Excellent work doesn’t open every door.
What opens the rest is a different set of skills. I coach accomplished professionals to build them, so you leave with a clear story, a stronger case, and a plan for the roles, raises, and clients you want.
Hired by
Where this shows up.
Your work isn’t the problem. It’s hard to see what is.
You sense that something needs to change, and you can’t yet name it. More effort no longer helps.
You can clearly envision what you want and are ready to move forward, but something is getting in the way of it coming to life.
You carry the larger role. The title and the pay still belong to the smaller one.
Decisions that affect your work are made in rooms you aren’t invited to.
Opportunities are promised, and then they don’t materialize.
Your work is praised, but your name isn’t the one that comes to mind when an opportunity opens.
This is the part that isn’t taught in school or at work.
Why me.
I built my career on the skills I now coach: reading what a room needs, building trust, and showing how my work meets it.
No degree, and the only one without one at every corporate company.
I know how to communicate your worth, and your ability to do the job at the level required, without a credential or traditional fallback to lean on.
Fifteen years creating things people want to be part of.
Commercial photographer, founder of an internationally distributed magazine and a business support group, then Head of Copy and Marketing Director, building a department and merging three legacy brands into one.
Seven years with a coach, then trained to become one.
I know what a good coach changes. I’m now training with Accomplishment Coaching and i4 Neuroleader, both ICF-accredited programs.
More background
Honest Quarterly was carried by Powell’s City of Books, PCC Markets, Metropolitan Market, New Seasons Market, and the University of Washington, and was featured on PBS and at the Warsaw International Culinary Fair.
My work has also been recognized by Offset and Wonderful Machine. I contributed to a Nautilus Award winner in Green Living & Sustainability and to multiple bestselling cookbooks, and I’ve been hired by Simon & Schuster, Realtor.com, Cherry Bombe, and The Mountaineers Books.
I’m a member of House of Her Seattle, The New PR Collective, and High Vibe Community.
Who this is for.
I coach accomplished professionals whose work is already strong and whose recognition, pay, or influence hasn’t caught up. Whether you’re moving up where you are or moving on to something new.
This is for you if
- You want to build skills and judgment you keep.
- You’re ready to act between sessions.
- You want a bigger role where you are, or a new one somewhere else.
This isn’t for you if
- You want answers and decisions handed to you.
- You’re looking for therapy.
Not sure which side you’re on? That’s what the conversation is for.
How it works.
A through-line is the thread that connects what you’ve done, what you’re good at, and where you want to go.
The work is to find it and make it clear to the people who can open the next door.
Define the objective and what is in the way
What you want, or what it is if you don’t know yet, and the patterns and blind spots holding you back.
Find your strengths, and see the opportunity from their side
Your strengths, including the ones you haven’t noticed, and what the people involved need.
Put it into practice
Speaking up, negotiating, proposing, setting boundaries, and making your case.
You leave with clarity on your blind spots, work built around what you do best, the skills to ask for more, and a search or promotion that fits.
Success shouldn’t cost you the rest of your life. This isn’t about wanting less. It’s about learning the skills for the next level.
What people say about working with me.
From clients and collaborators in my work outside of coaching.
“Not only is Shannon a joy to be around, she is hard-working, honest, focused, and full of integrity. She has a great eye for photography and a creative mind. I highly recommend her.”
Clare Barboza, Commercial Photographer & Founder, Poppy Bee Surfaces
“Brought so much artistic talent and professional integrity to our shoots, while at the same time being extremely human.”
Janis Howes, Designer & Creative Collaborator
“Went above and beyond with all of our projects together.”
Meg Acomb, Art Director, Sonoma Press
“Knocked it out of the park.”
Naomi Murray, Founder & CEO, Mountain Girl Essentials
Working together.
Every engagement begins with a complimentary conversation. From there, choose how to begin. After the engagement, you can keep going month to month.
Begin with one session
The essence conversation
$250
One 90-minute session to uncover what is fundamentally yours, and distill it into an internal compass for the decisions ahead.
What’s included
- One 90-minute private session
- A clear statement of your core essence
- First steps to take right away
- $250 credited toward the Through-Line Engagement if you continue
Or begin with the full engagement
The Through-Line Engagement
$1,800 three months. $600 a month, or save $150 paid in full.
A complete three-month private engagement, built around your goal.
What’s included
- Six 90-minute private sessions, every two weeks
- Specific actions to take before we meet again
- A closing review of outcomes
After the engagement
Through-Line Coaching
$600 a month, month to month
For clients who have completed the engagement and want to keep working together.
What’s included
- 90-minute sessions every two weeks
- Continues for as long as it serves you
- One month’s notice to end
Not sure which to choose? Start with the conversation. The essence conversation credit and the pay-in-full savings can’t be combined. For group coaching, workshops, and talks, get in touch.
FAQs.
How is this different from consulting or mentoring?
A consultant or mentor may tell you what to do, give you their opinion, or offer advice. That’s the fish. I teach you to fish: I help you work it out, so the thinking stays yours. I ask questions that sharpen your thinking, point out patterns that are hard to see from inside them, and help you prepare for the conversations that matter.
The decisions and the actions stay yours. The aim is that you can do this without me.
Do you help with résumés, interviews, and job searches?
Yes. We also work on your personal branding, messaging, and positioning, so your story is clear and consistent across your résumé, LinkedIn, and conversations. When a new role is the goal, we work on your résumé, interview preparation, and your search alongside the skills that get you hired. When the goal is to advance where you are, we work on how you’re seen, your case for the next level, and the conversations that get you there.
What if I don’t know what I want?
That’s a common place to start. Defining it is the first stage of the work, and the system of tools we use is built to help you discover it.
How much time does it take?
One 90-minute session every two weeks, plus the actions we agree on between sessions, which are built to fit into your normal week.
What happens in a session?
We work on your objective, look at what is limiting progress, and agree on specific actions before the next session. Then we review what happened and adjust. Each session builds on the last.
I design the structure around your goal: how it breaks into stages, which tools fit each stage, and how we track progress. None of it is a template. It’s grounded in the ICF Core Competencies and established coaching practice.
What can I count on from the work?
You build skills of your own: recognizing your own patterns, understanding what’s needed and offering it in a way that works for both sides, making your case clearly, and acting on what matters.
A promotion, raise, or contract also depends on other people’s decisions, so I don’t promise one. Here is some of what clients have reported, described in general terms to protect their privacy:
- An organizational leader who had been overcommitted received new speaking opportunities, began building her own voice as a thought leader, and made more room for her family and personal life.
- A business owner shifted his work toward the clients he wanted to be working with.
- An academic built a stronger professional reputation and was given more teaching responsibility.
At the start, we agree on how to measure progress: the outcomes you choose, changes in how you act, and how sustainable your work feels.
Is what we discuss confidential?
Yes. What we discuss stays between us. I practice in line with the ICF Core Competencies and Code of Ethics, including their standards on confidentiality.
How does payment work?
The first payment is due before we begin. I accept credit and debit cards through Stripe. Pricing, the pay-in-full savings, and the essence conversation credit are all under Working together.
Sessions can be rescheduled with at least 24 hours’ notice. With less notice, I’ll do my best to accommodate you but can’t guarantee it. The full terms are in the coaching agreement you sign before we begin.
Start with a Conversation.
If the next step isn’t clear yet, start here. A complimentary 40-minute video conversation. You don’t need a fully formed goal, or any preparation.
Not ready to talk? Stay in touch.
Subscribe to Subtext: margin notes on the parts of work no one teaches, one idea at a time.
Find your through-lineBuild your evidence filePrepare for the pay or title conversation
Or send me one question about your situation and I’ll reply within two business days. Shannon@ShannonDouglasCareer.com