"CEOs: Success starts with valuing your people wholeheartedly."
Transformational Unicorn || Luxury Holistic Neuro Coach || Double Board-Licensed Therapist || Conscious Change Maker and Innovator || Supercool Human Being
Shannon McNiece is the best in the world at creating transformational neuro-health experiences for those seeking their highest Truth, Love, and Light.
She helps her clients access a sustainable and fully actualized state of aligned clarity, joy, and integrated well-being. She focuses on helping high achievers move into personal hypergrowth and next-level optimization.
Shannon’s expertise is in helping people achieve long-term metamorphoses. The Holistic Brain-Based Approach is a new paradigm for transformational change for the 21st century and beyond.
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Table of Contents
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
Shannon McNiece: Hello, and thanks for having me! My name is Shannon McNiece. I am a mom of two, a double board-licensed therapist in Colorado, dog lover, an entrepreneur, and a luxury holistic neuro coach.
Neurocoaching involves merging neuroscience principles into coaching techniques. We leverage our understanding of how the brain works to help clients dive in fully and completely. Neurohealth is a tremendous opportunity, the next great frontier, and the preeminent catalyst for deep personal expansion.
I help clients access a sustainable and fully actualized state of aligned clarity, joy, and integrated well-being. I help people step into the fullness of who they are meant to be – to live the life they want to live, to leave the legacy they are called to, and to make the biggest impact they are destined to.
Through my work clients can experience a life filled with complete authenticity, alignment, and the FIRE of their inner radiance.
The Holistic Brain-Based Approach, my method, is a new way of engaging in personal growth. It exudes expansiveness and positivity from start to finish. Brain-life optimization is a new model for change and well-being.
Can you share a time when your business faced a significant challenge? How did you navigate through it?
Shannon McNiece: One of the biggest challenges I faced as a new entrepreneur was mindset.
I had an intense fear of failure and I put incredible pressure on myself to produce huge outcomes. While my mindset has some good qualities to it (diligence, work ethic, etc.), the relentlessness was too forceful.
The pressure to succeed despite the unpredictability of outcomes was a new ballgame for me. And consequently, I beat myself up quite mercilessly.
I had to create serene spaces for myself, energetic spaces, and inspirational spaces. I could not have survived on Entrepreneur Island by myself. I had to reach out to access communities. I needed to surround myself with like-minded people.
I think I initially underestimated the importance of this kind of ongoing personal work. But it became pretty clear that to cultivate lasting success, I needed to not crush myself under the weight of my own goals.
How has a failure or apparent failure set you up for later success?
Shannon McNiece: Stumbling blocks have taught me valuable lessons.
My most significant breakthroughs and discoveries have stemmed from asking questions like; Why are we approaching things this way? Why stick to outdated methods that don’t work anymore?
The answers to these questions have often fallen short. Those lackluster moments fuel my determination to push forward. I’ve learned that frustrations can lead to groundbreaking innovative ideas.
I’m also intrigued by inquiries such as; What does the research show is effective? How can we bring about meaningful and lasting change for individuals?
These questions not only highlight areas where personal and industry improvements can be made but also trigger fresh perspectives that I hadn’t previously considered.
Be bold enough to ask yourself how you’ve come up short. THEN – be bold enough to do something meaningful with the answer! Delving deeper into past failures can uncover untapped potential, unconventional solutions, or hidden opportunities.
How do you build a resilient team? What qualities do you look for in your team members?
Shannon McNiece: Resilience is having the resources internally and externally to meet the demands.Resilience can be nurtured within a team, although some individuals naturally exhibit more resilience than others.
I appreciate team members who display exceptional abilities, a drive for personal growth, and a strong determination to achieve success.
I like working with the bounce-back kids, who take setbacks in stride. I appreciate the high potential team members who remain lasered-in on their goals and view obstacles as stepping stones. I love people who can laugh at themselves; I see this as a necessary life skill.
I never underestimate anyone who takes the time to inspire and motivate their peers. I also love a good collab. Strong teamwork enables high-performing teams to amplify their collective impact.
I appreciate individuals who are driven to achieve results, deliver high-quality work, and make a difference in the world.
By focusing first on individual strengths, creating an environment for success becomes much easier. It also allows people to feel seen. I intend to help each team member realize their full potential, which in turn cultivates a culture of excellence.
How do you maintain your personal resilience during tough times?
Shannon McNiece: Boundaries!
I must safeguard my time and energy. I have to remember to do the practices that bring me peace, balance, and well-being – and not continually shrug them off, or make excuses for not carving out the time. It’s a strategic investment of my time – to make the time.
What strategies do you use to manage stress and maintain focus during a crisis?
Shannon McNiece: Fritz Perls once said, “Fear is excitement without the breath.” I choose to approach stress during crises by reinterpreting fear as a potential source of energy and drive.
I see crises as chances to step up and test my abilities. By viewing fear through the lens of excitement, I use that energy to confront challenges directly. This helps me to focus on solutions rather than giving in to panic, overwhelm, and freakout.
And, deceptively simple – I breathe. When faced with an uncomfortable situation, I shift my perspective back to my physical body. This helps me remain grounded, keeps my prefrontal cortex online, and enables me to adapt swiftly.
How do you communicate with your team during a crisis?
Shannon McNiece:
- Step one: Set the tone and set the culture. Establish a respectful atmosphere. We must all make an effort to communicate calmly and courteously.
- Step two: Active listening from a place of curiosity and empathy. I ensure I truly listen and understand. People need to feel heard and valued.
- Step three: I communicate with excessive clarity. Simple, and direct.
- Step four (context-dependent): I confirm understanding by asking individuals what they have gathered from our conversation. This ensures we’re all on the same page.
- Step five (context-dependent): Share updates to keep everyone informed, connected, and aware of priorities.
- Step six: Stay flexible in response to changing circumstances. Facilitate a debrief to address any questions or concerns the team may have. Seek feedback if appropriate.
What advice would you give to other CEOs on building resilience in their organizations?
Shannon McNiece: My advice for CEOs is to truly value your people, through and through.
Embrace how differently your people see the world and see your problems. Each team member is a wonderfully complex human being. The mix of people in any organization is its most valuable asset.
Cultivate a culture of transparent communication. Encourage open dialogue. Encourage questions. Encourage mistakes! Create a space where people feel free to voice their opinions and innovate.
Lead by example. Walk the talk. Demonstrate DAILY what you want to see from your team. Teach them how to tackle big challenges while maintaining a positive outlook.
Prioritize the well-being of your employees. Cultivate a work environment that values empathy and flexibility.
Give credit! Celebrate successes. Throw a party. Recognize accomplishments, no matter how minor they may seem. Appreciate people.
Smile. Laugh.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned about leadership in times of crisis?
Shannon McNiece: Teamwork. Use your team. Leverage their strengths. Know your people. Collaborate. Harness their strengths to complement your own. You are stronger as a team.
Culture. Create a mutually supportive culture of trust and respect. Start with empathy and a genuine concern for each individual. Cultivate an atmosphere of psychological safety (daily).
Authentic human-centered leadership. Pay attention to the overall well-being of your team members. Listen to their concerns. Communicate openly, clearly, and congruently.
Lead by example. Be a solid presence for your team. Be an anchor, a stable reliable support that your team can rely on. Demonstrate consistency in your values and integrity through both words and actions.
This helps your team feel secure under your leadership. When you demonstrate reliability, you also demonstrate strength. The team can trust you to have their back and to stay composed in tricky situations.
When you lead by example, you boost confidence in the organization’s ability to tackle challenges as a team.
Be Positive. Communicating positivity is crucial. People look to you; they want to see that you have everything under control. Communicating from a place of optimism and hopefulness plants those seeds among the staff. It creates a sense that we’re all moving forward together, which is truly impactful.
Remember the bigger vision. Remember your “Why” and instill that in the team. Establish a potent significance in a living way. Create meaning and a deeper community of purpose.
When any of these facets are absent – you can tell! It’s evident. It leaves behind an unpleasant feeling that lingers. Focus on your people. Take care of your people.
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Shannon McNiece for taking the time to do this interview and share her knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Shannon McNiece or her company, you can do it through her – Linkedin Page
Disclaimer: The ValiantCEO Community welcomes voices from many spheres on our open platform. We publish pieces as written by outside contributors with a wide range of opinions, which don’t necessarily reflect our own. Community stories are not commissioned by our editorial team and must meet our guidelines prior to being published.
