How's it going, guys?
Welcome to this episode of the Pursuit of Calling podcast with me, your host, Thomas
Carney.
In this episode, I got to sit down with Cole Zimmerman, and we talked a lot about the creative
space because, you know, he's a creative guy.
And he works for Amplified Church part-time that also has a lot of his own side businesses
going on with his wife and on his own, which is really cool.
We also dive into the difference between knowledge and wisdom.
And if you guys would be so kind to share this episode out on your Instagram, Facebook,
wherever you listen to the podcast, give it a five star review and give us a comment.
But before we dive in, I want to ask you to send me a message.
If you have any questions or you want me to talk on a particular topic, or you just want
to say some encouraging words, you can do so on Instagram or via the email that is listed
in the show notes of this episode.
Thank you.
And let's dive in.
Hey, Cole, how's it going?
Great.
How are you?
Doing good.
Yeah, guys.
So you heard Lee a couple of episodes ago recommend Cole Zimmerman for the podcast.
And so here he is.
Here I am.
All my glory here.
So we were just getting catching up below or not even catch up.
We were getting like maybe just having a conversation beforehand because we've never really like
had a full conversation for this before about other guests I've had on before.
But like, no, like we're getting to know each other a little bit.
And for people that don't know you that well, who's Cole Zimmerman?
Who am I?
That is not the question.
I am an artist, I'm a videographer.
I am a Christian.
I work at Amplify that we know each other through church.
I'm the videographer there doing social stuff, video projects in service, you know, big stuff
like Christmas or whatever.
But then I also do that on the side.
My wife and I shoot weddings together and I do freelance stuff like ads, whatever.
Yeah, I'm kind of all over the place, but all creative things, lots of lots of video
all the time.
So yeah, thanks.
And it's like whenever we first were messaging back and forth, that's like the one that's
what you focus on.
You're like you're the creative, you're a creative person.
Yeah, that's like where all of your like, you just said, like, that's like, that's everything
that you do even for money for a living, like that's where it's there even for to serve
and do it for free.
Like that's like that's what you want to do.
Yeah.
And like we all have like a reason behind why we do what we do.
Right.
We all have like, I like to think that that's kind of like the push forward or the call
that we have in our lives and like that pushes us to do these certain things, the passions
that we have.
We believe that Christians, they come from God.
And like with this podcast being the pursuit of calling, what inspired you to like be that
creative person?
Yeah, I feel like it was never even like a second thought that like when I was a kid,
like my mom is an artist too, like she works in like glass mosaic art and like painting
and like watercolor and she just she's crazy.
So like I was always around it growing up and like from a very young age, I was always
just like, you know, I felt drawn to drawing.
I felt drawn to art and I started like when I was a kid, I got really into like traditional
like studio art, like drawing and painting and like sculpture and stuff like that.
And then when I was like, I think it was like 14, 15, something like that.
I got my first camera and I got into photography in like early high school and then that transition
into video.
And then it just really kept snowballing.
And there just there was never a point in my life where I was like, I can't picture
doing something other than this, like for a living or doing something else for a living.
I would always be doing this on the side if I couldn't make it a living.
So I feel very grateful and very lucky that I have been able to, I guess, monetize it,
that it is literally all that I do.
Like like you said, like for a living and, you know, for fun and like to serve the church
and everything.
It's just pretty much all day every day in some capacity.
I'm doing something creative here or there.
But yeah, I guess there just never was another another option for me.
It's pretty cool.
I can relate to that to it in a different way.
Because like my for me, it was never like I have this entrepreneurial mind and I feel
like you have that too with like all your side businesses and other like something you
do by yourself and with your wife.
But I've had that maybe this has been maybe in like the last five, six years of my life.
I mean, like I've been like, yeah, I really want to start a business.
And even in college, like maybe I'll do freelance at some point.
I did for a little bit like we were talking about before.
But I've always been like I've always been like I want to have my own business or try
to do something on the side, something that's not just my job.
And that's like a and for me, like I've sat on the podcast before is this like being a
life coach is really what I want to do.
I think that's interesting.
Like I'm an app developer, so it's a weird like it's a weird kind of thought.
Yeah, that pipeline is pretty narrow.
But like it's like I've but I came across that and becoming a life coach and a very
like for me with a step by step process to find like that's what I want to do.
But entrepreneurial side was always there.
I mean, this podcast, I try to use it at like to feed that part of me to do something that's
a little bit more than my do something more than in my job, eventually as a stepping stone
into a larger business.
But it's also a like my goal is to like to serve to help people.
And that's kind of what this I know that's kind of like what I believe like the purpose
of a business is is to serve and to help people.
So I know I'm kind of going off on a tangent, but I just like that you're like it's always
kind of been with me.
It's always been what I wanted to do.
And and like, I don't know, I just find that really interesting because like, I don't know,
I don't know if I don't know if mine was with me the whole life, you know, it might have
been like, I remember like, like, hey, there's a computer store may have a computer store
one day.
Yeah, it's like all these just random thoughts can my dad had a carpenter, it does has his
own business.
So it's always been like, I know it's possible.
No, it's a thing.
Yeah, I do feel like you said, like, it might have always been with you, but you weren't
aware of it.
I feel like obviously, this is not a hot take among Christians pursuing their calling.
But it's like all of the pieces are lining up throughout your whole life to then bring
you to this point to then put you in the position to be like, oh, like, I want to become a life
coach or like, I want to have, you know, a podcast to like have these conversations and
like, you know, building up that part of your personality and your interests.
But yeah, I it's very easy now that like I am a full time like videographer and creative,
that it's very easy to say like, oh, this was always what I was going to do.
And that is half true that it was always what I wanted to do.
But it was I didn't always believe that like this was actually going to pan out.
I was like, I'm going to have to get a real job at some point.
Like I can't just take videos all the time.
But yeah, like I'm very grateful that I have kind of fallen into these situations that
I feel like God has like placed these opportunities in my life to then I've been able to capitalize
upon.
Yeah, you know, so it's fun.
That's really cool.
I guess you kind of talked about it, but let's go more in depth of like, like how is pursuing
that part of your life like, well, actually, first, I have this in the notes, so I apologize.
But the we're talking about calling like what part of this like how would you define your
calling?
In a sense?
Yeah.
I mean, this is pretty cut and dry, but I feel like at the basic level, it's just to
create.
I feel like I I didn't.
Well, little context to this first.
I didn't grow up Christian like my parents aren't.
They're just like agnostic, I guess.
They're like not practicing.
So then I fell.
I was invited to youth group and then I kind of, you know, became Christian and like, you
know, started building a relationship with Jesus in like middle school.
So I even like as a kid, I wasn't like this is something this is a passion that like God
has put inside me because I didn't know that then.
But then as I especially growing up through high school and then like going to college
and everything, I'm like developing that understanding more so.
But yeah, all I have to say, I feel like I've always had like an innate like passion and
interest in like creating.
And now I can like articulate that as like when I see like, I don't know, the when I
see the beauty of the earth around us, it's such a like.
I don't know.
It's kind of a tangent.
But I feel like nowadays with everybody on social media, everybody's taking pictures
on their phone all the time.
It is you're trying to translate this experience that you're experiencing to then share it
with people.
Which is obviously a great thing for the most part.
And I feel like that has always been a part of my creative, like passion of like, I'm
seeing these things around me and I want to capture that in the most beautiful way to
then translate that and like evoke that emotion again, if that makes sense.
And that applies to like mainly or primarily video for me, but also like creating art,
creating a painting that is in line with just making people feel emotions.
And I always say that like being a creative and a Christian is kind of it's like a what's
the word, it's like a fleeting exercise that like you're trying.
You're always trying to create something beautiful when you will never get to the the innate
beauty of the actual creator.
Like he is.
I said that in a weird way.
But like especially creativity in the church is like I'm always trying to create beautiful
things that are representative of like his grace and his glory and like the culture of
heaven.
But I know that that is not is never going to be close to what it actually is like.
So it's always forever chasing that.
Like how can I make this more accurate?
How can I make this more beautiful?
How can I make XYZ, you know, whatever.
And it's that like you're always chasing that always like perfecting the craft more.
But so in some ways it's like I know I'm not going to get there.
You know, I know I'm never going to make anything that looks anything close to like what he
has created.
But it is that like chase that like keeps it going.
You know, yeah, there is.
I've kind of like we did a I don't know if we did it on perfection, but we definitely
talked about it before on the podcast.
So like, yeah, Sean and I talked about like perfection and like excellence.
We're like a whole series on excellence a while ago.
And like what we the way we kind of said the same thing you just said in the fact of trying
to like reach the perfection that is God.
Yeah, but like like for me, it's like you're never going to reach that.
You're never going to be perfect as God is perfect.
But like you can.
That's something you could strive for.
That's something you can like continuously like there's like there's no ceiling to your
improvement at that point.
Yeah.
Which I find is very encouraging.
Yeah, like there's no ceiling.
You're never going to like there's never going to be a time where you where you where you
won't be able to grow.
Yeah.
Where you you peak and then that's it.
It's like it's only downhill from here.
Yeah, like that doesn't happen.
Yeah, it is.
It is such a double sided coin because it is like if you are like a perfectionist or
you're striving for perfection or like pure excellence on one hand, it's like you won't
be perfect and you need to grasp that.
But also like perfection is the the path to greater excellence and quality in whatever
you're you're doing.
And that translates like writes back to what you were saying, like you're like you can
always and I don't know if you're trying to like oh how can I I don't know if you think
of how can I improve what I did in that last painting or if you're just like how can I
just keep making beautiful things?
Yeah.
Yeah, it it's a little bit of both.
Like there are in every medium, I guess, you know, photo or video or design or painting
or like anything that any creative person does, it's like each time you create something,
it is like a it's a vulnerable experience of like I'm making this thing that I think
is good with the skills that I have and then I'm putting out in the world and saying, hey,
do you like this?
Yeah.
And like people either do or don't.
Yeah.
But so it's like that experience is like is always how it goes.
And every time I like deliver a wedding video, I'm like, well, this was their this is their
wedding day.
This is it.
And if they don't like it, there's nothing I can do because I just missed that shot or
whatever.
So I'm always nervous about that.
I'll just say it like that creative experience is also each time you make something, you
are building up the skills and the little putting little things in your toolbox on how
to do that next time.
And I always say to people like especially in like wanting to get into video of they're
like, oh, like what's like the best, you know, like YouTube channel to watch for tips or
like what should I do?
Like read a book on like blah, blah, whatever.
Like what are your resources?
And I'm like, you literally just have to go out and do it like you have to shoot and you
have to get comfortable with a camera and have to get comfortable editing because there's
so many things.
It's such a wild like I'm sure you can relate to this with like development, too, that like
looking back, like I just edited a video this morning and I'm like, I am doing this like
30 percent faster than I could have a year ago.
And then like before that even and like every little experience is like adding a skill on
like, oh, well, now next time I know how to do this faster or I sorry, I whenever I'm
like trying to capture a shot and I'm like, oh, I in my mind, I'm like, I want it to look
like this before or like when I was just starting out, it's like I don't know actually how to
get there and how to make this look better.
But now and this will continue to go on as we were just saying, the more I strive for
perfection, like I have all of these little skills and I'm like, I can combine that with
this and then this will get me closer to that ideal vision in my head, which I still won't
reach.
And but it's just it's a compounding experience.
You know, each time you make something, you know, which is that's part of the fun, but
it's also frustrating sometimes.
Yeah, I think like one thing you mentioned about you watching YouTube video and then
like you try to make exactly what they made and then you get discouraged because it doesn't
look like what they made.
Yeah.
Or you make or you try to make exactly what they made and it looks exactly what they made,
but then it's not yours.
Yeah, that's very true.
I think like you mentioned development, like in the development space, it's very it's like
you can follow what they do in order to learn the tools.
But like what you're saying also is like in order to really learn that skill, you kind
of just like pick a project.
You're like, hey, I'm going to build a Twitter clone and just do it.
Yeah.
And like maybe you have to like you get some research as tons of ways to like figure out
how to do things you want to do and multiple different ways to do it.
Right.
And like you'll get to a point and then like you'll learn more things.
You're like, oh, wait, why would that so like why is this running so slow?
And you're like, you can figure out what you figure out what piece of code is making that
tweet, not post as quickly as it should or something like that.
Yeah.
And that's one thing you get flack for a lot whenever with apps is like reaction time.
Yeah.
And the I like that you brought that up because there's a lot on this whenever I talk about
calling with a lot of people on the podcast, like and rightfully so people talk about like
like the innate like underbelly.
It's like the underbelly, but like the underside, it's like the I don't know the innermost part
of like what you're doing.
It's not it's not just like the physical.
It's not like it's not just like you said yours is to create, which is like actually
like that's the it's like an eight piece to actually taking a picture and like doing the
things that you do with it.
Like I I've heard other people say like it's like from a Christian sense, it's like everyone's
like calling in a sense is to create because we are created by a creator in his image to
go out and do certain things.
Yeah.
But like I know it's I lost my train of thought again.
Yeah.
It is interesting because it's like I like I said, like creating in any capacity is always
like what I am thinking of, but now it's like I won't.
Sorry.
I believe that God has put that in me and he's put like the technical skills in me as
well.
But now as I go on, like I am picking up like the physical tools to then translate that
in the real world.
Yeah.
And that's why I can't like stick like videos, my main thing, like in terms of my job, but
I can't stick to one medium because I'm like, well, I want to try this.
I want to try watercolor and I want to do this and I want to shoot photo and I want
to do graphic design and all these things and like creating in different ways and like
scratching that itch.
And like like when I complete a video project for church or whatever it may be, that is
like a totally different, which this might sound silly, but it's a totally different
like part of my mind than like when I like paint something that it's like that's a whole
different side of creating to me.
But yeah, it's just it's always always scratching that itch and it's never never going to go
away.
Yeah.
Stop itching.
Yeah, it's yeah, I think what we're talking about is like it's the like it comes up in
other episodes, but it's the extra we're talking about the external representation of what
our calling is.
And like for me, I feel like my like my in my I believe my calling is like the is to
serve it's just it's kind of like I see in this podcast description of this podcast.
It's like to provide people with the tools they need to like pursue their calling or
like better or better their lives.
And like this podcast, I'm using that as a piece of that to be external.
That's why I want to be a life coach.
And like that's why I really I prefer if I can talk with somebody one on one and just
have a conversation with them, my mind's like working of like not trying to like trying
not to be like, oh, you're doing all these things wrong, but like that seeing the potential
in somebody and then like even just having a conversation with them about how they can
live in that potential.
And that's like and so everything that I'm doing, everything I'm trying to do now in
some way, I want to work towards that.
I want to work towards building that up and like use all these different ways to be creative.
Like it's the innate, it's the external representation of that they're all different, but they're
all the external representation of what you're in.
Like it's not just create something for a particular purpose.
And like, yeah, like and based off of our conversation, you can comment on what I said
or answer this question.
But based off of this conversation that we've had like, or are still having like, what kind
of like if you're ready to talk, be talking directly to the listener right now, what kind
of like advice would you give them if they're trying to like we were talking about building
a skill that pertaining to our calling or something like how do you know that?
Why did you like you say it was always with you, but like, how do you know?
Yeah, I mean, that's a fair question.
Like I said, like it's easy now for me to say that.
And it's like, I would be lying if I said that I never doubted that like I would end
up here.
Yeah, it's it's interesting.
I am very grateful.
I just for for context.
I so like I said, I started doing like photo and then like video in high school.
And then I was like, OK, like this is something that I really want to pursue.
And I remember I had a conversation with my mom when I was in high school that I was like,
even if I have to like if I can't find a job in a creative field and I have to do, I don't
know, whatever, that's not necessarily creative, creatively fulfilling.
If that's my day job, I'm never going to stop doing this.
And so then I went to school.
I went to Pitt for film production and then when I was there and then I started coming
to amplify and then I eventually started working in amplify almost four years ago now.
There's like twenty twenty.
And then that was my first like hands on professional experience in video production.
And then even like it's crazy to look back in the past four years, like some of the videos
that I was turning in, I was like, this looks very bad.
I was like, I'm just so grateful for like the opportunities that I've had and the development
that I've had through that.
And then I'm I'm not getting to your question directly, but essentially I.
So right now I want to attend.
It was can you restate the question?
I was I was like, I need this context in my mind and then I forgot what my last thing
was going to be essentially.
What advice would you give to the listener right now?
Yeah.
They have our conversation.
Yeah.
I mean, especially in the I'll just speak to the creative field, because that's what
I know the most about.
Like I said, like you just have to constantly be creating and you have to constantly be
like refining what your creative voice is and learning the technical skills to like
translate what you're thinking.
So it it is a hard market to like break into, especially if you are trying to like build
your own business and like, you know, like my wife, Ashley and I do.
Like I said, we do wedding photo and video together.
And that is something that kind of just fell into our lap that like we just connections
through church were like, hey, you do photo at the church like you do.
Can you shoot my wedding?
And then like it kind of snowballed.
And it it's just one of those things that like you have to always be creating for yourself
and for your portfolio and for the people around you to see your skill.
Yeah.
But yeah, even not necessarily when it comes to like tangible creative things, whenever
you like figure out what your calling is, it is one of those things that like once you
like fully dial in on it and you feel that it's like there isn't there isn't another
option like I kind of said that earlier, but it's like one of those things of like I'm
when you fully realize what your calling is, what your passion is, it is so like central
to who you are.
And even if it isn't like your job, like you just have to fully press into that.
Because even if you don't and you don't pursue that in some capacity, like that's not going
to go away.
I don't think like if I had a different job and I was never creating anything, I would
be a lot less happy than I am right now, because it's like that is something that I feel like
God has put inside of me.
And it in that sense would be like wasted potential on like what I feel like I was designed
to do and the skills that I enjoy, you know, exercising, stuff like that.
But yeah, very practically.
You just have to you just got to do it, which I know is not entirely helpful sometimes.
But yeah, creatively specific with the creative field, you you can watch as many movies as
you want, but until you know how to do it hands on yourself, that doesn't mean anything.
Yeah, in my opinion.
No, I think that makes a lot of sense.
It's interesting because like, I mean, this is just like the like the character of the
podcast.
I've like, I don't know how many times like that's that kind of thing happens.
Like what Lee was kind of said in a certain way of like, like he was like failure is the
only failure is not starting.
And it's good.
And that's essentially what you were saying.
Like like you're like, you have to actually do it.
Yeah.
If you want, I like this one thing that John Maxwell has said, he we get asked to quit,
like we will ask him like how they can start writing books.
And he asked them, they write and they say no.
And he's like, well, they're step one.
And like, he's like, well, you're right.
You're right.
That's it.
Yeah.
Yeah, it's I saw, I forget where this was from, but this is stuck with me.
And it essentially is echoing the same thing that we've already said.
But I think it was this was years ago, it was some director who was asked a similar
question.
And he was like, you can research if you want to build a house, you can research as much
as you want on materials and like structure and zoning and all of these things you need
to know.
But until you actually go out and do it, like you're not going to you're not going to know
what to do when you run out of nails until you actually are in that position and you
have to scramble and pivot and stuff like that.
Yeah.
And yeah, it's just one of those things that like there are there are tons of people that
know more than me, obviously.
That's you can quote me on that.
But there are also I don't know, you can know as much as you can research on something you
can especially nowadays you can watch hours of YouTube videos and whatever on the best
settings for the Sony FX3.
And this is the lens you should buy.
And this is the monitor you should buy.
And if you do that and you shoot in 60 frames per second, then it's going to look good.
And it's like you need you need to be comfortable with the camera and know what you're doing
for it to look good.
And I don't know, people always get caught up in the details on like especially all of
that stuff.
I just said of like I need this lens and it's twenty five hundred dollars and I need to
do this and that and then I'll be good and then I'll be able to do this.
And it's like in reality, if you want to create something like the best camera that you have
is the one that you have with you, that's like the best option.
And I have shot with very expensive cameras and I've shot with very cheap cameras and
it only makes a difference in the story that you're trying to tell.
You know, is that is the heart of it.
And you can you can translate it in any way, you know, with any any tools at your disposal.
This is why I like to take notes and I wasn't taking notes.
So I just know I was just listening.
You can tell that you like you genuinely understand that like it's not it's like not just the
it's not just the steps, you know, it's not just this like you do it.
You do A, B and C and then you're good.
Yeah.
And I like the thing you said about the nails and like you don't know what you don't know
how to like you don't know how to take something before it's broken.
Yeah.
Right.
And like it's like we're talking like like knowledge versus wisdom.
It's like knowledge.
Like I love reading books.
I haven't read a lot of those books I have on my shelf, but like I love reading books
and the hardest part is always the application.
It's the hardest part.
Like you can read like you can read books.
You can like you can go through.
I've said on this podcast before I have a whole episode about why you should read books.
But then like the next step is applying the knowledge that you just learned.
Yeah.
Like I have books on how to better how to better manage your time.
And if I just read that book, put on the shelf and didn't do nothing, then it's like nice.
Now I know how to do that and I'm not going to do it right.
Yeah.
It's useless.
It's like the concept of like going to YouTube videos is good and people should research
on like maybe and understand how to do things.
Oh yeah.
Don't get me wrong.
I look stuff up on YouTube all the time when literally like the same type of thing you were
doing earlier where it's like I don't know how to do this one thing in Premiere.
I'm like Premiere Pro tips and blah blah blah whatever.
And then I look it up.
But then I have it and I've used it and then I can I build off of that.
The amount of like little niche things I've learned in like so many different that's going
to sound boastful.
But it's just like through doing little things like that where I'm like oh crap like I don't
know how to how to fix this problem I have.
And then it's like look it up.
And then now I have that.
And now that's not going to happen again.
You know.
So I think there's like my career is considered.
I don't know.
I have never heard like people use.
I mean I've heard people say it but I guess not.
I don't know if there's like categories of jobs in this way.
But like being a developer is a very big problem solving career.
It's like that's your job is essentially solving problems.
Yeah.
And we're like you're given the what people want the solution to be and you have to figure
out how to get to that point.
Yeah.
And like I feel like it's like you can I can literally be like what you are doing with
you like I want I want to have pictures and videos and like they don't know exactly what
they they don't know exactly what they want.
But you know based off what they said and how to use their expertise to get to that
point.
Yeah.
That's kind of what Bethany was talking about in her episode where she she like designs
communities after natural disasters.
Yeah.
And she talks with the community members and then it was I'm going off the tangent.
But the I'm with it.
But like the point I'm trying to get was trying to get to before.
Is that like the whenever you'll see those steps this processes these processes of like
you look up like how do I like edit a video how do or how do for me like how do you build
an app in this and all the time development give you the basics.
It'll give you like this is how you set it up.
This is what you do.
And then like it's kind of like then like you're kind of just like I don't know exactly
what you want to do.
So like this is just how you start.
Yeah.
And then if you want to do particular things you have to look at particular things.
But like if you look at something that gives you like literally how to do a whole project
it's like the I think like there's a lot of things that will tell you the step by step
process and that's if everything goes perfectly.
That's when those steps work.
And then otherwise you like you'll get like you have to freak out with the sub steps are
like like one B through like Z sometimes.
Yeah.
And you're like I ran out of nails.
What do I do now?
Yeah.
And figuring out that in between.
Yeah.
I that's funny.
In the same sense it's like I can you know look up how to best you know key light an
interview or whatever and like get that sense and like how to edit in this way or whatever.
But I can't look up how to make an interesting Easter opener for Amplify Church 2024.
That doesn't exist.
So like I have to pull from all these other references and similar to what I was saying
earlier of just like doing it is I'm always like consuming well everybody these days is
always consuming content and you're always seeing these different methods of communication
and of visual information coming at you and whether that is something more you know complete
and like fulfilling of like you know like a movie or like even like a long series you
know stuff like that or it's like literally a tick tock or like something right you know
much more surface level I guess you could say.
But it I'm always referencing other things that I've seen.
And it's like well I like the way that they communicated this idea or the way that this
edit or whatever made you feel and combining that with like actual skills of like how can
I recreate that.
And not as that kind of sounds like I steal stuff but which I definitely have before but
that's a different thing.
No but like being able to this is another thing that I say to like creative people is
like it's one thing to be able to look at either a picture or a video or a painting
or whatever it is it's one thing to be able to look at that and say that you like it.
It's a totally different one to be able to dissect what it is you like about that and
how to translate that into what you're trying to do.
So like even like with the Easter example like there are you know thousands of similar
if you look at church Easter opener video whatever there's thousands of examples from
huge churches from small churches or whatever.
And you could just say like oh I like this I like this script this you know passage of
scripture that they used or whatever or I like the way it looks and like that's something
that especially like clients that don't know this isn't church related but clients that
like don't actually know what they want or know how to articulate that they're like oh
I like the way it looks and it's like well do you like the composition of it do you like
the lighting the color or like the edit of it and there's like oh it just looks nice.
It's like okay well now I need to go from there and like figure out you know what it
is from that and what I can translate.
But yeah that is a big thing is like being able to articulate and dissect like this specifically
is what I like about this or what I don't like about this and then using that information
to move forward.
Yeah I think that's going through a lot of some of the stuff that you just said.
The and then I have one question then we'll wrap up after that but um but the based off
of that I might have like I was thinking about that in a way of kind of how I was thinking
about things before like you're taking up like the person's feedback of like it's like
not technical feedback it's just like I like it.
But it's also like and so then you have to use your technical knowledge to understand
like okay what's good and what's bad and then go from there and to be able to recreate that
kind of stuff again.
Yeah which okay I can get that.
Yeah my mind was going kind of in a different direction a little bit but it was just like
kind of going with what I was saying before like you talking you're talking you're talking
to them getting their feedback okay they like something about it and then you just see what's
good and what's bad and keep it you know looking good.
I don't know there wasn't much there for me to say but I think I just thought it's okay
but uh so final question before wrapping up um like do you have like a game plan moving
forward with like your creative with your career um with five businesses.
Yeah like what that look like.
Um yeah I um I do I it's interesting because like um all of the creative endeavors I guess
that I have now most of them at least have kind of just um like the opportunity is presented
itself and then I feel like I've stepped into it.
I haven't um necessarily like sought out like I really want to um find a job at a church
making videos.
I really want to break into the wedding industry.
I really want to do whatever.
It feels like the opportunity is presented itself and then I step into that which I'm
very grateful for um and that doesn't mean that I'm not actively pursuing all those things.
But yeah I um feel like I um I got a lot of different pots on the stove if you will.
Yeah.
Um where uh Ash my wife we both work at church um we both just work part time and then um
we shoot weddings and then I also um have a production company doing um like freelance
ad work and branding videos and stuff like that.
Um so I'm kind of simultaneously pursuing all of those things um and we are um just
figuring out like what is the best way to like um I don't know keep watering all those
seeds right if that makes sense um because they're all very different um experiences
and they're all very different um businesses and creative modes of creative expression
if that makes sense.
Because something that I struggle with sometimes is like obviously working at a church and
creating very um Christ focused content if you will.
It's very it's a very linear process between um me feeling inspired um by God and by the
talents that I feel like he has put inside me um and then translating that into content
that then it inspires other people um in their relationship with God.
That to me feels very um linear.
It's a totally different thing to be a Christian couple that's shooting a wedding when that
isn't necessarily going to be a um a Christ focused piece of content I guess if that makes
sense.
So then it's like how do I um still create with like my God given um abilities in a way
that glorifies him when it's a totally different um mode of communication and it's a totally
different um like purpose of that you know video obviously.
And the same thing especially with um ad stuff and like working with clients where it's like
um they're hiring you to make something that will then make them money and that is like
a totally different um like goal obviously of the that content.
So it's like um I don't know it's it's a weird dance and between doing all those different
things but honestly like I just keep the same mindset um throughout all of them um and it's
just it's just one of those things that um you kind of just push into and you just figure
it out along the way.
I'll let you say on your original question um that I um am very grateful that I'm able
to um in some senses work for myself in two of those three.
Um and I'm very I love our community at church and the health of the staff um and that is
a you know it's a beautiful opportunity that we've been able to have um but I other than
that opportunity at church I don't know if I could fully work on a staff in a creative
role um that wasn't working for myself because um it feels limiting if that makes sense.
So all that to say in one sense or another I will always be making things.
I um will always be trying to do things um not I was gonna say for myself.
I enjoy working for myself but I don't want to do things for myself.
Yeah.
Um but yeah it's um it's just whatever I can do you know to keep creating things and keep
getting paid for it.
People keep paying me to mix the little videos I'll do it you know all day long.
Nice.
Yeah.
All right.
Well I got a little wrap up questions but uh I want to thank you for being on.
Um.
Thanks for having me.
It's been a lot of fun.
Uh so you mentioned a couple of your businesses and usually I don't ask this question because
most people that I talk to don't have businesses but like um if someone would want to reach
out to you how could they do that.
Yeah.
So um well my personal Instagram is just my name just Cole Zimmerman um and then linked
there is my wife and I's business which is Zimmerman photo video and that would be you
know weddings engagement photos you know anything like that.
And then my production company is found studios um which would be foundstudios.co it's also
on Instagram and that I do freelance branding at work commercial stuff like that.
Um yeah.
And then amplify church dot com.
That's my my other pillar.
Sweet.
Yeah.
We'll put a put those in the show notes for you guys if you want to read it.
And then for the people who like like to read or listen to podcasts other podcasts like
what kind of or any other type of resource that you might have what kind of resources
do you or have you recommended to people who are looking to grow their calling or grow
like personal person.
Um I would say the Bible.
I don't know if you've heard of that one.
Um no I obviously that is the core of who I am and what I believe.
Um I honestly though in terms of podcasts I don't listen to most of them or I don't
listen to a lot of podcasts.
Yeah.
Um because like Ash will listen to stuff when she's working and editing but I can't listen
to anything else when I'm editing a video because it's just the whole thing.
Right.
So I often don't find time for it.
Um but yeah and then in terms of um uh like creative endeavors I guess um just especially
video just watch as much content as you can right um as much fulfilling content as you
can.
You don't need to scroll on TikTok all day long.
But uh that is some of the best inspiration I've had is like through movies.
I went to school for film you know I studied it big time.
Um and yeah I I'm blanking on the name now.
I read this book in college on um film production.
I'll I'll find it.
I'll send it to you.
You can like it.
I forget what it was um which is not a good sign for me recommending if I don't remember
the name of it.
Um but it was a lot of um good concrete advice on um how to uh communicate your vision.
Yeah.
If that makes sense.
Um but yeah I also um I'll be transparent.
I don't read as much as I should.
Um I will tell that to all your listeners pursuit of do you have a fan base name?
The the pursuers?
The I don't but that'd be cool.
First one's free you can have that one.
Um I'll I'll be transparent with all the pursuers.
I don't read as much as I should.
This coin you heard it here first.
Yeah.
Um cool and then final question.
Who like now you've been on the podcast like who would you recommend to be on the show?
Yeah um I have you had Mike on Mike to Dominic?
I haven't no.
I think he would be very insightful.
He um if you don't know this will be a little teaser.
Well unless he says no he would do it though.
He is also from our church and he um is our creative arts director where he's in charge
of worship production and creative and everything and um he is he's wise beyond his years.
So I think also same vein I would say Ian would be good.
Ah we've I've asked Ian he won't lead lead it too.
That's so sad.
Ian likes to edit.
Yeah well.
It keeps happening.
Yeah I don't know.
I mean he keeps hearing us talk about him and he's probably gonna have to say yes.
So yeah um but yeah cool.
All right well thanks Cole for being on the Pursuit of Calling podcast and if guys you
want to reach out or you want to let me know how it went send me a message or an email
and you can also share it on your social medias.
Thank you for listening to this episode.
See you next time.