Today we’d like to introduce you to Tonie Cole.
Hi Tonie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m a wife, mom, Performance coach, and Entrepreneur. Like most women, I am a lot of things to a lot of people.
“Sometimes when you find yourself being everything to everyone, you lose yourself.”
2018 was a reflective year.
I asked myself the questions I was scared to ask: What do you want? Are you happy? Is this the life you saw for yourself? That time of reflection changed my perspective. Instead of focusing on being everything for everyone, I realized I wanted to focus on one thing: helping others live with fulfillment and purpose. To help you understand how I arrived at this conclusion, I have to share more about the beginning of my story.
As a kid, my family mattered the most to me. I wanted to make them proud. I thought the more accomplished I was, the more loved I was. Looking back over the last couple of years, I can see how much that belief shaped my life. I finished school, got married, had children, and built a career. Each year, I was climbing higher on the corporate ladder all because I wanted them to be proud of who I had become.
But I don’t know if I was truly happy. I was focused, driven, determined, but was I one hundred percent fulfilled…I don’t know. It wasn’t until the birth of my second child, that I realized it was time for me to finally start living.
2019 was a pivotal year.
I’m grateful for the people I met during that time in my life. They showed me the importance of learning who you are, not just existing within the roles you are to other people. They showed me how pursuing your passion is possible while also showing up for the ones you love. I learned I could be a mom and a business owner. I could work in Corporate America and be a Videographer. Life didn’t have to be either or. I could find purpose in doing multiple things.
That realization was a defining moment for me. It helped me make the decision to seek out purpose and not pleasing others. It gave me permission to learn new skills, try new things, believe in myself in new ways, and stop waiting for someone else to give me permission to do the things I wanted to do.
“It’s amazing how one decision can change the whole trajectory of your path.”
Building new habits is hard. It was tough balancing a 9-5, running a business, making time for family, scheduling meet-ups with friends, completing 5am workouts, the list goes on. Through my personal journey, I experienced how hard something can be, all the while, realizing it’s the very thing you needed to feel alive again.
I was working hard and I was fulfilled. I was confused, trying to understand this new path, and I felt more connected with an internal purpose.
If you find yourself wondering, ‘Am I fulfilled?’ Then I want to encourage you to explore it. The steps you take to answer that question are where you learn the most. With each step you take, oftentimes you find fulfillment in the process. Finding fulfillment is worth the journey. It’s how we go from existing to living. It’s how we start to be purposeful and impactful in what we do. Imagine how much different our world would be if we all walked with intention, purpose, and impact? Helping others to live their most fulfilling life is the heart of my story.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t know that finding yourself is ever a “smooth road”. I used to think I was behind and misaligned. While I worked in Retail, I felt like my friends were advancing in their careers and I was stuck. While I worked in the Automobile Industry, I felt like I wasn’t being my authentic self. While I worked in the Staffing & Recruitment Industry selling temporary staffing services, I felt stressed and desperate for a change.
Looking back, I realize I always questioned ‘Was I doing what I was supposed to be doing?’. I felt like I was just falling into stuff. Now I know all of those experiences (even the ones that hurt), helped me prepare for what’s next.
So when you ask ‘Has it been a smooth road?’ I can easily say no.
I have God to give me guidance, direction, and purpose. I have people who love me and encourage me along the way. I’m eliminating negative thinking, so when struggles come, I’m encouraged not to give up.
I’ve also learned to operate under the belief that each action informs the next action. When you do something new, there’s so much you don’t know. Learn what you can, make a decision, take a step, think about what you learned, and then take the next step. Every experience helps to give you a more accurate perspective for where you are going in life. So I’ve learned to use every experience.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’ve learned that you can find purpose in doing multiple things. So I’m enjoying using what I’ve learned in Corporate America to help others be successful.
Performance Coach
I help people build their confidence through action. I’ve worked for Fortune 50 and Fortune 500 companies leading teams, developing hundreds of leaders and serving as a Career Coach. What I’ve learned through those experiences is the importance of perspective. Overcoming limitations starts with believing in yourself. Belief starts with thoughts. I believe in asking powerful questions to help my clients uncover their true desires, create goals, take action and find fulfillment and purpose in their lives.
I also have learned the power of storytelling and use my education and experience working with multiple media platforms to bring positive, uplifting content to others.
Executive Producer & TV Host | The Talks With Tonie Cole Show
The Talks With Tonie Cole Show is an Atlanta-based YouTube talk show that gives women a platform to share their truth from their perspective. All topics are on the table. Viewers watch the show because the show promotes self-acceptance and self growth. Each interview is a story of self-reflection that starts with understanding emotions and finding freedom in making personal decisions. On the show, we believe authenticity and transparency are how women empower each other to live with intention, purpose, and impact.
Videographer
I believe the media influences society and I want to help share more positive stories about our community. I create, promote, and release content that is uplifting, encouraging, and inspiring. Sometimes to know more is possible, you have to see more is possible.
What’s next?
The Talks With Tonie Cole Show released the second season on YouTube: The Tonie Cole Channel.
The Talks With Tonie Cole Show Podcast released the second season on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Amazon Music.
Contact Info:
- Email: Tonie@toniecole.com
- Website: TonieCole.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/toniecoletv?utm_medium=copy_link
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=5255952
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TonieCole88
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/innercircle-media
