Meet Vanessa Cozart

We were lucky to catch up with Vanessa Cozart recently and have shared our conversation below.

Vanessa, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?

I am a Christian before I am anything else, and I find my values differ from 90% of my friends’ and colleagues just based on that. Through standing on my faith, I feel very secure in who I am and who God is. So when I go into a situation where I am the only one with my perspective, values, background, or even physical characteristics, I just look at it as an opportunity to learn as well as to glorify God.

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

I am an actor, and I have been doing that professionally for about sixteen years. But I have always been the type of person to have more than one job even before graduating highschool and even into my adult years. I found myself spending more time just trying to feel financially secure while also trying to hold the space and energy to work on my craft. This led me into several entrepreneurial paths such as personal training and even trying real estate.
Trying to juggle all of this led me to feel very drained and to feel like I was going ” left” down a road of scarcity when I just want to keep straight on the path to acting.
Eventually I found digital marketing and the power of the internet to create streams of income that give you back your time and energy while providing passive income.
I recently created my 5k CEO course that teaches people how to start making money and creating products in the digital space, and I have a passion for getting this information out to other creatives that just want to feel financially secure to really go in on their craft.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I think time management is one of the best skills anyone can develop because it HELPS to keep you from feeling like life is just happening to you. You can’t control everything but when you know how to manage your schedule you can be more proactive and less reactive.

I think learning to listen more than you talk is a hard lesson but a very valuable one. I am an actor so I people watch and notice everything about everyone. However, I have done my fair share of running off at the mouth when I should have just listened more. I am still working on this skill, but I know my life has improved because of it.

You also need to develop the ability to be alone and very comfortable with being alone. Because many people will come and go in your life. I think relationships can be amazing and fulfilling but they also have the power to throw you off course ,especially women I think. Because we invest so deeply. So if you know how to be alone you’ll be much more at peace and probably better in relationships.

The best way to develop these skills is to pray for self awareness and work on analyzing what works in your life and what doesnt. I journal alot so I can see on paper different patterns. One year I looked back in a journal and noticed I had the same complaints, fears etc. for two years straight. I realized I needed to change and learn new skills.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I talk about being comfortable being alone, but I do wish I had more people to collaborate with. I feed off energy so much and I love friendly competition. I love being around people more motivated than me or people who have a quality I want to develop.

I would love to collaborate with directors and producers who don’t really buy into the idea of sitting and waiting for opportunities. Since diving deeper into entrepreneurship, I have found that sitting and waiting for an audition is even more frustrating. So content creators, writers, creative people who take big action are right up my alley.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://stan.store/vanessacozart
• Instagram: @nessexplainsitall

Image Credits

Lamar Taylor