Conversations with John Coleman

Today we’d like to introduce you to John Coleman.

Hi John, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m really excited about this next chapter because I feel like a lot of the things I’ve been working toward are finally starting to come together.

On the business side, my focus is on continuing to grow Viable Talent Solutions and stepping into this new chapter as the owner of Zapp Agency. With Zapp, especially, I’m excited to take an established business, build on what’s already working, expand our client base and services, and really see what I can turn it into.

But I also don’t want entrepreneurship to overshadow why I originally came to Los Angeles. Music and entertainment are still a huge part of who I am. I’m working toward releasing my own music, developing an EP, and being much more intentional about myself as an artist. I also want to continue acting and expanding my experience in production and behind the camera.

I’m also looking forward to relaunching my podcast and creating more opportunities to tell stories, have meaningful conversations, and connect the different parts of my world—business, entertainment, culture, and creativity.

For a long time, I felt like I needed to choose one thing and make that my identity. I don’t really believe that anymore. My goal now is to build businesses that create financial freedom and opportunities while also giving myself the space and resources to pursue the creative career I moved to Los Angeles for in the first place.

So I think the biggest change is that I’m becoming much more intentional about bringing all of those worlds together. There’s a lot I want to accomplish, but I’m genuinely excited about what’s ahead. I feel like I’m just getting started.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, but I think a lot of the challenges I’ve experienced have ultimately shaped the person I am today.

Moving from North Carolina to Los Angeles was a huge leap of faith. I was leaving behind what was familiar to pursue acting and music in a city where I essentially had to start over—building relationships, finding my footing, and learning how to deal with rejection without allowing it to discourage me.

Professionally, being impacted by the layoffs at Meta was another major turning point. At the time, it created a lot of uncertainty because I had spent years building my career in talent acquisition. Looking back, though, that experience pushed me to think differently about stability, ownership, and what I wanted my future to look like. It ultimately became part of the motivation behind building Viable Talent Solutions.

Entrepreneurship has come with its own learning curve. Building Viable from the ground up and, more recently, going through the process of acquiring Zapp Agency have challenged me in completely different ways. With Zapp, I had to learn how to evaluate an existing business, conduct due diligence, negotiate a transaction, and ultimately trust myself enough to make a significant investment and step into business ownership through acquisition.

I’ve also had to learn how to balance ambition with focus. I have genuine passions for business, music, acting, and production, and there have definitely been moments where I’ve wondered whether I was trying to do too much. I’m learning that I don’t necessarily have to choose one identity, but I do have to be intentional about where I put my time and energy.

So no, it hasn’t always been easy or predictable, but I’m grateful for the journey. Every setback, rejection, pivot, and uncomfortable decision has taught me something, and I think I’ve become much more resilient and willing to bet on myself because of it.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My work really sits at the intersection of people, business, and creativity. Professionally, my background is in talent acquisition, and I’ve had the opportunity to recruit for companies like Amazon, The Walt Disney Company, and Meta. Over the years, I’ve specialized in full-cycle recruiting, talent strategy, relationship building, and helping organizations identify the right people to move their businesses forward.

That experience eventually led me to entrepreneurship. I founded Viable Talent Solutions to take what I had learned throughout my career and build a recruitment company with a more personalized, relationship-driven approach. More recently, I acquired Zapp Agency, a digital services business focused on paid advertising, web design, and web development. That acquisition has allowed me to expand beyond recruiting and learn an entirely different side of business ownership.

At the same time, I’m also an artist. I act, sing, and have worked on television and commercial productions here in Los Angeles. Creativity has always been a major part of my life, and I think that actually influences how I approach business. I’m naturally curious, I enjoy connecting with people, and I’m always thinking about how an idea can grow into something bigger.

What I’m most proud of is probably my willingness to reinvent myself. My career hasn’t followed one perfectly straight path, and I’ve stopped expecting it to. I’ve gone from working within major corporations to building my own company, acquiring another business, and continuing to pursue the creative career that originally brought me to Los Angeles.

I think what sets me apart is that I’m comfortable existing in more than one world. I can have a conversation about recruiting strategy, business growth, or an acquisition and then walk onto a set or into a studio and feel equally at home. Rather than seeing those things as competing identities, I’ve learned to see them as different parts of the same story.

Ultimately, I want to be known as a mogul who creates opportunities—whether that’s helping someone find the right career opportunity, helping a business grow, or creating something through music, acting, or media that connects with people. That’s the common thread behind everything I do.

What’s next?
I’m really looking forward to this next chapter because I feel like I’m finally bringing together all the different parts of who I am.

On the business side, I’m focused on scaling Viable Talent Solutions and growing Zapp Agency following the acquisition. I want to continue building both companies, expanding our client relationships and services, and eventually creating a larger portfolio of businesses. Long term, I’m very interested in entrepreneurship through both building companies from the ground up and acquiring existing businesses with strong growth potential.

Creatively, I’m ready to put much more energy into the reason I originally came to Los Angeles—music and entertainment. I’m currently developing my music and working toward releasing an EP, while continuing to pursue acting and opportunities in production. I’m also planning to relaunch my podcast, which will give me another platform to connect with people and have conversations around entertainment, business, culture, and life.

One of the biggest changes for me is that I’m no longer looking at these goals as separate careers. I want the businesses I build to create the freedom and resources to invest in my creative projects, while my creative work allows people to connect with me beyond business.

Ultimately, I want to build something much bigger than one company or one career. When I say I want to become a mogul, I mean building businesses, creating and owning intellectual property, making music, producing projects, and eventually being in a position to open doors for other people as well.

There’s definitely a lot ahead, but that’s what excites me. I’m still early in the bigger vision I have for myself, and I’m looking forward to seeing how all of these pieces come together.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://zappads.agency/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DHgt4SbvCBy/?stkn=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-coleman-b80b21207?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@johncoleman5614?si=EiNPG6b9aYqpovlO
• Soundcloud: https://open.spotify.com/track/1KnRHaibwYgw1tVhKWETCF?si=4tcmnYBYRWylvsPL3N54vQ&utm_source=copy-link
• Other: https://www.viabletalentsolutions.com/

Image Credits
Hero Shots LA – Eusebio Hernandez
Eusebiocreative.com

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