Seeing What You Already Have: Shannon Crawley's Transition Into Gaming

"My confidence grew, and I realized I was more than capable of succeeding in this role and building a meaningful career in gaming."

Shannon Crawley is based in Henderson, Nevada. She recently earned her Master's degree in Organizational Leadership from Arizona State University and works as a Senior Business Analyst and certified Prosci Change Management Practitioner. She's new to the gaming industry.

When she joined the Global Gaming Women mentorship program, she came ready to learn. What she found went beyond what she expected.

Coming in Ready

Shannon joined as a mentee, motivated to learn about the industry, build community, and learn from women who had navigated gaming careers successfully. "I came in ready to absorb everything the program had to offer."

Her mentorship relationship felt different from the very beginning. "What made my mentorship relationship truly different was how patient and caring my mentor was, a stark contrast to previous mentoring experiences I'd had. She went beyond just listening; she gave me monthly tasks that challenged me to step outside my comfort zone and apply new tools to grow in my role and strengthen my confidence."

Shannon's mentor created structure and accountability through targeted assignments and in doing so, made a lasting impression.

The Turning Point

A defining moment came during one of their sessions. Shannon was struggling to see whether her skills were transferable to her new role. Everything felt new and unfamiliar.

"Together, we made a list of my skills and mapped them directly to the projects I was working on. Seeing everything laid out on paper created a visual connection I hadn't been able to make on my own, and something shifted."

Visualizing her skills on paper - such a simple exercise which made a big change in the way Shannon sees herself. "My confidence grew, and I realized I was more than capable of succeeding in this role and building a meaningful career in gaming."

Genuine Investment

What had the biggest impact was Shannon's mentor's approach. "The quality that impacted me most was my mentor's genuine passion for mentoring. I felt it every time we met. She was fully engaged and invested in my transition to a new industry and not just telling me I was growing, but showing me visually how far I'd come from meeting to meeting."

Renewing Hope

Shannon had not always had positive mentoring experiences in her career. This program changed that. "Yes, this experience reminded me just how powerful mentorship can be when you have a mentor who is truly engaged, consistent, and passionate about helping others grow. Over my career, I haven't always had the best mentorship experiences, but this program renewed my hope and reinforced just how meaningful the right mentoring relationship can be."

The right mentorship relationship could undo some of what previous poor experiences had done.

Resources for Growth

For women in her field, Shannon recommends three books: Dare to Lead by Brené Brown, Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab, and Radical Candor by Kim Scott. "All three offer valuable insights and practical tools for personal and professional growth, no matter where you are in your journey."

For Those Considering It

Shannon thinks you should "Do it! Set aside any skepticism you may have and come in open, open to learning if you're a mentee, and open to paying it forward if you're a mentor. Either way, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain."

More Capable Than She Knew

Shannon came to gaming from a different background with skills she'd developed elsewhere. Her mentor helped her see that those skills weren't a weakness or gap to fill, they were assets. By mapping them to her actual work, she moved from feeling like an outsider to understanding she already had what she needed to succeed.

That shift from "everything feels unfamiliar" to "I'm more than capable" happened through patient mentoring, structured tasks, and someone showing her visually how far she'd already come.