Shannon Talbot - Human Connection Expert

Shannon Talbot - Human Connection Expert Leadership speaker and facilitator helping leaders build clarity, accountability, and connection at work.

Shannon Talbot brings real-world corporate experience and powerful, unexpected stories to every stage. Client sessions are currently being held by phone or video conference.

What’s one thing you’re genuinely good at that has absolutely nothing to do with your job?Mine is 90s hip hop lyrics. Ju...
05/22/2026

What’s one thing you’re genuinely good at that has absolutely nothing to do with your job?

Mine is 90s hip hop lyrics. Jump Around & Salt-N-Pepa are my go-tos.

Your turn!

Early in my career, I left a job rather than tell my boss I was trying to get pregnant.Made up a vague excuse about want...
05/08/2026

Early in my career, I left a job rather than tell my boss I was trying to get pregnant.

Made up a vague excuse about wanting broader experience. He said no. I didn’t push it. A few weeks later I handed in my resignation and completely blindsided someone I’d worked with for a while.

A few years later, new job, still the same instinct. I was taking half a Gravol before big meetings to manage my anxiety. Not a full one. A full one and they’d have caught on.

Two different situations. Same logic.

If I just hold it together, I won’t have to say the hard thing.

I told both stories this week to 300 HR professionals in Toronto. The Gravol got the laughs. The quiet after the other one is what stayed with me.

Most people in that room had their own version.

The credibility gap isn’t about competence. It’s the distance between who you are and who you’ve decided you’re “supposed to be” at work.

What’s the conversation you’ve been avoiding?

What makes people actually trust HR?Not policies.Not titles.Not perfectly worded emails.Excited to be speaking at the HR...
04/12/2026

What makes people actually trust HR?

Not policies.
Not titles.
Not perfectly worded emails.

Excited to be speaking at the HRPA 2026 HR Law Conference on something I see come up again and again:

The credibility gap between what leaders say… and what employees believe.

Looking forward to a real conversation about what builds trust and what quietly breaks it.

Thank you for this opportunity HRPA ☺️

Eleven years ago, my husband and I drove to Ottawa to adopt our second son.The car was packed with baby gear.Our hearts ...
04/09/2026

Eleven years ago, my husband and I drove to Ottawa to adopt our second son.

The car was packed with baby gear.
Our hearts were full.

We met him.
Held him.
Fell in love instantly.
And left that day thinking we’d return tomorrow to bring him home.

But then the phone rang.

The adoption agency said the birth parents might be having second thoughts.
We should head back to Toronto.
And wait.

That drive home was silent.
We were heartbroken.
Numb.
Unsure how to explain to friends — or to our two-year-old — that we weren’t bringing his baby brother home after all.

Then a great song came on.
We turned it up.
We sang.
We cried.

And for a few minutes, the music held what we couldn’t say out loud.

But it wasn’t just the song.

It was the people.
The ones who checked in without asking questions.
The boss who said, “Whatever you need, I’m here.”
The ones who reminded us we weren’t alone.

And here’s what I know now, 11 years later:

Life doesn’t always go the way we plan.
But in the hardest, most uncertain moments, we’re often surrounded by more support than we realize.

Sometimes it shows up as a person.
Sometimes as a song.
Sometimes as a quiet reminder that we’re not carrying it all on our own.

And somehow, even in the waiting… we find a way forward.

We ended up waiting the full 28-day waiting period that birth parents have to change their minds in Ontario before bringing our Zack home but it was well worth the wait. 💙

I used to think I was “bad at sales.”Turns out… I just had a story about money I’d never questioned.For years, I could a...
03/31/2026

I used to think I was “bad at sales.”

Turns out… I just had a story about money I’d never questioned.

For years, I could advocate, support, and add value all day long. But the moment money entered the conversation, everything shifted.

It felt uncomfortable. Awkward. Like I was being annoying.

And that story followed me… into my business.

Until it didn’t.

Because at some point, your mission becomes more important than your discomfort.

So I stopped trying to push through it and started questioning it.

And everything changed.

What story are you still carrying that might not be true anymore?

“Shannon, I think you should stop speaking.”That’s what my doctor told me three years ago after I had an anxiety attack ...
02/27/2026

“Shannon, I think you should stop speaking.”

That’s what my doctor told me three years ago after I had an anxiety attack the day before speaking to 600 people.

My response?

“Never going to happen. Speaking is one of my favourite things to do in the world.”

Thankfully, instead of quitting, I got support.

My coach, Robb Gilbear, helped me see the full picture:

• First time speaking to an audience that big
• Sandwiched between a TV comedian and an award-winning speaker
• First time flying for a speaking engagement
• Brand new audience (government vs. corporate)
• And I was sharing part of my father-in-law’s story just weeks after he passed

My anxiety started at the Toronto airport.

It ended the second I walked into that conference room.

Calm. Focused. Exactly where I wanted to be.

I could have taken that anxiety attack as a sign to stop.

Instead, I took it as a sign to get support and keep going.

Three years later, speaking makes up most of my business.

I still get nervous.
I still sometimes feel like I might puke.
I still LOVE it.

Anxiety and fear aren’t always cues to quit.
Sometimes they’re cues that something really matters to you.

Oh, and when I walked on stage that day?
The power went out.

Everyone laughed. Including me.

P.S. My therapist taught me the simplest (and silliest) trick for anxiety. Want me to share it?

Address

Hamilton, ON

Opening Hours

Monday 5pm - 9pm
Tuesday 5pm - 9pm
Wednesday 5pm - 9pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 5pm - 7pm
Saturday 9am - 2pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Shannon Talbot - Human Connection Expert posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Shannon Talbot - Human Connection Expert:

Shortcuts

Share

Category