Rally Mentality: A Winning Playbook On and Off the Field
Football is back! According to Statista.com, The NFL is one of the most widely televised sporting leagues in the world. Whether you are a football fan or not, it’s likely that you know someone who is (including me!). While I personally am a fan (years of cheering on high school, college and professional sidelines), today’s blog post isn’t about joining a fantasy football league, Taylor Swift attending games or who is going to win the Super Bowl.
Today’s blog post is simply asking a question: What do football and Rally Mentality have in common?
Everything that matters when the pressure is on. After years of supporting leaders and teams through my Rally Mentality™ program, I’ve seen the same principles ignite championship moments in boardrooms and locker rooms alike. Whether you’re suiting up for a high stakes match or a game-changing meeting, knowing how to rally is the secret to resilience, unity, and victory.
The Heart of Resilience
Rally Mentality is the ability to rise, especially when the odds are stacked against you. It means resilience isn’t built at the beginning; it’s forged in the comeback — when you choose to get up, regroup, and push forward despite setbacks. The Rally Mentality program inspires this mindset, helping individuals and corporate teams leverage their inner grit and become unstoppable at reaching life and career goals.
The Foundation behind Rally Mentality
The Mental Game Is Essential
Football might be famous for tackles and touchdowns, but ask any elite player or coach, and they’ll say at least half of the game is mental. I would say the same is true for any venture (including cheerleading!). When the stakes are high and the pressure is tough, your ability to stay mentally strong is what separates champions from contenders.
Bouncing Back from Setbacks
Just like having a Rally Mentality, athletic success is determined by how quickly you bounce back when you make a mistake or things go wrong. A resilient athlete or a resilient team doesn’t dwell on losses. Instead, they are mentally equipped to adapt, pivot and use setbacks as fuel for improvement.
Example in Action
Consider a team down at halftime. In the locker room, a powerful rally speech can reawaken belief and inspire a turnaround. History is filled with comeback victories sparked by a unified, resilient mentality. The same is possible for corporate teams. With the right leadership and the right mindset, you can turn anything around for success.
Power of Teamwork: Rallying Together
Strength in Numbers
One of my favorite parts about cheerleading and football is the lesson in building a strong team. One of the biggest misconceptions about cheering in the NFL, is that we aren’t united. However, that couldn’t be farther from the truth! At least in Kansas City, we deeply respected and valued one another. The same is true in all team sports. It’s never just a solo act. The trick is, building a culture that rallies around each other. Just like what I teach about having a Rally Mentality in all aspects of life.
Lessons for Leaders
If you have a leadership title, building a culture of encouragement and setting the foundation rooted in a shared mission is what’s going to help your organization thrive.
Composure in the Clutch
Pressure packed moments define football. Think about all of the fourth quarter drives or turnovers. The same goes in life. When I lived on a canoe in the Florida Everglades for two weeks with a team of ten people, we were studying Situational Leadership. The purpose was simple: how did you react or respond when your back was against the wall? When you were at your most uncomfortable? When you had to think quickly on your feet and hope that you were making the right, split-second decision?
The same goes for our careers. How composed we are for that big presentation or how we handled the deadline under stress or pressure. If you are able to adopt a Rally Mentality, you can master your mindset and perform, when it counts the most!
Training Mental Strength
I’ll never forget when I first learned about mastering your mindset. I decided to run track in high school in my off-season of cheerleading. I wanted to stay active so that I could come back the following year as an even better cheerleader. Before my first big track meet, the track coach had us lay in the grass, eyes closed, and visualize our stride, coming around each bend, how we would strategically prioritize our movements. That first time of visualizing my race, coupled with strengthening my self-talk and mindset, helped boost my performance.
These are the same strategies I talk about in Rally Mentality workshops! I strongly believe that everyone can learn to improve their courage and confidence.
The Importance of Flexibility
Game Days can change in an instant. This is where great competitors thrive. Opponents adjust, new challenges emerge and market variables can change. However, teams with a Rally Mentality don’t panic; they adapt, trust, and innovate. Likewise, in organizations, teams need to regroup, find creative solutions, and conquer unexpected obstacles.
Celebrating Small Wins, Pursuing Big Goals
Motivation That Lasts
Football teams build momentum by celebrating every yard gained, not just the final result. Rally Mentality instills the same practice: cheer small victories, recognize progress, and use them as springboards to bigger achievements[2]. That celebration on the field or at work, fuels sustained motivation.
Rally Mentality in My Journey: From NFL Cheerleader to Keynote Speaker
Personal Lessons from the Field
My experience as an NFL cheerleader and peak performance architect taught me that spirit, unity, and grit are the seeds of success, particularly on any field. I created the Rally Mentality program to bring these lessons to business, sports, and everyday life; to show what’s possible when people rally together and refuse to let setbacks define them.
How You Can Build a Winning Mindset Today
Takeaways for Your Team
Embrace challenges: use setbacks as learning moments.
Support each other: celebrate small wins often.
Stay adaptable: change is part of every journey.
Lead by example: your attitude determines your team’s altitude.
Conclusion: Rally Mentality and Football — A Championship State of Mind
Whether you’re on the field or in the office, Rally Mentality and football both prove that it’s not what knocks you down that matters — it’s how you rally. The skills of resilience, teamwork, adaptability, and unshakeable belief are the true game-changers that drive victory in any arena.
https://www.shannonmckain.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/1.png3801000Shannon McKainhttps://www.shannonmckain.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/shannon-mckain-header-logo.pngShannon McKain2025-08-26 14:27:442025-08-27 12:29:17Rally Mentality and Football
Becoming a Certified Speaking Professional – CSP is more than a professional title—it’s a profound achievement marking one of the proudest moments in my speaking career.
Since the day I learned that being a “professional speaker” was a career, I dreamed about earning my CSP. Last week, I finally got to stand on that stage, in front of 1,000 of my peers from across the world, as I was awarded the highest earned designation in the speaking industry. Less than 17% of professional speakers worldwide have achieved this honor, bestowed by theNational Speakers Association.
This didn’t happen without years of blood, sweat and tears, This wasn’t accomplished overnight. And most importantly, this didn’t happen without commitment, grit, failure, hard work and support.
The Journey: From Passion to Pinnacle
Pursuing CSP demanded relentless effort, discipline, and resilience. Earning this distinction—a mark held by fewer than 17% of speakers globally—required:
Delivering 250+ paid presentations across five years.
Consistently exceeding expectations for more than 100 organizations and audiences.
Submitting rigorous peer reviews: not just on stage performance, but business ethics, client satisfaction, income, and ongoing professional growth.
Every single keynote, workshop, and virtual event asked me to rise higher: to prepare, practice, learn, adapt, and deliver value. The late nights, the cross-country flights, and even moments of self-doubt were real. But my passion for helping people shift their mindsets and lead their best lives gave me the energy to keep climbing.
The Heart of My Success: My Clients
None of this would be possible without the organizations, event planners, and audiences who welcomed me onto their stages and into their lives. Your trust, your feedback, and your willingness to partner with me fueled my pursuit of excellence.
To every client who chose me, offered a testimonial, or sent a note of thanks—you have shaped who I’ve become as a speaker. Your challenges inspired fresh solutions, Your stories brought new insights, Your encouragement provided the strength I needed to keep pushing forward.
To all my past clients: thank you for giving me your platform, your people, and your partnership. This achievement is as much yours as it is mine.
The Joy and Responsibility of Earning CSP
Holding the CSP designation fills me with extraordinary joy and deep gratitude. It’s the result of perseverance through setbacks, embracing feedback with courage, and striving to improve every single day.
But this milestone also carries new meaning: a commitment to maintain the highest standards, evolve with every experience, and offer unwavering enthusiasm to every engagement. As a CSP, I pledge to keep innovating, keep serving, and keep inspiring.
Looking Back and Ahead
Reflecting on my path—from my days as a student leader in 4-H, being an NFL cheerleader to now being recognized as a peak performance architect and leadership speaker recognized for my signature keynote: Rally Mentality™, CSP represents the summit of my efforts, but also a starting line for the next phase of giving back.
If you’re dreaming of this milestone, know the journey is challenging, rewarding, and worth every ounce of dedication.
From My Heart: Thank You
To my clients, mentors, friends, and family: your belief in me is the foundation of this achievement. Thank you for making it possible. I can’t wait to discover what we can accomplish together as I carry the Certified Speaking Professional – CSP badge into future events, keynotes, and transformative experiences. Let’s keep rallying, keep growing, and keep making an unforgettable impact—together!
Shannon McKain is a motivational keynote speaker and a business consultant based in Dallas. She has worked in nearly all 50 states with audiences ranging from corporate executives to student leaders. Looking for a keynote speaker or consultant who can speak on these issues with expertise? Let’s chat!
https://www.shannonmckain.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Facetune_HeaderImage.jpg7811797Shannon McKainhttps://www.shannonmckain.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/shannon-mckain-header-logo.pngShannon McKain2025-08-05 07:30:002025-08-05 15:16:20Certified Speaking Professional – CSP
What the MR340 Taught Me About Grit, Burnout, and the Power of Rallying
Lessons from the World’s Longest Nonstop River Race
Imagine paddling a kayak for four straight days — no sleep, no shelter, just your gear, your team, and a roaring river at your side. You’re hallucinating from exhaustion, blistered from the sun, mentally shattered by nightfall… and still, you push forward. Why? Because you signed up for the world’s longest nonstop river race, and quitting was never part of the plan.
It’s been nearly a year since I competed in the MR340 — a 340-mile kayak race across Missouri from Kansas City to St. Louis — and yet, I’m still unpacking the experience. Physically, it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Mentally, it cracked me open in ways I didn’t see coming. Spiritually, it reminded me of something profound: we are capable of more than we think — especially when we rally.
Signing Up for the Impossible
I first heard about the MR340 from a group of friends tossing around an email thread in 2022. They were adventurers — the kind of people who think “fun” includes blisters, bug spray, and big risks. So, I had never heard of the world’s longest nonstop river race, but when I looked it up, and I couldn’t believe the numbers. 340 miles. Under 85 hours. Over 600 competitors from around the world. Minimal checkpoints for sleep. And every year, a third of racers don’t finish. My gut said no. But my heart — my rally heart — said maybe.
On January 1, I paid the registration fee.
world’s longest nonstop river race
Training When Life Doesn’t Cooperate
Training didn’t begin in a gym. It started with a flooded house, canceled flights, and chaotic holidays. I was behind before I began.
But I knew this wasn’t just about the race — it was about resilience. So I made a promise to myself: 5 months of focused, honest, no-excuses preparation. Kayaking for hours, strength training, early mornings, mental conditioning. I visualized storms, I studied gear, I learned the river, I trained to suffer.
And I did it while running a business, keeping speaking engagements, and balancing life — like so many of us do.
That’s the first lesson: you don’t need ideal conditions to commit — you just need to start.
What the Race Taught Me (That I Didn’t Expect)
The MR340 wasn’t just physically brutal — it was emotionally revealing. I learned more about myself on that river than I have in years. Here are just a few of the unexpected lessons:
1. Your brain will lie to you when you’re tired.
At mile 160, I was convinced I couldn’t go on. I told myself I didn’t belong there. But then I remembered — I had trained for this. The voice telling me to quit wasn’t truth, it was fatigue.
2. Vulnerability isn’t weakness. It’s a strategy.
I cried. A lot. I was overwhelmed, overstimulated, and exhausted. But being vulnerable was how we got through it. We gave each other permission to be human — and that kept us going.
3. Burnout doesn’t always look like fire. Sometimes it looks like fog.
There were stretches where I was awake but not alert. Paddling but not present. That was my burnout talking — not anger, not tears, but numbness. Recognizing it in myself helped me be more empathetic to others who face it in work or life.
Why This Race Isn’t Just for “Athletes”
You might be thinking, “That’s amazing, but I’m not doing the MR340.” You don’t have to. That’s not the point. The MR340 is a metaphor. It’s a big, bold symbol of what happens when we say yes to hard things, train our minds, and learn to rally.
Burnout doesn’t always come from overwork — it comes from misalignment. From saying no to yourself too many times. From avoiding discomfort until you forget what challenge feels like. This race reminded me that the only way to build strength — in body or business or life — is to enter the current. Paddle through uncertainty. And know you have more in the tank than you believe.
From Riverbanks to Boardrooms: The Rally Mentality
In my keynote talks, I’ve started weaving in something I now call The Rally Mentality. It’s about recognizing the moment when your mind says “quit” — and choosing to rally instead. I actually own the trademark on it now (more to come on this). 🙂
That doesn’t mean pushing past every limit blindly. It means knowing which voice is your intuition, and which voice is fear. And deciding to listen to the one that wants you to grow. The MR340 isn’t just the world’s longest nonstop river race — it’s a mental masterclass in trust, grit, and perseverance. Those 340 miles taught me how to endure, how to lead, and how to start again when you want to stop.
A Push for You
Maybe your version of the MR340 isn’t on water, Maybe it’s in a boardroom, a hospital, a classroom, or your kitchen, Maybe it’s asking for the raise. Starting therapy. Running your first mile. Leaving the thing that’s slowly dimming your light.
Whatever it is — I dare you to do the thing.
Push your mind. Commit to something bold. Train for something uncomfortable. Ask yourself what it would look like to show up differently.
Because I promise you this: You are capable of far more than you believe.
Final Thoughts: You Were Built for This
I don’t know who needs to hear this today, but I’ll say it anyway: You weren’t built to coast. You were built to rally.
The MR340 proved that to me in ways I’ll be unpacking for the rest of my life. And now, I’m cheering you on — wherever your river takes you.
Shannon McKain is a motivational keynote speaker and a business consultant based in Dallas. She has worked in nearly all 50 states with audiences ranging from corporate executives to student leaders. Looking for a keynote speaker or consultant who can speak on these issues with expertise? Let’s chat!
https://www.shannonmckain.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/509600746_10237997267169183_1766972783560316164_n.jpg15362048Shannon McKainhttps://www.shannonmckain.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/shannon-mckain-header-logo.pngShannon McKain2025-07-08 15:36:592025-07-09 13:31:08What the MR340 River Race Taught Me About Grit, Burnout, and the Power of Rallying
We Must Keep Investing in Soft Skills and Human Connection in the Workplace
I’ll never forget the year I was leaving an all-day client meeting in Boston and heading to the airport to catch the last flight home. Exhausted, I stepped out of my ride-share vehicle and walked into the terminal—only to find a ghost town at airline ticketing. Not a single agent in sight.
I stood there stunned, suitcase in hand, needing to check a bag. It was my first experience with a fully self-serve kiosk system—ticketing, bag tagging, everything. No human contact.
After a long day of being “on,” I realized all I really wanted in that moment was a simple connection with another person. Even if it was just a quick exchange of pleasantries with a gate agent.
Sure, that particular situation was a “me” moment—but it’s stuck with me ever since.
In a world racing to integrate technology, AI and Generative AI into everything from marketing campaigns to meeting notes, it’s easy to wonder: Are human connection skills still relevant?
Let me be clear: Yes — more than ever.
Generative AI can write reports, brainstorm ideas, make funny jokes (okay, depending on what you find funny) and even emulate empathy with remarkable fluency. But human interaction — genuine, nuanced, and deeply contextual — remains irreplaceable. In fact, the rise of AI, Generative AI and technology advancements only amplifies the need for strong interpersonal skills in the workplace. That is another reason why AI won’t replace human interactions.
Here’s why:
1. Trust Is Built Through Human Presence
AI can simulate politeness or understanding, but it can’t build trust. Trust is forged in micro-moments: a raised eyebrow in a meeting, a spontaneous hallway check-in, the way someone remembers your kid’s name. These are small, deeply human cues that AI can’t replicate — and they’re essential to team cohesion, leadership, and psychological safety.
Dr. Yoram Solomon emphasizes the importance of human presence in building trust.He advises against relying solely on digital communication methods like emails and text messages, as they lack the non-verbal cues essential for trust-building.Instead, he advocates for in-person interactions to foster intimacy and trust.As he notes, “Choose face-to-face meetings, even if it is a Zoom call. Face-to-face interaction is very important in creating intimacy. Do not resort to sending text messages or email messages. These do not build intimacy, and it does not build trust.”
Dr. Solomon also shares a personal anecdote from his time at Texas Instruments, where he realized the value of stepping out of his office to engage directly with his team.He learned that consistent verbal and non-verbal communication during in-person interactions significantly enhances trust, as it allows others to perceive the alignment between one’s words and actions.
In summary, Dr. Solomon underscores that trust is cultivated through genuine, face-to-face engagement, where people can connect authentically and observe each other’s behaviors and intentions.
2. Emotional Intelligence Drives Innovation
Some of the best ideas are born from vulnerability: someone asking a “stupid” question, a leader admitting uncertainty, or a teammate empathizing with another’s frustration.
Researchers like Amy C. Edmondson at Harvard University says it’s crucial to create a culture where individuals are comfortable being vulnerable and sharing thoughts and feelings without fear or judgement or retaliation. She defines psychological safety as “the belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes, and that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking.”
Emotional intelligence isn’t a soft skill — it’s a core driver of innovation. AI doesn’t feel fear, pride, or relief. Humans do — and that’s what fuels the breakthroughs.
3. AI Can’t Read the Room
Generative AI is context-blind. It doesn’t sense when a team is deflated, when a joke didn’t land, or when a moment needs silence instead of a solution. That is another reason why AI won’t replace human interactions.
Think about the last time you went out to eat. Was your server able to “read” the nonverbal cues of your party? Did you have a pleasant experience? Did you feel like your server was attentive and could understand your needs?
Our corporate workplaces are no different. Leaders who can read the room and respond accordingly are the ones who build cultures of resilience. No algorithm can replace that intuition.
4. Work Is Still About People
Even in highly automated industries, work remains deeply human. Customers, clients, coworkers — they all respond to authenticity, empathy, and relationships. AI may help us get things done faster, but it doesn’t connect us. That still takes a person.
A friend was just telling me about how someone repeatedly kept mispronouncing her name, despite correcting the recipient several times. She didn’t want to work with this person because in her words, “it didn’t feel like the person cared about her as a human”.
So What Should We Do?
As AI and Generative AI continue to evolve, we need to double down on developing the skills that make us uniquely human:
Empathy
Active listening
Constructive feedback
Conflict resolution
Storytelling and influence
Presence and authenticity
These aren’t just “nice to haves” — they’re the future-proof skills that will set leaders, teams, and companies apart.
The Bottom Line
Generative AI is a powerful tool. But connection is still our superpower.
The organizations that will thrive in this next era are the ones that embrace technology and intentionally invest in human interaction. Because no matter how smart the machines get, people will always follow people.
Why Hire a Keynote Speaker, Trainer, or Consultant to help with your culture?
Investing in human connection isn’t just about theory — it’s about practice. And that’s where an outside voice can make all the difference especially when AI won’t replace human interactions.
As a keynote speaker, I help audiences reconnect with what makes work meaningful — and what makes teams strong. Through stories of resilience, like kayaking 340 miles in under 60 hours, I highlight how my trademarked keynote called the “Rally Mentality™” can be applied in high-stress workplaces to fuel connection, safety, and performance.
As a trainer and consultant, I work directly with leaders and teams to build the practical skills that matter most in today’s fast-paced, tech-driven environments: communication, self-awareness, trust-building, and collaboration. Whether through workshops, team sessions, or leadership retreats, I create space for people to grow — not just professionally, but as humans.
If your organization is serious about navigating the future of work with both heart and strategy, let’s talk.
Let’s make sure your team doesn’t just adapt to AI — they thrive in spite of it, together.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shannon McKain is a motivational keynote speaker and a business consultant based in Dallas. She has worked in nearly all 50 states with audiences ranging from corporate executives to student leaders. Looking for a keynote speaker or consultant who can speak on these issues with expertise? Let’s chat!
https://www.shannonmckain.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Generative-AI-and-Human-Connection.png3801000Shannon McKainhttps://www.shannonmckain.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/shannon-mckain-header-logo.pngShannon McKain2025-05-20 20:03:432025-05-21 13:33:36Generative AI Won’t Replace Human Interaction
The Power of Intrinsic Motivation: Why It Drives Success More Than External Rewards
What makes people push themselves to achieve great things—without a boss breathing down their neck or a paycheck dangling in front of them? The answer lies in the power of intrinsic motivation, the internal drive to pursue a goal for personal satisfaction rather than external rewards like money or recognition.
Intrinsic Motivation definition: Intrinsic motivation is defined as the doing of an activity for its inherent satisfaction rather than for some separable consequence. When intrinsically motivated, a person is moved to act for the fun or challenge entailed rather than because of external products, pressures, or rewards.NLM
The Science Behind Intrinsic Motivation
Psychologists Edward Deci and Richard Ryan developed Self-Determination Theory (SDT), which identifies three core needs that fuel intrinsic motivation:
Autonomy – The ability to make choices and direct our actions.
Competence – The desire to improve and master skills.
Relatedness – Feeling connected to others and having a sense of purpose.
When these needs are met, people engage in tasks with greater enthusiasm, creativity, and persistence compared to those motivated by external rewards alone.
Data That Proves Intrinsic Motivation Works
A study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that when children were given external rewards for drawing—an activity they previously enjoyed—they actually became less interested in drawing over time. This is known as the over justification effect, where external rewards reduce intrinsic motivation.
Research from McKinsey & Company shows that employees who are intrinsically motivated are 46% more engaged and 32% more committed to their jobs compared to those primarily driven by external rewards.
A meta-analysis in Psychological Bulletin found that students who are intrinsically motivated achieve higher academic performance and deeper learning retention than those motivated by grades alone.
How to Cultivate Intrinsic Motivation
Whether you’re leading a team, raising kids, or striving for personal growth, fostering intrinsic motivation leads to better long-term success than relying solely on rewards. Here’s how:
Find Meaning – Connect tasks to personal values and larger goals.
Encourage Autonomy – Give yourself or others freedom to choose how to approach tasks.
Focus on Mastery – Shift the focus from results to improvement and progress.
Build a Growth Mindset – Emphasize learning over perfection.
Final Thoughts
Intrinsic motivation is what fuels people to train for marathons, master musical instruments, or push through challenges even when no one is watching. By tapping into what truly drives us, we unlock a level of passion and persistence that no paycheck or trophy can match.
How do you stay intrinsically motivated? Let’s discuss in the comments!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shannon McKain is a motivational keynote speaker and a business consultant based in Dallas. She has worked in nearly all 50 states with audiences ranging from corporate executives to student leaders. Looking for a keynote speaker or consultant who can speak on these issues with expertise? Let’s chat!
https://www.shannonmckain.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/The-Power-of.png3801000Shannon McKainhttps://www.shannonmckain.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/shannon-mckain-header-logo.pngShannon McKain2025-02-27 15:00:082025-05-20 09:17:08The Power of Intrinsic Motivation
If you watch my social media, you know I’ve been prepping for something huge this year. After months of training physically and mentally, it’s finally time to share.
On August 1st, I will be competing in the MR340 — the world’s longest nonstop river race.
How It All Started
About a year ago, a few of my friends started an email thread about some crazy race. This particular circle of friends is filled with risk-takers and adventurers — folks who like to push themselves.
I’d never even heard of the MR340. But as I dug into the details, I couldn’t believe the numbers I was reading — they seemed made up. The requirements were to kayak 340 miles in under 85 hours. And, past winners of some of the divisions finished the race in less than 50! I had big plans for 2023 but wasn’t sure if this was on my to-do list amid speaking engagements, spending time with my family, and trying to find time to rest somewhere between everything else. But the email thread went back and forth for several weeks. Whenever I got excited about saying yes, doubt crept in. I would think:
Was I good enough to try this? Could I truly, do it? Did I have the mental and physical aptitude to compete, let alone even finish?
But this race still felt like an undertaking even too big for me.
Registering for the MR340
I woke up on January 1st to a few text messages about registration opening up. I thought about it for an hour and then paid the registration fee. That might seem fast, but I figured, what was the worst that could happen: I reserve my spot and then decide a few weeks later that I couldn’t truly train for it? The money went to charity regardless of whether or not I showed up.
A week later, I discovered I wasn’t alone in my initial hesitation. Only four people, including myself, from the weeks-long email thread that, at one time had nearly 20 people on it, actually paid the registration fee. Enter my wide-eyed, gasp of shock.
Only. Four. Signed up.
I wasn’t sure what to do with that information but I wasn’t going to let the lack of camaraderie change my mind about the commitment I had made. I learned from my mother that where there’s a will there’s a way.
Training for the MR340
The competition sat heavily in the back of my mind as I dealt with the turbulence of holiday travel and family commitments back in Kansas City. Upon my return to Dallas, I discovered my home had been flooding nearly the entire time I had been gone. For weeks, I wasn’t confident that I could truly give training the attention it deserved. But the parallels of water adversity weren’t lost on me.
I woke up on the last day of February and it couldn’t have been more clear: I was ALL IN. For the next five months, I would tenaciously train my mind and body, building up my stamina to handle the vigor of the craziest adventure of my life.
MR340: The World’s Longest Nonstop River Race
At 8 a.m. on August 1st, with my three teammates and three grounds crew members, I will push off from Kaw Point Boat Ramp to kayak 340 miles on the Missouri River from Kansas City to St. Louis, Mo. in under 85 hours to compete in the MR340. For 18 years, the MR340 has challenged outdoorsmen, thrill-seekers, adventurers, and even folks who spend most of their time behind a desk to push themselves to do something bold. Today, the kayak race has grown to over 600 boats with 1,200 participants from all around the world. It’s estimated that at least one-third of the participants don’t finish.
My team has prepped, trained, strategized, cried, and high-fived. We have ensured our families that we will be safe and survive. We’ve committed our minds to finishing the race within the allotted time. Truthfully, I have one tiny additional goal that I’ll share later if I hit it.
Committing to the MR340
Some may already know how much I value the reward of pushing myself to overcome obstacles. And while I’ll surely post an update to share the results, I’d like to leave you with one thing:
I fundamentally believe that humans are capable of far more than we give ourselves credit for.
You might have zero desire to enter a 340-mile race, but is there something you can do today to push yourself? Get 30 minutes of daily exercise, five days in a row. Finish that book you’ve been meaning to read. Repair that friendship you so desperately miss. Ask for that raise or promotion. Sometimes people need a little push. What they don’t tell you is that it should be you doing the pushing.
As always, I’m cheering you on and want the best for you. If you need a little push to push yourself, don’t hesitate to reach out.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shannon McKain is a motivational keynote speaker and a business consultant based in Dallas. She has worked in nearly all 50 states with audiences ranging from corporate executives to student leaders. Looking for a keynote speaker or consultant who can speak on these issues with expertise? Let’s chat!
https://www.shannonmckain.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/KayakEmail1-scaled.jpg19722560Shannon McKainhttps://www.shannonmckain.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/shannon-mckain-header-logo.pngShannon McKain2023-07-25 14:29:112023-07-26 01:48:14The MR340: Competing in the World’s Longest Nonstop River Race
Recently Radio Host David Rancken from KRLD NewsRadio 1080 in Dallas contacted me about doing an interview on Workplace Culture trends in 2023. His questions and my answers follow.
David Rancken:
How’s the job market in your industry right now? This year started out with some of the lowest unemployment numbers in decades, and there seems to be no end in sight to the great resignation of 2022, but there are still a lot of issues dealing with the workspace these days. On today’s “Ask the Expert”, we are talking to Shannon McKain, a workplace culture expert as well as motivational speaker, and she is in the KRLD Zoom Room. Shannon, thank you so much for the time!
Shannon McKain:
David, thank you so much for having me back on KRLD again!
David Rancken:
When you’re giving out your talks, you talk about something called The Great Divide in the workplace. What is that?
Shannon McKain:
I’m so passionate about people having professional lives and personal lives that they absolutely love, and frankly, for most of us, we have to spend a fair amount of our time in the workplace. But unfortunately for the last decade or so, we have been so divided in so many key areas, I feel strongly that we are focusing too much on those divides and not enough on what actually brings us together.
David Rancken:
And the whole thing is this divide that you speak of. It’s not just in the workplace. It’s literally the entire nation is divided in some fashion. What is it about people that makes us so divisive?
Shannon McKain:
Golly, that could be a whole segment in and of itself, but I think particularly today, we are just so riled up because we have so much information at our fingertips, and people are empowered now more than ever to be able to assert their opinions, feelings, or emotions about something. And that’s valid. People should be able to have that opportunity. However, we’re not doing it in constructive ways where we can still continue to be pulled together on issues, especially when it comes to workplace culture.
David Rancken:
What do you see are the biggest workplace culture trends into 2023? As we are really just into the birth of this new year.
Shannon McKain:
We’ve been through so much in the last three years. Because of that, I think today we’re seeing more burnout, fatigue, confusion, anxiety, and more mental health issues than ever before. So I think when you talk about the last three years and all we’ve experienced, essentially we disrupted the apple cart in every particular sense. Humans need stability. We really do need parameters to do our best work in life. So when all of that got disrupted these last three years, it’s leaving us with a lot of confusion coming out of it. We need to focus on creating workplace culture that not only provides structure, but is healthy for employees.
David Rancken:
One thing we had seen for the last couple of years has been given the nickname, the Great Resignation, where people found other jobs in other places, but that’s also getting followed by what they’re calling the Great Regret, where they look back and say, it’s not so great on the other side.
Shannon McKain:
The workplace issues we’re seeing today have really become a PhD level of how do we solve this equation. So yeah, I think employees are definitely saying, we want something different but we aren’t necessarily finding what we need.
David Rancken:
It really isn’t. And they didn’t know what to expect when they went into the great unknown of the new company. And what they did end up losing was any seniority they had at their old place. And they might be finding this company that I just joined, I might be making a little more money, but is that extra money worth it?
Shannon McKain:
Yeah, absolutely. And in the 20+ years that I’ve been really analyzing workplace culture and issues, people think that they are motivated by money, but really at the end of the day, we are motivated by so many other facets.
For example, right now we are seeing younger millennials and particularly Gen Z not being motivated in the traditional senses whatsoever, whereas career trajectory, hierarchy, getting promotions, or the fear of being laid off, aren’t even on Gen Z’s radar right now. They’re motivated in completely different ways.
David Rancken:
But they haven’t seen what it’s like on the other side when unemployment numbers up upwards of 12, 13, even upwards of 20% in previous decades.
Shannon McKain:
Yeah, absolutely. And I think this next year we are still looking at a lot of uncertainty, especially with a pending recession and the layoffs that we are currently seeing and will potentially see here within the next few months.
David Rancken:
And a lot of people had you talk about layoffs, a lot of people had interest in getting into the tech sector because it seemed like it’s a lot of fun in all the perks that Google and Facebook were providing, and the layoffs are really hitting the tech sector very hard at this point.
Shannon McKain:
Yeah, if you jump on LinkedIn on any given day, you see announcement after announcement of another layoff. And frankly, I don’t think that that’s doing anything for our mental health either.
David Rancken:
Let’s talk about LinkedIn for just a second. You brought it up. That gives younger employees a chance to find new work, something that older employees really never had before. In the old days, they had to stick and look through the want ads and on and through networking and everything else. How big of a sea change has LinkedIn been?
Shannon McKain:
I’ve watched LinkedIn from its inception. It’s been another great tool to not only leverage our networks, but also communicate professionally. I wish younger generations would understand that and leverage it to its fullest potential. The way we communicate, write, and put our information out there is being utilized in really great ways on LinkedIn right now.
David Rancken:
What are people missing out in not using LinkedIn?
Shannon McKain:
Constantly reevaluating our profiles, updating them, thinking about how can we promote ourselves. The idea of a personal brand and self-promotion is a very real thing. Gary Vanerchuk talks a lot about day trading our time as currency right now. Everybody’s constantly trying to stay relevant and stay in front of other people. LinkedIn is no different for your personal brand.
You have to continually think about what do I need to add to my brand? What do I need to communicate and put out there professionally? And then also being able to communicate with others and really have a discussion or a dialogue. Contributing to different conversations across the platform or following different hashtags, or again, just keeping people up to date with what you’re doing.
David Rancken:
That’s got to be tough for older workers that don’t necessarily know how to use LinkedIn properly, what steps would you tell someone that is an older person that hasn’t necessarily used it?
Shannon McKain:
I think the first thing you can do is think of Google as your best friend. You can Google and research anything today. So if you have a question about how to get started on LinkedIn, I’m sure that there’s 25 different videos on YouTube or Google to teach you how to do that.
But from a fundamental standpoint, think about how you have your physical real estate, say your home, your apartment, your townhome, wherever i you live, but also think about your digital real estate and being able to put all of your information professionally in one place that everyone can find it. So recruiters can search for you, that you’re using the right keywords and metrics to be able to say, okay, who I want to connect with professionally. And then also just being able to create status updates and just saying, Hey, here’s going on with me week-to-week or day-to-day.
David Rancken:
I guess that’s, it’s basically turning yourself, as you said, into your own brand that has to get the message out there about what it is you are and what it is you do, and how do you get that message out to followers and how do you find those followers?
Shannon McKain:
There’s a fella by the name of Richard Bliss doing a lot of education right now around the proper ways to use LinkedIn and how to optimize getting your information out there and what your reach is. Just with anything else online right now, we’re subjected to the algorithms that the parent companies want us to adhere to. It can be very cumbersome for listeners right now. I don’t want to get too into the weeds on that particularly, but just thinking about professionally, how do you write and articulate a couple of important sentences about what’s going on with you and where you’re at in your career? And then of course, engaging and connecting with folks, it’ll just continue to build a bigger reach.
David Rancken:
We were talking earlier about Gen Z and younger millennials. They don’t seem to have the same attitudes towards a workplace as older workers.
Shannon McKain:
Absolutely not. As a keynote speaker, I talk about all areas of workplace culture and workplace issues. And one of the key areas is different generations and how they are motivated, how they communicate, and what they value. Particularly with Gen Z right now, we’re not seeing them motivated in the traditional ways whatsoever.
Historically, generations were very motivated by terms of seniority, hierarchy, and working their way up the corporate ladder. But Gen Z is just simply not wanting to do that. They see that as a very stressful move, and they’re willing to forego the extra income or the additional perks of getting into middle management or climbing the ladder for what they perceive to be a better work-life balance, maybe perhaps being able to have more flexibility and just staying where they’re at. And they’re also not motivated at all by the fear of being terminated. So when you look at the psychology of this generation, we have to tackle it in a completely different way than we have with any other generation.
David Rancken:
But how does that affect the companies themselves as they’re looking to replace workers and they’re finding out that the workers that they’re hiring don’t care if they’re there or not?
Shannon McKain:
So the biggest component for management and employers is to first understand to achieve excellent workplace culture, they have to understand the psychology of employees. Then they can address how to meet employees needs. For example, right now we’re seeing that the number one motivating factor, across the board, in every area of employment is that employees just simply want to feel safe. They want to feel psychologically safe; they want to feel like they can speak up or contribute without the fear of being reprimanded. And they want to understand that their employer trusts them, especially when we’re still working in a hybrid environment and don’t really want to work the traditional nine-to-five anymore.
And so employees want their employers to be able to trust them that they’re going to get the work done and they’re being productive, even if it’s not at the right place or the right time, nine to five, if that makes sense.
David Rancken:
Yeah, it does make sense. And you talk about other issues because we, we’ve seen it in school districts, we’ve seen it in other offices. A lot of companies are looking to stand out among possible job applicants, and one of those involves something like a four-day workweek. Is that going to become more normal in the near future?
Shannon McKain:
It’s a very interesting climate that we’re looking at right now. The four-day work week that we’re seeing, as you had mentioned in education and also in corporate America. That’s kind of a two-part thing that we’re seeing right now. One in part because of labor shortages and education in schools across America, we’re just simply not seeing teachers wanting to come to work and teach. And so that’s been a really huge issue. We’re seeing that in terms of labor shortages, but then we’re also seeing it in terms of the demand of the psychological needs of workers today.
What people don’t remember or understand or maybe have forgotten that the five-day workplace hasn’t always been that way. In fact, it didn’t actually get implemented in corporate America until 1926 when Ford Motor Company actually adopted that particular work schedule.
Prior to 1926, we were looking at labor as very strenuous and hard labor types of careers and jobs, and the expectation was that workers had to work six to seven days a week, even 10, 12, 14+ hours a day. And then in 1926, Ford Motor Company said, I don’t think that this is where the future of work needs to go. And they implemented this five-day work week, nine to five, and everybody gasped and said, oh my gosh, this is crazy. But it worked and productivity went through the roof. We did that for a century, and now we’re seeing the apple cart gets turned upside down again. I think it’ll be really interesting to see what happens in these next couple of years with the four-day work week.
David Rancken:
Do you see companies looking towards older workers to take on some of these jobs that the Gen Z and millennials might not. Or are older workers kind of being left out in this great surge of hiring?
Shannon McKain:
I think older generations are certainly at a crossroads right now trying to understand their place in navigating all of this. I think in general; employees are being asked to do all different kinds of tasks that are putting them outside of their comfort zones. Older generations need to ask themselves what they have to do in order to continue their career until they can successfully retire.
David Rancken:
One of the phrases that came out, and this will probably be the last question we talk about, is the phrase that came out in the last year was the phrase quiet quitting, where people decided, I’m going to do my job to the best of my ability. I’m not taking on anything extra. Is that still the case? Or companies saying, okay, just do your job and we’ll hang on to you?
Shannon McKain:
We have all these fancy terms that we’re coming up with these days. I think if you really look at the evolution of the workplace in general, you’re always going to have those workers that want to continue to push and do everything to impress their managers. And then you’re also going to have the workers that are going to say, this is what I was hired to do, so, therefore, I’m going to get that done and then go home.
So from a “Quiet Quitting” standpoint, companies are just trying to do whatever they can right now to make things be successful. At the end of the day, I think we all need to ask ourselves, what are we doing to meet in the middle to be able to make our workplace culture more productive and successful?
David Rancken:
Shannon McKain is a workplace culture expert and motivational speaker. You can find her at www.shannonmckain.com on today’s ask the expert. Shannon, thank you.
Shannon McKain:
Thank you so much, David, and I hope this helps your listeners today!
About The Author
Shannon McKain is a motivational keynote speaker and a business consultant based in Dallas, TX. She has worked in almost all 50 states with audiences ranging from corporate executives to student leaders.
Looking for a keynote speaker or consultant who can speak on these issues with expertise? Let’s chat!
https://www.shannonmckain.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Workplace-Culture-in-2023.png450800Shannon McKainhttps://www.shannonmckain.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/shannon-mckain-header-logo.pngShannon McKain2023-02-23 14:33:302023-02-23 14:33:33Workplace Culture Issues in 2023
Recently Radio Host David Rancken from KRLD NewsRadio 1080 in Dallas contacted me about doing an interview on The Great Resignation. His questions and my answers follow.
The Great Resignation Conversation
David Rancken:
Hey, Shannon. First off, we have to define The Great Resignation. That name has been getting thrown around a lot lately. What is it?
Shannon McKain:
Thank you so much for having me on your show. The Great Resignation is a term coined at the beginning of the pandemic by a professor at Texas A&M. He predicted that this fallout was going to happen. The Great Resignation is simply saying that employees are quitting their jobs left and right.
David Rancken:
There is something to be said for the dynamic shifting some. It has gone from employers have all the control, to now the employees having a little bit more than they would have prior to the pandemic.
Shannon McKain:
Absolutely. It’s important to note that The Great Resignation is talking about employees voluntarily leaving their jobs. It’s not about unemployment or employees that are being let go. So, yes, in a sense, it all comes back to supply and demand. If employees aren’t willing to work under the restrictions or terms and conditions that an employer has, then they’re not going to work for them right now. So that’s the name of the game.
David Rancken:
So why would an employee decide to leave one company to go to another? Is there any guarantee that the other company’s going to be any better?
Shannon McKain:
I don’t know that there’s necessarily a guarantee, but it’s certainly an interesting shift that we’re seeing right now. And I think you just have to look at behaviors and psychology. This even goes prior to the pandemic and The Great Resignation. If you think about generationally, we’ve seen the most recent generations not as loyal as previous generations were to maybe one or two employers. And so, maybe this grass is greener mentality or just the advancement of technology and the opportunities that we have today that weren’t there 40, 50, 60 years ago that you have access to so many more types of jobs and types of employment. And so, therefore, employees can say, “Hey, we want to name the terms.”
David Rancken:
Previous generations would have seen on their resumes if they had multi jobs and multiple companies over a short period of time. They would be considered less hirable.
Shannon McKain:
Correct. Or considered what we would call job hoppers and somebody that wouldn’t stay with us. So therefore, we don’t really want to hire them. But, again, that mentality is shifting today with shifts like The Great Resignation.
David Rancken:
So what industries get hit at the hardest by The Great Resignation?
Shannon McKain:
We’re still looking at that data, but if you look at an overall whole of the information, we’re really seeing that food and service industry-related, also healthcare, and retail types of positions. Those are the three industries that we’re seeing have been hit the hardest over the last year, year and a half by shifts like The Great Resignation.
David Rancken:
If you’re on some kind of a career path, you know you want to be at a certain point at a certain period of your time. If you decide you’re going to leave at one company and then go to a different company, aren’t you starting out at the bottom, and doesn’t that hurt your path?
Shannon McKain:
It’s an interesting question you raise. But what I’m seeing right now with a lot of the employers that my team recruits for, and also looking at the trends and the data and analytics, is that because companies need employees so badly right now, companies are willing to offer new incentives or different types of incentives than we’ve seen before. So it’s not just like, “Oh, you’re now the new low man on the totem pole again, but now maybe we will raise other benefits that you maybe already had, and we’ll get in a raise to keep you, or to get you to come over to us.
David Rancken:
You bring it up that companies are now looking to hire people. Does that mean they have to lower their standards in the kinds of people that they’re going to take on because they need to fill quotas of just bodies?
Shannon McKain:
So that’s another interesting question. With the employers and the CEOs of companies that my team works with, they are not willing to settle just to put a body in a seat. In one sense, it creates a different stress on the current employees because there is a workload that still needs to be accomplished. However, I understand and respect the employers that I’m working with, that they say no: we don’t want to change our workplace culture solely to just go grab candidate A or candidate B. If they don’t fit, they don’t fit. And we’re willing to hold out until we find the right fit.
David Rancken:
How tough is it then for companies, employees that are already there? They’ve given their years. They’ve given their blood, sweat and tears to the particular job they have, to see their company going out and looking to recruit as much as possible. What’s in it for the people to stay where they are?
Shannon McKain:
Yeah. Well, I think in the circumstances that I’ve seen over the last year is that in most circumstances, it’s because the company is expanding. So these are new roles they’re looking to fill. It’s not necessarily because they’ve let somebody go or that they’re looking to let people go. So from that perspective, the psychology is great. Th current employees understand that, “Hey, things are going great here. We’re looking to add more team members to the table.” And I think it all comes back to, again, communication and psychology. If you’re communicating to your current staff, “Hey, this is what we’re trying to achieve here. And if you’ll just bear with us, it might take us a few more months to find the right person. But if you’ll just bear with us.” Then I think it just alludes itself to saying, “Hey, we all understand, and are in agreement about what we’re trying to achieve.”
David Rancken:
Is it a good thing to change companies every so often just to learn a different way of doing something that it could be better for you?
Shannon McKain:
Well, I’m a millennial and I probably come from the mindset that, yes, absolutely. I don’t think it hurts anything to maybe switch it up every three, four, maybe five years. From a recruiting standpoint, it’s an unofficial line where we say, if somebody’s with a company at about seven years, seven years is that marker of saying, we don’t think that that person’s really going to leave, or at least they’re not going to leave as readily as somebody who’s only been there a couple of years. So, from my standpoint, the advantages and the gain of maybe changing it up a little bit is not only monetarily, but as to your point that you can learn new skills and you can learn new perspectives.
David Rancken:
So what happens when an employee says, “That’s it. I’m done. I’m going to another company.” And then they find out that company is worse. Will they go walking back to the old place with their tail between their legs, and will that old place take them back?
Shannon McKain:
Well, again, I can’t speak for others, but what I’ve seen over the last year is that companies know what the market looks like right now. And they know that it’s so much harder right now to be able to find somebody if they have to replace someone. So they’re doing anything and everything they can to keep their current employees. Just to give you a couple of examples, I’ve never seen so many companies so aggressive with increasing pay. Now, this gets into a double-edged sword here because, at the end of the day, human beings are not motivated by money. They’re really not. There are so many other motivating factors that go into why somebody gets up every day, performs the job that they do, goes in and selects the type of work that they want to do and or who they want to work for.
We have a misconception that people are going to be satisfied with an increase in pay. I’ll get to that in a second, but it is happening. And I think employees are “chasing the shiny object syndrome” right now because we are seeing such an inflation in people’s pay and salaries. So again, it’s a double-edged sword. People are getting thrown money at them left and right to either stay or to be recruited to another company. And then, ultimately, at the end of the day, I think we all need to asking ourselves, really, what’s going to make us most happy, most productive, and want to be able to give 110% in our careers?
David Rancken:
Are employees getting smarter about what to ask for from a company?
Shannon McKain:
I think as a culture, we are all getting smarter about what we want out of our lives. The American way or the Western way is that you live to work. You are supposed to work 60, 70, 80 hours a week and not say anything about it. And I think that we’re just getting smarter as humans saying, “Hey, that’s not realistic anymore.”
David Rancken:
Is it the whole concept because the phrase work-life balance has become so popular in the last couple years, especially during the pandemic?
Shannon McKain:
Yes.
David Rancken:
We worry more about making sure we have a balance in our lives.
Shannon McKain:
Yeah, absolutely. #WorkLife balance. Look, at the end of the day, human beings are complex individuals. We have so many different interests. We have so many different pieces of our lives that pull us in different directions. And so, really trying to find that balance and what works. I think also too, the one size fits all mentality, it’s just not applicable anymore. Again, humans are complex creatures, and we need to really understand those intrinsic values and motivations.
David Rancken:
One last question. How long does The Great Resignation last?
Shannon McKain:
Oh, my goodness gracious. I think we were really surprised with the data that just came out from November. We kept seeing this trend of increasing resignations from month, to month, to month, and then it dipped in October. And we thought maybe this is the end of it. But then November, we just saw a record high of 4.5 million resignations. Golly. I think we’ve still got a few months ahead of us here.
David Rancken:
. A follow-up to that one. In another survey you found, almost 30% of people are willing to leave their jobs even if they don’t have another job lined up. They must be really confident they’re going to find something quick.
Shannon McKain:
The psychology behind that, I personally don’t understand. I personally would never put myself in a situation like that. But I guess if the rhetoric that you’re hearing on a daily basis is that there’s all these openings, then maybe yeah. Maybe it is affecting people’s thought process and how they handle that.
David Rancken:
People looking more at jobs versus career. I mean, looking to do, I’m going to do something like this right now, five years from now, maybe doing something different.
Shannon McKain:
I don’t know if the trajectory is still the same as it was 20, 30, 40 plus years ago. We were conditioned to believe that you go to primary school, then college, and then you enter the workforce at the bottom and then you work your way up to management, middle management. And again, I just don’t know if that’s the mindset people have anymore. Again, going back to the idea that we really are honing in on this idea of work-life balance, and mental health, and really trying to take care of ourselves physically, mentally, and emotionally, that a job is a job, and it pays the bills, and it’s not the same as building a career.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shannon McKain is a motivational keynote speaker and a business consultant based in Dallas. She has worked in nearly all 50 states with audiences ranging from corporate executives to student leaders. Looking for a keynote speaker or consultant who can speak on these issues with expertise? Let’s chat!
https://www.shannonmckain.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/the-great-resignation.jpg8481533Shannon McKainhttps://www.shannonmckain.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/shannon-mckain-header-logo.pngShannon McKain2022-02-01 20:51:072025-05-12 12:46:19The Great Resignation
This past December, I was snowed in at my sister’s house in Kansas City writing out my goals and projections for 2021. I had just finished my last virtual keynote of 2020 (from her basement) and was excited to end the year strong when I realized
Drumroll please…….
2021 marks TEN YEARS of owning my speaking/consulting business!
Wow! I couldn’t believe it. Where had the last decade gone? Whom had I impacted? What had I accomplished?
In those ten years I:
Spoke in 45 states (still need Rhode Island, Idaho, Maine, Hawaii and Alaska! Know anyone there?)
Addressed over 200,000 audience members
Worked with companies like Tesla, Fidelity Investments, Newell-Rubbermaid, Garmin, MIT and more
Delivered more than 50 segments for TV programs around the country including: ABC, CBS, Nickelodeon and others
Delivered a TEDx Talk
Designed apparel to accompany my “Dream It Map It Reach It” initiative that signifies it doesn’t matter where you come from, or what you have in your pockets, you can still dream big and accomplish your dreams
After a decade of both exhilarating highs and lows, I’ve learned a few things from this wild ride. Strap in, I’m taking you with me!
Here are the ten things I’ve learned over the past ten years.
1. Start with a solid plan.
When I realized being a motivational speaker and business consultant was in my DNA, I put together a plan. I hired a business coach, asked tons of questions and created benchmarks and mile markers to guide progress and results. I knew my plan may get derailed along the way, but because I knew what I wanted to accomplish, it kept me on the right track for success! Q. What’s your plan for 2021?
2. Mentors, mentors, mentors.
Every successful person has had a mentor, or maybe a few mentors, who offered advice, motivation, encouragement, emotional support and grace. I wouldn’t be where I am today without a few significant individuals who have walked alongside me over the past decade. It is helpful to have a fresh set of eyes and ears, especially when I’ve needed to make difficult decisions. Many times, my mentors encouraged me to stick with the plan, even when it got hard. But sometimes, they provided fresh insight and permission to walk the other way and try a new plan, when my original wasn’t coming together as expected. Q. Who do you look to for advice and encouragement along your journey?
3. When the tides change, learn to change with them!
This feels very relevant for 2020, but the truth is that we encounter obstacles every year (heck, probably ever week) that cause us to shift, pivot, roll with it and figure it out. Did you know that in the spring of 2020, when all of my speaking commitments cancelled, I went back to my sales career for a brief while to help distribute a product that was vital during those early stages of the pandemic? Was that part of my plan? No way! But when 2020 threw me those lemons, I learned to incorporate them until I figured out what would be next. When you deny change, you deny yourself opportunities and growth. And wow, have I grown tremendously in this past year. Q. How have you grown because you had to adapt to new realities?
4. There’s no one way to define your professional or personal life.
Every story I’ve heard over the last decade has been similar…. But different. There’s no one way to be the best employee, entrepreneur, student, mom, friend or spouse. However, there IS a right way for how you can define your life. It’s all up to you. You get to make your own rules. Don’t let anyone define that for you. Q. How do you describe yourself?
5. Hindsight is 20/20.
I probably should’ve written that book. Or created more online courses. Or said yes to more things. Hindsight is always 20/20. But, we can’t live our lives in the rearview mirror. We have to keep taking action forward! Q. How are you looking forward?
6. Every relationship matters.
I’ll never forget one Tuesday morning in October 2017. I was drinking my coffee and about to start the day when the phone rang. I didn’t recognize the number, but answered like I always do, “Hi this is Shannon!” On the other end was Brian, the president of an audio/visual company I had worked with a few years prior. We chatted for a bit and then he cut to the chase. He was producing an international company conference which included renting out Gillette Stadium in Boston for three days and they wanted me to emcee the entire thing. I was floored. His staff remembered me from another conference I keynoted and thought I would be the perfect fit for this event. It was a dream come true and something I will never take for granted. I’m certainly not perfect at it, but every day I try to treat everyone with kindness and respect. You never know what relationships will come back around in your life. Q. How can you reevaluate your relationships?
7. Nothing replaces work ethic.
You can study at elite schools, obtain the highest degrees and have unlimited connections, but nothing can take the place of hard work. If you are willing to work hard enough, I believe you can have anything you want. The best players on the field are not always the biggest, the strongest, or fastest. The same can be said about the workplace. Despite what the media and news often show, the best in the boardroom are not always the smartest, wealthiest or most educated. But are they the persistent! Q. How can you increase your work ethic and productivity this next year?
8. Criticism is tough.
There will always be someone who provides solicited (and unsolicited) criticism that makes you question your decisions and your plan. But it’s how you handle the critics that will define you. Detractors are just that – detracting you from your path and your plan. When you can, turn the criticism into fuel to keep you going. Q. It hurts to hear, but how can you turn criticism into a catalyst for you?
9. Your physical health impacts your emotional and mental health.
When I started my business, I was coming off the healthiest time of my life serving as an NFL cheerleader. I was in the best shape I’d been in, which allowed me to work round the clock building my dream business. However, over time running from airport to airport, eating meals out and not getting to the gym as often, caused my metabolism to shift. I felt the energy drain and realized I couldn’t offer as much to my audiences when I wasn’t feeling my absolute best. That’s why I’ve been on a mission to get at least 30 minutes of exercise daily and drinking as much water as possible. Q. I know you know, but are you moving that body of yours?
10. When in doubt, follow your gut.
I’ve learned time and time again; your gut instinct is almost always right. Sure, we put parameters in place to try and guide us, but at the end of the day, if you’ve done the homework, you should feel confident about putting yourself out there and knowing right from wrong. It all works out the way it’s supposed to. Q. Do you trust yourself?
Gratitude – In Closing
Looking back, the one thing I can confidently say is that I am beyond grateful for the journey. The ups, the downs, the twists, and turns. All of it. I can send this note out today knowing that as nervous as I was a decade ago, I still chased my dream. It’s never too late to do what your heart is passionate about. Thank you for being on this journey with me! You inspire me to keep pursuing these passions. I hope you pursue yours! As a matter of fact, let me know what you are chasing. Maybe I can help you get there. Feel free to email me!
Looking for a virtual keynote speaker? A consultant for your team? A coach? Let’s chat! I would be honored to work with you!
Cheers to the next ten!
https://www.shannonmckain.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/IMG_7475-scaled.jpg17072560Shannon McKainhttps://www.shannonmckain.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/shannon-mckain-header-logo.pngShannon McKain2021-03-10 09:00:292021-07-27 18:19:31Ten Years Speaking Business
The holidays are upon us, the store sales have begun and many of us are quickly trying to cross off items on our “things to accomplish this year” list. Although 2020 hasn’t been what any of us expected, there are still things for which we can be thankful, so I’m kicking off my 21-Day Thankful Challenge TODAY!
Join me on CBS Portland as I talk about having a thankful heart over the next 21 days.
If you’ve been part of my community for a while, you know I’ve participated in this challenge several times. It’s simple: jump into the Facebook group, download the FREE Workbook and begin encouraging others over the next 21 days to live with a thankful heart. The challenge runs November 10 – November 30, and takes no more than five minutes of your attention each day.
Shannon is a motivational speaker and business consultant based in Dallas, TX. She has worked in almost all 50 states with audiences ranging from corporate executives to student leaders.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Shannon McKain is a motivational keynote speaker and a business consultant based in Dallas. She has worked in nearly all 50 states with audiences ranging from corporate executives to student leaders. Looking for a keynote speaker or consultant who can speak on these issues with expertise? Let’s chat! 
Certified Speaking Professional – CSP:
