Today we’d like to introduce you to Shawnta Hooks.
Hi Shawnta, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started my career as an auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers, believing success meant perfection, performance, and productivity. That mindset carried me through 20 years in corporate America, where I eventually became a Vice President of Transformation at a Fortune 100 bank. Before that role, I wasn’t a meditator—in fact, I saw meditation as a little too “woo-woo.” But the pressure of leading large-scale change while raising a newborn made me curious. I began studying mindfulness, and after six months of exploration, it became a daily 20-minute practice that changed everything.
During COVID, I started publicly sharing what I was learning and created a workplace mindfulness community called The Stillness Loop, which grew to over 500 members. Then, one day during a one-on-one Zoom meeting, my boss died of a heart attack in front of me. That experience deepened my commitment to this work and made me realize that mindfulness wasn’t just about calm—it was about survival. I took a sabbatical soon after, and that time of reflection led me to pursue speaking and immersive leadership experiences full-time.
Today, I’m a keynote speaker, author, and experience creator helping leaders and organizations thrive in what I call The Age of Overstimulation. My signature frameworks—like Catch → Convert → Create™ and The Clarity Lab™ for Modern Teams—blend neuroscience, mindfulness, and soul music to help people regulate their nervous systems, refocus under pressure, and lead with presence and authenticity.
But my story isn’t just about corporate reinvention—it’s about remembrance. I’m a Detroit native, the daughter of a meditator and a music lover, raised in a city where rhythm and resilience are the same heartbeat. My work fuses the soul of Detroit—music, movement, and mindfulness—into experiences that awaken clarity and belonging. I’m currently writing my first book, The Clarity Lab™: A Nervous System Survival Guide for the Age of Overstimulation (coming 2026), a soulful, science-backed guide that blends story, ritual, and practice to help people remember who they are—before the world told them who to be.
To date, I’ve delivered hundreds of presentations to thousands of people around the world. My goal is simple: to make the world more present—so we can think clearer, lead better, and live fuller lives together.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not a smooth road! But every bump has been part of the awakening. My journey has been one of constant unlearning: unlearning perfectionism, overachievement, and the belief that burnout was a badge of honor. For years, I pushed through exhaustion because that’s what success looked like in the environments I came from. It wasn’t until my body, my peace, and my sense of joy started breaking down that I realized I couldn’t keep living out of alignment with myself.
The transition from corporate executive to entrepreneur came with its own set of challenges. I went from leading large teams to leading myself—learning to trust my intuition over data, to find my own voice, and to build something from scratch that fused mindfulness, neuroscience, and soul. There were moments of fear, doubt, and financial uncertainty, but there was also deep clarity.
The biggest lesson? Transformation requires both the storm and the stillness. The chaos wakes you up, but the stillness is where you remember who you are. Every challenge—the high-pressure jobs, the moments of loss, the reinvention—became training for the work I do now. I help people regulate under pressure because I had to learn to do it myself. Every struggle I’ve faced has been research for the frameworks I now teach inside The Clarity Lab™.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
My company, Mindful Culture Creators, exists to help people and organizations thrive in what I call The Age of Overstimulation. Through keynotes, immersive labs, and leadership experiences, I teach leaders how to regulate their nervous systems, manage pressure with clarity, and lead from presence—not performance.
I’m known for blending science and soul. My programs integrate mindfulness, music, and movement with neuroscience and leadership theory to create unforgettable learning experiences. Whether it’s The Clarity Lab™ for Modern Teams or my signature keynote Presence Is the Hack™, every experience helps people translate mindfulness from something conceptual into something practical, embodied, and measurable.
What sets my brand apart is how multisensory it is. I use storytelling, sound, and real-world workplace simulations to engage both heart and mind. My audiences don’t just hear new ideas—they feel them. That’s why my programs are described as “transformational yet tactical.”
I’m most proud that my work helps redefine what professional development can look and feel like. The corporate world often teaches people how to perform under pressure; I teach them how to transform under pressure. My clients walk away not only with better tools to lead but with a deeper connection to themselves and their teams.
Ultimately, my mission is simple: to make the world more present. When leaders are present, cultures heal, creativity flows, and performance naturally rises.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I draw inspiration from a mix of science, soul, and philosophy. Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana is one of my favorite books—it helped me understand that mindfulness doesn’t have to be mysterious; it’s simply the practice of being where you are, fully. I’m also a big fan of Steven Bartlett—his Diary of a CEO podcast is a masterclass in emotional intelligence and leadership. Simon Sinek’s Start With Why shaped how I think about purpose and impact.
I love documentaries about creatives, thinkers, and cultural icons—they remind me that philosophy isn’t just ancient; it’s alive in how we create, question, and connect. I often say I’m a modern-day philosopher—I use mindfulness as my lens to explore the human condition.
And honestly, YouTube might be my favorite mindfulness tool. It’s where I discovered a five-minute video that taught me the basics of meditation all those years ago. It’s also where I study Qigong, an ancient Chinese practice that uses intentional movement, breath, and energy awareness to restore balance in the body and calm the mind. YouTube is my meditation app, my classroom, and my creative muse—it’s where I learn, move, and heal.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shawntahooks.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawnta.speaks
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shawntathespeaker
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnta-speaks/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mindfulculturecreators
