From Chef to Director of Partnerships at Othership: Shannon Bent’s Bold Reinvention

Featured Interview: Shannon Bent

Introducing Shannon Bent, a health, wellness, and fitness entrepreneur turned corporate partnerships leader.

Now based between Toronto and New York, Shannon is the Director of Partnerships at Othership, where she designed and built the company’s corporate wellness program and now leads all corporate partnerships and events. Her work helps companies integrate innovative wellness practices into workplace culture.

Her career began as a professional chef, but after a knee injury and ACL surgery, Shannon shifted gears, returning to school to become a dental hygienist. She moved to British Columbia, where she spent 10 years combining her healthcare career with her passion for fitness and nutrition.

During that time, she launched Protein by Bent, a premium protein bar brand, and managed Lagree West Gastown, one of Vancouver’s top Lagree fitness studios. She later partnered with her sister, Barbie Bent, to open Lagree West Victoria, bringing the Lagree method to Vancouver Island and building a thriving fitness community.

Whether creating nutritious products, building fitness communities, or designing corporate wellness experiences, Shannon is passionate about helping people move better, feel better, and live healthier, more connected lives.

Follow Shannon on Instagram @shannonbent

We interviewed Shannon on resilience, reinvention, and building impact across industries:

If you’re escaping for the weekend, what’s always in your bag? 

I can't go anywhere without my kindle. I am always reading fantasy romance novels!

You’ve had such an incredible career journey with bold pivots – what advice would you give to someone looking to start fresh or shift into a new lane?

Don’t be afraid to start over–your past experiences are never wasted; they’re building blocks for what’s next. Every big shift in my career felt scary at the time–going from a professional chef to dental hygiene after knee surgery, then into entrepreneurship with protein bars and fitness studios, and now corporate wellness with Othership. But each step gave me skills I still use today–discipline from the kitchen, precision and care from healthcare, community building from fitness, and now partnership strategy in the corporate world.

My biggest advice? Get curious, not fearful. Follow what excites you, even if it feels unrelated to what you’re doing now. Be willing to be a beginner again, surround yourself with people who are already doing what you want to do, and stay open to where your skills can transfer. You’ll be surprised how much of what you already know will serve you in a new lane.

What’s been one of the biggest challenges you had to face, and how did you push through it?

Opening Lagree West Victoria in January 2020 was supposed to be the start of something incredible. I had poured everything into it–financially, emotionally, and physically–only to have the world shut down just two months later. For the first two years, we were closed more than we were open, which made building any momentum feel almost impossible. There were moments when I questioned if we would make it at all.

But instead of giving up, I focused on what I could control–staying connected to our clients, supporting our community in any way possible, and being ready to come back stronger every time we reopened. It taught me patience, creativity, and a whole new level of resilience as a business owner. Those early struggles made us appreciate every single client who walked through our doors once restrictions lifted, and they shaped me into a more adaptable and resourceful leader.

What’s a productivity tool that’s helped you achieve your goals?

A few tools have completely transformed how I work, especially balancing partnerships, events, and team collaboration.

For emails, I use Whispr Flow to draft and organize responses efficiently, and hot keys to speed through my inbox–small changes that save a surprising amount of time.

For meetings, Fathom and ChatGPT are game-changers. Fathom automatically records and summarizes calls, so I never miss important details and can focus on the conversation instead of note-taking. I use ChatGPT after meetings to help refine follow-ups, craft proposals, or brainstorm creative solutions while everything is still fresh.

These tools help me cut out busywork and stay focused on what really moves the needle–building relationships, creating partnerships, and delivering great client experiences.

Who or what inspires you most on your creative/entrepreneurial journey?

I’m endlessly inspired by people who can reinvent themselves, push through setbacks, and come back stronger than ever. Martha Stewart is one of my biggest inspirations for that reason–she’s the ultimate comeback queen. Her ability to pivot, stay relevant, and expand her brand in completely new ways is incredible.

On a personal level, my sister, Barbie Bent, inspires me every day. Building Lagree West Victoria together showed me what resilience and hard work really look like. She’s proof that with the right mindset, you can turn a vision into something real–and have fun doing it.

Both of them remind me that no challenge is permanent if you stay creative, adaptable, and determined.

Do you have a manifestation practice or mindset ritual you swear by – something that’s helped you call in the life and opportunities you want?

I’m a big believer in the power of mindset, but for me, manifestation isn’t just about wishing for things–it’s about creating the space and energy for them to happen. My version of manifestation is a mix of visualization and intentional action.

Every morning, I take a few minutes to get clear on how I want to feel and what I want to build–not just the end result, but what the day needs to look like to get me closer to it. I’ll visualize meetings going well, partnerships coming together, or clients loving an experience we’ve created. Then I ask myself, ‘What’s one thing I can do today that moves me toward that?’

I also keep a running list of big-picture goals and review it weekly–not to obsess over what hasn’t happened yet, but to remind myself that small, consistent actions add up.

Honestly, the biggest shift came when I started acting like the person who already has the opportunities I want–showing up with that confidence and energy tends to attract exactly the kind of people and projects I’m looking for.

Big Ideas No Chills is an interview series spotlighting real stories of ambition and reinvention—everyday people pivoting careers, taking bold risks, starting new chapters, and chasing big dreams.