Who We Are

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Who we are

We believe in addressing multiple areas of health in order to uplift the entire individual.  As a lifelong athlete, entrepreneur and someone who has studied leadership, social sciences, communication, health and more.. My passion comes from my own personal experience in competing in swimming and running events at a serious level. As these are independent sports I have had the opportunity to spend a lot of time monitoring my thoughts and emotional state during training and competition. In my early years as an athlete, my focus was mostly on physical training and I had the sense during that time something was missing. It wasn’t until many years later I finally discovered the information I had been looking for and it came about in unexpected ways. Much of my desire to improve my health in multiple areas was driven by the desire to be an entrepreneur and to overcome a struggle with depression and anxiety that impacted my happiness in all areas of life. As I have learned, observed and implemented new practices I have witnessed my performance improving in all areas of my life and since 2006 I have been building a foundation to be able to help others have a similar experience.

I would be remiss not to address another aspect of my journey as an entrepreneur and artist which is extremely important to me as well. The most significant factor which led to me adopting a different type of lifestyle was a decision to take responsibility for my spirituality. In 2008 I reached an absolute dead end where I was completed done with the way I had been thinking and living.  I felt unsatisfied, disconnected and frustrated, I had enough of living with myself in this way and I couldn’t stand to continue that way. One of the first steps I took was to adopt a practice of gratitude, which over time has become one of my greatest pleasures in life. When I trained for a marathon in 2003, I met a friend who ended up being the one who convinced me 3 years later to purchase a sewing machine.  This purchase has been instrumental in shaping my career and giving me courage to follow my heart to pursue fulfillment and legacy. My commitment to following my heart led me to a career as a professional face painter. Unfortunately, due to COVID I had to suspend my face painting business and after seeing it would be a while until I could resume it, I decided to embark on a new goal that has been a long time desire. Combining my experience in swimming and running to begin competing in triathlons as well offering a way to guide others in becoming a more well rounded.

Why hire me?

When it comes to hiring a coach you have so many choices. My experience has taught me the value of following my heart and the miracles that are possible as a result. I want to work with people who are open minded to changing their perspectives and a willingness to be coachable and commit to a positive mental attitude is a must.  If you are intrigued by my experience and have a sense I could assist you, please take the free survey for a personalized recommendation!

Healed naturally from 2 major spinal accidents 

In 2013 I was attempting a gainer backflip on a trampoline park and I didn’t make it all the way around.  I landed upside down on my shoulders and I suffered a severe compression fracture in my T11 and T12 vertebrae.  In 2017 I was a passenger in a vehicle accident and I suffered a compression fracture in my L2 vertebrae. The accident in 2013 was much worse than the L2 injury.  It took me 3 years to heal and I was in the best shape of my life prior to that happening.  This was the most painful time of my life and I had to reevaluate my identity as an athlete and take my focus on my physical health for a period of time.  During this time of healing I focused on other areas of health like spiritual, emotional, mental and financial- knowing that strengthening the other areas would help me regain my physical strength. You can take a no-obligation assessment for a personalized recommendation on which areas of health I suggest improving.

Completed many leadership courses and seminars

I first watched the movie “The Secret” in 2008, and then the next month I reached my lowest point. It was a good thing I had seen that movie because I began implementing some of practices I had learned and it’s one of the few things that gave me hope during that time. That fall, I had become severely depressed because it seemed like nothing was working in my life and I had run out of ideas. I reconnected with a friend from high school and he introduced me to a new approach of guided meditation and a non-denominational church that I was open to attending. I had become very closed off to the idea of God, but I was at a point where I had to surrender to something because it was obvious my approach was no longer working. Over the next several years I participated in countless local seminars and international leadership courses.  Between 2009-2011 I worked for a company that sold EMF protection and from 2011-2013 I worked for a success coach as his booth assistant at expos and festivals.  In both of these positions I was introduced to authors, health experts, meditation teachers, entrepreneurs, etc who offered many alternative and natural approaches to all 5 areas of health I address in my coaching.  I continued pursuing more knowledge and experiences in this niche through growing my own business and eventually moving to Santa Monica, CA in 2016, which is a hot spot for breakthrough technology in alternative healing methods.

Successful Entrepreneur

After having assisted many self-employed and small business owners, I was delighted by the path my life took on in 2015.  I returned to university in 2014 interested in studying speech and hearing sciences to possibly become a speech therapist or audiologist. Over the summer I was looking for a part time job and ended up getting hired on by two face painting companies, having very little experience, other than a passion for art and children. The business model made sense to me and I enjoyed the job very much. Less than one year later I finished the school program and decided to move to Santa Monica, CA and start a face painting company there. In the year I was working for them, the two face painting companies merged into one, and the management was so pleased with my performance, I was offered an opportunity to franchise in California,  I declined the offer and started my own company- Yoga Munkee Artistree which evolved into Yoga Munkee Party Arts. If you would like to learn more about my career as a face painter, please visit Yogamunkee. I intend to continue face painting on occasion at events once the quarantine situation has been resolved and have trained under and painted with some of the most talented artists in the world.

Bachelors degree and leveling certificate

I completed two degree programs at Metropolitan State College of Denver. I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Behavioral science with a focus in Sociology, about 10 years later I completed a leveling program in speech and hearing sciences. This leveling program consists of about 30 credits of additional undergraduate courses for someone who already has a degree in order to qualify for a Masters program. I am passionate about human behavior, mental health, advocating for people with disabilities, communication, and human development.

Lifelong athlete, triathlete, swim coach

My athletic resume is lengthy.  For a complete chronological list of athletic accomplishments please see Qualifications & Credentials.

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Focus on who we are

You can choose to follow Shannon’s athletic progress and free articles on the blog to help you improve your performance. You are also invited to take the free survey for a personalized recommendation on a coaching program for you. If you have questions you can call (720) 588-0455 or contact us

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