Saul Colt is smart, so he definitely makes the list of smart people I know. He travels all over giving talks on how to build a really, really great community.  

Sarah: You've carried around an interesting job title for quite a while now. What is it and what does it mean?
Saul: My job title for the last few years (as well as currently) is Head Of Magic. The origin of the title is pretty simple, I have a unique ability to make a lot out of nothing and on top of that a very pretty woman told me that I did was "magical" so it seemed like the only appropriate title.  

Sarah: As Head of Magic, how do you spend your day?
Saul: Every day is a little different and hard to describe (kinda like a magic trick) but on any given day I can be writing strategy documents/plans around Customer Activation, Customer Acquisition, Customer Re-Invigoration, Social media Plans, or Real World Stunts. Also I am a little crazy about my ideas and like to manage the execution so I also can be executing on stuff or maybe just maybe I am on a plane, speaking at a conference or like at this moment I am sitting in an Airport Lounge in Brazil answering your questions in hopes this interview will make me more attractive to the opposite sex or impress my Mom. 

Sarah: I've no doubt your mom is very impressed. What's the career path that led you to this?
Saul: Like most people who have jobs that they really love, the secret to my path has just been head down hustle and not stopping so people can tell you your goals are unreasonable. As for actual path I have worked in several industries (packaging supplies to automotive to publishing to creative agency to startups and Online Invoicing) but the common element was the style I developed to market products and communicate with people. I made myself the very best at a very specialized skill and worked hard to develop all my skills to be transferable.  

Sarah: You speak often. How long does it take you to prepare for each talk you give?
Saul: I spend more time on preparation then a lot of folks I know because of two reasons. I very rarely give the same talk twice (it only happens if I am asked to do something last minute) and my process is that I will "walk around" with the idea around the talk for a few days (or longer). I'll roll it around in my head a bunch of different ways. Once I find a way I like I can usually write the presentation in a few hours and then I do a final polish a day later and add some jokes or a picture or two with fresh eyes. 

Sarah: What is your favorite part of what you do? 
Saul: Dealing with people and solving problems.  

Sarah: We always hear the idealized version of people's jobs. What has to get done that you hate doing
Saul: I don't like planning farther then a quarter at a time even though it is usually insisted on. Some of whatever success I have had has come from being able to not only adapt to situations but recognizing when you need to adapt to new information. Because of this I try to leave a lot of room for interpretation in my plans and this also is part of why I am so crazy about wanting to execute my own stuff.

Sarah: What are you excited about outside of work?
Saul: When I am not working I get excited by sunsets and long walks on the beach in a warm rain. 

Thanks for answering all of my questions Saul! If you want to know more about Saul, you can check in on his fave recent accomplishment, his fave client, a friend he thinks is cool and an Emmy Award winning comedy write who is a potential BFF candidate. You can can also read his blog.