Shanelle Porter-Simmons featured for helping professionals navigate life after service

Influential Women is highlighting Shanelle Porter-Simmons, founder of The Fifth Path LLC, for her work guiding people through major career and life transitions. The retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel is using a test-before-you-commit framework to help veterans and other professionals decide what comes next.

Why it matters: - Shanelle Porter-Simmons is focused on one of the hardest parts of transition: deciding what a next chapter should look like before making a major commitment. - Her approach is aimed especially at women military officers nearing retirement or already retired, a group that often has to rebuild routines, priorities and identity after service. - The Fifth Path LLC frames career change as a low-risk experiment, which can help people avoid stepping into roles that look good on paper but do not fit their lives.

What happened: - Influential Women featured Porter-Simmons on October 30, 2026, in Blythewood, South Carolina. - Porter-Simmons founded The Fifth Path LLC and works as a speaker, author and strategic thought partner. - Her background includes service as a retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel, former commander, civilian human resources professional and elite track athlete. - She is the author of Try a New Path.

The details: - Porter-Simmons says many women military officers ask not what job comes next, but what they want an ordinary week to look like. - Her guidance asks people to weigh time, relationships, health and financial needs before taking on a new role. - Her own transition from military life to civilian human resources led her to rethink the tradeoffs between salary, travel and personal goals. - She built The Fifth Path LLC around her New Path in Motion Framework. - The framework asks participants to choose a small action, identify what support they need, put a first step on the calendar and observe what they learn. - Porter-Simmons says, “Movement creates evidence. Evidence creates clarity.” - The process is meant to run for 14 days, after which a person can continue, adjust, explore something else or stop. - Porter-Simmons says the action should fit a person’s time, resources and responsibilities. - Her book Try a New Path examines how conformity, fear, doubt and comfort can shape decisions about change. - Writing the book helped Porter-Simmons clarify that she wants to listen to people’s stories and help them see options they may have overlooked. - Porter-Simmons holds SHRM-CP certification. - Her education includes a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from Boston University Metropolitan College, a Master of Military Studies from Marine Corps University and a graduate certificate in Project Management from Boston University. - Her athletic background includes being a former No. 1-ranked high school 400-meter runner, a two-time NCAA Division I champion, a 13-time NCAA Division I All-American and a former American record holder in the indoor 1,600-meter relay. - In the Marine Corps, Porter-Simmons became the first African American female to command a Marine Corps Recruiting Station. - Her military honors include three Meritorious Service Medals and six Commandant of the Marine Corps Superior Achiever Awards for recruiting excellence. - Learn more about Shanelle Porter-Simmons and The Fifth Path LLC at the company website or visit her Influential Women profile.

Between the lines: - Porter-Simmons is translating high-performance discipline from athletics and the military into a more flexible model for civilian decision-making. - Her message pushes against the idea that the next step should be chosen only by title, prestige or compensation. - The framework reflects a broader shift toward trial runs, portfolio careers and smaller commitments before bigger life changes.

What's next: - Porter-Simmons is using speaking, teaching and writing to expand The Fifth Path LLC. - Her work appears positioned to reach more veterans, professionals and women leaders looking for a practical way to test new possibilities before fully committing. - Influential Women is continuing to use its platform to amplify women’s stories, perspectives and thought leadership.