Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Shauna Stephanchick of Kansas City

Shauna Stephanchick shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Good morning Shauna, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
Recently I have felt called to take the work we have be doing in Missouri schools at STEP Up and pursue it nationally. In the past this has created a lot of fear and anxiety, but we have had such success with Missouri clients and the need is so great with all schools, I still feel called to tackle it. With the data that supports our approach and the strong team we have at STEP Up, I am finally gathering the courage to take on the challenge!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Shauna Stephanchick and I am the President of STEP Up. Our company is unique to education because rather than providing more information of ‘What” schools should be doing according to research, we focus on the “How”. We have developed products and services that fast track research-based approaches so they are more easily understood and implemented by educators. We are dedicated to providing a high-quality education to all students and we believe that happens by equipping teachers first.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who taught you the most about work?
I feel like all of my family members on my mother’s side taught me the most about work. Whether it be working for a company, the farm or for the family, I observed countless examples of generosity, dedication, commitment and joy. I try to incorporate all of those tenants into my work as well.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
If I could say one kind thing to myself it would be, “Give yourself grace”. I am the type of person who puts a lot of pressure on myself (and most likely others) to be the best I can be in everything. In my younger years I would beat myself up mentally when I wasn’t excellent in all things from appearance to work performance, to social engagements. I realize now that I should have changed my perspective and focused on celebrating the things I did that were successful and given myself grace on the things I still needed to work on. No one is perfect and most people don’t even expect that from you. With grace comes the freedom of making mistakes and learning from them without guilt, that’s a much better way to life for me.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
I think my closets friends would say that faith, family and my career mean the most to me, at least that is what I hope they would say! I feel that my family and career are my personal callings and I put as much energy as possible in those two areas. I think they are the most meaningful pursuits in my life and I also think both will have longevity and impact.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you retired tomorrow, what would your customers miss most?
If I had to retire tomorrow I think customers would miss the quality and authentic approach that I have taken with my company. Having the ability to build my own team and manage a small company has allowed me to build an exceptional team of people who bring quality to the products and services we offer, down the our operations team ensuring people get questions answered and products delivered quickly. I also think they would miss the fact I have tried to build a company that doesn’t just care about business affairs, but about the experience and long term results of teacher practice and student success.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Jami Stevens, Diane DeLaTorre

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Highlighter Series
What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?

Coffee? Workouts? Hitting the snooze button 14 times? Everyone has their morning ritual and we

Highlighter Series
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?

Our deepest wounds often shape us as much as our greatest joys. The pain we

Highlighter Series
Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?

Culture, economic circumstances, family traditions, local customs and more can often influence us more than