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Can the relationships you have make or break your influence for Christ? Kathleen Cooke thinks so. As an actress, author, speaker, leader, and mentor, Kathleen is one of the most connected Christian women in Hollywood, and for good reason. She pours into the people around her, using her gifts and talents in the entertainment space to make connections and point people to Christ.

Who is Kathleen Cooke? Kathleen Cooke is a media executive, creative director, and co-founder of Cooke Pictures with her husband, Phil Cooke. She is also an actress, model, writer, and speaker. Kathleen founded and directed Christian Women in Media – Hollywood, and along with Phil has created the Influence Lab, a non-profit geared toward redefining Christian media strategies in the digital age. Kathleen’s upcoming book, Hope 4 Today: Staying Connected to God in a Distracted Culture, will release in November.

Kathleen’s mission through Influence Lab is to use media—and the Christians working in it—to create a cultural change. In building relationships in Hollywood and not being afraid to share her faith, she has learned that the gifts and talents given to the people working in media across the world have been given for a reason: to grow Christ’s kingdom and help to spread the Gospel.

Quotes:

“Relationships matter. We’re not to be about ourselves, we’re to be about other people.” — Kathleen

“We are given gifts and talents and tools as people working in media, and God gives us those things not just to help us pay our bills, but to do something with so that we can influence culture.” — Kathleen

“It’s one of those moments where God says: ‘I have brought you here for a reason: are you going to take it or are you going to put yourself first?’ ” — Kathleen

“Everyday we have a choice of how we are going to spend our time.” — Kathleen

“Surround yourself with smarter people than you are. Be careful about the people you bring into your lives.” — Kathleen

Action steps:

  • Mentorship is an essential part of any successful person’s spiritual and emotional life, as well as their career. Find a mentor and be a mentor to someone else.
  • Relationships are one of the most important things in anyone’s life. From a young age, surround yourself with people that will stretch you, grow you, and encourage you in your faith. Pay attention to who you spend you time with, and make a change if necessary.
  • Getting into the Word and staying in the Word is how you have a relationship with God. Make sure to schedule time with the Bible into your everyday or it will not happen.

Resources mentioned:

Ways to get involved:

We look forward to hearing from you!