Today, Eric is thrilled to welcome Shannon Thaler Cherry as his guest.
Shannon began her career as a model before pivoting to become a successful journalist, emcee, and host. She now leads content sessions at trade shows, corporate events, webinars, awards shows, and other events.
Tune in as she shares her journey and the nuances and facets of the dynamic career she has built.
Shannon’s Journey
Shannon began as a dance major in high school. She then signed a modeling contract rather than going straight to college. While traveling internationally as a model, she pursued digital journalism studies through Penn State’s World Campus. A chance conversation at a photoshoot led to her first writing opportunity, which opened the door to an internship at BizBash after months of persistence. From there, she transitioned into newsroom roles at Daily Mail and New York Post before returning to freelance writing, where she found her niche in event journalism. Today, she combines writing with emceeing, carving out a unique space at the intersection of storytelling and live events.
Planning Career Transitions
Changing careers requires preparation. Shannon maintained her freelance work as a safety net to ensure she had income streams in place before leaving her former roles.
The Modeling Industry
Modeling is highly competitive, but Shannon pushes back against the stereotyping that portrays models as shallow or unkind. For many, modelling is a stepping stone to other opportunities. She also notes how the modeling landscape has shifted to become more competitive, with influencers taking a share of the opportunities once reserved for traditional models.
Pursuing Multiple Careers
Shannon learned that to manage her multiple careers successfully, she had to ignore outside opinions. She also realized that at least one of her chosen careers needed to be driven by passion to give her the resilience required to ride out all the ups and downs.
Journalism Realities
Young writers seldom choose their own assignments. Content is often driven more by clicks than quality, which can undermine investigative work. Shannon’s strategy has been to find niches she genuinely enjoys within those constraints.
The Event Industry
What sets the events world apart is its people-first culture. Shannon finds professionals in this space more collaborative and responsive than those in newsrooms. LinkedIn networking has also been a cornerstone of her growth as both a writer and emcee.
Preparing to Emcee
Shannon avoids over-reliance on technology and instead memorizes scripts through repeated writing and rehearsal. She advises joining planning conversations early, connecting with speakers in advance, and over-preparing for the likelihood of any technical glitches occurring.
Handling Uncertainty on Stage
For Shannon, the key to handling uncertainty on stage is to stay calm and keep her energy flowing when something goes wrong. She uses housekeeping announcements or light engagement to bridge awkward moments without embarrassing speakers.
Burnout and Balance
Organization is essential. Shannon schedules everything in her Google Calendar, including her downtime and walks. She also views dinner times with her husband as a daily grounding ritual, a habit she credits to her upbringing.
Technology and the Future of MCs
Shannon is not worried about AI replacing live emcees. Unlike a faceless “voice of God,” an emcee offers human connection, eye contact, and the kind of responsiveness that technology cannot replicate.
Personalization in Events
Shannon highlights a growing industry focus on “personalization at scale.” Attendees now expect experiences that feel crafted just for them, whether at small gatherings or massive festivals.
Bio: Shannon Thaler Cherry
At just 26, Shannon Thaler Cherry has already built over a decade of professional experience. Today, she works as a full-time content specialist, out of NYC, contributing to leading outlets including A Media Operator, BizBash, Corporate Event News, Trade Show News Network, and Vendelux, among others. Beyond writing, Shannon is also an experienced moderator, host, and emcee, leading content sessions at trade shows, corporate events, webinars, awards shows, and more.
Shannon’s career began on a very different stage: as a model, traveling the world for brands like Reebok, Louis Vuitton, Sally Hansen, and Colgate, and appearing in the pages of Glamour, Teen Vogue, and Seventeen Magazine. She later shifted her creative focus to journalism, sharpening her craft as a breaking news reporter at the Daily Mail and business reporter at The New York Post, before stepping into the specialized world of events media, where she continues to blend storytelling, performance, and industry insight.
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