Shannon O’Dowd – Hosting Coach

Let me tell you how awesome Shannon is as a hosting coach. It is so valuable that she is not just an instructor, but she actually makes a living practicing what she preaches. The learning environment is encouraging and she has loads of insight. I could tell that I made improvements in my on-​camera presence after the very first class. I definitely recommend Shannon as a coach.

Shannon is an incredible HOSTING teacher. A real working pro who knows what she is talking about and if you can get an appointment to work privately with her, your work will get so much better.

Shannon’s a talent as a versatile host shines through in her ability to coach students of all personalities/​interests.
I came to her class as a journalist, and she immediately identified my strengths and weaknesses, and taught me how to use them to my advantage. She picked material incredibly well suited for me – no one had the same copy. Her upbeat personality really set the tone, and I sat in awe at how she gave so much attention and informative critique to each student throughout the 3-​hour class.
As someone who is very aware of how time is used, I can honestly say that I don’t feel like a moment was wasted. She’s approachable, professional, trustworthy and straight up awesome!

I can’t say enough great things about Shannon! She is direct and no nonsense in her coaching and yet always maintains a sense of fun and playfulness when working with her. She has been a great help for me to get out of my head and trust my own uniqueness. I have seen a complete 360 as my work comes alive and many an aha moment has been had.
And…she is the real deal as far as booking and hitting the pavement out there! She knows what the trends are and what works because she applies it with awesome success in her own career.

I’ve been working with Shannon for a couple of years and she’s absolutely fantastic! Unlike a lot of other hosting coaches, she is great at giving feedback and not just telling you what you want to hear. Her prices are reasonable as well. When I’m spending my hard-​earned money, I want to make sure I’m getting something in return and I definitely am with Shannon! Shannon is wonderful at explaining things without simply doing it herself and expecting you to pick up on whatever adjustments she has made on her own. I always feel better about my hosting and career after a lesson with Shannon!
Shannon’s always working and booking jobs as well, so she knows exactly what’s going on in the industry and how to help her students get agents and proceed with headshots or any other business-​related issues that come up along the way. Shannon genuinely cares about her students – and I genuinely care about her! Shannon’s fantastic and any student would be lucky to work with her!

I run a hosting group in LA and it started with the people in my very first hosting class with Shannon! She has been to this day one of my absolute favorites! She can spot instantly tiny verbal errors that you’re making in your scripts that change the entire way you speak! I loved it! She is upbeat but very straightforward which is exactly what you need! She also has a keen business sense on the industry so not only can she help the talent side of things, but she can also get you in tip top shape business wise which is hard to get.
Not only is she a great teacher, she is an AMAZING host! Her reel is awesome AND she is currently always working. It’s important to get schooling from hosts that are hosts that are working today!
Good luck in your career — you’re off to an amazing start if you’re working with Shannon!