Member since December 2024
Shannon Malone-deBenedictis is an Emmy Award-winning television producer turned empowerment coach, speaker, and founder of Fully Unapologetic™. With over 25 years of experience creating powerful stories for major media brands like National Geographic, Netflix, and Discovery Channel, Shannon brings a rare blend of industry insight, creative leadership, and deeply personal perspective to every stage she steps on. She has collaborated with household names like James Cameron, Sigourney Weaver, and the BBC—and now uses that same storytelling power to help others step into their own.
Through her signature FULLY UNAPOLOGETIC™ approach, Shannon works with companies, conferences, and communities to foster more empowered, inclusive, and innovative environments. Whether she’s speaking to high-performing teams, emerging leaders, or creatives trying to find their voice, Shannon delivers her message with warmth, humor, and radical clarity: You don’t have to change who you are to succeed. You just have to stop apologizing for it.
What me apart wasn’t just my skills. It was my ability to bring out the best in others. To help editors own their instincts. To encourage shy talent to speak boldly. To empower creatives who felt like outsiders. And to help teams be successful with open communication, free flowing ideas, and the motivation to be game-changers.
I've swum with sharks, nearly runover by a water buffalo, kept an A-list celebrity from having a meltdown, and all the craziness in between. I kept thinking my own, creating not obvious opportunities and being my best self, unapologetically. This ranges from negotiating access to an aircraft carrier in a war zone to refusing to wear all black to the Emmys.
After years of producing for networks and studios, Shannon founded Padlin Creative—named in honor of her mother, Paddy, and a beloved family friend, Lina. It’s more than a company. It’s a calling: to coach, champion, and co-create with professionals who want to live fully, show up truthfully, and stop shrinking to fit someone else’s expectations.
As an Emmy winning filmmaker, workshop facilitator, speaker, and trusted mentor, Shannon now combines personal storytelling with professional development—helping others become their most creative, unapologetic selves.
Because at the end of the day, your career isn’t just about the work you make.
It’s about the person you become making it.
What if some of our most deeply held ideas about leadership are simply wrong? We tend to reward the people who look confident, sound certain, command attention, and fit our inherited image of a leader—while overlooking the quieter skills, unconventional strengths, and hidden expertise that often make teams actually work.
In FORCE OF NATURE: What We Get Wrong About Strength, Leadership, and Success, Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and creative executive Shannon Malone-deBenedictis uses surprising lessons from the natural world, more than 25 years of leadership experience, and her own career navigating an image-conscious industry to expose the gap between what power looks like and what power actually does.
From the mythology of the “alpha” to the invisible skills that prevent disasters, build trust, preserve knowledge, and move organizations forward, Shannon challenges leaders to examine who they reward, who they overlook, and what they may be failing to recognize in themselves.
Smart, funny, provocative, and grounded in real experience, this talk asks a deceptively simple question: Are we recognizing real strength—or just the version of strength we’ve been trained to see?
We are living in an era of unprecedented technological change. From new platforms to
innovative ways of working, we are witnessing a boom unseen since the Industrial
Revolution. The rise of artificial intelligence has challenged creatives, forcing them to
question not only how they work but the very validity of their craft.
As a wildlife and documentary filmmaker with over two decades of experience, I have seen
the industry reach enormous heights and retract like an evening tide. However, regardless
of the obstacles placed in front of us, originality and storytelling must always come first.
While many fear that AI will take over the creative process, this presentation argues that it
cannot and should not.
Why? Because everything ultimately comes down to the story.
Filmmaking and AI: It’s the Story, Stupid explores how our industry has been challenged by
new technology since Thomas Edison and W.K.L. Dickson invented the kinetograph. Through
every new camera, lens, and graphic innovation, filmmakers have continued to tap into the
creative well to tell provocative and memorable stories.
This talk demonstrates that while innovation is essential, it cannot replace the human
desire for a good story. True storytelling requires originality, the courage to challenge
norms, and the willingness to do what others won't. Tech leaders and innovators will learn
how to better collaborate with creative professionals, while creatives will be reminded that
their originality is what truly matters.
In the end, it is storytelling that punches through; it is the lighthouse that brings the story
home.
Wildlife films are awe-inspiring spectacles. And filmmakers make it look easy!
But it is anything but. Ever wonder what it takes to make Secrets of the Whales, a Shark Week show, or Inside the Mind of a Cat? Join executive producer and developer Shannon Malone-deBenedictis for this webinar as she gives insights on what it takes to make a stunning and memorable documentary.
A webinar for those who have an idea but don't know how to make it into a documentary? Watch as we explore the process of taking your initial idea and turning it into a compelling pitch. Learn valuable tips on how to uncover that documentary hook that will captivate your audience. Whether you're a seasoned filmmaker or just starting out, this event is perfect for anyone looking to enhance their storytelling skills. Don't miss out on this opportunity to refine your documentary ideas and take them to the next level!
I've swum with sharks, nearly runover by a water buffalo, kept an A-list celebrity from having a meltdown, and all the craziness in between. I kept thinking my own, creating not obvious opportunities and being my best self, unapologetically. This ranges from negotiating access to an aircraft carrier in a war zone to refusing to wear all black to the Emmys.
After years of producing for networks and studios, Shannon founded Padlin Creative—named in honor of her mother, Paddy, and a beloved family friend, Lina. It’s more than a company. It’s a calling: to coach, champion, and co-create with professionals who want to live fully, show up truthfully, and stop shrinking to fit someone else’s expectations.
As an Emmy winning filmmaker, workshop facilitator, speaker, and trusted mentor, Shannon now combines personal storytelling with professional development—helping others become their most creative, unapologetic selves.
Because at the end of the day, your career isn’t just about the work you make.
It’s about the person you become making it.
What if some of our most deeply held ideas about leadership are simply wrong? We tend to reward the people who look confident, sound certain, command attention, and fit our inherited image of a leader—while overlooking the quieter skills, unconventional strengths, and hidden expertise that often make teams actually work.
In FORCE OF NATURE: What We Get Wrong About Strength, Leadership, and Success, Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and creative executive Shannon Malone-deBenedictis uses surprising lessons from the natural world, more than 25 years of leadership experience, and her own career navigating an image-conscious industry to expose the gap between what power looks like and what power actually does.
From the mythology of the “alpha” to the invisible skills that prevent disasters, build trust, preserve knowledge, and move organizations forward, Shannon challenges leaders to examine who they reward, who they overlook, and what they may be failing to recognize in themselves.
Smart, funny, provocative, and grounded in real experience, this talk asks a deceptively simple question: Are we recognizing real strength—or just the version of strength we’ve been trained to see?
We are living in an era of unprecedented technological change. From new platforms to
innovative ways of working, we are witnessing a boom unseen since the Industrial
Revolution. The rise of artificial intelligence has challenged creatives, forcing them to
question not only how they work but the very validity of their craft.
As a wildlife and documentary filmmaker with over two decades of experience, I have seen
the industry reach enormous heights and retract like an evening tide. However, regardless
of the obstacles placed in front of us, originality and storytelling must always come first.
While many fear that AI will take over the creative process, this presentation argues that it
cannot and should not.
Why? Because everything ultimately comes down to the story.
Filmmaking and AI: It’s the Story, Stupid explores how our industry has been challenged by
new technology since Thomas Edison and W.K.L. Dickson invented the kinetograph. Through
every new camera, lens, and graphic innovation, filmmakers have continued to tap into the
creative well to tell provocative and memorable stories.
This talk demonstrates that while innovation is essential, it cannot replace the human
desire for a good story. True storytelling requires originality, the courage to challenge
norms, and the willingness to do what others won't. Tech leaders and innovators will learn
how to better collaborate with creative professionals, while creatives will be reminded that
their originality is what truly matters.
In the end, it is storytelling that punches through; it is the lighthouse that brings the story
home.
Wildlife films are awe-inspiring spectacles. And filmmakers make it look easy!
But it is anything but. Ever wonder what it takes to make Secrets of the Whales, a Shark Week show, or Inside the Mind of a Cat? Join executive producer and developer Shannon Malone-deBenedictis for this webinar as she gives insights on what it takes to make a stunning and memorable documentary.
A webinar for those who have an idea but don't know how to make it into a documentary? Watch as we explore the process of taking your initial idea and turning it into a compelling pitch. Learn valuable tips on how to uncover that documentary hook that will captivate your audience. Whether you're a seasoned filmmaker or just starting out, this event is perfect for anyone looking to enhance their storytelling skills. Don't miss out on this opportunity to refine your documentary ideas and take them to the next level!