Shannon Kathleen Mitchell
With three decades of experience in construction, Shannon Mitchell has built a career grounded in hands-on expertise and operational leadership. For 15 of those years, she specialized in flooring and finish work, developing a strong eye for precision, sequencing, and field execution. Eight months ago, she transitioned into millwork, bringing a deep foundation of construction knowledge into a new discipline that still feels familiar in its demands for accuracy, coordination, and craftsmanship. Even in a new space, she continues to approach each day as a learning opportunity, steadily expanding her technical understanding while applying decades of practical insight.
Throughout her career, Shannon has been known for solving complex field challenges and elevating quality standards under pressure. She is confident reading construction drawings, assessing feasibility, and identifying when teams are overcomplicating solutions. In one instance, when a highly detailed fixture required fluorescent green grout and multiple experienced installers were unsure how to proceed, she drew on her background managing large-scale tile operations—previously overseeing hundreds of installs weekly—to guide the team to a workable solution. What initially took several days to refine eventually became an eight-hour production process, reflecting her focus on turning uncertainty into repeatable execution.
In senior leadership roles, Shannon has also driven significant organizational transformation, particularly around operational structure and talent development. As a former Senior Vice President, she re-evaluated role alignment within a large construction organization and identified opportunities to better recognize the capabilities of office-based staff who were already performing managerial-level responsibilities. By restructuring roles and promoting internal talent—particularly women—into leadership positions, she helped shift both representation and compensation structures in a meaningful way. Her leadership philosophy centers on hiring and developing people based on strengths, building teams where individuals are positioned to excel while complementary skills are supported across the organization.
• DiSC Authorized Distributor
• Western Governors University
B.S. Business Management, MBA program
• Sleep in Heavenly Peace Non-Profit
• The Statue of Responsibility Foundation
• Building bunk beds for Sleep in Heavenly Peace - helped build over 1
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to over 30 years of experience in construction, where I built a strong foundation within a traditionally male-dominated industry. From an early age, I was encouraged by my father to step into construction spaces and do anything a boy could do, which helped me develop confidence, skill, and a fearless mindset. My dad was an electrician, and we built our house together when I was in third grade. He would let me pull wire and put outlets in, so I was using power tools from third grade on. I've never felt like I didn't belong because my dad always said, 'Don't let them intimidate you.' I was a middle child with two brothers, so I was just blessed with that mindset of not usually noticing I'm the only woman until people point it out to me. I've been blessed to have great mentors along the way. My deep industry knowledge allowed me to transition seamlessly into millwork, where I applied my expertise to improve processes and solve complex challenges. I'm known for leading from the front and really understanding what people do, not just their titles. I've always been good at hiring people for their strengths rather than worrying about their weaknesses. I'd rather let people fly in their strengths and hire someone else to pick up their weaknesses. This approach has helped me build strong, high-performing teams and drive both operational excellence and long-term success.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've received came from my father at an early age. The rule in our house was: 'Hey, Dad, can I do this? Well, can it kill you? No? Okay, try it. If it can't kill you, try it.' He would always ask, 'What is the worst possible thing that could happen? Well, I'm not gonna die. Okay, great! Try it.' This guidance helped instill a strong can-do mindset and a willingness to take risks. It continues to shape my confidence and openness to growth throughout my career. I was telling some of my project managers when they said I don't make mistakes, and I said, 'Are you kidding me? I probably make more mistakes in one day than you guys make all week, because I have so many opportunities to make decisions. I'm going to have things that I make the wrong decision on. And as long as nobody dies, I don't care. I just say, yeah, that was the wrong decision, let's try something else.' I don't know how to make that sound eloquent, but it's really about just doing anything and everything, and if you fail, who cares, as long as it can't kill you.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
The first piece of advice I give to young women is to dress one level up for your role. As women, we get critiqued on everything. If every man in the room is wearing jeans and a polo shirt, and you wear the same thing, you look fine but they see you as sloppy. When you look good, you feel good, and I don't mean when you look sexy, I mean when you look good. So if you know every man is going to be wearing jeans and a polo shirt, you need to wear jeans, a button-up shirt, and nice boots, not tennis shoes. You always need to look one better, because if you don't, you look ten worse, even if you look equal to them. I also tell them, don't be afraid to be feminine. If you wear skirts, wear a pencil skirt and heels if that's what makes you feel most confident and best about yourself. Then bring tennis shoes or boots to wear with that pencil skirt, because when you have to go walk a job site or a warehouse, heels do not work, but boots do. The second piece of advice is to never say 'I think,' or 'I guess,' or 'I wish,' or 'I hope,' because as soon as you do, everybody doubts you. If you have something to say, you say, 'This is going to work. This is the way we're going to do it.' If you need something from someone, you don't say, 'I really hope you can get it to me by the end of the day.' Instead, ask, 'Is there any reason you won't be able to get that to me by the end of the day?' We don't have that luxury as women. As soon as we hope for something, we don't get it. Positive language is very important. The third piece is, if you feel like you can hit 50% of the things on that job description, apply for the job, because every man does. We look through job descriptions and go, 'Well, I don't know how to do that,' and we won't apply unless we meet every piece. But every man goes, 'Pfft, I'll figure it out.' So as soon as I realized that, I'm like, 'Pfft, I'll figure it out. I can do this.' And most importantly, stop trying to prove that you belong, because we're sitting at the table. When you get in your head thinking you don't belong, everybody else can feel that energy, and they're thinking, 'What is she doing here?' But if you walk in and you just feel like you're just another human in this room, life is a whole lot easier.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Some challenges in millwork and construction include managing supply chain disruptions and fluctuating material costs, which can impact project timelines and budgets. There are also challenges with workforce shortages and the need for skilled labor in specialized trades. At the same time, I see innovation in technology, such as automation and advanced design tools, as a major opportunity to improve efficiency and precision. I believe these advancements, combined with strong leadership and training, create significant potential for growth in the industry.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My number one value is to be kind. The other mistake women make is they say, 'Well, I have to be a bitch.' No, you don't. You can say exactly what you want and still be kind. You can let somebody go and still be kind. You don't have to say, 'Look, you guys are idiots, I don't know why you didn't get this done.' You just stick to the facts and deliver it kindly. It's very easy to still be kind and hold people accountable. When you're kind, people bend over backwards for you, and they get things done originally. They want to collaborate more, and they want to be accountable because you're so kind. Why would they want to not do it for you? We don't have that luxury as women, because when we're aggressive, people say we're going through menopause, but when men are aggressive, people say, 'Look how direct they are.' We can still be aggressive and direct, but we have to be kind, and people do more for you. I also value respect, accountability, integrity, honesty, transparency, and strong communication as central to how I build trust and lead others. I prioritize empathy and strive to inspire and empower people rather than simply manage them. Maintaining my well-being is essential, as I believe showing up as my best self starts with self-care. To restore my energy, I bake on Sundays, which is so relaxing to me. I'll dream about something, wake up and write it down, and then basically invent it on Sundays. Nine times out of ten it turns out good. I also love to kayak weekly, if not more often, because when you're out on the water, nobody can reach you. Your phone is off, you're by yourself in a kayak with nothing around you, and I get so grounded by water. If I'm having a 'I need to reset' day, I just go dip my toes in the ocean and I'm instantly made whole. If I have a couple hours, I'll get in the kayak and just paddle, paddle, paddle, and instantly I'm made whole. Giving back to the community is also deeply important to me, and I'm proud to support Sleep in Heavenly Peace, where I helped build over 1,000 bunk beds for children who would be sleeping on the floor, whether they're foster kids or just living in poverty.