in life and leadership
ABOUT
ME
Decorated 20 Year Army Veteran
Multiple Leadership Award Recipient
Brain Aneurysm Survivor
Pursuer of Hard Things
Champion for Others
Avalanche Catalyst
Passionate About Serving Others
Early Life
Shawn hails from the great state of South Carolina and is proud of his small-town upbringing. He learned early that a little southern charm goes a long way. Growing up, Shawn came to understand the value of military service from his older brothers and uncles who served during various conflicts to protect the freedoms of people they knew little about. He recalls walking into his grandparents’ house and seeing pictures of his brothers in Army uniforms prepared to jump from airplanes proudly displayed. This early inspiration of service to others led to Shawn’s involvement in student government beginning in middle school.
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Shawn lived in South Carolina until the age of 14 when he was forced to leave abruptly after a domestic violence incident destroyed what he thought was a happy home. Shawn would later learn the domestic incident was the culmination of a cycle of violence which had gone on for years. As a result of the incident Shawn, along with his mother and sister, were left homeless and eventually ended up in a battered women’s shelter in Delaware.
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Shawn attended high school in Delaware and participated in track & field, baseball, and cross-country. He may not have been a notable athlete, but he showed up for every practice and every game and gave it his all. High school sports taught Shawn early lessons on the importance of being committed and consistent, lessons that still serve him today. In addition to sports, Shawn was active in his school’s Students Against Drunk Drivers chapter and theater department. After school, he worked for a big-name catalog store part-time to help his mother and sister support their small family. While at work, Shawn listened to managers and co-workers, all senior to him, as they shared lessons in life, hard work, and service to others.
Shoulder to Shoulder - Military Service
Shawn enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1991 for what began as a five-year enlistment and became a distinguished 20-year career. Someone once said, “Soldiering is an affair of the heart”, and Shawn found this to be true. Shawn was passionate about taking care of his soldiers and their families, so much so that he was often referred to as “Papa Bear” because of his protective nature. His caring for others was evident as he assisted, protected, and defended the military communities in which he served as a Military Policeman, Patrol Supervisor, Investigator, and Special Agent. Shawn was able to draw on the personal experience of his early years as he helped victims of domestic and sexual violence.
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“Serving in the Army was so much more than I ever expected. You literally raise your right hand and embark on an adventure of a lifetime, not ever truly knowing where the adventure will take you. But if you commit to journey, it will change your life for the better”, Shawn reflects. He considers serving with his fellow sons and daughters of liberty an honor and a privilege. Shawn enjoyed meeting people from across the country, from different walks of life, who were all brought together by a common thread – Love of Country. Love of Country might be where it starts, but Shawn says it was the love for his brothers and sisters by his side that made him stay.
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Shawn deployed in support of Operation GTMO ’92 – Cuba, Operations Joint Endeavor – Bosnia, Operation Iraqi Freedom – Iraq, served four overseas tours in Germany, and was stationed stateside in Virginia, Kentucky, and Missouri. He was thankful for the opportunity to see the Army, along with the other services, operate as a combined force while at war. Shawn was awarded The Bronze Star for his actions under fire and the successful evacuation of the United Nations Special Envoy, while conducting protective service operations throughout Iraq. He would later return stateside to serve as an instructor and shared lessons learned from Iraq, as well as leadership lessons learned conducting criminal investigations and building successful teams.
His distinguished career concluded in 2011 with his induction into the Military Police Corps Regiment’s Order of the Marechaussee, honor bestowed on less than 10% of special agents and military police officers. Shawn never could have imagined as a young boy “playing Army” around his South Carolina home, the missions, achievements, and opportunities he would have while serving this country; his country; America.
Civilian Life - Servant Leadership
Shawn transitioned into civilian life and found work as a government contractor and then as a federal employee. He supported and worked for agencies which allowed him to use his military training and leadership experience to continue protecting and defending the nation. Shawn learned from civilian leaders, both in government and private sector, that they wanted to inspire and motivate their teams, but felt a disconnect between them and their workforce. He observed people in positions of leadership demanding results from their employees while failing, in some cases refusing, to contribute to the effort themselves. Seeing this set Shawn on a path of self-reflection to determine what he could do to bring his approach of servant leadership to those in positions of influence and to the personnel they led. Shawn’s journey of reflection revealed the first three tenants (Presence, Sincerity, Consistency) of his leadership philosophy.
After experiencing a significant leadership challenge and observing the impact it had on members of his team, the fourth tenant (Commitment) was revealed to him, thus the 4 Keys to Success in Life and Leadership™ were born. It turns out Shawn had always applied these 4 success principles throughout his life and he continues to live by them today. Shawn currently manages a small Maryland based training and consulting company dedicated to helping people achieve the success they want. He is married to his wife of 30 years and is constantly in Pursuit of Hard Things®.