How did Cole Lindberg go from a teenage summer job to running the entire games department at Worlds of Fun?
Cole Lindberg started at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, Missouri at age 14 as a summer employee — and simply never left. Over 11 years, he accumulated enough experience and credibility that when his senior year at the University of Kansas at Lawrence arrived, the park called with an offer he couldn't refuse: the games manager position. He dropped out of college with one full year remaining to take the job.
Lindberg had always been drawn to amusement parks — his family held season passes to Worlds of Fun, he traveled to try out new roller coasters, and he once daydreamed of designing parks and building rides. When his dad drove him to a job interview at the park at 14, he wore a suit. Even sitting in the park's utilitarian back offices felt like entering an inner sanctum. That passion never faded: more than a decade later, he was still genuinely excited to walk through the gates each morning.
The decision to leave school wasn't easy. With one full year of college remaining, dropping out carried real weight. But Lindberg recognized the offer for what it was — a rare, time-sensitive opportunity in a field he had been building toward since childhood. He accepted. Today, he oversees 32 games and manages a seasonal staff of over 100 young employees, putting in 60 to 70 hours a week all summer. You can hear him tell the full story in Episode 443 of This American Life on Listenly.
"This opportunity is probably only going to come along once in a lifetime."
— Cole Lindberg, Games Department Manager, Worlds of FunAbout Cole Lindberg
Lindberg's career at Worlds of Fun began at age 14 with a summer job — an interview he attended in a full suit — and never stopped. By the time this episode was recorded, he had spent 11 consecutive years at the park, transitioning from seasonal hire to the full-time, year-round manager of its entire games department. That department encompasses 32 individual games and a seasonal workforce of more than 100 young employees, all of whom Lindberg hires and supervises. His days during the summer season routinely stretch to 60 or 70 hours a week, covering everything from financial targets and prize purchasing to on-the-floor operations. In his senior year at the University of Kansas at Lawrence, Lindberg received the call offering him the games manager role. He left school with one year remaining — a decision he described as one of the hardest he had ever made — and has not looked back. His direct supervisor, Matt, has named him one of the strongest games managers across the 11 amusement parks owned by Cedar Fair, the company that operates Worlds of Fun alongside properties throughout North America.