In this episode, I’m so privileged to have time with Paula Shannon, a coach with experience across public education, philanthropy and business.

Paula is a coach, consultant, and facilitator—someone with a deep passion for leadership, emotional intelligence, and helping mission-driven leaders lead with clarity, confidence, and purpose.  

Paula shares how she spent nearly 30 years in public education, rising from teacher to senior executive leadership—and how burnout, purpose, and a desire for something different led her to build a business of her own.

In this episode, we talk about:

✅ How she started in Teach for America and grew through the ranks of education
✅ Her love of coaching “little and big people” and the joy of one-on-one development
✅ Making the leap after the pandemic and deciding “enough is enough”
✅ Creating the life she actually wanted—one with nature, flexibility, and joy
✅ What clinical burnout felt like and how it changed everything
✅ Why she believes women with wealth accelerate doing good in the world
✅ The mission behind her business and the work she does with leaders
✅ Why content and consistency matter—and how Sage (her ChatGPT!) helps
✅ Tips for new coaches covering outreach, networking, and nurturing relationships (and more!)

As Paula says, “The only way to get started is to get started.” Her story is generous, grounded, and so relatable—especially if you’ve ever wondered whether it’s possible to do good, do well, and live the life you want.

Connect with Paula:

👉 Find her on LinkedIn: Paula Shannon

👉 Work with Paula at the Whole Leader Lab

If you're listening and think the Accelerator could be a good fit for you too— and you’d like to join before we close doors at the end of June and increase prices in July—you can:

📞 Book a call with me
🌐 Learn more about the Accelerator at elliescarf.com/cca