Meet Shauna Griffiths | Founder & Co-Pilot

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shauna Griffiths and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shauna, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The thought process behind starting Sidecar Strategy had a lot to do with the reality that many brand leaders and organizers don’t actually need an agency; they need a professional with perspective—someone who can distill, shape, and sharpen quickly, directly, and affordably. This is especially true during this turbulent time in the marketplace and history.

Access to real-world subject matter experts who are lauded in their fields of expertise for their passion and difference-making and who cherish the co-pilot role in helping individuals deliver winning results is the Sidecar Strategy difference.

At Sidecar Strategy, we serve as an on-demand strategic growth partner for complex and challenging marketing sprints.

There’s no friction. It’s pure focus and winning results.

It’s simply great work with great people.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
What truly sets me apart is a deep sense of resilience, insatiable curiosity, and a growth mindset that was first shaped by my experience as a two-sport Division I athlete. Those foundations, along with my unwavering commitment to my values, have carried me through every stage of my career.

I’ve been fortunate to work for some of the most iconic organizations in sports and business—including Nike, the WNBA, the NBDL (now the G-League), the New Jersey Nets (now the Brooklyn Nets), as well as roles in experiential marketing, creative advertising, and revenue growth consulting. Along the way, I’ve also served on boards like GameOn Entertainment Technologies and Cynisca Cycling. In every role, my approach was the same: learn, grow, and elevate the game—not just for myself, but for the people and businesses I served.

My entrepreneurial journey began in 2020, when I was laid off at the start of the pandemic. Rather than retreat, I leaned into my instincts to ‘find a way to win with positive intention’ and launched SLG Impact. That business was born out of a clear market need—to create meaningful impact for both companies and people. Through SLG, I had the privilege of partnering with remarkable brands like the Detroit Pistons, LEGO, and Movember.

During that same time, I launched my podcast—now called GAMETIME with Shauna Griffiths: Conversations with Impactful Leaders. It was my response to the injustices I saw in leadership and society. I wanted to elevate diverse voices, showcase authentic leaders, and be part of the solution rather than remain silent. Years later, that platform is still thriving.

Life, of course, is rarely linear. One of my consulting clients eventually became a full-time role, which felt like a stable next step during uncertain times. But the tech downturn disrupted that path, and once again I found myself—like millions of others—navigating unemployment during market turbulence.

Those setbacks became sparks. I took the time to step back, study the realities of agency models and senior leadership today, and reimagine a better way forward. The result was Sidecar Strategy—a consultancy built not to sell services, but to solve problems. Sidecar is grounded in transparency, simplicity, excellence, and meaningful results. To bring it to life, I handpicked some of the best talent I’ve worked with throughout my career to serve as Co-Pilots in this mission.

What I want the world to know about me and my brand is this: my story isn’t just about resilience—it’s about creating impact with purpose, partnering with great people, and finding better ways forward no matter the challenge.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend were visiting, the first thing I’d do is have her stay with us in our new home so she could finally meet my husband and our pup in person—and spend time with my sister and her family, who she’s known from afar for more than 20 years. From there, our week would be filled with the little things that make our friendship so special: riding bikes, walking our dogs, grocery shopping, and cooking a simple meal together, and finding a cozy coffee shop where we could catch up, people-watch, and snack our way through the afternoon.

We’d definitely carve out time for one of our favorite traditions—stopping by a tattoo shop, since we’ve been sharing tattoo dreams and new acquisitions for decades. And because we both love the outdoors, we’d take the camper van out for a night or two, go camping under the stars, and hike with our dogs.

Honestly, the best part wouldn’t be where we went or what we did—it would be the laughter, the conversations that leave us buzzing with inspiration, and the joy of simply being together after so many years of friendship.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to dedicate my shout-out to the people who have believed in me—sometimes even more than I’ve believed in myself—throughout these last five years of my entrepreneurial journey. That includes my coach, Leslie Harris; my husband, John Griffiths, and our pup, Peaty; my sister and her family; my closest friends; the Sidecar Strategy Co-Pilots and Advisors; and the incredible group I call Official Leadership Athletes, which includes long-time mentors like Felicia Hall Allen, Alfred White, Fred Mangione, and Pam Harris.

Website: https://sidecarstrategy.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slgimpact/; https://www.instagram.com/sidecarstrategy/; https://www.instagram.com/shaunaridesbikes/; https://www.instagram.com/shaunaleigh_22/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaunasikorski/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shauna.sikorski.7

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVKxo0GfjDw8ABVJaWh-QsQ

Other: https://www.slgimpact.com/

Image Credits
Photography credit: Vintage B/W Motorcycle Sidecar Racing [BMW sidecar units with Wilhelm Noll/Fritz Crohn, 1953 (12/2012)]

Black and photos of me were taken by JC Buck of John Christopher Studio