We had the good fortune of connecting with Shannon Leigh and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shannon, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?

I worked in Corporate America for 13 years and when I left that world, I felt confident that I would never work for anyone again. I was a few years into my comedy career, and I felt how hard it was to separate those 2 worlds. When you work for someone else, they expect you to be the “brand” of their company. Not in all cases, but in some and it was that way it was for me. At times, they felt I was not a representation of them. And I wasn’t. I had begun creating the brand of Shannon Leigh, the comedian aka who I really am.

In today’s world, I probably work longer hours at times and have to juggle multiple clients and responsibilities, but the work is meaningful, and I get to set my own hours, limits, and expectations. Whether I want to travel for 3 weeks or go on the road for comedy, I can do all of that, without any redtape or a long line of approvals. It’s up to me to figure out how to balance my plate but my mental and physical energy levels feel heightened, as if I’ve tapped into a deeper pool of motivation. And I can be who I am across all areas of my life without having to separate. It’s freedom.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

I started off in business, working my way up the corporate ladder. Once I reached the height of where I thought I wanted to be, I realized that there was so much more meant for me than that job. I made the first adult decision about what was best for the next chapter of not just my career, but my entire life, and I moved to LA. I worked in corporate by day and comedy by night for about three years and then I realized that my corporate day job just didn’t mesh well my comedy night job. It paid the bills, but it felt like it was blocking my total creative freedom. After I left that world, I didn’t know where to start. I was burnt out and felt like I needed a few years off from the daily grind so that I could put all the energy I had into the comedy grind. I knew I couldn’t do that forever, but I savored the few years I made that choice. I hired a personal coach, worked on my craft, took acting and writing classes, traveled, reconnected with friends, worked on my mental health and slept in a lot.

All the while, I thought about how I could put my business skills to good use. After all, business was my first love, and comedy, my true love, doesn’t pay the bills until it does. It wasn’t easy and it took a lot of stalling out before business started to flow. Its taken some perseverance and faith that things will work out, even in times when it didn’t feel that way. Fast forward to today, I work with clients in a few key areas; including talent acquisition, HR and sales. I’ve also been fortunate to connect comedy professionally, and have performed keynotes and comedy at company events, such as employee appreciation days, company happy hours, trainings, employee retreats and industry trade conferences. I love the variety of work that I do and love that everyday I’m working on a balance of business and comedy goals.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Let’s see……from the airport, I’d take them by In-N-Out as everyone must experience the fast food staple atleast once. I live in West LA, so we’d do lots of hangs by the beach, Abbot Kinney, Venice Boardwalk, and Main Street. For happy hours, I’d take them to Forma and we’d try for the best happy hour on the westside – the Friday one hour happy hour at Fig. I love an excuse to go to downtown LA and experience some of the museums, like The Getty or The Broad. Best food trucks and amazing food scene for afterwards. It depends what time of year it is, but I love to catch a game at Dodgers Stadium, especially if the Phillies are playing! There’s always a great show somewhere in LA, or a great band playing somewhere down Hollywood BLVD. And of course, we have to hit up the world’s best comedy club, The Comedy Store.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I think I’d have to dedicate this to a core group of friends. Those closest to me that know the ins and outs of my journey best are also a brilliant collection of confidantes and advisors. They recognize things about me that I can’t always see, have helped me remember who I am at times and remind me of all that I’m capable of. They see my dual talents for business and comedy, and have helped me brainstorm ideas and connect professional opportunities They believe in me through and through and have helped me see beyond my own limitations and manifest at higher levels. My small inner circle is a powerhouse of friendship, wisdom, guidance, loyalty, honesty, and trust, to name a few. I appreciate them even more deeply as I answer this question.

Website: www.shannonleighcomedy.com

Instagram: shannonleeeeigh

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-l-71087526/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/shannonleeeigh

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087499085851&mibextid=LQQJ4d

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@zshanno

Image Credits
Matt Misisco Dante Bucci FPFC Organization

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