Monday through Saturday, nine to five, she works in the offices of Oakland University's food service, Chartwells, as a retail director. She manages employees and over $1 million in food sales each week. Her cell phone rings constantly; she's always on the go. But at the end of the day, instead of kicking off her shoes, she trades them in for a pair of stilettos, going to work as a pole dancing instructor. 

 

"It's not your sexy, kind of stripper thing," she says. "It's about empowerment and strength. It's a sport."

 

 

 

 

Click through the galleries below for a look at Shannon's jobs, seemingly poles apart.