Shonnie Lavender is a certified coach, blog and podcast consultant, and author. Her life and work are oriented around her Cause: To inspire and empower people to live in a conscious, loving, and connected way. An honors graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, she was a marketing and communications professional in the healthcare industry for ten years prior to receiving her coaching instruction at Coach U and starting her own company. In addition to teaching Lance Secretan’s work to executive teams and other emerging leaders, Shonnie teaches service-based business owners how to grow their companies using blogs and podcasts.
Her passion for the work of Lance Secretan began in 1999 when her employer hired Lance to conduct senior leadership retreats. She read Lance’s books and practiced the principles on her own before becoming an instructor of the work through the Higher Ground Leadership Community at CoachVille. Shonnie is currently on the Advisory Circle for Lance’s book ONE: The Art and Practice of Conscious Leadership and leads Higher Ground Leadership® teleclasses for Secretan Center clients. “I am committed to this work because it persistently challenges me to be my authentic self and to express my deepest compassion,” says Shonnie. “To be an effective teacher and coach of others, I believe I must walk my talk. While this may not always be easy, I’m truly grateful to be a part of a community that so lovingly supports me to do so.”
Shonnie writes about inspiration and relationships at her blogs (ShonnieLavender.com/blog and MarriageVowWorkbook.com/blog) and also produces an audio podcast about relationships. Additionally, she has written two books. Her first is a self-empowerment “how to,” titled, Live the Life You’ve Imagined: 100 Practical Strategies for Creating Your Ideal Life. She and her husband, Bruce Mulkey, wrote I Do! I Do! The Marriage Vow Workbook, a step-by-step guide for couples who want to create their own unique wedding vows.
When Shonnie is not officially on the job, she can be found running the Southern Appalachian mountain trails near her home in Asheville, North Carolina; savoring time with Bruce; or cavorting with her five feline family members.