Success in life stems from the choices we make. From engineer, journalist and professional skydiver to coach, consultant and business owner, Shannon Pilcher’s life choices — good and bad — have helped him create an exceptionally fulfilling life. He spends more than 200 days each year traveling the world and sharing his experience and wisdom. Whether writing, speaking, skydiving or consulting, Shannon wants to share his lessons with you so that you might be empowered to live more fulfilled.
Shannon Pilcher is a world champion skydiver, educator and entrepreneur who has spent 26 years traveling the globe and living life on his terms. He was an influential part of teams that pioneered high-speed parachute descents of some of the world’s most iconic mountain peaks, including the Dolomites (Italy), Mont Blanc (France), the fjords of Norway and the Grand Canyon. His work with high-performing teams and top-tier military units has earned him worldwide respect.
Pilcher is the co-founder of the Performance Designs Factory Team, a leading high-performance parachute flight team, and Flight-1, an education and training company that employs more than 49 consultants in more than 39 countries (see Flight-1’s promotional video here). He and his partners at Flight-1 have fostered a flat and autonomous corporate culture, intentionally mirroring many of the same values and procedures that contributed to their parachuting successes.
In 2010 Pilcher suffered severe head and spine injuries during a high-speed parachute descent in the Swiss Alps. That accident and the story of his miraculous survival are captured in his team’s one-hour documentary entitled Sky Jumpers , available on iTunes and Amazon Prime, .
Before jumping career tracks for the full-time pursuit of becoming a skydiving world champion, Shannon worked as a construction engineer. It was in this role that Shannon learned how to scientifically assess and analyze problems, and how to systematically apply solutions. Later, as a reporter for a small but global newsmagazine, he developed an ability to examine situations with multiple lenses, enabling him to produce unbiased journalism.
After Shannon and his team were crowned world champions in 2004 and 2006, Shannon went on to earn his MS in Organization Development from American University, a branch of behavioral science that equips learners with the models and tools needed to help human systems navigate change.
Pilcher’s education, passions, and professions ultimately merged, allowing him to blossom into a leader who understands the essentiality of trust and authenticity in any organization’s success. His worldwide rapport with civilian teams has garnered more than a decade worth of work with top-tier U.S. Air Force, Army and Navy special operations units as well as their NATO counterparts in Canada, Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom.
Today, Shannon spends his time equally between coaching, consulting and speaking. He believes that everyone can be more mindful with their choices, big or small. So whether working with business executives, parachutists or college students, Shannon’s mission remains the same: To empower others to be more intentional with every minute of their lives, using passion, purpose and perspective as a guide.
Shannon lives in DeLand, Florida with his wife and daughter.