Conversations with Cassian Cole

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Cassian Cole.

Hi Cassian, I’m so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed with your story and how you got to where you are today.
I grew up in a mostly single-parent household. My mother had married and divorced 3 different military men by the time I was 14. 

Each one of them was their own kind of horrible, ranging from child predators to abusive stalkers who used military resources to track us down. My childhood was chaotic, to say the least. The only constant was my love for sports and creativity between being the new kid in a new city 11 times by the time I was in 10th grade. Both outlets were (and still are) vital to my mental health. 

My first sport was wrestling, and today, I am a competitive grappler and coach in jujitsu. I wish I had more awareness as a kid to how important and helpful combat sports are to me, today it is one of my greatest passions. When I was in school, I just did what all my friends did, so I played every sport you could imagine growing up, like track, soccer, football, martial arts (on and off), pretty much everything besides water polo. In college I played on the men’s rugby team both in Gainesville, Florida and UCCS. My love for sports and health came naturally since I came from an athletic family. 

My mother had a full basketball scholarship to play D1 ball for Kentucky back in 1991, but she shortly became pregnant with me at 17 and had to put all her sports dreams on hold to be a mother. My love for fitness became stronger when a personal trainer at my local YMCA took an interest in me. His name was Kenny Evans. He would train me after school in agility and strength for my sports. He never asked for anything but hard work. He showed up to all my games and was one of my only role models as a kid. I had friends who went to jail, sold drugs, and everything in between. 

My mother was battling a secret drug habit while I was in middle and high school. Sports and fitness are how I managed not to become a statistic that people from my background typically are. At 15, I became an emancipated minor and lived on my own. I went to college and became a coach at the age of 20 because I really liked the idea of making people stronger and better, the same way Kenny had done for me. Fast forward a few years later, I was a level 2 coach at the University of Florida, building up new coaches and programs for the university. 

Even becoming a massage therapist and representing UF at fitness conferences at other major universities. In 2016, I moved to Colorado Springs to obtain a second college degree in film-making and creative writing. I got my bachelor’s while running my own small business as a coach from 2017 to today. My business peaked in 2018 when I had my own office, but unfortunate conflicts with the owner of the gym led me to close those doors. Now I am a private contractor at a small gym where I have a great relationship with the owner. 

My plan before 2020 was to combine my fitness background with my film degree to be a stunt coordinator and director of photography. But as you know, a global pandemic made it hard for anyone to carry out their best-laid plans. In some ways, 2020 was a blessing, and in other ways, it wasn’t. On one hand I didn’t realize how burnt out I was, having gone to school and worked multiple jobs since the age of 16 in 2009 until 2020, I had never taken even a week off both work and school for 11 years. 

It was good for me to take some time off, but it made me realize with all this hard work I had put some emotional growth on the back burner, either consciously or subconsciously not addressing childhood traumas, I graduated from UCCS but didn’t get to walk due to lock downs. I met a great girl who I’m still with 4 years later, and I have gone to therapy to do some personal work on emotional growth. The growth that still continues today. I am now 32, still coaching, still being an athlete, still trying to create written works, and still trying to actualize my best self. 

I am currently trying to get into a new career field as a firefighter in the Denver area or really anywhere in Colorado so I can continue to grow myself as well as those I come into contact with. My current goal is to become a firefighter while continuing to grow as a coach and athlete, and I want to commit more time to creating works of art. 

Creative writing has always been a passion. I had notebooks when I was 12 and still write things today. I have one published poem, and I want to create more. I am learning to strike a balance between my creative side and career. 

We all face challenges, but would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Basically, I had to figure it all out on my own since I grew up with young parents and have been on my own since I was 15. 

I didn’t know how college worked or most things about being an adult. In 2021, I torn my meniscus n my knee, in 2016 I had a grade 5 AC joint tear. Both injuries resulted in the loss of jobs and surgery. I could go on. 

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc.?
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is a solid favorite. 

I have also read a ton of poetic works by Khalil Gibran, in particular his book “The Prophet”. I’ve also read a handful of books by Alan Watts and Rumi. I enjoy reading. I read at least 2 books a month. As a kid, goosebumps were my favorite. 

My favorite apps are Spotify and YouTube. I like the podcast “Your Mom’s House”, The Huberman Lab Podcast, the Disscet Music Podcast and the JRE Podcast. 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @Movement_inc
• Youtube: Movement Inc.

Image Credits
Dali Museum