Hi! I'm Anne!

As a 5-year-old, I tagged along with my brother to soccer practice. Being the only girl and youngest kid there, I always found myself on the undesirable left-side of the field.

Thirteen years later, I had a skilled left foot and a full ride to play NCAA Division I soccer at Wake Forest University.  

I played with the boys at recess in grade school, frustrating my mom with grass stains and ripped pants.

I learned that “throwing like a girl” was a put-down; I let go of all things feminine.

Learning about Jackie Robinson in third grade altered everything I had previously believed about the infallibility of adults. The same year, a classmate and her family suffered a hate crime and left the country; I was growing up.

As a twelve-year-old, I turned down a five-star trip to Hawaii so I could play in a third-tier soccer tournament in Kingsport, TN. #priorities

In my 20’s, I traveled to and through forty states while playing soccer and earning my bachelor’s degree.  I played semi-professional soccer in Sweden, took planes, trains, and automobiles to twenty countries, and earned my master’s degree.

Anne Shoemaker
Anne Shoemaker 2021

With trembling excitement and an honest dose of anxiety, I stood in the shadow of my parent’s divorce and said “I do” to my college sweetheart.

I started to rely on running as an outlet for physical fitness and mental peace of mind, which evolved into an opportunity to compete in 5K’s, 10K’s, and marathons.  The same drive to excel that charged me up on the soccer field and road race propelled me as an employee; I sprinted up the ladder.

Triathlon training, however, gave way mercifully and permanently to pregnancy and motherhood.

The fulfillment I experienced from my achievements in my 20’s began to fail me in my 30’s.

The same old hobbies and outlets could not rouse me off the couch.  As a wife and mother of two, I needed to learn which pursuits would bring me satisfaction with my extremely limited time.

Coaches and therapists, books and podcasts, hours of conversations with loved ones and miles and miles of roads walked in silence helped reveal my “new” true self.

Today, I have become more myself, more (or less) of who I was yesterday. Tomorrow, if the good Lord’s willing and the creek don’t rise, I will be someone different. 

I am a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, an aunt. I am a granddaughter of a Kentucky coal miner and one-half of a successful interracial marriage.  I am a Christian.  

I strive to be authentic and to embrace paradox. I am raising my son to be a feminist and my daughter to be an activist. I believe we desperately need both.

For 40 years, I played small and allowed my voice to be a whisper in the wind.  Now, I am expanding and growing; now, my voice is deepening and cracking.

This feels scary – it must be right.

~ Anne

The heart and soul of my business is to help people.

… women in particular.

I know how it feels ...

… to have a vision so clear and a drive so strong that it makes others uncomfortable.

Their judgment of your ambition can become an infection. 

You dim your light & begin to tiptoe. 

(Click Right)

And yet ...

… listening to your inner voice is VITAL to your success.

It enabled me to reach the C-suite before I was 30.

My inner voice would not allow me to quit on Day Two of a job when a bookkeeper shared that the business I’d been hired to run had just posted a five-figure deficit. I got my hustle on and managed to produce a six-figure net profit within twelve months.

(It wasn’t always roses… Click Right)

 

Taking risks has never come easy.

I interviewed for my first job SEVEN times with the SAME company before they hired me.

The first time I spoke in front of 250 people, I could hear my voice quiver. The 12th time = much better.

I have failed at both baking a potato and heating up soup

(see related: “how to scrape food off ceiling”).

Perfectionism run amok left me with an eating disorder & a trip to the hospital in high school.

(Click Right)

 

"No day but today"

Quick, name that musical! Does seeing that line ^^ make you sing the tune?  Me, too.

Speaking of tunes, as my husband Josh is my witness, I will drag you into my kitchen-dance-party every time I hear these folks:

Hall + Oates, Lionel Richie, Fleetwood Mac…

GNR, Beastie Boys, Dave Matthews, Indigo Girls, Pac, Dre, Jay and Bey…

Dixie Chicks, Martin Sexton, Ani DiFranco, Bela Fleck, Zac Brown Band…

**Consider yourself on notice; no excuses.**

(I’m about to wrap this thing up … Click Right)

 

"Come Alive"

Okay, last showtune reference, promise.  (But that ^^ song, guys- seriously, it undoes me every.single.time.)

If you want to work with someone who is infallible, that’s not me. Unemotional & apathetic?  Keep it moving.

I am a human and I want to work with humans who have a heart and a soul front + center.  They are not in hiding and they don’t want me to be, either.

Let’s do this!

What To Expect When You Work With Me

Anne Shoemaker thumbing through book

Boundaries

I have boundaries and I ask that you respect them. Likewise, I will respect yours. 

Time

Time is the most precious resource I have. I respect my time and will honor yours.

Anne listening on phone

Listen

At our first meeting, I will listen more than I talk. I will seek to understand before asking to be understood.

Anne writing in journal

Clarity

I will clarify your objectives, confirm the direction of our work together, and will communicate the agreed-upon scope and timeline.

What Others Say About Working With Me

There is no question that Anne is one of the brightest and most capable people I’ve ever worked with. I never saw her react anyway but professionally and with a cool head. If I had to describe her in one word, it would be Wow! Just Wow.

Cindy Chandler, CCIM

Owner, The Chandler Group

Anne recognizes the need for action – and the low level of risk associated with piloting a few new ideas versus the high level of risk of waiting and letting perfectionism limit us from action. Anne’s voice is clear and straightforward; she is an invaluable leader on the team.

Mindy Oakley, MBA

Co-founder, Onward!, Executive Director, Edward M. Armfield, Sr., Foundation

In my experience with Anne, she has been unfailingly positive, socially minded, and professional. She has the rare skill of being able to work with anyone productively to make important things happen.

Kim Kappler Hewitt, PhD

Director, Principal Preparation for Excellence and Equity in Rural Schools (PPEERS), UNC-Greensboro

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Let's Work Together!

Coaching

I offer customized, best-in-class coaching services to career women. If you’ve been newly promoted (or aspire to be), want to change careers, or are considering going out on your own, I can help.

Consulting

I provide businesses with hands-on support and am also pleased to have nurtured relationships with a network of subcontractors who are experts in their fields and on whom I can call if necessary.

Speaking

My presentations consistently earn praise for my ability to not only deliver meaningful content in an engaging yet conversational manner but to do so with humor while remaining relatable to the audience.