Shawn Shmyr: Navigating Stresses & Successes

Whenever Shawn Shmyr visits Northwestern Polytechnic to talk with Business Administration students, he remembers his own time in those classrooms.

"I know what it's like to wonder, how am I going to use this?" says Shawn. His goal is to draw on his years of success and experience in marketing to answer that question and help NWP students navigate the ups and downs that lie ahead.

Shawn's roots at NWP go back to "the 1900s", he jokes, when he enrolled in part-time business administration classes. "I wanted to be in restaurant and hospitality management," he recalls. "The courses taught me that there's far more at play behind every store and every product."

An operations management course delivered by retired NWP prof Francois Fournier was an important factor in that understanding. When assigned to create a business flowchart, Shawn used his experience at Earls Kitchen and Bar to lay out the long, complex path of products and services required to put a single meal on a customer's table. To his surprise, his project became an example for future classes. Shawn never forgot the validation of that lightbulb moment, and the lesson that, in business, things are rarely as simple as they seem.

While Shawn is now an award-winning marketer and senior marketing strategist with Rogers Sports and Media, he did move into restaurant management early in his career, managing the very busy Keg Steakhouse. He credits that role with reinforcing another lesson: something will always go sideways. "That's just business," he notes. "Have a plan for how you'll deal with things when they don't go as expected."

What motivates Shawn to return to NWP to share his experiences? "I think back to what I wish I'd known earlier," he says. "I want to help students navigate when things go wrong. And they will go wrong!" 

Shawn credits NWP's dedicated instructors with delivering the fundamentals and hopes his visits help fill the gap between textbooks and reality. 

"I like to talk to students about how they'll deal with stresses, messes and successes," says Shawn. His classroom visits are centred on participation and active learning to increase retention. One lesson he emphasizes? While the customer is not always right, they are owed respect and empathy for whatever they're going through. "Your goal should be to defuse the situation, and the fastest way to do that is to listen," he explains.

Shawn credits a lifelong dedication to personal education and development as a critical advantage in his career. In his work with Rogers, Canada's largest media company, Shawn represents dozens of international brands including the NHL, Sportsnet, HGTV and more. That doesn't mean he's taking his success for granted. 

"To stay relevant and thrive, you have to continue to push yourself and refuse to be comfortable," Shawn contends. Personal development keeps him evolving and growing, and he encourages students to build this advantage into their own careers. Shawn doesn't consider the hours he dedicates to personal development to be work. "I love to learn new things. I never know when I'll need it, but it's there when I do."

Shawn brings that same focus and energy to the rest of his life. He and his wife are devoted to their golden retriever, Fynn, love to hike and travel, and have created a resort out of their backyard.

From his early days on the family farm and in the classrooms of NWP, Shawn learned how hard work and constant learning pave the path to success – and he's happy to share those lessons with NWP's next generation of business leaders.