SHANNON’S STORY
I’m here for the visionaries.
The rebels. The romantics. Those called to lead with purpose. The ones who think differently, feel immensely, and may be a little “too much.”
A free-spirited child stands out. I was this child. A natural leader and overachiever, deeply empathetic, sensory-oriented, curious, and creative.
At the hands of physical abuse and complicated relationships with authority figures and peers, I was a child forced to grow up fast. I felt a lack of safety, visibility, and belonging which emerged in a tendency to overcompensate with achievement. Soon, I found myself following a dutiful path in life—anything to avoid adversity.
Twenty years later, following an accomplished student life as an athlete, thespian, and presidential scholar and a successful career as a project manager and adjunct professor, my husband and I tried to start a family. The Universe had other plans.
On the other side of infertility, surgeries, and injections, a
depleted life savings, a broken spirit, and multiple failed
pregnancies, we decided to stop trying.
This “failure” sent my over-achieving Self into a tailspin of grief, shame, and unconscious rage. Feeling like I no longer knew who I was, nor how to make sound choices, I found solace in therapy, EMDR, and coaching school. I started to publicly express truths that I had repressed for a long time. People responded with loving kindness and my coaching practice took off.
As I found my truths again, I also found acceptance of the duality in life and myself. It became clear that a lifetime of using perfectionism as a defense mechanism had prevented me from being my whole Self.
I realized the rigidities of a straight and narrow path weren’t true to me. I’m a thespian. An artist. Alchemist. Elation and darkness? I live for the depth and magnitude of it all. I developed a new trajectory that felt like ME and allowed myself to feel, embody, express, and empathize with every extreme.
The funny thing is, as I got comfortable with my pendulum swings, I felt more balanced. Then, at age 38, I was diagnosed as neurodivergent. The irony—as I tapped into the full spectrum of my being, I discovered I was on “the spectrum.”
I felt visible, secure, and validated knowing that I do, in fact, think differently. I also learned it’s not in spite of, but because of this divergence that I make an exceptional project manager, professor, and coach.
Now I work with others out there like me. Those who think differently, feel immensely, and are often seen as a little “too much.” I live to uplift these people.
I will be the first to tell you, my “soft is strong” tough-love approach is not for everyone. But I know my lived experience and natural ability to find stability in chaos make me the ideal person to help you find strength in your individuality and confidence in your inconsistency. To help you fall in love, again and again, with a free and spirited type of living.
Because, you? You’re a style all your own. You were born for brilliant. You were born to stand-out.
Individuation is the path to meaningful creation.
When we know ourselves—when we can hear and trust our own voice—we live in a state of stability no matter what comes our way. I help my clients find their style—their values, desires, and potential—so they can create a life that is optimal, meaningful, and true for them.