Delia Cochran, Inspire Atlanta Facilitator

This month we’re spotlighting AWF volunteer Delia Cochran, who served as facilitator for the 2020 class of Inspire Atlanta. Delia brings a passion and drive to her 30 years of experience, in the fast moving consumer goods industry and the healthcare industry. She has a depth of knowledge and practical application in leadership development and coaching, instructional design, deployment, and facilitation, organization capability building and change management. In her role as a Global Capability Director with The Coca-Cola Company, Delia played a critical role in building the Global Women in Leader programs and now runs the Delia Cochran Consulting firm.

We are incredibly grateful to Delia for her dedication and support for our Inspire Atlanta program and participants. Her passion for developing leaders and helping others is evident in her work.

What drew you to working in leadership development?

One of the exercises I use in my leadership development practice is asking individuals to look back over their life and identify key people, moments, experiences, and decisions that impacted their lives. When I look back over my own life, I realized there was always someone at critical points that saw something in me that I did not necessarily see myself. These individuals took the time to provide me with constructive feedback, coaching, and encouragement to take risks and step into experiences that I might otherwise avoid. The more I did this the more I realized I enjoyed working with individuals, teams, and organizations to discover and build the capabilities needed to fulfill their potential. 

What inspires you most about your work?

So much of my work involves creating an environment of trust and respect so that we can have real connections. These connections create conversations that generate self-awareness and learning. I find so much inspiration in that moment when someone reveals something about themselves that they may not have been aware of or acknowledged before.

Watching someone experience greater self-confidence that allows them to expand their impact is very inspirational to me. It is exciting to be a catalyst for growth. And I find as I work with others I also continue to learn and grow personally. 

Why did you want to become involved in Inspire Atlanta?

I was introduced to Inspire Atlanta by AWF Board Member, Meredith Leapley. The mission and vision of AWF align to my personal values. Removing barriers and empowering women are so important not only for individuals but also for our future. The role AWF plays to ensure funds are allocated to grantees that can have impact across the many barriers faced was very appealing to me. Taking the contributions of the many creates a collective impact that is important. Partners with AWF and Inspire Atlanta in providing a leadership experience that focused on personal, professional, and philanthropic impact is at the core of what matters to me. This year has been a year like no other. And when I pause and realize that the 2020 Inspire Atlanta cohort demonstrated a resilience and commitment to their own growth and did not lose sight of generating fund raising exceeding $245,000 speaks volumes about the Human Spirit and the desire to do good. That thrills me. 

I want to surround myself with like-minded people and Inspire Atlanta is just that.