We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shantel Love. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shantel below.

Shantel , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

There I was, in 2015, staring at an email that shattered my world: “We regret to inform you that you have not been selected for the promotion. I sat frozen at my desk, surrounded by achievements that suddenly felt hollow. This wasn’t just disappointment—this was rock bottom.

When I tell people that Shantel Love LLC builds personal brands that break professional barriers, they often assume it’s just clever marketing. But this mission was born in a corporate bathroom stall, where I escaped to let my tears flow freely after that rejection. That flood of tears washed away my doubt and revealed a crystal-clear truth: I wasn’t rejected by the system; the system was rejected by me.

My mission to provide promotion without permission isn’t just a catchy phrase. It emerged from that raw moment when I realized how many talented professionals, especially women and people of color, are waiting for validation from systems that weren’t designed for their advancement. The statistics are staggering: women still earn just 82 cents for every dollar earned by men, with the gap widening to 63 cents for Black women and 55 cents for Hispanic women. As I often say, “Pay equity doesn’t just happen because you work hard, it happens because you articulate your value with the same confidence as those who designed the system.

You see, that bathroom stall became my first office. Between sobs, I started mapping out what would later become the blueprint for my book Promote Your D@mn Self. I wasn’t just solving my own problem; I was addressing a systemic one. The question that kept repeating in my mind was: How many brilliant careers are stalled right now because someone is waiting for permission they’ll never receive?

When I eventually became the first Black woman VP at my company using my own system, the mission crystallized even further. I looked around the executive floor and saw how no one looked like me. That’s when I understood that my responsibility extended beyond my own success.

This mission is deeply meaningful to me because I’ve lived both sides of it. I’ve been the woman crying in the bathroom, feeling invisible despite her achievements. And I’ve been the woman speaking on the AWS Reinvent stage, helping others recognize and articulate their value. The contrast between those two moments and the methodical journey between them is what drives everything we do.

Today, when I step on stages and speak to professionally and see them secure promotions, double their salaries, or step confidently into leadership roles they once thought unattainable, I’m reminded of why this mission matters. It’s not just about career advancement, it’s about reclaiming power.

We build careers with courage for cautious professionals because I know firsthand that talent and hard work aren’t enough in systems that weren’t built for everyone to thrive. In our educational system, we’re taught countless skills: calculus, literature, biology. But never how to articulate our value or build a personal brand that commands respect. The most meaningful part of our mission is watching professionals transform from permission-seekers to purpose-driven leaders who advocate fiercely for themselves and others.

That rejection email in 2015 didn’t end my career journey. It started with the real one. And now, every time someone uses our blueprint to advance without waiting for permission, that bathroom where I once cried becomes even more distant—replaced by boardrooms, stages, and positions of influence that change not just individual careers, but the landscape of leadership itself.

This isn’t just business for me. It’s a revolution—one promotion at a time.

Shantel , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Most people enter their careers believing a simple equation: good work equals good opportunities.
Two decades in corporate leadership taught me the uncomfortable truth—that equation is incomplete.
Success isn’t just about what you know; it’s about who knows what you know.

“I was always the hardest worker in the room, but never the most recognized,” is a confession I hear repeatedly during my workshops. It’s what I experienced myself before discovering that personal branding isn’t optional, it’s the invisible accelerator that transforms careers from linear to exponential.

After becoming the first Black woman VP in my organization, I realized my methodology could help others bridge the gap between expertise and opportunity. That’s when Shantel Love LLC was born—not as a conventional career consultancy, but as a personal brand incubator for professionals who deserve more visibility than their current environments provide.
“But Shantel,” executives often tell me after my keynotes, “our industry doesn’t reward self-promotion.”
I smile because I’ve heard this from leaders in healthcare, finance, tech, government—literally every industry imaginable.
Then I show them the data: professionals with strong personal brands earn up to 40% more than equally qualified colleagues. Women who strategically leverage LinkedIn are promoted 17% faster than those who don’t.
Personal branding isn’t about becoming an influencer—it’s about becoming influential.

Shantel Love LLC emerged from two decades of corporate leadership experience and one transformative realization: success leaves clues, but only if you’re taught how to read them.

We specialize in workshops, keynotes, and trainings for four core areas that most professionals never receive formal training in:
LinkedIn optimization that turns your profile from a digital resume into an opportunity-attracting platform
Career mapping that positions you for opportunities before they’re even announced
Leadership development that ensures you’re heard before you speak and invest in your team to drive outcomes and peak performance
Platform leveraging strategies that amplify your visibility through other people’s audiences inside and outside of your company

What sets us apart? While most leadership and career speakers focus exclusively on job search tactics, we architect comprehensive personal brand ecosystems. We don’t just help you get the next job—we position you to be sought after for opportunities you haven’t even imagined yet.

During a workshop in the UK, an engineering director approached me. “For 15 years,” she confessed, “I thought my work would speak for itself. But it turns out my work was whispering while others were shouting.”
This is the pattern I’m most proud of disrupting: the false belief that merit alone drives advancement.
In reality, visibility precedes opportunity. Always.

“You’ve never met a room you couldn’t command,” a conference organizer once introduced me. It was flattering but missed the point. The true power isn’t in commanding rooms; it’s in connecting them.

My keynotes don’t just electrify the audience for 45 minutes. They create lasting neural pathways that transform how professionals perceive their own value and communicate it to others.

After addressing 5,000 tech professionals at Customer Contact Week Vegas, my inbox flooded with messages saying the same thing in different ways: “I finally understand that my expertise isn’t enough; I need to make it impossible to ignore.”
The most revealing question I ask audiences is this: “If you lost your job today, would your professional reputation be strong enough to bring opportunities to you by tomorrow?”

The uncomfortable silence that follows is why Shantel Love LLC exists.

We’re building a generation of professionals who can confidently answer “yes”, who understand that your personal brand isn’t something you create for social media. It’s the professional insurance policy you build day by day, interaction by interaction.

To inquire about Shantel Love’s keynote speaking or corporate workshops on LinkedIn optimization, career mapping, executive presence, or platform leveraging, contact [[email protected]].

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

“If anyone tells you starting a business is easy, run,” I laugh, recounting my early days juggling multiple roles. “I am the CEO, Marketing Team, Operations Lead, Social Media Manager, Booking Agent, Speech Writer, Hair and Make Up Artist, HR, and more.”

Despite my MBA background, I initially made the classic mistake of treating my professional development business like a hobby rather than a revenue-generating enterprise. “My plans were fluid, which meant the results were fluid and the revenue was low,”I explain.

The turning point came when I began implementing structured business practices:
Auditing my time realistically
Setting concrete goals
Creating and sticking to plans and OKRs (Objectives and Key Results)
These changes transformed my approach and opened new opportunities. But perhaps my most surprising insight is what I call a “little-known success strategy” for solopreneurs: “You have to be a bit delusional when running your business. Your vision may be backed by just a mustard seed of faith, and you can’t expect anyone to believe in it as much as you do.”

My advice? “Be relentless in your beliefs. Serve who you enjoy working with. And promote yourself, because if you don’t, who will?”

The Power of Support: You Can’t Do It All Alone

I was raised by a single mom and developed a complex that if I wanted something done, I needed to do it myself. This mindset initially held me back as an entrepreneur until I learned a crucial lesson: no successful business is built in isolation.
My husband Quintin and my 7-year-old son are my lifeline. I could not do this without their support,” I share with genuine emotion. Quintin is my editor, speaking coach, content specialist, finance, and prayer partner, amongst other things.
This support system provides not just practical help but emotional stability during the inevitable ups and downs of entrepreneurship. Having people who believe in your vision even on days when you doubt yourself is invaluable. They remind me why I started this journey in the first place.

I’ve learned that asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness but a strategic necessity. Whether it’s family support, a business coach, or connecting with other entrepreneurs, building your support network is just as important as building your business plan.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Building my brand on LinkedIn while maintaining a 9-to-5 job presented unique challenges. “I was scared to tell people that I am speaking and training, although I’ve done it every day in my day job for two decades,” I share.
Despite understanding my employer’s moonlighting policies and non-compete clauses, I worried my social media presence might signal job-hunting intentions to my boss. This hesitation changed with a perspective shift: “LinkedIn has over 1 billion users, which meant I either missed 1 billion chances or gave myself a chance out of 1 billion. I like the latter better.”

Navigating Corporate Policies While Building Your Brand
If you’re building your brand while employed, understanding your company’s social media policies is absolutely essential. Before launching my LinkedIn presence, I thoroughly reviewed our moonlighting policies, non-compete agreements, and social media guidelines.

This due diligence gave me the confidence to proceed without jeopardizing my primary income source. Know where the boundaries are so you can operate with integrity and transparency. I made sure my side business complemented rather than competed with my employer’s interests.
I also recommend having open conversations with supervisors when appropriate. Transparency often eliminates suspicion. Many employers appreciate employees who are developing themselves professionally, as long as it doesn’t interfere with their primary responsibilities. I share the exact strategies and templates in my book Promote Your D@mn Self available at ShantelLove.com and Ebook on Amazon.

Overcoming the Fear of Putting Yourself Out There
My early content strategy wasn’t immediately successful. “I was a HOT MESS when I first began because I’m not a content creator,” I admit. The breakthrough came when I stopped focusing on myself and started creating content for “the person that needed the solution that I had most.”

“The fear of judgment is real, but here’s what I’ve learned: people buy from you, not just your products or services. They work with people they know, like, and trust,” I explain with conviction.

This understanding fundamentally changed my approach to social media. Instead of trying to create perfect content, I focused on authenticity and value. “Let people see the real you. Share your knowledge freely. Be consistent in showing up. Trust develops over time through repeated positive interactions.”

For those paralyzed by the fear of putting themselves out there, I offer this perspective: “Every expert you admire started as a beginner. The difference is they were willing to be visible before they felt ready.”

For those just starting to build their social media presence, I offer these practical tips:
Define what consistency means for you—whether that’s posting once a week or three times weekly
Clearly communicate how you can help people and make it easy for them to contact you
Focus on giving more than taking and help others grow by making connections
Choose one platform and commit to it rather than spreading yourself thin
Don’t spend excessive time creating content that doesn’t convert to clients
Prioritize genuine engagement and conversations—I recommend 15-minute chats that move relationships beyond the platform

“If I were to start over today,” I reflect, “I’d focus first on aligning and engaging with big influencers in my niche (borrow their audience), building genuine connections, create content that directly addresses my ideal clients’ challenges, and be much bolder about stating exactly how I help people transform their situations.”

Connect with me on LinkedIn at Shantel Love to learn more about my professional development services and entrepreneurial journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shantellove.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shantellovespeaks?igsh=MWJobGJta3dzMGxkeQ==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/168UisS6hx/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shantellove/

Image Credits

Que Images and Jaylen Ventress