Chief Story Teller
Hey, I’m Shannon Jenkins — keynote speaker and storytelling expert - on a mission to help leaders and workplaces become more authentic, connected, and courageous.
I work with professionals at global organizations like Nestlé, Nespresso, Google, and IMD Business School, and host RESONATE, a top 5% podcast with over 150 episodes and 60,000 listeners across 148 countries.
Through keynotes, corporate workshops, and my signature program, Rise + Resonate, I help people speak with courage, clarity, and presence — so their ideas resonate, their leadership inspires, and their workplaces transform.
Maybe you’re the professional with big ideas who’s holding back. Or a leader navigating fear-based silence in the room. Well, the right communication skills can turn hesitation into clarity, silence into trust, and ideas into action.
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Here's my backstory...
Growing up, I was the ‘wise beyond her years’ kid that friends came to for advice—or the one launching petitions at school, challenging the status quo.
I grew up between Australia and England, moving through many different schools and cultures. Later, between King’s College London, Sciences Po Paris and the University of Western Australia, I studied law, international politics, and teaching.
That mix gave me a superpower: connecting with people from diverse backgrounds, understanding what drives them, and valuing different perspectives.
I realised that no matter where you’re from, we all crave the same thing: to be valued, heard, and understood.
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But understanding that intellectually is different from living it.
My passion for courageous communication didn’t come from a textbook. It came from the hardest—and most transformative—period of my life.
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When my son was just six months old, with my family on the other side of the world, I made the decision to leave an abusive relationship. After a two-year legal battle, I was granted sole custody and permission to move from Australia to Switzerland to rebuild our lives.
That experience taught me something invaluable: sometimes, finding the courage to speak up—even when you’re afraid—can change the entire course of your life.
a personal challenge...
The start of a professional mission
I launched the ‘Starting Over’ podcast as a way to heal and make sense of my own journey.
Conversations with world-class experts in self-development and psychology revealed a simple truth: inner work is the seed of outer change. And sharing stories isn’t just a great way to heal, connect and grow— it’s also great for business. Those episodes became some of my most downloaded and widely shared.
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But understanding that intellectually is different from living it.
En route to a job interview in Geneva Switzerland, sitting on a train, I read a line in a book that made me pause. It read: ‘Help people overcome the fear of public speaking.’ I thought, Maybe that’s something I could do.
At that exact moment, a man walked past me on the train wearing a t-shirt that read: ‘Use your instincts.’ It was like being hit by a bolt of clarity. I was flooded with energy and this knowing that I had to follow that path. (And get a picture with this poor man for 'evidence' of the moment!)
Soon, guests from my own podcast began asking me for coaching — and then the corporate world followed.
A turning point: Making a business
I decided to go all in on this business, rebranding the podcast to RESONATE and focusing on the power of storytelling and communication.
It became a global top-5% podcast with over 60,000 listeners across 148 countries.
That step kick-started my career as a communication entrepreneur, coach and keynote speaker.
My signature program began with coaching public speaking at companies like Nestlé and Nespresso. But as I worked with leaders, I discovered something others miss: oftentimes the real barriers aren’t technical — they’re psychological. Toxic personalities. Imposter syndrome. Perfectionism. Fear of being authentic. The courage to innovate, experiment, and embrace failure. These hidden fears are what really keep great ideas trapped.
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That’s why Rise + Resonate is a 6-9 week program that doesn’t just cover speaking and storytelling — it addresses authentic leadership, overcoming hidden fears, discovering your genius zone, and courageous communication.
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The results speak for themselves: an average rating of 4.95 out of 5 stars, 100% of participants saying they’d strongly recommend the program, and 95% reporting they’ve become more self-aware leaders — with regular testimonials like, “Just do it — best training ever!”
the hidden problems
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ask yourself this question...
Whether I’m speaking at IMD Business School, leading corporate workshops, running retreats, or coaching individual clients, there’s one question I often ask:
“What would you do or say if you weren’t afraid?”
The answers are always different — but the energy is the same. Because deep down, we all want to lead and live without hiding.
Steve Jobs once said, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.”
When I look back, I see the same thread running through my life: communication, courage, and helping people grow.
From petitioning for change as a student, teaching debating in underprivileged high schools, speaking in corporate conferences, launching a podcast, or hosting retreats — the constant has always been helping people become better, braver versions of themselves.
Because I’ve seen firsthand...
Your world expands or shrinks in direct proportion to your courage.
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The world needs leaders who speak with both courage and empathy, connect deeply, and inspire change.
If that’s the kind of leader you want to be—or the culture you want to create—I’d love to help you rise and resonate.