The Inspiration of Kat Cole

When my youngest son was about four years old, I read him the famous speech by Winston Churchill, Never Give Up! Now 11 years old, he has, just like the rest of us occasionally needed to be reminded to keep persevering.  On a few occasions when he was discouraged and ready to give up, I would jokingly tell him; “Now let me see – what did Churchill say in his famous speech? Always, always, always, give up?” I’d then remind him how we, my wife and I believed in him and that he could succeed and overcome any obstacle before him.

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to be inspired by a leader in the food service industry who has succeeded in her professional life, and more importantly, in her personal life; Kat Cole of Cinnabon. In her talk, Kat was very honest and frank about the obstacles she faced as a child, in particular in her family life. Kat also said how that if she continued down the road that so many others have gone down she would have ended up in poverty and completely dependent upon others for her livelihood. But early in her life, Kat had someone who believed in her. This person was her mother. In her talk, Kat brought to our attention several instances in her professional career where she was challenged, run through the ringer and stretched thin.  Yet time and time again, she was able to achieve success and make molehills out of mountains. She gave examples of how early on in her career, executives thought she was too young to succeed, or how people wouldn’t take the brand she represented seriously. As she matured, Kat was able to fall back on both her personal and professional experiences and persuade executives twice her age.   There were many who attempted to intimidate her or scoff at her enthusiastic cheerleader style, mock her credibility and undermine her motivation. But determination and a never give up persona, brought her success.  From her childhood home to company boardrooms Kat is a great example of how determination can pay off.

The old adage of “picking yourself up by your bootstraps” says something about personal motivation, but it is also misleading as it misses out what others can contribute to your life.  Have you ever had a time in your life, perhaps when you were on the brink of despair, when someone looked you in the eye, put his or her hand on your shoulder and said; “I believe in you?” For me, this has often been a good friend or colleague.  I have also found that often this comes from those who you least expect.  I have been blessed with the opportunity to serve others on many occasions over the years.  Often these opportunities come through helping the elderly move into a new apartment or fix their car or helping serve meals to poor children in my community.  In each of these circumstances, I have had the opportunity to spend time talking to these dear children and adults in the process of helping them.  These have been the most encouraging and memorable conversations in my life.  Afterwards I am humbled, because while I went into the situation expecting to serve, I was instead the one who was served and encouraged.

At the end of her talk, I briefly spoke to Kat and thanked her for her talk and the inspiration. I told her that my boys, who are in a loving home environment, occasionally need this kind of inspiration. Always the encourager, Kat reminded me of how much they need me.  Well said Kat, well said indeed.