Headsmack: Conversations with Misfits Phil Cooke / PhD. Strategic Advisor. Cultural Influence & Crisis Leadership
Your church is competing in the most distracted culture in human history — and most ministry leaders don't even know it.
Phil Cooke, Ph.D. — Hollywood producer, strategic media advisor, and author — has spent decades helping churches, nonprofits, and ministry leaders cut through the noise and get their story out to the world.
In this conversation, Phil and Paul pull back the curtain on why the church keeps fumbling its message, what healthy culture actually looks like inside a ministry, and why attention has become the most valuable currency of this generation.
From parking lot volunteers to leadership team alignment to the shocking biblical literacy statistics hiding in your own pews, this episode is a candid, practical wake-up call for every pastor, leader, and communicator who wants to make a real impact in today's culture.
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Phil Cooke, Ph.D., is one of the rare voices operating at the intersection of Hollywood production, Christian leadership, and strategic communications. Called "one of the most innovative communicators of our generation," Cooke is the founder of Cooke Media Group, with offices in Los Angeles and Nashville, and has produced film and television programming in more than 60 countries. His client list spans major studios and networks including Walt Disney and USA Network, as well as leading Christian organizations such as Voice of the Martyrs, the Museum of the Bible, the Salvation Army, and the YouVersion Bible app. He holds a Ph.D. in Theology from Regent University and is the author of multiple books, including the Washington Post Top Five Business Book for 2012, "One Big Thing: Discovering What You Were Born to Do," the widely cited "The Way Back: How Christians Blew Our Credibility and How We Win it Back," and his most recent release, "Church on Trial: How to Protect Your Congregation, Mission, and Reputation During a Crisis." Phil also co-founded The Influence Lab, a nonprofit dedicated to training pastors and Christian communicators around the world in media and digital strategy. He speaks at major conferences globally and writes prolifically at PhilCooke.com, where his blog serves as a go-to resource for ministry leaders navigating the challenges of modern communication and culture.
Link: https://www.philcooke.com/
Paul Povolni (Voppa) is the founder of Voppa Creative and a creative leader with over 30 years of experience in brand strategy and design. Based in Jackson, Mississippi, he has worked with clients internationally, leading teams in award-winning branding while serving as a coach and speaker. Paul delivers workshops and keynotes on brand strategy, creative thinking, and organizational culture, and hosts The Headsmack Podcast: Conversations with Misfits. His work centers on helping organizations lead with Clarity, Creativity, and Culture.