Services
Museum and nonprofit consulting
In times of transition, challenge, or ambitious change, having an experienced leader supporting your team can make all the difference. As a former museum director and CEO, Kristen Shepherd has the executive experience to support and be a sounding board for senior leaders and CEOs. She encourages collaboration across disciplines as she leads complex projects, mentors staff, and provides expertise across a wide set of operational verticals. She works with each client to ensure strategic alignment, and fosters an inclusive, collaborative process to achieve your institution’s goals. Kristen is also an authority on museum membership and visitor experience, and has great enthusiasm for working with teams to encourage a broad base of support in communities. Whatever your vision, Kristen has the experience to help.
Consulting services include:
Interim C-suite and departmental leadership
Membership consulting and training
Visitor experience and visitor journey mapping
Team building, coaching, and project leadership
Coaching new managers in financial literacy, including budgeting, forecasting, and effective financial reporting and presentation
Reaccreditation project management
Project feasibility, planning, and project management
Experience and selected clients
Project management excellence
Uncover the secrets of successful project management with Veronica Lane. Veronica recognizes that blending creativity with precision is crucial for the success of any museum project. She has carefully crafted training and consulting programs that show you how to use strategic project management practices to elevate your cultural institution to new heights. Whether you choose her one-day intensive sessions or opt for the multi-day comprehensive option, you’ll walk away with the know-how and tools to smoothly handle the details of museum project management.
Project Management Training
On-site Training: Learn how to manage projects from start to finish right at your museum
Virtual Instructor Lead Training (VILT): Engage in online training sessions led by Veronica Lane
Agile and Waterfall Methodologies: Explore two distinct approaches to project management and ways to choose the one that best fits your needs
Communication Channel Development: Learn effective strategies to improve communication and information-sharing within your team
Project Management Consulting
Strategic Alignment: Ensure that your project planning aligns seamlessly with organizational goals
Mitigating Risk: Find and fix problems in your project before they happen
Performance Metrics: Implement key indicators to measure success and foster a culture of continuous improvement
Selected clients
Media Training and Presentation Skills
Museum executives often find themselves in front of donors, community members, and even the press. Whether you are called upon to give a speech at an event, take part in a podcast, give a presentation, or are being interviewed for radio or television, confidence in public speaking skills is critical to success. As a Performance Coach, Kathleen has decades of experience and solid techniques for intuiting each client’s needs or establishing a productive and fun dynamic for group coaching. Kathleen’s coaching method is tailored to each individual, using the proven Uta Hagen and Linklater acting techniques. Kathleen brings passion, empathy, and 30 years of experience to her work with professionals, encouraging them to ‘jump afraid’ into any aspect of public speaking.
Individual coaching for on-camera and radio interviews, podcasts, presentations, or speeches
Group workshops for developing grounded and effortless communication skills. Learn how to eliminate anxiety and bring your authentic self to every interaction in the workplace or the media
Individual or group coaching sessions that teach you how to make effective and polished social media video posts for museum or event promotion
Testimonials
Halona Norton-Westbrook, Ph.D, Director and CEO
Honolulu Museum of Art
My team and I have been beyond thrilled in working with Kristen. In her consultancy, Kristen brings a rare combination of strategic thinking, operational expertise and the first hand experience of having been a museum director. Kristen is sensitive to the very human aspects of running a museum organization. In her work with us, she immediately dove in to learn as much as she could about the culture and history of Hawaiʻi to ensure that her work with our staff and the local community would be informed and sensitive. In addition to managing complex projects, she is a gifted coach and team builder for the staff, and a trusted advisor to the senior leadership team. She engages our staff at all levels and encourages their professional growth. Kristen is an extraordinary professional who brings enthusiasm, empathy, and deep expertise to every aspect of her work. I highly recommend working with Kristen.
Zoe Kahr, Executive Director, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
My team and I had the pleasure of working with Kristen to revamp our membership program. Throughout the process, we were so impressed by the deep knowledge that Kristen brought to the project, her ability to deploy industry contacts on our behalf, her analytical skills, and her ability to clearly communicate her findings and suggest implementable recommendations. Kristen worked seamlessly with team members across our staff, from front line to senior leadership. With Kristen's support, our membership revenue is already up 70% year over year.
Kortney Clark, Director of Operations, Skillpath
I have been able to work with Veronica first hand as she has facilitated training for our many clients. I knew from the moment I first met Veronica that she was the full package. She has a gift for communicating even the most complicated topics in a way that is both understood by the amateur participant and challenging to the more advanced learner. Veronica is not a one trick pony. While she is a Project Management expert, she is also versatile enough to teach on leadership, coaching, communication and other topics. Veronica is a top contender in the training industry and I count myself as lucky to be able to see her in action.
Flor Corn, Sr. Compliance Specialist
Veronica's leadership, resourcefulness, great communication skills and overall professionalism made her a much sought after asset to a project. Veronica brings people together, empowers them to drive a project forward and brings out the best in a team. She energizes people to believe in themselves with her smart, positive, open and honest communication style; and promotes collaboration between team members to ensure a positive outcome. Quite frankly, if you have a project that needs to be done timely, professionally and accurately, Veronica is the person you want on your side. She's a go-getter and an all around wonderful person!
Workshop participant
Veronica was incredibly engaging and excited about her work. She made this course a pleasure to take and I felt she used real life examples that made it easy to digest the information.
Workshop participant
Veronica was excellent and she gave lots of real world and specific examples and scenarios. I would absolutely take another course with her and recommend her training to others.
Lauren S, Workshop participant
Working with Kathleen using the Linklater Technique has really helped me connect more with my clients, and breathe through my anxiety so I feel like I can bring myself to my meetings.
Michael J, Coaching client
Kathleen’s approach to performance coaching using the Uta Hagen Technique not only helped me ground myself in presentations, but it has totally upped my game!
Holly K, Social Media Influencer and actor
Coaching with Kathleen has helped me truly be present so I can be my authentic self when I’m on camera. I can finally get rid of the nerves and articulately communicate with the interviewer and the audience.
Eddy Z, Coaching client
Kathleen’s passion for coaching transformed my media presence, and I’m able to be my best self in whatever situation I’m in.