Harriette Cole, President and Creative Director of profundities, inc., a New York-based life-coaching company, has devoted her life to helping people discover how to cultivate their inherent ability to present themselves effectively. She developed this approach over the course of many years of working in the fields of presentation, style and writing. She describes her work as: "designing your life from the outside in."

Cole wrote the best-selling bible to African American brides, Jumping the Broom: The African-American Wedding Planner (Henry Holt & Co.) She followed that with the companion, Jumping the Broom Wedding Workbook (Henry Holt & Co.) In 1999, after traveling the country and listening to myriad concerns from many voices, she penned a guide to living with grace and integrity, How to Be (Simon & Schuster). In 2003, she published two more books: Choosing Truth: Living an Authentic Life (Simon & Schuster), a general-market book designed to encourage people to pursue rigorously honest lives and Coming Together (Jump at the Sun/Hyperion, with photographer John Pinderhughes), an activity book for African-American children and families, created to inspire meaningful interaction. A second edition of Jumping the Broom (Henry Holt), along with a new wedding book focused on designing a sacred ceremony, entitled Vows (Simon & Schuster) were released in February.

Through profundities, inc, Harriette uses many arenas in her effort to support people seeking to attain their life dreams. She has performed life coaching and artist development duties for notable recording artists such as JoJo, Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige, Erykah Badu, and Carl Thomas among others. She has also coached a great many members of the general population. Her reach extends to the non-profit and educational worlds as well through such organizations as the National Urban League and The Links, Inc. She also creates special events that celebrate the triumphs of couples as they wed, as well as individuals and organizations as they reach significant turning points.

A Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of Howard University, Cole previously served millions of readers for 11 years when she worked as lifestyle and fashion director at Essence magazine. Since then, she has been able to reach a broad and diverse multi-ethnic audience through her books, her advice column in the New York Daily News ("Sense and Sensitivity") which is nationally syndicated, her careers column on Niaonline.com, her one-on-one work with various clients, her active work as an inspirational speaker across the country, and her interaction with the media. Cole is the editor of American Legacy Woman, a lifestyle magazine targeted to African American women. She also acts as editorial director for the new publication UPTOWN, a lifestyle magazine for Harlem and the urban elite.

Cole recently served as the relationship expert on an ABC Family Channel reality series entitled "Perfect Match NY", launched in July 2003. She has appeared on many national and local television and radio programs, including several recent appearances on "The Oprah Winfrey Show", in addition to "The View", "The Today Show," "The Other Half" and NPR. She has been a frequent contributor to the CBS "Early Show", where she has provided relationship advice through a segment called "Sticky Situations." She is currently developing her own nationally syndicated talk show.

Cole travels the country and beyond teaching others how to enrich their lives through style and sensitivity while making her home in Harlem, New York City, with her husband George Chinsee, a fashion and beauty photographer and their daughter, Carrie Emmanuelle.