Harder Than It Looks: Parking Uncovered EP 46: The Night Everything Changed – Susan Cole’s Story of Grit & Reinvention
In this episode of Harder Than It Looks, host Brian Wolff sits down with Susan Cole, Founder & CEO of Cole Ticket Solutions (CTS) – a woman-owned business reshaping consumables, automation, and supply chain efficiency across the parking industry.
One night at 3 a.m., overwhelmed and searching for answers, Susan pressed play on an episode of this podcast featuring SBA lending expert Sue Malone. What she heard changed everything. That moment set her on a path to secure SBA funding, grow CTS, and redefine what’s possible in credentialing and consumables for airports, municipalities, universities, manufacturers, and operators nationwide.
Her story is one of grit, reinvention, technical ingenuity, and unwavering resilience. From her early career in Spain to building CTS during the pandemic to pioneering Cole Cube – an automated on-site supply solution – Susan takes us inside the innovations and mindset that fuel her success.
Key Takeaways
- A single moment can change the trajectory of a business.
Susan’s 3 a.m. discovery of Sue Malone sparked the SBA funding journey that kept CTS alive and growing. - Consumables aren’t commodities – they’re a service.
Susan explains how CTS reframes tickets and credentials as an ongoing service model, not a one-off product. - Innovation is born from necessity.
Cole Cube, her automated on-site ticket supply room, was created to solve supply chain chaos during the pandemic. - Relationships built over decades matter.
Susan credits much of CTS’s early success to the trust she developed throughout her 20 years in parking. - Persistence and patience are powerful business tools.
Her path through fear, self-doubt, and uncertainty shows what happens when you refuse to give up.
Episode Highlights
[00:00:21] Brian opens with the story of how Susan found the Sue Malone episode in the middle of the night.
[01:31] Susan begins her story – from Spain to software to an unexpected entry into parking.
[02:27] How a headhunter, a misspelled “Azusa,” and a manufacturer changed her career path.
[06:11] Building 20 years of relationships across airports, municipalities, and operators.
[07:42] The 2019 company sale and early pandemic layoffs.
[09:21] Becoming a full-time homeschool teacher while job hunting in a frozen market.
[10:01–12:16] The decision to take control and start CTS during the pandemic.
[12:16–17:40] The 3 a.m. night, the Harder Than It Looks episode, and connecting with Sue Malone.
[18:56] The emotional weight of the SBA approval and what it unlocked.
[21:50–23:03] Supplying the Embarcadero garages and SFMTA’s 21 San Francisco locations.
[25:34] Signs of life for CTS during the pandemic: airports, hospitals, and essential services.
[27:19] Why CTS is different – consumables as a managed service.
[29:53] Cole Cube: the automated, on-site ticket supply room.
[33:10–35:13] How Cole Cube was conceived by examining empty server rooms in garages.
[35:45] What’s next: an LA-based Cole Cube, robotics, and credentialing technology.
[37:40] Why small business partnerships matter in the industry.
[39:29] What experience has taught her about solving big problems.
[42:02–49:30] Lightning round: favorite phrases, hardest moments, proudest achievements.
Notable Quotes
“I wasn’t sleeping. I couldn’t get funding. But I wasn’t giving up. I’ve never given up.” – Susan Cole
“You can’t just deliver a product. There has to be a service behind it.” – Susan Cole
“There are many roads to Rome - you just have to stick to one and keep going.” – Susan Cole
About the Guest
Susan Cole is the Founder & CEO of Cole Ticket Solutions (CTS), a woman-owned, ACDBE-certified business providing tickets, credentials, and consumables for airports, municipalities, operators, manufacturers, and transportation systems across North America.
With 20+ years in the parking industry and deep experience in supply chain, credentialing, and automation, Susan is known for pushing boundaries - from launching CTS during the pandemic to creating the innovative Cole Cube supply model in San Francisco and Los Angeles.