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“The best way to do nothing is to ask everybody what to do.” — Unknown
If you’ve ever felt paralyzed by opinions, asking everyone from your mentor to your cousin to the algorithm for advice, you know exactly what she means. The more noise you invite in, the quieter your own instincts become.
But before we dive in, we gotta pay some bills. If you haven’t signed up for or shared our upcoming webinar with someone in your circle who needs to attend, please do me a solid and forward this email.
https://markallenpatterson.com/roundtable
Imani Ellis, founder and CEO of CultureCon and The Creative Collective, built one of the most influential communities for Black and Brown creatives. But her success didn’t come from having all the answers; it came from learning to trust herself, listen to her body, and make peace with rest as part of the work.
Here’s what leaders can take from her recent appearance on Awf the Record.
1. Stop Outsourcing Your Gut
“The best way to do nothing is to ask everybody what to do.”
When you crowdsource clarity, you lose conviction. The answers you’re looking for usually get louder in silence.
2. Build Systems That Keep You Sane
At the height of CultureCon’s growth, Imani was still working full-time at NBC. To stay grounded, she and her team created what they call the “marathon email”—a single, detailed Friday update covering every department.
4. Listen to Your Body
“I used to work until the work was done,” she said. “Now I stop when I’m done.”
That one sentence could change how we all work. There’s a fine line between discipline and self-neglect, and crossing it doesn’t make you more committed. It just makes you more tired. Your body will whisper before it screams.
5. Say Yes to Your Inner Child
Imani’s “creative residencies” are part work, part wonder—ice cream for breakfast, coloring books, journaling, rest. It’s how she reconnects with the version of herself that dreamed all this up.
One of CultureCon’s most popular activations—the arts and crafts zone—came directly from one of those residencies. Play isn’t a distraction from purpose; it’s a pathway to it.
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Until next time,
If you’re reading this far… I hope this message finds you well. I’m sharing from my heart in hopes that you will be inspired to unearth and live out your God-given purpose. Hopefully, something I said resonated. I would love to hear from you if so. Please feel free to reach out to me on social media.
FYI: I’m mostly active on LinkedIn these days. If you were forwarded this message, you can subscribe here to receive thoughts like this directly in your inbox. And don’t forget to check out the latest episode of my podcast, ConvoRoom with Mark Allen Patterson.