Meet Kyle Shannon n/a: CEO of Storyvine

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kyle Shannon n/a and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kyle Shannon, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factor behind my success is having a healthy relationship between passion and reality with a driving force of curiosity. Even though I dreamed of being an actor, I began my college education in computer science, but quickly became disillusioned, and switched my major to theatre. It was the first major moment where I committed to what’s become a lifelong passion: the art of storytelling This strategy led my career. What if I became an actor? I acted in New York City, an experience that transitioned me to starting and running a theater company. The same experience opened the opportunity to put my computer skills & knowledge I gained doing desktop publishing, and allowed me to create the award-winning online magazine, Urban Desires. At the same time, I co-founded AGENCY.COM, where I served as Chief Creative Officer and Chief People Officer before the company had a successful IPO on the NASDAQ in 1999 and was ultimately sold to Omnicom in 2002. Curiosity has been a stepping stone for my success over the last 25+ years, from acting to screenwriting to leading a digital agency and now the CEO of Storyvine, a Guided Video platform that automates video production and democratizes video storytelling. Once I make a commitment, I’m 100% in until there’s clear success or failure. I don’t give up, quitting is not an option for me. If the path is visible, I keep going – always.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Storytelling is my art. I’m a trained storyteller and have practiced my art in acting, writing [screenplays and the online magazine Urban Desires], learning large scale brand storytelling at AGENCY[dot]COM and now in building video creation platform. My vision is to democratize video storytelling, and we’re very much on the verge. The balance between passion and reality has always brought me to the crossroads of self-expression and storytelling. I’m curious about the world and truly love expressing how I interpret the world through different forms of art – whether it’s on a stage or in a video, it’s storytelling. I learned many lessons over the last few decades. No matter what the project is, it always takes longer than you think it will. And there’s really no difference between great success and great failure. It’s the same amount of commitment; the main difference is all the stuff that happens out of your control. I’m pretty sure 99% of it is out of your control, well at least in my experience…But the best part is learning more about yourself and who you are along the way.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Denver is a beautiful city to explore from our parks, lakes and hiking trails to the culture found in our museums to the Santa Fe Art District and our performing arts scene – there’s truly something for everyone. Hands down, the best food can be found at Ramen Star on Tejon Street. My go to meal is the spicy miso bowl at Ramen Star in the Sunnyside neighborhood. Delicious!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My first shoutout goes to my co-founder and President/COO of Storyvine, Monique Elwell. Monique is the ying to my yang. Her strengths complement my weaknesses. Not only are we good friends, Monique has been by my side for the last eight years building Storyvine from the ground up. It’s been one hell of a journey and our path continues to be visible! I’m also very grateful for my wife, Gabrielle Shannon, for embracing the uncertainty of my ventures over the years and for her unwavering support through this crazy entrepreneurship journey. And my final shoutout goes to RiNo’s Catalyst Building headed by Mike Biselli. It’s much more a community than a building, and has been our headquarters, allowing us to bring a high quality of life and culture to my team.

Website: https://www.storyvine.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storyvineinc
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/4808628
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StoryvineInc
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Storyvineinc/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAEiDPGPWrjwNUMarV36LYg

Image Credits
Storyvine