Meet Nako Adodoadji

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nako Adodoadji. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nako below.

Nako , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

Design. Character. Calling. These three things can help inform purpose and vision.

Design addresses your unique personality and innate talents and abilities. Character – your values, worldviews, philosophies, convictions – is connected to who you are becoming and the choices you make about who you are. Design and character are the push, and calling is the pull, the expression of your design and character in purpose and vision

That tension between the push and pull is how I find my purpose. I’m created to create and I believe that creativity affirms life and life affirms creativity. Finding ways to revitalize the soul of creativity in individuals is the overarching purpose and vision in my life, but coming to this realization wasn’t an easy process.

When I was young I developed a deep and abiding passion for language and visuals,
movement and song, and the richness of a well crafted story. This passion led me to
studying theatre and becoming a professional actress. And like many actors, I
struggled. I had highs and lows, and while I did work, it wasn’t consistent enough to
sustain myself financially, so I founded an interdisciplinary production company and
started writing, directing and producing my own work, and creating space to develop
and support the work of other artists as well.

After having a few successes, I hit a wall. My acting career was stalling, the production
company was failing, I had little to no money in savings and had to live in the spare
rooms of friend’s homes. I was depressed, I was suicidal. I felt alone and directionless,
and worst of all, I was losing the vision I had for my life. But what I didn’t realize at the time, is this was an invitation to go deeper into the fabric of that vision for my life. Who was I? What did I truly want out of life? Where did I find meaning and purpose? How did I define success? How did I grow from failure? What does it mean to re-imagine myself?

All these questions traversed a decade of my life through my 30s. They were the process of the push / pull tension of design, character and calling unfolding in my life. And as I reflected on the successes, failures, dreams and goals of my 20s and 30s, there were two things that became apparent. Most significantly, that pain is a liar and an invitation to move beyond one’s limits, and that people have a deep need to coalesce around purpose and creativity, doing work they find meaningful. While they don’t often know how to realize this in their own life, if given the opportunity, they will join a group working towards this aim. These two pieces of knowledge affirmed for me the importance of the vision and purpose I had been working towards my whole life. It’s carried me through the struggles of being a professional actor, my time in graduate school, breaking away from pursuing a career in television, sustaining life through Covid, and leaving my survival job in academic administration to recommit myself to the ethos of my life: revitalizing the soul of creativity in people.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’ve been inspired by the idea of living Life As a Creative Act since I heard the phrase coined by the writer and artist, Erwin Raphael McMannus. The idea that life itself is the raw material used to form masterpieces. Imagine what the world could be like if we didn’t work; but instead, like artisans, we all created with the stuff of our lives? As a writer, director, actress and producer with over 10 years of experience working in theatre and live performance as well as some work in television and film, this philosophy resonates deeply. While the classical training I received in acting focused on traditional speech, breath and movement techniques, my training in modern schools of acting delved into approaches that pulled from my life experience and stimulated a rich emotional life through imagination. “Life is your source,” one of my professors would say. I’ve found that to be true in my acting work and in my work as a writer. However, this ethos is also true in every area of my life. Every season, whether celebratory or challenging, is a brushstroke my soul uses to paint on the canvas of my life. I don’t just create on the stage or on the page. Creation exists in how I build community, or navigate adversity, or engage new ideas. In this way, we are each artisans of our own lives.

This is partly how I came up with the idea for my coaching and consulting business, Creative Acts Coaching. I wanted to help clients tap into this same philosophy and I also wanted to harness time-tested frameworks from theatre and film to guide them in discovering the power of their own creative voice. Whether clients want to refine or learn new public speaking skills, understand the tenets of storytelling and shaping a narrative, or have creative breakthroughs that will allow them to engage their vocation and industry through the wonder, mystery and strength of their imaginations and the raw material of their lives, my focus is to tune them into the innate artistry of their souls. That can be revelatory, and it can open up pathways to clarifying visions, better communication and authentic storytelling, which can have positive outcomes both professionally and personally.

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

Resiliency, consistency and positivity have played huge roles in my life and work, and I’m still growing in each of these areas. My encouragement for those earlier on in their journey is to treat challenges like opportunities to learn. When things break, ask “What did this teach me?” then iterate. Try again with one tweak. Make reflection a habit. The next thing I would offer is a philosophy I heard from retired US Navy SEAL, podcaster, author, and leadership instructor, Jocko Willink: discipline eats motivation. Consistency will always beat intensity. Pick a daily action you can sustain and protect it. Celebrate progress, not perfection. And lastly, when progress is slow or imperceptible, have grace with yourself and guard your mindset. Feed it with good inputs—people, books, and routines. Build a circle that lifts you, keep a “win log,” and speak to yourself with the same kindness you give others. Remember, this is a process. It’s mercurial and will expand and contract over time. If something isn’t working, you can change it. That’s the beauty of choice and the power of optimism, so visualize the future you want and act like it’s possible today.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

My sister has been an incredible source of encouragement and support for me, particularly post-Covid, when so many things in the world of the arts and entertainment changed. At the time, I moved into a huge transitional period when I left my survival job to refocus on my artistic career. Concurrently, my sister branched out from her work as a product manager in the tech space and started a sabbatical coaching business for professionals struggling with burnout. So while we’re in different areas, we both navigate the peaks and valleys of the freelance world. She’s also an exquisite writer and poet and has been focusing more on her passion for music, so artistically, there’s a language that we both share. It’s great to have someone who understands what I’m going through to soundboard ideas with and to commiserate over the challenges of carving out unconventional careers and lives.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://creativeactscoaching.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nakoadodoadji
• Other: Email: [email protected]