Meet JC Coccoli

We recently connected with JC Coccoli and have shared our conversation below.

JC, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?

There is a choice in life to invest in optimism and risk results you desire (whether good or bad) or succumb to pessimism and never chance anything worthwhile. I see optimism as a super power -one that has to hold its ground against life’s most challenging and/or tragic events to thrive and flourish. My understanding for optimism and the determination to lean heavily towards it in my career and personal life came in elementary school as a child. Somehow I was aware that negative comments about anything, lunches served at school, teachers, band mates, grades, principals, sports etc gave me a weird, jolt in my tummy. A physical feeling of hopelessness that nudged at me to surrender my beliefs and follow blindly others in the dark. And, when I countered negative comments or situations with positive affirmations or emotions it miraculously lifted and things became better, clearer, and possible. So I invested in the muscle of optimism and I tested it through and through as I grew. If I can control my emotions in reactive situations and breathe my way into optimism during hectic times, I could use that to project the reality I truly desire whether I currently had the resources or not.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

As a full-time comedian, I am a seafaring Guest Entertainer for Carnival Cruise Lines traveling the world, sitting in luxury on airplanes, and hopping from ship to ship to entertain some of the most genuine, charismatic people I could ever imagine existed in my comedy career. I will do 5-10, 30 minutes comedy sets while on board a ship for 300 people at a time and then dock in an exotic location and step out with friends from all over the world to explore the port until I have to be back on board to perform that night. In that, I meet so many interesting people, learn to communicate in different languages, dine on local cuisine, set my eyes on handmade trinkets, and witness the most beautiful sunsets a girl could imagine.

While on dry land, at my base in Pittsburgh, PA I am the Director of Member Development for the Steel City Arts Foundation a 501 3c non-profit that is an incubator for working artists and those seeking to obtain and career in the comedy arts. We have an incredible 13,000 sq ft space with a podcast studio, two performance spaces, green screens, streaming set ups for live broadcasting, a state of the art gym, locations for artists to sleep while on tour and a community of comedians dedicated to making a career for themselves like I have never seen in my 20 years of stand up comedy.

On the entrepreneurial side, I have a company SHE THRIVES LLC that is invested in putting one’s best foot forward in styling and appearance while maintaining authenticity and creativity. Since early in my career, I sought out high-fashion, independent clothing designers and like minded people who respect the art of dressing, designing and curating to combine those elements in everyday ways. SHE THRIVES works with folks in the clothing, design and the beauty space to organically uplift your personal appearance to achieve stellar results.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

My motto?
“OMM”

1. Optimism: I can achieve anything, against all odds If I keep going through all the ups and downs.

2. Mediation: Pausing to take the breathes to reset the mind has made a huge difference in my life and career.

3. Mentorship: Seeking professional advice from those I trust in any facet of business/life and being open to shifting gears to set attainable goals in a logical timeline that can make my money work for me.

Advice for folks early in their journey would be simple, make a manifestation board visible in your home or office. Have FUN with it. Want a beautiful house? Rip it out of a magazine and put it on the board. Want to travel the world? Throw that island picture on the board. Want to find love, build a family, eat divine food? SHOW YOURSELF what it looks like by painting a picture that you can see everyday and it will come.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Yes, Yes, Yes always! Designers, Stylist, Art Curators, Architects, Food influencers and Non-Profit Donors are the people that I would love to get connected with to explore creative and authentic collaborations. If you are any of those people that want to do the same, let’s connect!

Contact Info:

Image Credits

@SammiMikeee
@SCAF
@Carnival
@BradleyMeinz

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