Get To Know Dr. Shannon Holmes, Founder of Dr. Shannon Holmes Vocal Coaching | Canadian Business Owner Spotlights by Kelsey Reidl, Marketing Consultant.
Meet Dr. Shannon Holmes!
Founder of Dr. Shannon Holmes Vocal Coaching, helping leaders, experts, educators, researchers, and performers develop a confident, authentic voice and presence that reflects their expertise, personality, and influence.
Welcome to our Canadian Business Owner Spotlight Series hosted by me… Kelsey Reidl (Business & Marketing Consultant).
In this series, I'll be catching up with the most talented, generous & inspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners in Canada & beyond.
Enjoy learning more about these wonderful humans, and give them a ‘follow’ or get in touch in order to collaborate with them + work with them.
-Kelsey
The TL;DR for Dr. Shannon Holmes of Dr. Shannon Holmes Vocal Coaching.
Dr. Shannon Holmes is a voice and communication coach, theatre artist, researcher, and Associate Professor and Head of Theatre at the University of Regina. With more than 30 years of experience working across voice, performance, and actor training, she brings together rigorous vocal technique, somatic practice, evidence-based methods, and a deep understanding of how the body and mind shape communication.
Shannon works with entrepreneurs, business professionals, leaders, and performers who want to communicate with greater presence, influence, authenticity, and impact. Her approach goes beyond conventional presentation or executive-presence training: she works with the voice as a physical, expressive, and relational tool, helping people develop greater vocal freedom, flexibility, confidence, and connection.
Her academic and creative research explores voice, embodiment, devising, and the relationship between speaking and singing. She has presented her research, taught, and performed across North America, Europe, the UK, and New Zealand. She holds a PhD in Drama and Theatre Studies and an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts. She is also Associate Director of Learning Programs and Creative Research at the Fitzmaurice Voice Institute.
Okay, let’s get to know Shannon!
Name
Shannon Holmes
Profession / Title
Vocal Coach and Professor
Business Name
Dr. Shannon Holmes Vocal Coaching
Industry / Niche
Leadership Voice and Communication Coaching
My Business Was Founded In
2025
Current Location
Regina Saskatchewan
(but i work globally through Zoom)
3 words you would use to describe yourself…
Energetic.
Optimistic.
Empathetic.
Tell us more about your business
As a voice and communication coach I help people develop their voice and presence so it better reflects their expertise, personality, and influence. I work with everyone from C-suite executives and entrepreneurs to researchers, teachers, academics, and performers, and essentially anyone who relies on their voice to communicate their expertise while making meaningful human connections. I work with clients one-on-one, both online and in person, and run small-group coaching programs as well as workshops for organizations and companies to support their employees.
As I balance my coaching/consulting work with my career as a University Professor, a typical workday might include teaching a university class, doing some department admin work, hopping on Zoom with a coaching client, leading a group coaching session, facilitating a workshop, and/or tending to my research and creative projects.
In one or two sentences, what specific problem does your business solve for your clients?
I help people whose voice and communication skills don't yet reflect the expertise, confidence, and leadership they bring to their work — including those held back by vocal or confidence issues that keep them from accessing their voice's full power. Through practical, embodied voice training, I help clients build the awareness, skills, and strategies to communicate clearly, authentically, and effectively, especially when the stakes are high.
Recent milestone you've celebrated in your business
Since I am fairly new in formally launching my coaching/consulting business I would say, launching my new website AND having clients find me via the website feels like a milestone.
What is a recent investment you’ve made in your business
Hiring Kelsey Reidl as my business and marketing coach was a fairly recent investment and I can confidently say that there would have been next to no growth without her support. I made the decision to hire her because, despite the fact that I had significant expertise and experience in voice and communication I had little to none in running a business. She guided me through the process of determining what I wanted out of my business, and then helped me set up systems that allow me to run it, market it and grow it.
What changed after that investment? Why do you see it as an investment, not an expense?
Everything changed after this investment, and it continues to. When I started my coaching business, I knew my field, but I had no idea how to build, position, and market a business. Kelsey gave me the strategy, structure, and confidence to do that.
I see it as an investment rather than an expense because it has created lasting value. An expense is money spent to meet an immediate need but an investment builds knowledge, skills, and capacity that continue to pay off. Just as I see my degrees, certifications, and professional training as investments in my career as a vocal coach and researcher, I see investing in the business skills I need to build a sustainable business in the same way.
What would you tell a new entrepreneur who's considering investing in the same thing, but is hesitant?
Becoming an entrepreneur can be overwhelming and lonely. Having someone experienced to guide you through the process makes all the difference. And even though most of us hate to admit we don't know how to do something, there's real power in acknowledging that, and in seeking out an expert to teach, lead, and support you.
Now for some fun stuff!
Always…
Always leave room for the unimaginable! I am a big-time dreamer (and make NO apologies for it!).
Never…
Never say never. My life has taken me to so many unexpected places,( literally and figuratively!) and I’ve learned that some of the best (or at least the most interesting) things happen when I stop insisting I know exactly where I’m going and how I’m going to get there!
Advice for other entrepreneurs, who are slightly less far along…
Commit to the long game. Rest when you need to but stay consistent and focused. It is not going to happen over night. Even in the short time I have been at it there have been ups and downs but, I was not expecting it to be easy and I give myself grace when I need it.
What is a tool, resource, podcast, book or person you’ve invested in that’s added value to your entrepreneurial journey
I hired the folks at Stratlab (www.stratlab.ca) to revamp my website and have been thrilled with their support. Tech related anything tends to stress me out and I have always felt so well taken care of by them.
I am also constantly reading and credit James Clear’s “Atomic Habits” for helping me build practical strategies to be manage everything I do in a day and Jen Sincero’s “You Are A Badass” series to give me the “oomph” and drive to be the go-getter I see myself as.
Favourite way to wind down after a long workweek
Getting lost in a book. I am an avid and passionate reader and usually have at least 2 books on the go at any given time; fiction to get lost in and non-fiction to learn and grow.
Before starting my workday, I make sure to…
Get up at 5 AM to sit with my husband and have a cup of coffee, get outdoors to walk the dog (no matter what the weather!) do a short yoga practice, and then do a 12 minute meditation. (It sounds like a lot but I rarely, if ever skip my morning ritual…I credit it with keeping me grounded and sane!)
Best part of my work is…
Witnessing how empowered people become when they find their true authentic voice.
Last vacation you took (and where did you go)
I have had the chance to present my research all over the world and while these trips are not technically “vacations” I always take the opportunity to explore and absorb as much of the land and culture as possible while there. Last summer I was in Wellington, New Zealand for the first time and it was absolutely stunning. Beautiful and magical landscapes and people.
