The Power of the Arts: Vanessa Cooksey on Access, Equity & Community Impact

On this episode of Gateway to Growth, host Jamal Cornelious sits down with Vanessa Cooksey, President and CEO of the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis, for a powerful conversation about leadership, purpose, and the role of arts in building stronger communities.

Vanessa shares her dynamic and non-linear career journey—from working at Mary Kay and Cartoon Network to leadership roles across corporate, government, and nonprofit sectors—ultimately leading one of the largest public funders of the arts in the region. She reflects on the challenges of navigating change, stepping into executive leadership, and the importance of relationships, integrity, and community in shaping both career and impact.

The conversation dives deep into themes like inclusive leadership, organizational culture, career growth, and the power of the arts to create access, belonging, and opportunity. Vanessa also shares practical advice on succeeding in new roles, building meaningful connections, and staying grounded in your purpose.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating career transitions, stepping into leadership, or looking to make a meaningful impact in their community.

Connect with Vanessa Cooksey:

Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vlafc/
Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/regional-arts-commission-of-st-louis/
Company Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stlouisarts/

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Welcome to another episode of Gateway to Growth. I'm your host, Jamal Cornelius, an executive coach who works with teams on moments of transformation and development. We're excited to bring you another episode in partnership with the SEO Bucket List team. And today we have a special guest, Vanessa Cooksie, the president and CEO of the Regional Arts Commission here in St. Louis. Vanessa, welcome to Gateway to Growth.

SPEAKER_01 0:24

Thank you, Jamal. I'm happy to be here.

SPEAKER_00 0:26

We're so excited to have you. I've been looking forward to this conversation for a few weeks, so I'm glad we were able to fit in your schedule. And we're really excited to just learn more about your story and your journey.

SPEAKER_01 0:34

Always happy to share.

SPEAKER_00 0:36

All right. Well, to kick us off, I'm going to put you in the hot seat. We'd love to learn a little bit more about the work that you do now. What's it like at the Regional Arts Commission? What are the what's the role that you all play and what's your role you play on that team?

SPEAKER_01 0:46

Oh, well, thank you for asking that. The Regional Arts Commission is the largest public funder of the arts in St. Louis. Uh, the people of St. Louis in uh 1984 wanted to ensure that arts and culture were not a luxury in this community. And so they voted to establish RAC. We get a percentage of hotel-motel occupancy tax. So when you travel, when you have friends come in town, they stay at a hotel. Well, we get four fifteenths of that occupancy tax, and we turn that into grants for artists and arts organizations. And so uh I like to think of St. Louis as an arts town because we have over 664 arts and culture nonprofits in St. Louis City and St. Louis County alone. I like to tell people you can do something every day for 18 months, seven nights a week, and not do the same thing. That's how rich and robust our arts and culture is. And Rack's role is to support that, to invest in that. And so, you know, that's what I get to do every day. Bring joy to people.

SPEAKER_00 1:46

That's phenomenal. And that also feels really unique. I I've lived in a bunch of other cities, and you and I have Atlanta in common. We'll talk a little bit about your background. But it's, I find that the arts here in St. Louis are far more accessible than any other city. And I think that's one of those great equalizers for the region in terms of wherever you are in the socioeconomic strata, you have access to top-tier institutions, to arts activities, to education that you might have to pay through the nose for in other places.

SPEAKER_01 2:12

That is absolutely right. We had a conversation with one of our uh wonderful grantees, Ron Himes, uh, from the Black Rep has done amazing work telling stories for almost 50 years. And he said that the ticket prices for the Black Rep would be double what they are if it had not been from the public support that he receives from the Regional Arts Commission. And it's not just about RAC, we also benefit from the Zoo Museum District, right? That is property taxes and that funds our major institutions like the St. Louis Art Museum. So because public money is invested in the arts and culture sector, that's what makes it affordable and accessible and sustainable. There's so many orgs that wouldn't exist had it not been for the Regional Arts Commission or could not have survived the pandemic. So when people are not at work, they're in community, right? And they want their community to be fun, beautiful, and safe. And the arts play a significant role in that. It's really about quality of life. And I think that's what makes St. Louis special and part of the reason why I stayed for as long as I have.

SPEAKER_00 3:20

Yeah. I mean, the art shouldn't be a luxury. And and you all play a significant role in making sure that's not the case. Exactly. It's equitable and accessible to all.

SPEAKER_01 3:28

And that what I like to say is public money for the public good. You know, when you have over 600 arts and culture nonprofits, people feel that their stories can be told and they have the resources to tell them. And so it's not just about one dominant story. And we have amazing institutions and what I call our anchor institutions like the Symphony and the Muni, uh, but we also have small organizations like Bread Roses who just completed a play about the uh Fungston Nunk Company protest, right? Had no idea how powerful that was in shaping the history of St. Louis. And so I'm just very grateful that people have access to resources like the Regional Arts Commission to tell stories that build community, connection, and belonging in this town. Cause you like to see yourself in the arts and culture that you experience. And that is special here in St. Louis.

SPEAKER_00 4:26

Yeah. So so I would imagine that you didn't just graduate two weeks ago and just plop into this role, right? So I would love to learn more about your superhero origin story. What led you in the path to get to this place where you are now leading one of the pillars at foundational institutions supporting arts in the area?

SPEAKER_01 4:43

Oh my gosh. I've I've been working since 1994. So yeah, it's been a minute. It's it's been a minute. Uh I'm very fortunate. Uh I went to high school in Dallas and I had access to a lot of um community engagement, community service, volunteer opportunities, right? And I got to build a network of friends and uh colleagues who were interested in bettering their community. And so I had a chance to work at Mary Kay Cosmetics when I was in high school. I go to school for the first half of the day, lunch, and then I go to work. And working that early in a corporate environment really uh helped shape what I could believe is possible, right? And so um, particularly working at Mary Kay, it was a very um female affirming community and uh entrepreneurial. Entrepreneurial, for sure, you know, women owning businesses, women helping other women. And so I always like to say your first job really influences how you think about work and what's possible. And um, my sophomore year in high school, I saw the movie Malcolm X, and I came home and uh I was just on fire to serve, right? And I was moved by Spike's storytelling and Malcolm's transformation. I told my parents, me and Spike Lee are gonna make movies and change the world. And I'm so glad that my parents didn't say no. Because a lot of times, and I have children and I have a 14-year-old son uh living at home, and I get it now. Parents sometimes will love their kids out of their calling or their purpose or their blessing, right? And when creatives say, you know, I want to create, parents say, I don't want you to be a starving artist, you know, you need to get a real job. Creating something out of nothing is real. And so my parents were like, Well, we can't really help you with that, but if that's what you want to do, okay. So I went to the University of Texas, got a degree in film, realized 40 Acres in the Mule was headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. I was like, ooh, I need a plan B. Uh so I moved to Atlanta, Georgia to work for the Cartoon Network. And it was amazing. And again, when I talk about, you know, first jobs to be in immersed in such a creative environment with resources. And this was back in 1999 when the internet was really brand new and growing. And so I chose to work on the dot-com side. And so we were growing our gaming platform, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Johnny Bravo, PowerFuck Girls. And uh, so I learned how to code in HTML to help build the website. And that skill took me to um the mayor's office for the city of Atlanta, Atlanta Public Schools, back to Cartoon Network twice. And um the through line in my early career in Atlanta was about service and building community, right? And that really made a difference. And I got a call from a recruiter saying, we've got an amazing opportunity at Save a Lot Food Stores in St. Louis, Missouri. And I was like, where is St. Louis and why would I leave Atlanta to go there? And I was just kidding because my parents were born and raised in Kansas City, but I had never been to St. Louis. And so I really was attracted to solving problems, right? And for Save a Lot, it was the issue of food deserts. So I literally threw some clothes in a bag and moved to St. Louis and started working at Save a Lot. And it was exciting, right? And it was also hard because St. Louis was different than Atlanta, right? And my plan was to stay in Atlanta. And really, I told myself, I'm gonna go to St. Louis for two or three years and I'm going back to the A. Well, that was back in 2008. So I've been here 17 years. And um in the beginning, it was tough. You know, I didn't know anybody, and sometimes St. Louis culture can be pretty insular, you know, if you're not from here and you didn't go to high school here, you know. It and moving as an adult, right, is different than moving as a young person and making friends.

SPEAKER_00 8:49

In college, you have a natural circle, you just meet in a cafeteria and you all graduate together, get jobs together, and you have a natural tribe. But once you've planted roots in one or more different cities, and then you have to pick up and land in a new city as an adult, it's kind of hard to find your people, especially if your tribe is already busy working and with their friends and maybe starting families. There's a lot that goes into that being a transplant.

SPEAKER_01 9:11

And one of the first things that I did, I'm so grateful. Um, I had both professional support and personal support. So on the personal support side, I took a class at Coca, a salsa class. And that was a great way for me to meet people. I'd never done salsa before, uh, but I'm just so grateful that I was able to connect with other like-minded folks in a low pressure environment. That's again the power of the arts to connect people and um help build community. And my boss at the time, Bill Shaner, made sure to introduce me to people. He was very intentional about my onboarding. And he said, you know, we did a lot to recruit you from Atlanta to St. Louis, and we want you to stay. And so uh he introduced me to Kathy Osborne, Michael McMillan, Donald Suggs, Valerie Patton, um, Marlene Davis. And this was back in 2008. And they didn't just teach me how to lead in St. Louis, but they taught me how to live in St. Louis. And they shared how important being engaged in the community here is and giving back. And so I joined boards and volunteered my time in addition to working, you know, and at Save a Lot. And, you know, fast forward 17 years, I was recruited to work at uh Anheuser Busch, Wells Fargo, Spire, Washu, and now I'm at RAC. So it uh it's a full circle moment to have worked in every sector, the private sector, government, nonprofit, uh, and do a work that helps build community and give back so much to a community that has given so much to me as a transplant.

SPEAKER_00 11:00

Yeah. And it's you learn so many things along that journey because you've because you've worked in so many different industries and worked in those industries across different cities. So you see the local culture plus the individual corporate culture and organizational culture. There's so much that you carry through. But with each of those transitions, I'm curious, there's so much change in that. What have been some of the challenges on that journey as you've been taking this very nonlinear path in your career?

SPEAKER_01 11:26

I uh well, I'm learning, particularly as a parent, children would teach you about yourself. They will teach you who you are, who you're not, who you think you are, and all the things. And um, it's it's the hardest job I've ever had uh parenting and the most rewarding, right? And I'm I'm grateful uh for the reflection in the mirror uh that my children are in my life. And so um what I've learned about myself is I genuinely like change. I do. I've I've lived in seven different neighborhoods in St. Louis in 17 years. Like I just wake up one morning and be like, okay, it's time to move. Uh I won't ask you which one's your favorite. So we don't play favorites. Amen. Um, but I've I've I will say I've spent the majority of my time in the city. So I've lived in the city and the county, and the majority of the time I've lived in the city, and and I love it. I love it. We have our challenges, but um, it's it it gives me access to the things that I love. Yes. And um, you know, my my son and my husband are a little less excited about change. And so when I think about my career and my own personal love for change and growth, that sits in an environment with others and being able to hold space for people who resist change, people who don't like change. And sitting in a leadership seat, my desire is to be an inclusive and really good manager. I've had some uh very challenging managers in my career.

SPEAKER_00 13:03

You know, I always say that challenging managers teach you as much about how to lead and how not to lead. And those lessons are really important to learn. Hopefully you don't have to sit in them too long because it'll wear on you a little bit. It does. Hopefully, you can get enough from that to say this is not the kind of leader I want to be when I have a team or when I have a larger team or when I lead an organization. And you can carry forward any of the good things that you get from them or your peers and everyone else.

SPEAKER_01 13:27

That's exactly it. And, you know, I had to learn um not everybody is as driven as I am and climbing the ladder and moving and going to the next place and achieving and striving and to engage with team members and colleagues and say that's okay. And to do it without judgment is really important. And the lesson that I had to learn because, you know, I have two older sisters, but I was raised in um in our family as an only child, you know, my parents' only child, and um I didn't play sports in school. And there are very few things that I regret, and that's one of them. Two, actually, there's two. I didn't play sports in school, not elementary, not junior high, not high school, not college. Like, that was dumb. And I'm just I like reading books and I like going to meetings.

SPEAKER_00 14:15

Um will tell you, as somebody who did play sports at all those levels, your needs are probably thankful for you.

SPEAKER_01 14:22

And they still pop, right? Um, but the things that you learn, having siblings in your space and playing sports is really how to be a teen player. And I didn't get that early on. Um, so you know, and playing a musical instrument and the benefits of what arts does for the brain and how it helps you to think and be creative. And so I really had to focus on getting outside of myself and meeting people where they are and being okay with whatever um my team members' needs are and how I meet those, because despite not having played sports, not playing an instrument, uh, which my son does both now, as I've learned, uh it's really uh important to me to be a good leader and help people reach their fullest potential.

SPEAKER_00 15:19

And I love that you point out that their fullest potential doesn't necessarily have to be what you would want to be, want it to be for yourself. I think sometimes as leaders, we have our vision of where everyone should want to be. But if everyone is driven and wants to be the CEO, there's no one doing the work underneath there. We can't there's not enough stu spaces at the top. If we're all the CEO, then no one's in charge. Right. But everyone can rise to their level of competence and where they can do their best work and wherever they see you know they're comfortable in that space, that's where we want to be able to move them to.

SPEAKER_01 15:50

Absolutely. And I um, having spent the first part of my career really as a specialist, a a philanthropist, a marketer, a communicator, what I realized about myself is I'm a generalist. I like to know a little bit about a lot of things versus being a specialist. And that seat is the CEO. Um, and now that I have sat in this seat for uh over five years, it can be really lonely. And it's intense. You don't know what you don't know until you're in it. It's almost like being president.

SPEAKER_02 16:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:23

Um, you can have a great plan and a vision and ideas about it, but until you're in the seat and experiencing uh what it means to lead at that level, you don't know it until you experience it. And it's been very rewarding, but it's also been very challenging. You know, I've been in organizations that have been challenged, and uh it hits different when you're the CEO and you're responsible. And um, one thing I'm grateful for and that I've been very intentional about throughout my career is building a community and having support uh consistently operating with integrity because when the tests come, and really you don't have to be the CEO to be tested. Yes, trust and believe everybody's gonna get a test. And um, Tony Robbins, I was flipping through uh Instagram and he saw one of his videos and he said the problem with people is they think they're not supposed to have problems. You know, and and I think for a long time I worked so that I could control my environment, I could control uh the outcomes and the people. And some of that is influenced by needing to produce, right? And being measured by achievement and outcomes, right? And the more you plan and the more you do, the better the outcome. And in this particular moment of testing, for me, it's like there are a lot of things out of my control. And my experience in parenting, like, oh, I can't control these kids. I can do my best.

SPEAKER_00 17:58

I can I can pour as much as I want in there, but they still control what we what the end what the recipe is. Some of those ingredients may be left to the side. They may revisit them later. They'll learn that lesson when they're 23, even though I told them when they were 14. Look, look, they'll get it. They'll get it later.

SPEAKER_01 18:16

Exactly. And what I am so grateful for in these moments of testing and growth, uh, that I don't have to do it alone. I mean, the outpouring of support that I've received over the last couple of weeks and just at different milestones and um fork in the road moments in my life and my career, I've always had people to support me and who love me unconditionally. And that to me is the greatest human experience to have people in your life that love you unconditionally. You can get through anything if you have that. And that's why I've been so intentional about relationships.

SPEAKER_00 19:02

I think we underestimate the power of relationships until everything goes south, and then we have to look around and see who do we have to lean on.

SPEAKER_01 19:08

Absolutely. And I think also for me, um I I had a really negative belief and understanding of politics. And particularly in the corporate space, you know, corporate politics. Oh, I don't do that. Oh, yes. Well, it does you. Exactly. And politics really uh what I've come to learn is uh the process under which resources are allocated. And that happens in our civic life, it happens in our business life, and whether we want to engage it or not, someone is making a decision about resources. And once I understood that, it was easier for me to put it in the right perspective and hold it in the right container. And for me, that's relationships that are built on integrity and communication and listening. And um, one of my early career lessons, and maybe mid-career, was the importance of 360 relationships. I was really good at managing up. I never wanted my boss to be surprised about what I was doing, what I was working on. I was very forthright and transparent and sharing and documenting. Um, really good at managing people. I love developing talent like that. That's my jam. I really wasn't good at peer relationships. And that matters. Your peers matter, whether you're in a corporate space, nonprofit space, whatever the case is. It gets a little different when you sit in the CEO seat, but those peer relationships, you know, who has your back when you're not in the room, who doesn't have your back when you're not in the room, those peer relationships really matter. And once I got that, it really unlocked that next level of leadership for me.

SPEAKER_00 20:58

Yeah, I think some of the challenge when you have those, especially in that mid-level, you have those peer relationships that you need to forge. You also are in a place where sometimes you can be, you can view each other as competition.

SPEAKER_01 21:09

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 21:10

Because you may be vying for the next seat up, and that next seat up may only be one. We're all managers, there's one director slot. So one of us has to get it. And it's like Highlander, like it has to be me. There can only be one. That's such an old reference.

SPEAKER_02 21:22

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 21:23

But yeah. Sometimes we have to realize that it's not a zero-sum game. And if I am climbing up, sometimes my up isn't this up. So I it's okay for me to build these relationships laterally and make sure the people around me also have my back. Because how many times in your career have you nurtured those relationships once you got to that place? You move somewhere else and you see that other person as an ally, either at another company you're working with, at an organization you may be supporting. Those relationships carry forward with you for the rest of your career.

SPEAKER_01 21:49

Absolutely. And, you know, I've been in a situation where I've had peers and then I've been promoted. And to go from a peer relationship to a boss direct report relationship, it can be uncomfortable. It can be awkward and it can also be celebrated. But what the most important thing for me is to ensure that people know me, right? And if I if I act with integrity when we're peers, then they should expect me to act with integrity when the relationship changes. Or vice versa, if we go from peers and then I'm reporting to you now, right? How do I ensure that the relationship has a strong foundation, but also make space for the natural changes that happen? Because in those instances where your peers and then you get promoted, you're going to meetings that your peer is not in. And so you may have access to information. And so creating space for the required changes when the relationship changes, uh, but still acting with transparency and integrity is just really important. And at the end of the day, nothing is forever. Nothing is forever.

SPEAKER_00 23:05

Yeah. So speaking of nothing is forever, I'm curious. You were you grew up in Dallas and planted roots in Atlanta, and St. Louis has got a hold of you. And you've been here a lot longer than you expected. I mean, I look up, I've been here a little over five years now, and that seems like it went by in the blink.

SPEAKER_02 23:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:23

And I remember being in my younger years, I was like, I don't know if I'd move to St. Louis. My wife and I were dating, she still lived here. And I was like, I don't know if it's me. I was at the time I was going back and forth from Chicago. And now at this season, this stage of my life, I'm like, this is it. Like, this works. This is perfect. Yeah. But I'm curious, why St. Louis for you? What's kept you here? Because at every single transition, you have an opportunity to go elsewhere, to go to a new city. And for somebody who loves change, you could have sought out the change of city as well and not just new opportunities.

SPEAKER_01 23:53

Absolutely. I um I'm very blessed. There are two things that are integral to why I stay. One, my community. I have a community of friends and family here. Um that and I have friends and family across the country from all the places that I've lived. You know, from I was born in Denver, lived in DC, high school in Dallas, New Orleans, Atlanta, Minneapolis. So I've lived in a lot of different places. Uh, but St. Louis in particular has been a beautiful place to build friendships, and that has mattered. And particularly, I started my family here. And St. Louis is one of the most family-friendly communities I've ever lived in. I mean, the way people get together around kids and play dates and, you know, especially little kids, like there's a lot of resources. Um, it's not always easy with, you know, having African-American son, uh, but the community of people that are here and the belief in family has been integral to my staying. And that's on the personal front. From a professional perspective, there's nothing that I've wanted to do in St. Louis that I haven't been able to do. I've served on the board of Harrisdown State University and HBCU, the only HBCU in the St. Louis region. I have, I lead a major arts public funder. I've had an amazing corporate career where I've traveled all over the country opening up grocery stores. And um I've been able to grow in my career here. And I don't take that for granted. And I know that is not the case for uh all the people that live here, but that's part of the work that I am committed to. And the resources that I have and the influence that I have is to make sure that whether you're from here or not, you have access to the desires of your heart.

SPEAKER_00 25:56

I love that. That's a really powerful story, and I really appreciate you sharing both the personal side and the professional side of it. I think we overlook sometimes one or the other. We may think about a career opportunity, but we don't think about what it's like to build an actual village, especially when you're either planning for a family or you have one. I haven't encountered a place that seems to wrap its arms around you and also create enough opportunities for you at every level, like St. Louis.

SPEAKER_01 26:23

And it hasn't been um, you know, I've had to go out and seek out opportunities, you know, I've been able to engage in entrepreneurship here. And um, you know, what I'd say, I'm I'm not perfect by any stretch at all. Uh, but what I do promise is complete. Right. And the uh rich history, particularly in black history in St. Louis, and the commitment to uh liberation that uh that has been the case for decades, um, is attractive to me. And uh it's uh given me a space to contribute and know that uh I'm making a difference. And that's you know that is unique to St. Louis. And I'll I'll tell you a quick story. When I was working at Wells Fargo, we invested in um For Sake of All. And uh was an amazing report by Dr. Jason Purnell, and we were talking, and I'd have my frustrations with St. Louis, particularly after uh the killing of Michael Brown, and you know, he was uh walking through the solutions to some of the segregated housing and you know, lack of access to opportunity and jobs for people in our community. And I just kept looking at him because he was so serious. And I said, why do you believe so much in St. Louis? And he said, because this this is a size city where it can be done. You know, and having lived in Atlanta and Dallas, and you know, when I moved to Atlanta, it was what, about three million people, and now it's close to six, you know, lots of growth. Same thing with Dallas. 300 families move to Dallas every single day. I mean, it's just grown. I said, but St. Louis is the size where if we focus and commit, you can actually see real change here. And not in a short time frame.

SPEAKER_00 28:21

Exactly. We could get it done and we could be the proving ground for what does it look like to rebuild an equitable city, to right the wrongs that were there intentionally. Yes. Let's put some intention behind actually righting those wrongs and creating those opportunities that were intentionally stripped away.

SPEAKER_01 28:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:34

We're small enough to get it done, but we're big enough, like financially, economically, to have the resources as long as we have the willpower to make it happen.

SPEAKER_01 28:41

That is exactly. And I have found that to be the case, particularly since I've been at RAC. We got $10.6 million of ARPA funds, and we distributed those funds in 15 months, uh, full federal audit with zero findings. So it's not just about the money, but the actual transformation. 28 new murals in the city of St. Louis commissioned and completed in seven months. Right. And these murals tell the story of a community, uh, not just for the residents, but for the visitors. And so, like, stuff is really doable here. And just when I think about STL bucket list and how they've grown over the years, I mean, we live in a community where things are doable. And to your point, we cannot get distracted by um silly stuff that we see uh in the media. Um it's progress is achievable here when we work together. And we've seen that year after year after year.

SPEAKER_00 29:44

Absolutely. So speaking about progress, I'm curious what's on the horizon for you? What's coming next? Like there's I know you are firm in your leadership, but there has to be a vision thinking about how we're expanding, how we're growing, how you can even expand the reach of RAC. It can be, you know, what's coming up for you? I'm curious.

SPEAKER_01 30:02

That's a great question. I I used to be very planned. I'm gonna do this, this, this, this, this. And the older I get, I'm like, I don't control any of this stuff. I mean, really, I knew I wanted to be a CEO, but did I know I was gonna be the CEO of RAC? And did I even know I was gonna work at Anheuser Bush? No, I I don't drink alcohol. So uh when I got the call and they said, come work for us, I was like, no, no, no, no. But I fell in love with the the culture and and the work. And so I've worked places that I never thought I would work. And what I know is um, I know my purpose. I know my purpose on earth is to bring creativity and well-being to people and communities. That's what I do. And I can look over the course of my career from Mary Kay to Rack, and I have always in one way or another brought creativity and well-being to people and communities. So whatever is next for me, that's what I'm going to be doing. And I'm just I'm open enough to, and I'm a person of faith. I'm open enough to um go where God sends me. So uh I can't tell you what I'm gonna do next, but it will be about creativity and well-being.

SPEAKER_00 31:15

I love that. I love when you have a true north, that through line that carries you through a future. Oh, gosh. Clear values, a clear purpose. Everything that comes to you on that journey will still be in line with that.

SPEAKER_01 31:25

Yeah, I heard a quote and I I can't think of the person who said it. Uh he said, there are two, the two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you figure out why. And I know my why, I know my why. I'm so grateful that I know my why because it directs me. Like you said, it is my North Star. And if it's about creativity and well-being, you'll see me in the middle of it.

SPEAKER_00 31:48

Love that. So we have a new segment we're introducing to the podcast. So you get to be one of our guinea pigs. But we're calling it the coaching corner. Okay. So this is an opportunity where people who are listeners of the show can submit questions and help. We will collectively kind of give them some sage guidance and advice around what they can do, you know, to sort of solve that challenge. Got it. So our question today came from a listener named Maddie. And Maddie is curious about how do you set yourself up for success when you're new to a role? You are someone who has transitioned to a lot of roles, a lot of places, a lot of cities. And Maddie's a new hire, and she's trying to figure out how I can, you know, best set myself up for success, make sure that I'm doing the right things in the right order, because you want to make a good impression, but you're not quite sure how.

SPEAKER_01 32:35

Got it. Oh gosh. Um that's a great question. I I would offer uh three things. One, uh, there's a book called The First 90 Days. HBR, that's a good one. It's on my desk for everyone.

SPEAKER_00 32:50

Also transition a lot. So that's a yes, it must read.

SPEAKER_01 32:53

Yes, must read. Start there. Uh, there's another book called Corporate Confidential. Um, I apologize, I can't remember the author's name. And uh that really helps uh it helped me. I learned about it in the uh St. Louis Business Diversity Initiatives Fellows program. And it really helped me understand the the container in which uh corporate priorities are set. And uh so get those two books. Uh and then the second word of advice that I would give is focus on relationships and you know, going back to that 360, um ask your manager what do you need, right? Because and and be open to that changing. Because sometimes when you go through the interview process and people say, you're gonna do this, this, and this, and then you get there and it's like, you're gonna do that, that, and that. And it's like, oh my gosh. And that's not um, you know, intentionally harmful. And sometimes it is, but staying close to what your manager needs and making sure you have clear communication is so important. Uh, and then peer relationships, you know, as a new person, I'm very clear. People have history at the organization, people have politics, have relationships. And so I tend to just be a sponge and I set up lots of informational interviews and ask people how can I be successful here? And one of the things I think that um I'm very grateful that I did early is really trying to understand the culture of an organization and developing a plan and a strategy for how to be aligned with that culture.

SPEAKER_00 34:41

And I'm gonna ask you to dig a little bit deeper on that last part because I think, especially if you're early in your career, I don't think the idea of core culture is very concrete. Like it feels amorphous, it feels like something that isn't quite clear. You know, culture is a thing and it's a buzzword and people talk about it, but if you were to say in your own words, like what is an organizational culture and what should someone look for in a good culture?

SPEAKER_01 35:02

I would say it's, and I'll give a specific example, it's it's the values and the behaviors of the environment. And so uh when I when I when I worked at Cartoon Network, the uh the culture was really creative and risk taking and risk and making mistakes and being creative and pushing the envelope. I mean, I was there when we launched Adult Swim. And I'm like, ooh, this is a lot. You know, for me personally, that was a lot. Um, but that was rewarded and exciting. And so it's it's the values, does the risk tolerance, the uh the family, you know, Rack has culture has been described often as a family. You know, we take care of each other, we nurture and have create space for uh people to bring their full selves in their lives when you bring your kids to the office, those kinds of things. So it's it's the values that dictate the behaviors. And some of those things are spoken, some of them are unspoken. And so watching, observing, and building relationships and having a mentor and a sponsor are really important. Those are folks who help translate the culture, and the culture is the through line, the context is really generated by the environment and the moment. You know, if your company is under a lot of stress and pressure or they're highly regulated, how the culture shows up and how they respond in a particular moment of stress could be different. You know, you're are you in a wartime situation or a peacetime situation? And so um really understanding the values and how people behave is what I mean by culture and and what success looks like with that, and what success looks like for you, right? And so um, you know, I don't shy away from it. I'm a black female, and so what success looks like for me could be different than someone who's not. And so um it's it's complex. And if anything, I would say to Maddie and anyone new in their career, changing to a new position, give yourself time. Give yourself time. You don't have to get it all right right now, and and you can't.

SPEAKER_00 37:20

Yeah. Yeah, I think there's always that impatience to try to make your mark early and make sure you fit in and you're delivering and you're not at risk. And the reality is you typically have more of an on-ramp than you think you do.

SPEAKER_02 37:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:32

I love that. I love your example. I think something that we miss early in our careers are the importance of having that personal board of directors. I always tell folks that you need to have that mentor, like you mentioned, someone who's been there, done that, who can give you that sage advice. Someone who's a sponsor who has a seat at the table, who's gonna pull one out for you and then say, hey, this person needs to be in this room.

SPEAKER_02 37:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:52

And when you get to that level, whether it's formal or informal, you need a coach. You need an objective third party who is not in your chain of command who you can just game things out with and say, hey, here's what the wall I'm bumping up against. What should I do? Should I go left, right? Help me figure it out. We can figure it out together.

SPEAKER_01 38:08

That's it. And you need friends.

SPEAKER_00 38:10

Friends.

SPEAKER_01 38:10

You need friends at work. You spend a lot of time at work, and work should be fun. Work can be fun. And some of my best friends to this day are people that I worked with at Cartoon Network and the mayor's office at Wells Fargo. And um, again, that sense of community and joy is so important. You need, you know, different kinds of relationships to support your growth. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:35

I also found that some of my most challenging jobs is where I made some of my best friends because we were in the trenches together.

SPEAKER_01 38:40

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 38:40

So those folks, we've been friends for decades. Like we're here.

SPEAKER_01 38:44

And someone who will remind you of who you are, despite whatever the challenge is, someone who will celebrate you, and someone that you can look back 10 years and go, man, do you remember when this happened? And, you know, it helped put it in context.

SPEAKER_00 38:59

I love that. So I think to really summarize what you talked about for Maddie, it's start to understand what you need to learn. Learn as much as you can externally from the organization, from people who have been there. Learn about the culture, learn about your role and the needs of your team, your manager. Long term, you'll see what tasks actually get connected to that. But as much understanding what you need to learn is half the battle. So you can find the question marks, then you can start to answer those questions. Figure out who the people are that you need to know and with whom you can partner. Who's gonna have your back formally, informally? Who can you lean on when you have to ask a question or when you need to get a project project completed? And I think that last one I always like to add is find those quick wins. What are those things that you brought to the table that you were specifically hired for that you can deliver early? And I think that's a point in the first 90 days book. Also, it's just where are those big wins where you can show that you hired me for a reason. I'm adding value now. And here are some problems I'm solving. And as I get more institutional knowledge, more space, and more responsibility, I'm only going to get better with this.

SPEAKER_01 40:01

Absolutely. And I would add one other thing that has been just essential to my career, my growth, volunteering. I have always served on nonprofit boards. Governance is my jam. I just, I love board meetings.

SPEAKER_00 40:14

I've never heard anyone say governance is my jam.

SPEAKER_01 40:17

I mean, seriously, I love board meetings. They are, they are fun. It's it's where decisions and policy happens. And so um, I just I love volunteering and also um affinity groups, employee resource groups, affinity groups. Uh, I there are two things that I do. I usually join an affinity group for a culture and or affinity that I just am not familiar with because it's a low-stakes way to learn about something I don't know. That's another reason why I serve on nonprofit boards. And I join the finance committee because it's a low-stakes way to learn from experts. I have a degree in film, right? And so I took four hours of math in undergrad. That was not smart. I got my MBA, totally helped. Um, but being on the finance committee, I learned how to read financial statements. Usually the treasurer is the VP andor the CFO of some major organization, and they can do this in their sleep and they expect questions, right? And so using board service as a way to develop uh skills and knowledge uh for free. And, you know, to give back your time and your talent uh to build relationships, to have a direct impact on an organization and the work that they do for community is uh, and the other really great thing that I particularly encourage young professionals around joining nonprofit boards, it's a great way to build management skills. Because if you can get somebody who does not report to you, does not have to do what you say, to engage and do the work of the mission, that's management skills. And sometimes you don't always have an opportunity in your current role to manage people. And it's a great way to develop skills that pay dividends in your career. So join a nonprofit board.

SPEAKER_00 42:09

Absolutely. And I want to stress that you don't necessarily have to be in the C-suite or an executive to join a nonprofit board. And even if you're interested in a large organization, there's a lot of the organizations that Rack supports, they all have friends of or associate boards, young professional boards, where you can get involved earlier in your career because they want to create that pipeline. They want you to learn how to engage and build community around them and how to help get dip your toe into governance. So there's an opportunity, whatever you're interested in, whatever the organization's focus is, whatever their size is, you can get in there, start to learn, flex those muscles, and build community because everyone else who's volunteering on that board is also passionate about the things you're passionate about. That's exactly right. If you're new to the city, that's also a great way to meet some friends who are like-minded.

SPEAKER_01 42:53

Exactly. One of the first things I did in all of the cities that I've moved to, I found a nonprofit, I joined the board, and or I found a nonprofit and started volunteering. It's um it's that's the best.

SPEAKER_00 43:05

Yeah, yeah, it's necessary. My wife yelled at me at one point in Atlanta because I think I was only three or four. It was a little too much. So I dialed it back now, but it's necessary, and I've met some phenomenal people, lifelong friends, who I continue to lean on and learn from all the time. So I want to just open this last moment up to see if there's any nuggets, sage advice, anything that you want to just share with any of our listeners who are either navigating their career growth, who are just figuring out if they're on the precipice of a pivot, or just figuring out how to hang tight in this economy. It's it's all of the things right now.

SPEAKER_01 43:39

It is all of the things. Um I I deeply believe our best and brightest days are ahead of us. You know, it's it's tough right now. It's tough for a lot of reasons. Uh at the federal level it's tough. At the state level, it's tough. At the local level, it's tough. Like there are there are some times I don't watch the news very often. I just can't. Um, but when I do and I'm like, what on earth? Yeah. You know, um but I see the response of the people. And uh, you know, this might sound silly, but when I'm driving my kid to school, uh I've seen people standing on the bridge over 64 holding up signs, you know, that uh affirm our humanity. And I beat my horn and I'm like, yes. Or I see people out in groups responding to injustice. And I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah. We're gonna be okay. We're gonna be okay. Our best and brightest days are still ahead. Uh, tests are necessary. Uh, you know, pressure makes diamonds. Um, it also can break things. Um, but yeah, our best and brightest days are still ahead of us.

SPEAKER_00 44:53

I love that. And on that note, I think there's no better mic drop to end on. Vanessa Cooksie, thank you so much for joining us for this conversation, sharing your background, sharing so much of your passion and your story around this. You can hear the love of your work, also the city and the region and everything that you share. And we're excited to have you at the helm of RAC and continuing to invest in some of the greatest arts institutions and the arts scene in the country.

SPEAKER_01 45:18

Thank you. Thank you, Jamal. It's a pleasure to be here. And um, you know, much success to you. You're doing the work. So I appreciate you. Hey, just trying to keep up with you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 45:29

Thank you.