Community & Society

Devon Kerns

by Scott S. Evans

Public Persona—Devon Kerns

It is hard to slow Devon Kerns down, and who would want to? He is constantly looking, moving and thinking forward. To Kerns it’s being disruptive, and disruptive is good. He has spent more than a decade in public speaking and coaching single professionals in both business and relationship development. Now Kerns is the chief visionary officer of Social Capital (SoCap) Agency, focusing on how to get companies to recognize and leverage the booming demographic of strong independent singles. He calls it getting companies to speak Singlish to maintain, grow and brand their companies to empower their growing singles workforce. Whether it’s advising confused singles in the dating world or business on how to speak Singlish, Kerns has one overriding goal: to get you to see your biggest dream and go for it!

The Essentials:

Name: Devon Kerns

Age: 39

Marital status: Single

Children: None

Career: Human capital consultant and employment branding

Hometown: Littleton

Home today: LoDo

Website: SoCapAds.com

 

Q&A:

What surprises people about you?

The ability to have an impact in a very short amount of time. I try to extract the biggest dream out of people.

How do people describe you?

Visionary, outlandish, bold, blunt, direct, honest.

Who do you most admire?

 Robin Williams. He led such a full life with a lot of depth, darkness and light.

Favorite Denver metro restaurant?

I’m obsessed with Uncle in LoHi. Their spicy chicken ramen will explode your mind.

What was the last great book you read?

I really enjoyed The Universe in a Nutshell by Stephen Hawking.

What is your biggest fashion faux pas?

I don’t know why, but I have a lot of denim happening today, especially my jean jacket.

What is one thing that you absolutely can’t live without?

Music.

What was your last major purchase?

An airline ticket (and trip) to surprise my mom in Vegas for her 80th birthday.

What gadget can you not live without?

The music side of the iPhone.

What is your most memorable Colorado experience?

One of those few moments I really got to spend with my dad. We were in Columbine near horses, and we had a buddy-to-buddy talk and  he cussed in a fun way and I remember thinking how we were just two guys hanging out.

What one word describes Coloradans to you?

Disruptive. We have a massive start up culture, not a lot of old money. We think outside of the box in new and fresh ways.

What is your favorite spot in Colorado to visit?

I love going up in the winter to the Vail/Beaver Creek area and watching the snow fall and the people from all over the world hang out.

Are you involved with any charities?

I am on the board of The Lion Project, a video production nonprofit that supports and tells the stories of other charities.

What took you down this career path?

My core passion all my life has been inspiring the biggest dream someone can come up with. That passion was inspired by my dad, who was an entrepreneur and always was so successful. His dream was ultimately crushed because of the 1980s real estate downturn. I’ve used that as inspiration to help people find their true purpose and thereby help them be disruptive.

What is the difference between coaching 20-somethings and 50-somethings?

In most cases the 20-somethings have a different set of anchors and excuses than 50-somethings. No matter the age, however, we always find a thing to hold us back. However, the younger ones have fewer anchors. The good news is that the same thing that can paralyze you can also be the thing that can move you.

Is there a uniform piece of advice you could give to all singles?

Yes. Stop taking it so damn seriously. From online dating to dating in general, the phone has become a tool to meet people you could never have met before. That’s a massive advantage. But it’s impossible to be “dating” someone when you have never met. It’s called “online dating” but it can’t happen until you meet someone. You need time and chemistry. Also, there is instant gratification which can be dangerous. Distance equals desire. Don’t dive in so heavily to that one person so quickly and intensely.

What’s the most difficult part of dating today?

Too many choices lead to too many choices, so we don’t choose anybody or don’t have a truly committed relationship. I’m not sold that we have ever done this right. In some respect, we have been totally disconnected by online dating and we need something deeper. We need to put our phones away and work to connect more deeply.

When should the discussion of sex come up?

Men tend to do really dumb things. And given the safety of technology, it’s easy to do without real consequences. Men often come across as creepy because they bring sex up way sooner than they would in person. Plus, men play the odds. If you connect with 20 women, you may get positive responses of five and so it perpetuates itself.

What is the most memorable dating story you have heard?

There was a guy that showed up in life as a truly masculine person, a real tall, dark and handsome type, but dating he wasn’t. He was in town and staying at the Four Seasons. He required his date to pick him up at the Four Seasons and drive the few blocks to Larimer Square, to pay for half of dinner, and meekly kept touching his date’s shoulder with the expectation of a kiss. The woman simply didn’t know what to do because his actions didn’t match the persona he put out there.

How are companies starting to speak, as you call it, Singlish?

Not many are yet and that’s where SoCap comes in. You must look at the singles demographic and address it because it’s a huge and unaddressed demographic now. Lots of people are choosing to live a single life, women in particular. This demographic needs to be accounted for and empowered as a group. The message across the board has been “you are less than” if you didn’t have a partner, a house and a dog.

Millennials are known not to stay with a company for more than two years. What impact does that have on the company and the general economy?

It’s costing companies billions upon billions of dollars. Replacing someone costs the company two-and-a-half times that person’s salary. Also, losing people impacts the company’s morale and other intangibles that are less easily quantified.

Is there a fix for that?

There are important pieces of the entity and the system that need to be addressed. Companies need to be prepared for the turnover, and the more prepared the company is, the less turnover impacts the company. Also, companies can increase the length of time employees stay, by creating incentive programs.

You talk about the importance of employment branding. Why is employment branding so critical?

Companies want to create an employment culture where singles are incentivized, and human social capital is recognized so that you attract and retain employees who excel. That way, companies don’t just brand their product, they brand the employing side of the company based on value systems and the employment culture.

What is the common theme in business success and dating success?

Be absolutely clear on what you are and what you want. If I’m lying to myself, I can’t be honest with you. You need a solid foundation. This applies to entities and individuals.

Where does charity and community involvement fit into your coaching and counseling?

Let’s define charity and community involvement as “being engaged,” We absolutely must be engaged. If we truly understand where we are at, it is possible to truly be of service to others. We all have a desire to give, but we often have difficulty with receiving.

 

Scott S. Evans is graduate of Dartmouth College and the University of Virginia School of Law. He is a father of two, a business litigation attorney and lacrosse coach living in Centennial. Scott has written for such publications as The Wall Street Journal and The Military Law Review. He plans on using Kerns’ techniques, and shares his thoughts on Twitter @ScottEvans2312.