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

Alright, Joel thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I am a basketball coach for a local high school in the North Texas area. I will begin my twenty-third year teaching and twenty-second year coaching basketball. In my career, I have coached both boys and girls basketball with both having challenges as well as positivity. I have coached a number of sports; basketball, volleyball, track and football. I have worked at college camps such as Baylor University, Texas, and Texas Christian University teaching the game of basketball. I have made it a point to further my education for the game of basketball to learn as much as I can to give the players whom I coach a great experience. Even though basketball has brought me great players, took me on trips, and I have gotten a chance to meet legendary college coaches, such as Shaka Smart with Marquette, Rick Barnes at Tennessee, and the great Avery Johnson that played with the San Antonio Spurs. I have also been faced with some challenges. My goal when I began this career was to make it to the collegiate level coaching or becoming the head coach of a program at a high school. What I found out is that no matter how much you learn or prepare for the position, it is not what you know, it is who you know. I have yet to achieve that goal of head coach or coaching at the collegiate level. I remember telling a coach who was struggling with the same problem. If someone does not invite you to their table, you have to make your own. I will keep grinding to achieve my goal in coaching but not without taking some risk. So this year, I decided to start a trucking company called “Drive to Score Trucking” as well as a film and media company called Livingston Productions. With these two businesses I am building my own table to make sure I am financially free because someday that ball will stop bouncing whether I’m the head coach or not. I was nervous because I have spent thousands of dollars on the two businesses but as one song says; scared money don’t make money. This was a pretty good risk because of me doing it alone and with the other bills I got, however like I said if people don’t seat me where I belong, which is at the head of the table meaning becoming a head coach. Then I will serve myself. Always believe in yourself when others don’t.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am originally from Kansas City, Missouri; Go Chiefs. However I grew up in the Southeast sector of Dallas to two wonderful parents in George and Marian Livingston. Growing up we did not have much but my parents always made sure we had what we needed. I got into coaching basketball from the love I had at the age of ten years old through high school and played some in college. I have been coaching basketball for the past twenty-two years. I recently got into the film and production industry from a book I wrote back in 2018 and it was released in 2020 titled :Don’t Look Back”. If you have ever faced rejection on numerous occasions and fell in depression, did not think there was no way out. This book is for you. We all have been there, a bad relationship, a job we wanted, a college we did not get into. Rejection hits everyone. I started that book from a bad relationship I had with a particular woman. After the relationship, I began to write as a way of healing which led me to creative ideas for books and movies to share my experiences because I found out more people were hurting and needed healing but was too ashamed to talk about it. My company Livingston Productions; we sell shirts hoodies, I have recently done two films which one is on my website and the other one will be released August 18th of 2023. My company provides hope and healing through film and books in the mist of a world that we have mass shootings almost daily and how evil people are to each other. I think what sets me apart from others is my honesty, my humble experiences. I am raw and you can tell the pain and truthfulness in my writings and film. I am most proud of the fact that I wrote a book and did two films. Most people talk about doing things but I actually did it. I got together a crew, I wrote the script and delivered. My parents raised me to be a man of action and that is all I know. What I want people to know about my brand is the stories I create allows you to unmask yourself and be vulnerable for moment and realize that healing is something we all need. Be inspired through Livingston Productions.

Any advice for managing a team?

The advice I have for managing a team is put your team first. When I was fifteen working at the grocery store, I was always told that the customer is always right. However when it comes to your team and people working for you, if you provide them with the stability and the reassurance that you always have their back, they will want to stay and work harder for you. Get to know each one of your team members, know their personality, background, their interest. Not just talk about what you need them to do for your company. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Provide a work place that they want to come too. The atmosphere needs to be inviting not waking up everyday wishing the day was over and it just got started. One way you maintain high morale is create moments of success. When someone achieves something, that is a win for the whole team. Reward them openly, People love to be recognized for their hard work. Lastly, if there struggling to do a job, provide them away to grow. When people know that you care and want them to succeed, they usually step up.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

The goal driving my creative journey is I want people to truly know that life does get better. I never really thought I was creative until I was introduced to pain. Sometimes pain will produce your purpose. People can relate to a failed marriage, bad relationship, rejection from the career they wanted. I seen it all, No one gets off this planet without suffering at some point. I want people to know through my creativity that you are not alone and there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I was just journaling to heal but who knew it would turn into a production company. Sometimes you have to go back and thank people for rejecting you because it they had not reject you then you would not be this creative mastermind that you are today.     

Contact Info:

• Website: livingstonproductions.org
• Instagram: author_jlivingston
• Facebook: Joel Livingston
• Twitter: @authorjoellivi1
• Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@livtrue1123

Image Credits
Ari Talton – photographer Lorin Jackson – photographer and cinematographer