Turning artistic prowess into business savvy can be difficult when you want to expand your business. Yet “stuck is never the furthest that we can go,” says Suzanne Castle, creative strategist, certified John Maxwell consultant, and president of the IAW Fort Worth Chapter. Her clients range from dancers, theaters, visual artists, CEOs, schools, and more, anyone who is seeking creative solutions. It’s all about “unleashing your inner sparkle to forgo the narrative of others,” says Castle. With organizations, Castle consults on team communication, leadership strategies, and project management through her personalized training course. With individuals, Castle is a life coach providing one-on-one sessions and personal resources to guide them in their life and career goals.
What is the sparkle factor? “The sparkle factor is the mojo-making magic that’s buried deep inside of us that just needs to be unleashed,” says Castle. “There are a lot of different ways to unleash it, but I like to talk about possibility thinking. Instead of saying, there’s one way to do it, and here’s step one, step two, step three, etc. I say there might be 16 ways to cross the river, so let’s talk about all 16 ways and see what lands for you.” Castle wants people to feel empowered in their ability to achieve their goals whether they are a large corporation, or an entrepreneur starting out with limited resources. Sometimes we need a person to open our minds to the opportunities and guide us to create a better future we could not imagine for ourselves.
Often, possibilities mean you do not end up on the straight and narrow path to your goal. A terrible accident on the stage meant Castle had to change careers early in her life. Growing up in an art-focused church inspired her to bring the arts to more public settings through religious endeavors. She received her master’s in divinities with a specialty in spirituality and art plus a doctorate in liturgical, artful theology. From there, Castle wanted to create a better way to channel artistic ability into leadership and formed her own consulting company.
Two ways Castle is helping people become creative leaders today is through her Thought Leader Thursday and Training Tuesday. Thought Leader Thursday started during the pandemic as an outlet for speakers from any industry to share their thoughts and ideas on how they think differently. Training Tuesday is free leadership training every Tuesday for ten minutes on any topic that gives one actionable step for people to become better leaders. “I’m on this takeover plan of the universe, so to speak, to unleash the sparkle with possibility thinking, especially in women entrepreneurs and leaders. If they can guide themselves from that internal, magic light, I find that life just gets a little easier,” says Castle. Everyone can unleash their “inner sparkle”, yet they do not have to do it on their own. Community and support can come from anywhere, especially within the IAW community.
Castle had been in IAW for almost two years and she loves being a member and chapter president. “IAW is a place of emerging women friendships. I have exposure to women I otherwise would not know. It’s really a giving space. Every event is all about making women feel settled and resourced,” says Castle. Many of our members can connect and network with others in their field to chat about new ideas, learn from their experiences, and get support at any career level. It may seem overwhelming at first, but Castle advised that “you don’t have to do everything all at once and get involved. Dip your toe in and ask, ‘how do I want to feel this time next year, what do I need to get there, how can I connect in the IAW community to get to that place?’ Then, you’re gonna meet people, and you’re gonna want to do more.”
You can connect with Suzanne Castle through her profile on our community page.
