Pathway 01
The Work
Coaching, consulting, business development, and strategic counsel for creators and cultural institutions scaling their voice.
From the street to the statehouse and from the page to the stage.
Stories move people.People move culture.
We collaborate with mission-led writers, artists, speakers, entrepreneurs, advocates, and changemakers to shift how the world listens.
Our Focus
Intersection of Story, Voice, and Strategy
Coaching, talent management, artistic programming, and cultural consulting for creators who shift paradigms.
Established MissionExpanded Platform
Who We Are
A creative & cultural organization.
#whatshesaidproject works at the intersection of story, people, and culture. We collaborate with writers, artists, speakers, advocates, and changemakers to develop their work, strengthen their platforms, and create opportunities for meaningful connection and impact.
Our work encompasses coaching, consulting, business development, boutique talent management, artistic programming, podcasting, and community engagement. We are not a political organization or an advocacy campaign agency; we believe stories can change how people see themselves, one another, and the world.
Grassroots RootsGrounded community storytelling practice.
Statehouse ReachInstitutional and cultural platform scale.
Boutique RosterDeep, tailored creative management.
Three Pathways
How We Collaborate
Tailored routing for artists, partners, and presenters
Pathway 02
The People
Boutique talent representation for distinct speakers, performers, and survivor-centered artists booking keynote engagements.
Pathway 03
The Stories
Original artistic programming, editorial publications, podcasts, and community storytelling series that reshape culture.
Boutique Roster
Featured Talent
Collaborators and managed voices driving crucial conversations across national stages, academic institutions, and cultural forums.
D. Nichole Davis
Speaker, Leader & AuthorLeadership, professional development, and stroke survivorship. Delivering transformative keynotes on resilience, executive growth, and human-centered leadership.
Jenn Wilenta
Dancer, Educator & SpeakerTrauma & healing. Honest conversations about what it means not only to survive trauma, but to rebuild a life after it.
Portfolio
Selected Creative Projects
Initiatives spanning stage, digital, and print
WRITE HOME: Letters to a Younger Me
A community anthology with Athenaeum Press at Coastal Carolina University — four free creative writing workshops and a published book of letters to our younger selves.
Welcome to the Sh*t Show
Shannon Ivey's memoir of colorectal cancer and the power of self-advocacy, published by University of South Carolina Press in 2026.
Poet of Witness
A Southern survivorship initiative using poetry and narrative practice to bring patients, caregivers, clinicians, and communities into shared witnessing.
Watch
Watch on YouTube →Story Slams & Performance
TEDx
What Cancer Taught Me About Care
Shannon Ivey's TEDxCongaree Vista talk on care, survivorship, and what a stage III colorectal cancer diagnosis taught her.
#WhatSheSaid Project Story Slam: Nature vs. Nurture — Dayna Smith
Dayna Smith explores nature versus nurture in this story slam recorded October 4, 2018 at the Columbia Museum of Art.
What She Said Project Story Slam: Melanie McGehee
Storyteller Melanie McGehee takes the stage in this #WhatSheSaid Project story slam recorded at the Columbia Museum of Art.
Podcast Series
Listen on Apple Podcasts →Latest Episodes
Episode 21
Listen →Virtual Story Slam with Shannon Ivey
With Shannon Ivey
Shannon Ivey finally agreed to tell a story from her pandemic experience. Beyond being in a statistic of mothers who had job loss due to child care obligations and shifts in the workforce during the pandemic, her realization was a deeply personal one. Supported by the South Carolina Arts Commission.
Episode 20
Listen →Virtual Story Slam with Pamela McAllister Vandervelde
With Pamela McAllister Vandervelde
This episode with Pamela deals with life and death, grief and wakeup calls. She is a new storyteller, but her wisdom and advice is expert level. Supported by the South Carolina Arts Commission.
Episode 19
Listen →Virtual Story Slam with Jess Willis
With Jess Willis
Jess is a storyteller, theatre artist, and all-around creative love bug who brought us a story about hanging out with herself during the pandemic, and what she found out. Supported by the South Carolina Arts Commission.
Latest Journal EntriesEditorial Writing
Dec 2025•Essays
A Blessing for the Badasses
On the year transition...
Dec 2025•Essays
Confessions of a Recovering Vigilante Helper
When helping becomes a way to outrun discomfort—and what it costs us.
Aug 2025•Essays
Where the Light Comes Out: A Deep Dive on Roxane Gay and Writing Trauma
“We are walking wounds, but I am not sure any of us know quite how to talk about it.”
Invitation to Collaborate
Let us move culture together.
Whether you are an artist seeking coaching and representation, or an organization booking keynote talent, initiate an inquiry below.
- Keynote & Talent Bookings
- Boutique Consulting & Coaching
- Creative Partnerships & Grants