’ve made? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)

There’s no more valuable resource than time. As a business owner and entrepreneur, time is as scarce as any resource. Along the journey of the last decade what I have found to be most consistent is where I spend my time is as important as anything. In the beginning, when money is tight, you find yourself spending time on things you can’t afford to have the expertise of others to manage. So, you learn to build website, CRMs, social media, accounting, etc. But when invested in the things I could never spend enough time on to get “good enough” like accounting, my business flourished.

As a creative, my time is best spent helping capture and develop big ideas, making complex things simple, and reducing the clutter of thoughts for my work and others.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

For the first decade of my career, I was a campus-based higher education professional. I was first a full-time, tenured faculty member who gravitated toward a career in student affairs administration. I believed my path was to become a college president.

But a little over a decade ago, I realized my true passion was in speaking. With a background in sociology and education, I was able to reduce the complexity of how people learn and also how they act/interact in groups to a way that makes sense for an audience. Spending years in the classroom also gave me thousands of reps on how to engage an audience, reduce their apprehension, and develop meaningful engagement.

My work on healthy masculinity, how to help men be better men, is the end-result of conceptual/theoretical foundation, years and years of practice, and the ability to synthesize ideas to practical and action-focused outcomes.

The best way I can describe my work is I travel from coast-to-coast, helping campuses and organizations who strive to be extraordinary. I help tackle some of the biggest challenges they have with passionate, impactful messages that inspire action. My primary topic areas are healthy masculinity, member engagement, overcoming enthusiasm fatigue, and first-generation college success.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

One of the biggest challenges for those outside the creative space to understand is that we don’t get to work as often as we’d like. This sounds odd to say but, when I worked a “traditional” job I rarely had to ask to work more. But, as a Speaker I don’t get to decide when, where, or how often I work.

I’m one of those people would speak every day if I could. That’s how much I love it and believe in the messages I deliver.

When people push back or criticize online for “bragging” I wish they knew it wasn’t because I’m gloating about the opportunities I get to work, but because I’m so appreciative of the opportunities I can’t help but share it with the world.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I’m a first-generation college student and graduate. I was advised during my senior year of high school that “college isn’t for everyone” and was subsequently rejected by every college I applied to attend.

I was given one change, by the University of Toledo, to prove I was “college material” and went on to graduate with a BA, MA, and M.Ed. I’m now a distinguished alumnus of the University of Toledo and the creator of the Cornelius Scholarship for First Generation Students.

I think those denials and doubters were essential elements to any success I have had. They fuel me. I still have the initial rejection letter from UToledo framed to remind myself of what I have come to know as the greatest certainty in this world:

The greatest gift one can be given is opportunity.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ForCollegeForLife.com/Casey
• Instagram: CaseyJFCFL
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caseyjcornelius/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseycornelius

Image Credits

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