For us, it's more than a job.
It's a purpose.
Find out more about why Donna Shannon became a career coach.
Donna Shannon
President, Career Coach, Speaker, Author, and Lead Visionary
Drawing on her experience as an HR recruiter, Donna Shannon founded the Personal Touch Career Services in 2004 to teach job seekers how to get past the guard dogs like herself. While her first classes started as simple weekend workshops, they set the tone for the next 18 years: Empower job seekers by giving them insight into real-world practices and the tricks to overcome them. She held onto her HR positions, including Rocky Mountain PBS (Channel 6) in Denver. From 2005 to 2007, Donna served as the Placement Specialist at the Starkey International Institute for Household Management, helping graduates secure jobs managing multi-million-dollar private estates. In 2011, Donna stepped off the corporate cliff to lead her business full-time. Since then, she has continued to perfect the Personal Touch’s offerings, including comprehensive coaching programs, writing services, online classes, podcasts, and books like “Get a Job Without Going Crazy.” In 2014, Donna received the Private Service Educator of the Year award from the Domestic Estate Management Association (DEMA) to recognize her educational focus for job seekers. Donna enjoys mentoring her staff on the latest job searching strategies and writing techniques.
Donna serves as the Mentorship Program Chair for Mile High SHRM’s Emerging Leaders Committee. She holds an AAS in Music Business Management/Audio Engineering/Video Production from the Art Institute of Colorado and a BS in Entrepreneurship from Regis University. On the side, she tells very crude jokes as a stand-up comedian, including her comedy podcast, “Donna Shannon’s Coyote Tales.” You can find all of her professional and comedy links at LINKTREE: https://linktr.ee/donnashannon
Dia Kline
Staff Writer, Career Coach, and Business Development Manager
She/Her
Long before joining the Personal Touch Career Services in early 2020, Dia Kline made a name for herself as a competitive public speaker, speaking coach, actor, writer, voiceover artist, and comedian. Over the years, she has won multiple awards for speaking through Toastmasters, where she also helped others overcome their anxieties and speak more fluently, whether from the stage or in a job interview. As a congenital anosmic, she produces entertaining and educational videos about living in a world that doesn’t stink. Under Donna Shannon’s continued mentorship, Dia is fully versed in all of the PTCS’ job searching strategies, working with clients one-on-one and in group coaching sessions to help them land those jobs they love. It fits perfectly with Dia’s motto that she never met a system she couldn’t hack or a rule she can’t break. Originally from Santa Fe, NM, Dia left as fast as she could and relocated to the Boulder, CO. Dia holds a bachelor’s from CU Boulder in Art History/Italian Minor, although it hasn’t helped gain her meaningful employment; however, she can keep an interesting conversation.
Jasmine Giffen
Administrative Assistant and Marketing Coordinator
They/Them
Jasmine Giffen comes from a unique background as a professional body piercer with ten years of experience at various shops in the Denver metro area. Jasmine has managed the social media marketing and branding efforts for their own business throughout their career. At PTCS, Jasmine helps with marketing content, social media campaigns, customer service, and administrative functions. Jasmine enjoys working in many art mediums in their free time, including film photography, charcoal, and textile arts. In addition, Jasmine loves to read (high fantasy, horror, and poetry), partake in all things hockey, and collects cool rocks and oddities.
Beth Sager
Staff Writer and Lead Editor
She/Her
A self-proclaimed “grammar nerd,” Beth Sager joined the Personal Touch team in 2014. Previously, she established her resume and professional writing service in 2011. Over the years, she has generated resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and supporting documents for every industry and experience level, from the C-suite to entry-level candidates. Her editing work goes beyond just resumes to help people with academic, professional, and technical writing projects. Beth holds a Master’s in Counseling Psychology and a Bachelors in Music Education. Outside of writing, Beth is a dedicated feline foster mom specializing in special needs cats, whether they need medical care or socialization. When not petting cats or writing, Beth can be found conquering any of Colorado’s ‘14ers’ as an avid climber.
Becky Parr
Staff Writer
She/Her
Becky is the new kid, hired in August 2022; however, she’s been writing resumes, cover letters, and LinkedIn summaries for clients of outplacement and relocation firms since 2004. Her resume writing experience ranges from creating a high school student’s first resume to detailing an executive’s 40-year career for a Board of Directors search. In terms of industries – you name it, she’s seen it – but some of her favorites include healthcare, education, nonprofit, social services, logistics/supply chain, human resources, and sales. Her expertise also includes academic CVs and CVs customized to various countries across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
Born in Texas, Becky fled the 100+-degree heat in 2021 to take up residence outside of Denver, along with the J-cats (2 rescues, Jax and Jaylah) and the world’s most spoiled rescue dog, Simon. She loves to cook, read, and cross-stitch, and has ambitions of becoming a regular hiker in the beautiful Rocky Mountains.
Tjwana "TJ" Dixon
Staff Writer
She/Her
As a Career Management professional with over 14 years of related experience, Tjwana is committed to helping people achieve their dream jobs. Through her work in career services at multiple career advancement, higher education, and professional development institutions, Tjwana consistently helped 85% of their students gain full-time employment while significantly increasing their salaries. In particular, she loved helping the students understand how to improve their resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and job-searching strategies while advising them on potential careers and supportive curriculum choices to land them. As a writer, Tjwana has generated resumes and LinkedIn profiles for technology, education, criminal justice, medical, and media/entertainment professionals. Tjwana graduated from American InterContinental University, earning a dual master’s degree in Business Administration specializing in Management and Marketing.
Latricia Friend, MBA, CHM
Staff Writer and Coach
She/Her
Joining the team in 2012, Latricia is one of the very first writers hired by PTCS. However, she first met Donna Shannon while gaining her Certificate in Household Management (CHM) through the Starkey International Institute in Denver, CO. In fact, Donna placed Latricia in her first household management role in 2007. Since then, Latricia has built a solid reputation not only for her fractional household management business in New York but also as a guiding voice on the nature of the industry. In 2017, Latricia received the Private Service Professional of the Year from the Domestic Estate Management Association (DEMA). In addition, Latricia has presented at national conferences and hosts the 5-Star Service Club on Clubhouse. When not spreading the word on improving the industry, Latricia is a foodie who loves to travel and experience new things – and maybe even a dance, if you ask her nicely.
Tessa Barlow
Staff Writer
She/Her
A member of a resume-writing family, it's no wonder that Tessa Barlow also "fell into the business." As a willing and eager learner, Tessa graduated from the Writing Excellence program offered through the National Resume Writers' Association (NRWA). Under this rigorous program, Tessa gained extensive knowledge in the art of resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and cover letters.
An active member of the NRWA, Tessa served on several committees before being elected to the NRWA Board of Directors as a Director of Member Support (DOMS). She serves on the front lines, advocating for the value of the resume-writing profession by providing members with responses to inquiries, promoting career resources, and supporting future-focused initiatives. Prior to joining the Personal Touch Career Services, Tessa worked closely with job seekers on Indeed, offering them professional guidance on improving their resumes to land more interviews and job offers.
A Texas native and California transplant, Tessa lives in South Dakota with her husband and two children. When she is not writing, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her large extended family.
Georgie Shannon
Director of Customer Relations
He/Him
Georgie joined the team on April 20, 2021. Having struggled with finding a job on the mean streets of Nebraska, Georgie knows how job seekers feel to not have a leg to stand on. As such, he is always willing to bend an ear to listen to our customers’ concerns and loves engaging in lively conversations with people no matter what time of the day or night. In addition, Georgie possesses a natural talent for sensing when folks need to yowl, whether to blow off steam after a hard day or to celebrate some good mews.
Felix D. Katz
Director of Finance
He/Him
Felix joined the team in April 2022. After graduating from FU (Feline University), Mr. Katz began his career as an intern at Enron, where he learned Creative Corporate Finance and CAAT (Commonly Accepted Accounting Theories). Before leaving the company, Felix spearheaded the shredding program.
In addition to overseeing the Finance Department at PTCS, Mr. Katz leads our DEI initiatives, especially in inclusion for disabled persons. As someone with only 2.5 legs himself, he clarifies how we can all add reasonable accommodations to enhance our entire workforce. Many find Felix as a source of inspiration, as he lets nothing stand in the way of his success while he claws his way up the corporate ladder.
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Casey W.
Dia was very receptive and compassionate when it came to my particular needs. I felt heard and that truly showed when I received my finished product.
Judy D.
Very down-to-earth and relatable! Everyone was helpful and available for advice, questions, and the class was very illuminating.
Chris D.
Donna Shannon has been my coach since 2018. In that time, I got three promotions and doubled my salary. We are working on my next promotion now which should triple it!
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