Shanna is a bilingual (English-Spanish) training facilitator and engaging speaker. She thrives on creating environments where learners can openly discuss, explore, and share ideas. Whether she’s facilitating training or delivering a keynote, Shanna shares actionable ideas people can put to immediate use.
In addition to rich experience in sales, negotiation, networking, and problem solving, Shanna’s positive personality and cross-cultural background make her a natural fit for groups of all types that want to leverage strengths and work through conflicts.
Clients
Shanna has worked with myriad groups: Genworth, PRIMIS Bank, Atlantic Union Bank, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Nuclear Energy Institute, AIG Insurance, Virginia Union University, the National Association of Women in Construction, Women Council of Realtors, and more.
Professional Background
Shanna began her career in the financial sector. Constantly drawn to people, she leveraged her talent to connect and took on several sales roles. Shanna + people + sales equaled success, and she earned a coveted spot at Million Dollar Round Table (an association of leading insurance and financial services professionals) and qualified for various leadership symposiums and conferences.
After several years in the financial field, Shanna’s entrepreneurial spirit inspired her to found FABWOMEN – an organization designed to help women reach their potential and meet other people with similar career aspirations. At the helm of FABWOMEN, Shanna led her team, delivered keynotes, published, and developed training workshops.
Over time, Shanna’s work with FABWOMEN evolved to full-time training, consulting, and keynote speaking.
Her specialty topics include sales, sales presentation skills, negotiation, and influence; creative problem solving; communication styles and people strengths; and networking skills. Shanna has also worked with several organizations to upskill their customer service teams.
Education and Certifications
Shanna earned a BS in management information systems from Mississippi State University.
She is also certified to administer and debrief CoreClarity using CliftonStrengths.
Books
- Master The Art of Connecting: 30 Tips to Authentic Conversation
- Called to Lead: Success Strategies for Women
- Latinas 100: Leaving a Legacy and Inspiring the Next Generation
Media Mentions and Appearances
- E.O. Magazine
- Virginia This Morning (CBS-WTVR)
- 8 News (ABC-WRIC)
An Interview with Shanna
What three or four words describe your facilitation style?
Results-focused, interactive, and collaborative.
What are your favorite topics to facilitate?
There are so many! I like everything. Seriously, nobody is as much as I’m always adding to my skillset, I’m not an expert in everything. I have deep professional experience in sales, negotiation, influence, and networking. I also have significant life experience when it comes to cross-cultural communication.
Tell me a little more about that last part.
I was born in Quito, Ecuador to a Jewish-American father and a Spanish-Catholic mother. After high school, my parents sent me to Mississippi State. Talk about culture shock! I am a walking billboard about the importance of learning how to navigate different environments, customs, norms, cultures, and so forth. I use those experiences when I’m helping people understand and navigate cultures, different generations, or gender differences in the workplace.
You’ve had several entrepreneurial ventures in your career. How have those experiences influenced your approach to training and consulting?
That’s a great question and one with an answer about which I’m passionate! I believe people with an entrepreneurial approach to work always look for new ways to complete tasks. That could mean improving processes, strengthening relationships with people, or delivering a stronger work product. I’m always seeking new ways to innovate and improve.
When you’re facilitating training, how do you transfer your drive and motivation to others?
I think the first step is creating an inclusive environment where people can engage and learn from each other. When they’re bought in and find new ways to do their work, most learners dig in. As a facilitator, I’m good at helping people make connections with people and with content. I believe doing both is important to get the most out of a training session.
Over the course of your career, you’ve done a fair amount of training and keynote speaking targeted to women, tell me about that.
I grew up in a patriarchal society, and I started my career in a field dominated by men. Through my early career experiences, I learned that my journey differed from that of my male colleagues.
When I started my career, succeeding as a woman in finance required a lot of tenacity and savvy. I learned a lot through trial and error, and I wanted to share those lessons with women in similar situations. That’s the genesis of most of my female-targeted programming. That said, I like working with all sorts of groups.
How do you adjust to different client groups?
What’s important to the client is what’s important to me. That’s constant. What changes is where I put my focus. At the end of the day, what matters is achieving objectives.
When you aren’t working, what are your interests?
In addition to spending time with my family, I love traveling and solving puzzles. New places energize me, and I find something satisfying about getting pictures to come together and uncovering answers.