Curtis L. Rodgers

Curtis L. Rodgers is known by clients and friends as a creative leader with outside-of-the-box methods. Curtis has taken companies, non-profits and entrepreneurs down the road to discovering the vision behind their product or project and turning that vision into a successful branding strategy. His clients appreciate his vast skillset and seemingly limitless supply of enthusiasm.

Working with Curtis is like having a designer, copy writer, marketing strategist and life coach on speed dial. His clients know they can trust his experience and enjoy the attentive care he gives to each project.

Diverse experiences as a corporate trainer, stand-up comic and even a pastor(!) have all unified into what would become the dream career Curtis never knew he wanted, a Content Marketing Strategist.

Biography

A Few Highlights

Early Years

From a young age, it was apparent that Curtis L. Rodgers was going to lead a very different kind of life from what was considered “normal” in a small coal mining town in western Pennsylvania.    By the sixth grade, he had written and directed his first play, and in the ninth grade, wrote and performed his first original song, and led his first motivational workshop. Shortly thereafter he was invited to another area school to lead a motivational assembly on self-esteem and living a life of abundance.  Before graduating high school, Curtis would play the lead roles in both The Sound of Music and South Pacific, compete on the state level in radio broadcasting, and receive numerous awards and accolades.  

Career

Who would have guessed that a job flipping burgers at a Pennsylvania turnpike travel plaza would eventually lead to a career in corporate restaurant training and development?  In a career that spanned over two decades, Curtis worked his way up to the top of his field, where he became the lead trainer for a national company, traveling around the country to open new restaurants and lead the company’s training workshops.  Eventually, he was snatched away by a rival company to create a new training program and launch a new brand.  

Anyone who has worked on the corporate side of restaurant openings knows the toll it can take on someone’s body and mind.  After over twenty years in the business, Curtis walked away; ready for a new, more fulfilling direction in life. 

Ministry

Having grown up in a Christian fundamentalist household, Curtis had assumed that his identity as an out gay man disqualified him from ever being a part of the faith community ever again.  Then he discovered The United Church of Christ in Simi Valley.  Quickly, the long-dead remnants of faith left over from childhood became reinvigorated into a meaningful, life-changing spiritual journey.  The love and support he received both from the UCC and his studies with a beloved spiritual teacher and mentor, would eventually lead to Curtis becoming licensed as the Minister of Emergent Innovation for the Simi Valley congregation, and serving as its Transitional Pastor.  Many in the congregation credit Curtis’ leadership for reinvigorating the local church by establishing a focused path of spiritual development and building bridges with the surrounding community.  During his time of ministerial service, he would

 

From Church Ministry to Content Marketing?

In 2019, Curtis Rodgers took a bold step into a new way of serving, living and working.  He got rid of his apartment, car, and anything that didn’t fit into a small carry-on bag and a backpack and headed out on the road to begin life as a “digital nomad.”  In 2018, a short time of vacation led him to a traveler’s hostel in Hollywood.  Within one day, the deep connections formed and the fresh perspective those experiences brought, gave Curtis an epiphany about the vast gap between where most churches are and the reality facing the younger generations.  It was clear that the spiritual conversations, and ways of communicating and experiencing life taking place in the worlds of “millennials” and “gen-z’s” were almost non-conversant with even the most Progressive forms of Christianity.  Curtis took this as a calling to do something new, innovative, and powerful by providing branding and marketing strategies, developing websites, and producing hundreds of pieces of content for churches, small businesses, and individual entrepreneurs who are trying to make the world a better place. 

After announcing his retirement from parish ministry, Curtis spent the last several years traveling the U.S. Mexico, and Europe, getting to know a diverse group of fascinating people, making a lasting impact on the lives and spiritual journies of those he comes across.  He spends his “free time” exploring new cafes and museums around the world, podcasting, and teaching innovative spiritual practice techniques.

Education and Professional Certifications

After a short time studying Film and Video Communication at Penn State Univeristy, Curtis enrolled at a conservative Bible college, where he pursued Ministerial Studies until it was clear that the fundamentalist nature of the college and Curtis’ personal theology were not compatible.  Not to be detered, after his corporate career, Curtis returned to his studies and has be awarded numerous educational and perfessional certifications.

Curtis Rodgers