An Inspired Chat with Colette Bennett of Atlanta

Colette Bennett shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Good morning Colette, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
Self-esteem. I believe this because growing up, I noticed my mother would often compliment service workers in small ways, from a pair of earrings they wore to simply their way of being. I often saw the person being complimented light up, or heard them say that the compliment made their day. This was valuable to me to observe, and I try to carry that practice forward myself as an adult. Kindness is powerful, and especially so between strangers.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I started a journalism career back in 2007, writing about video games, first freelancing for websites like Kotaku, Destructoid, and the now-defunct Joystiq, then eventually moving into the larger journalism world.

The things I learned working for video game outlets equipped me for the newsrooms I went into in 2013, starting with HLN and CNN, then moving on to The Daily Dot as its Senior Geek Writer in 2016. I then helped build their e-commerce presence for five years and learned to manage a writing team. Since then, I’ve worked for Yahoo! as a Senior Producer, built a trending team for the financial website TheStreet, and helmed a complete overhaul of Playboy.com to accompany the relaunch of its legendary print magazine.

On the literary side, I published my first novel via Rebellion Publishing’s Solaris imprint in 2013, Enter the Meta, which is a young adult story about a group of friends and their adventures in the world of competitive video games. I am also the co-host of the podcast Colette and Matt Have Entered the Chat, where we discuss current games and industry trends, talk to developers, and more. I am also a member of the Atlanta Writers Club, and in 2023, I won the Natasha Trethewey Prize for Poetry, which the club awards once a year.

In 2025, I launched my own writing & editing business, Komorebi Workshop, to help more people get their creative works out into the world. I provide consultations for aspiring writers, as well as comprehensive line editing and developmental editing services. As a community ally, I specialize in editing services for both neurodivergent and LGBTQ+ writers with a special focus on compassionate, clear, trauma-informed communication. My projects include high-profile cosplayer Yaya Han’s World of Cosplay and queer author TQ Sims’ Godspeed, Lovers and Lovers in Arms, with more coming soon!

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I love this question, and I also love the girl I see in my mind’s eye when I read it. As a teenager, I was wildly creative, writing poetry and prose, drawing, painting, and making mixed media collages. Creativity lights me up in a way little else can, and even today, when I need to recenter or connect with myself, I open a journal or sit at my art room desk. I know the answers for me will always come from creation.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
When I was 28 years old, Hurricane Katrina destroyed my childhood home and all of my belongings. While there’s not a lot I regret losing, my old journals and my photos were the things that stung the most. New Orleans was closed to the public for a while after the storm, and I had evacuated outside the state, so I was in a position where I had to recreate my life elsewhere. It was agonizing in many ways. But I also look back now and see that my writing career got off the ground because I moved to Los Angeles. If it wasn’t for the people I met there, I don’t think I could have ever moved on to the next phase of my life. So I’m glad I didn’t give up.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What important truth do very few people agree with you on?
This is a more hotly debated topic than ever, especially in the current political climate, but to me, attempting to understand people around us is crucial. It is incredibly hard to even consider understanding people whom we consider enemies. Understanding will not mean I agree, but it will help me to better grasp the world around me and to perceive others with empathy instead of hatred and division.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What light inside you have you been dimming?
As my career has grown and I’ve taken on more responsibility, I have noticed my creative light has grown dimmer and dimmer, and it’s become harder to access that part of myself. I am currently going through a phase of my life where I am coming to terms with how that has hurt me and what I can do to redirect my path and realign with my creative spirit, and each step of that journey has been meaningful so far.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellococobee/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennettcolette/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ColetteAndMatt

Image Credits
Image 1 (Personal Photo): Nikki Rau-Baker

Image 2: Colette Bennett