A Spoonful of Sugar
Shannon Tekle - Sweet As Pie, Fierce AF
What do you do when, at the ripe, old age of 33, you have built an outreach program for a Fortune 500 company worth well over $200 million, and you are the darling of your industry?
You bid them peace out to start something new.
That’s our fearless leader, the Mary Poppins of the joint, Shannon Tekle, and it’s fair to say that we, her fellow Indees, are stoked she magically dropped into our lives.
There are many reasons that all of the above are uniquely incredible points of fact.
Anyone who does what she did at her age, then up and walks away is crazy. (At least that’s what she was told by both old friends and new).
It’s quite brave to start your own company with a handful of strangers who you, by some sort of professional serendipity, met one-by one on LinkedIn and vibed with immediately.
Said strangers are all very strong, independent business owners and leaders in their own right, which means you are going to have to be one hell of a diplomat. Well, just add that to the list of amazing attributes of one, Shannon Tekle.
Also, she has energy for days, never stops smiling, or handing out sincere compliments. But don’t let the cheerleader-like sparkle fool you, she’s clandestinely fierce, demonstrated by the fact that she is the proud owner of two Pit Bulls and a home in North Minneapolis. (This one is as unicorn as they come.)
Lucky for us Indees, and the marketing world. Because what Shannon has dreamed up will check all your boxes, as it does ours. Why? Because she speaks human better than anyone, and she listens, and she connects dots, and she makes things happen based on what she has learned, then all those humans benefit from her brilliance. (That would be us, the gang at Indee, and you, the clients looking for exactly what she has cooked up.)
And just what is that?
For Indees it’s a place where we can remain independent but come together. Because what Shannon heard when she asked us what was missing over countless chai lattes was: being in community with other savvy business owners, collaboration with said smarties, super pros to bounce ideas off of, and, of course, fierce wardrobe inspo.
What she heard from clients was even more compelling: talent I can trust, professionals not just creatives, and quick-studies. And on the clerical side, clients had wishes too: one contract no matter how many freelancers, flexibility to bring talent in and out as needed, and real-world rates for world-class professionals.
So, Shannon started calling meetings, creating PowerPoints, building a leadership team, and after a few months, and way too much time figuring out Squarespace, Shannon and a core group of believers brought her vision to life.
She did it! She always does. And it’s going to be supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Thanks, Shannon!