We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shannon Keil a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Shannon, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

It has been said that leaders are not born, they are made, yet it’s funny that since childhood I have always found myself in a position or circumstance that requires me to take charge and be willing to do or say the thing that makes an idea come into motion. Moments have always shown up where something inside of me pushes past the fear and trepidation of what could become, to drive me to get things done. I found that in those moments if you’re not willing to react and move forward, you miss opportunities that can fall to the ground like an unburied seed. I truly believe if things are meant to happen, they will find a way, but fear can take our opportunity to be part of those great things away. The decision will still be made, the song will be written, and the speech will be given, but we have the choice to let fear take our ticket for the ride. Get out of your own way!

If we live a life that is life-giving to others, we are no longer just the CEO of this or the manager of that, or the Executive of anything. We gain the identity of people builders, archeologists of gifting, and releasers of identity. Like fingerprints everything we touch leaves an imprint of who we are and that changes the DNA of where we have been, the people we have impacted, and the work we have done. We are no longer just leading, but we become the pacesetter to an amazingly strong regiment.

Our legacy hinges on the same in reverse, pouring our wisdom into others so that it can go forward and grow into new ideas and places. Holding on to your knowledge may be job security, but it is organization impairment and even death because the next generation cannot perform duties that they do not know how to and have no way to learn. Being engaged in the exchange of information, both in and out, assures that you what you have built will grow and survive past your last day in the office. True leader looks at organizational changes with pride because the next level of their organization can build on the foundation that they laid. That is legacy; building a foundation and framework that is so sound it can hold the weight of all the great fruit that has grown from their seeds of wisdom and knowledge.

At the end of the day when you feel there is nothing left to be learned, no more ceilings to break, and nothing left to uncover where you are, listen to that voice and the intuition to let go. Success is found in legacy, trusting those you’ve trained and poured into.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Shannon Keil is a Florida girl through and through; born and raised in Central Florida. Shannon has built her 20+ year award-winning career in Florida, Texas, and around the globe working for companies such as Universal Studios Creative Development, Young Presidents Organization, Streams Ministries, and Mary Kay Corporate, and now resides as the President & CEO of The Regent.

Through this career-building journey, she has learned from amazing mentors and industry leaders, gathering an understanding of corporate events, meetings, workshops, and conferences – large and small. She has been honored to walk with a long list of brides down the aisle to their most memorable life-changing moments and has put together dinners, galas, and events to help charities, non-profits, and political campaigns increase their bottom line.

Shannon prides herself as an innovator, thinking outside the box, and creating experiences that make the industry take notice and ignites change. She looks at her growing community as an opportunity to bring the outside world she has called home back to the place she loves. For her, it isn’t the event itself that brings success but all the small details that bring a memory-making experience to life.
As a Certified Coach, Shannon believes Identity and gifting shine when we are where we belong, and she sees it as an honor to light the fire inside others so that they can walk in their purpose. With a belief that God has predestined every step in the journey, sometimes it takes outside eyes to help you decipher the code to your map.

Shannon has found that in your 40s, you no longer wait for permission or for a door to be opened. She is walking through with no apologies and building her empire, deaf to all the voices that stopped her in the past.
Her hope is to help others find the courage to do the same thing. She believes legacy is building a wealth of knowledge and wisdom and making sure it is passed on to others in a way that the ripple continues to future generations.

Shannon holds a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration on business and psychology and is currently pursuing her MBA.

Any advice for managing a team?

I lead my staff and mentees in a way that we walk together and at times I may know more about something from experience, not from just knowing. To truly be confident in a task or occupation it has to be time-tested and weatherproofed by many storms. I know what I know, and what I don’t know – I am willing to learn. Teaching flexibility is a staple in life and one of the things I seem often find myself having to guide others into.

I am constantly looking for places and ways to grow the individuals on my staff and that has been placed in my life to lead. Find out what blocks their creativity, look for ways to shine a light on their gifts and talents, and pass on responsibility when you can and it is appropriate.

Just as important as knowing the leader that you are is knowing the people that you lead. It is our job to uncover their strengths, show them how to use them, and help them soar into their identity. Paths cross for a reason, our job as a leader is to make sure we are utilizing our staff, mentees, and entrusted souls in the best way. Work done by those under us should be highlighted and given merit, as that is their journey to becoming who they are and how they gain confidence to become a leader. Duplicating yourself is imperative, legacy in leadership is so important, otherwise your knowledge will never move forward, and your expertise is a dormant seed. One of the best moments for me as a leader is hearing my words come from someone else’s mouth.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I believe I have built a reputation of character and integrity and being a servant leader.

Servant leaders are not afraid to do the dirty work, they lead by example and never put themselves above the things they ask others to do. My mentor said he would often clean the bathroom in the office to show his employees that he wasn’t above the work. Was his time more valuable in other directions? Yes – but his actions let others know if he asked you to do it, he was not expecting you to do anything he wouldn’t. It gave the staff an equal value system and made them less afraid to ask questions when it was important.

My mentor always believed that character above gifting is the way to operate, not only as a leader but in life. There are many leaders who are gifted but lack character; they make decisions based on the ROI or status increase, not the impact on the people they affect. They will trade their soul for money and possessions and prestige, this eventually overshadows their gifting, and those around them begin to lose sight of why they followed them, to begin with. When someone is leading with character as their compass, their direction is guided by what is right, and often it takes a stand that can make you unpopular and sacrifice for what is right. Character is a chisel as it carves out the natural beauty and detail so that the finished product can be uncovered as it was meant to be. But this

viewpoint on leadership and life takes skill and an understanding of your identity and confidence; trusting yourself, as you often are by yourself or among a few that are leaning the same direction. A leader of character usually comes through with more bruises and scars from battle as they have to often fight for what is right, convincing others that it is worth the hard work and perseverance.

Contact Info:

• Website: shannonkeil.com
• Instagram: shannonkeilmakingthingshappen
• Facebook: shannonkeilmakingthingshappen
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-keil-ppc/
• Twitter: skeil7
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@theregentriverview8116