Empathy. Excellence. Elevation.
Where Human-Centered Leadership meets Purpose-Driven Transformation.
At Pharr-Williams, LLC, we equip organizations and women leaders to thrive in a world shaped by AI, uncertainty, and rapid change. Through our two powerful arms - Empaxis and Rooted & Rising - we help you lead with strategy, heart, and resilience.
Leaders today face unprecedented demands: evolving technology, rising customer expectations, and a growing empathy crisis. At the same time, women in leadership are carrying the emotional, spiritual, and professional load at levels never seen before.
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Pharr-Williams, LLC exists to meet these challenges head-on, with empathy, innovation, faith, and strategic excellence.​​Drawing from over 30 years of leadership experience and recognized nationally as the
#1 US expert on Empathy in Customer Service and Workplace Leadership,
Shanell Pharr-Williams helps individuals and organizations build cultures, careers, and lives rooted in connection and resilience.
Empaxis
Empathy-Driven Leadership in an AI-Dominated World
Organizations today are navigating a delicate balance: leveraging AI for efficiency without losing humanity in the process. As Shanell highlights in her globally recognized research and white paper, companies with empathetic service see 32% higher customer retention and 400–650% ROI over three years.
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Your ideal Empaxis client is thinking:
✔ “We need leaders who can inspire trust and navigate change.”
✔ “Our teams are overwhelmed, disengaged, or burned out.”
✔ “We’re implementing AI—but we can’t afford to lose our personal touch.”
What Empaxis Delivers
Grounded in proprietary frameworks like the EMPACT™ Framework and the C.A.R.E. Method™ , Empaxis helps organizations:
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Build empathy-first leadership cultures
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Train managers and staff in emotional intelligence
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Improve customer loyalty through strategic empathy
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Integrate AI with human connection for maximum impact
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Reduce burnout and escalations across teams
Empaxis Services
• Empathy Strategy Consulting
• Leadership Elevation Programs
• Corporate Training & Workshops
• Crisis Management & De-escalation Training
• Keynotes and Webinars (e.g., The Empathy Advantage)
Empaxis transforms customer experience, team culture, and leadership from the inside out.
Rooted & Rising
Spiritual Resilience & Faith-Integrated Leadership for Women
Women in leadership are carrying everything—from career demands to spiritual depletion to emotional exhaustion. Shanell’s work with Rooted & Rising supports women who feel called, capable, and committed—but tired of leading from empty.
As your book Rooted & Rising: A 90-Day Devotional for Women in Leadership affirms, women leaders are searching for a way to rise without losing themselves .
Your ideal Rooted & Rising client is thinking:
“I'm successful, but spiritually drained.”
“I need to reconnect with my purpose.”
“I want authentic community with women who lead like I do.”
Programs & Offerings
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One-on-One Purpose Coaching
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Women’s Leadership Retreats
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Leadership Mastermind Circles
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Book Studies & Devotionals
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Faith-Based Workshops
What Rooted & Rising Delivers
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Faith-integrated professional development
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Spiritual resilience practices
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Purpose-driven leadership coaching
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Retreats & masterminds for high-achieving women
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Support for women seeking to lead with wholeness—not hustle
Rooted & Rising equips women to lead from a place of strength, calling, and spiritual grounding.
Where Human Intelligence Meets Heart Intelligence
Where Human Intelligence Meets Heart Intelligence
Across your media kit, press releases, and bio, a consistent theme emerges:
Empathy isn’t a soft skill—it’s your hardest competitive advantage.
And for women leaders?
Faith isn’t a supplement—it’s a strategy.
At Pharr-Williams, LLC, we combine:
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Evidence-based leadership science
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AI + empathy integration strategies
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Faith-rooted resilience building
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Systems that create measurable transformation
Whether leading a global team or guiding a room of influential women, Shanell’s leadership is grounded in her experience as a U.S. Army Sergeant, senior utility industry executive, and award-winning leadership strategist.
No matter where you’re called to lead, Pharr-Williams, LLC is ready to walk beside you.
For Organizations & Teams:
For Women Leaders:
About Shanell Pharr-Williams
CEO • TEDx Speaker • Leadership Strategist
#1 US Expert on Empathy in Customer Service & Workplace Leadership
Shanell Pharr-Williams is a nationally recognized leadership expert, TEDx speaker, and transformational strategist with over 30 years of experience helping leaders bring together what most believe is impossible:
Empathy + Excellence
AI + Human Connection
Faith + High Performance
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Her leadership philosophy was forged through her experience as a U.S. Army Sergeant, where she learned that “true strength isn’t proving you’re tough; it’s proving you care” . That foundational belief - combined with decades of senior leadership experience in the utility industry - drives her mission today: to help people and companies lead from connection, courage, and purpose.
The Heart of Her Work
Shanell founded Pharr-Williams, LLC to address two rising global gaps:
1. The Empathy Crisis in Organizations
Her EMPAXIS consulting arm helps companies navigate the realities of AI-driven workplaces without sacrificing humanity. Her research confirms that empathetic companies achieve:
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32% higher customer retention
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2.5x higher customer lifetime value
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400–650% ROI over three years
from “The Empathy Advantage” white paper .
Through proprietary frameworks such as the EMPACT™ Framework and the C.A.R.E. Method™, Shanell shows organizations how to operationalize empathy with measurable outcomes.
2. The Spiritual Resilience Gap for Women in Leadership
Her second brand, Rooted & Rising, addresses the deep need for faith-driven women to rise in leadership without losing their spiritual grounding.
Her books—
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Rooted & Rising: A 90-Day Devotional for Women in Leadership
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Rooted in Resilience
— guide women to lead with wholeness, clarity, and calling .
Books & Thought Leadership
Shanell is the author of multiple influential works, including:
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EMPACT: Empathy Moves People And Companies Together
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Rooted & Rising: 90-Day Devotional for Women in Leadership
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Rooted in Resilience: A Spiritual Blueprint for Women Called to Lead
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“One More Step” – in Doing the Damn Thing Anthology
Her frameworks, data-driven research, and storytelling have shaped leaders across industries.
Awards & Recognition
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2025 Legendary Women of Impact Award – Paris, France
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TEDx Speaker
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Three-Time Tom Voss Presidential Award Recipient
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International Keynote Speaker & Leadership Educator
Across global stages, Shanell inspires audiences to bridge excellence with empathy and purpose with performance.
A Global Voice With Local Heart
Shanell serves:
Enterprise organizations ready to transform customer experience
Mid-market and small businesses creating empathy-first brands
Women leaders seeking faith-aligned success
International event audiences and leadership summits
Her message is simple, timeless, and backed by research:
Empathy moves people. Purpose moves leaders. Together, they move the world.