Influential Woman · Business

Shauna Barnett

In School

Taylorsville, Ut, UT

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Associate's Degree Degree 1987 Degree Bachelor's Degree in Business Degree University of Phoenix

Her Story

About Shauna

My passion for business started in high school when I discovered I could type 94 words per minute, which instantly put me into the business field. I earned my associate's degree in 1987 and later went back to school 10 years later to get my bachelor's degree from University of Phoenix in Business Management, which I'm very proud of. After raising my kids, I finally got to work in my field, and it was so much fun and everything I expected it to be. I held management positions that covered marketing and human resources, which I absolutely loved. Unfortunately, I got sick and was put on disability, which meant I couldn't do full-time management positions anymore. My last job was in collections for 7 years, and it had nothing to do with my major, which was very discouraging. The environment with younger coworkers and difficult treatment really destroyed my self-confidence. Now I'm going back to University of Phoenix to get my master's degree in human resources so I can return to my field and not be judged by that last job. I'm a self-starter who has always achieved everything I put my mind to, and I'm not going to let one bad job hold me back anymore.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Shauna

01What do you attribute your success to?

Teacher from DATC in Kaysville, My father for pushing me to continue my education

02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

Learning is a never ending process. You are never to old or to young

03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

I would say be positive, don't give up, give your best foot forward. You may get discouraged, but keep going. There's always gonna be a little bump in the road, but don't let that get you down. In the end, you will succeed at whatever you do, but don't get discouraged because everybody has bad days.

04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

I'm older, so I'm going against young people. Everything has changed. It's not as simple as it used to be. I remember going from a typewriter to a computer, and nowadays everyone works off a laptop. When I went to school, I remember working off the 486 computer. Everything has changed, it's not the same anymore, it's all updated. I can catch on quick, so I should be just fine, but it's different. The competition is different, where I never had a problem before, and things were changed, so it's more challenging.

05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

I value just being a good person and giving everybody a chance, not judging anybody. Being positive, and listening to everybody's stories, and not judging.

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