Shanelle Porter-Simmons Featured by Influential Women for Her Work on Life After Service

SC, UNITED STATES, November 3, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Retired Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel, former American record holder in the indoor 1,600-meter relay, and author of ‘Try a New Path’ helps professionals explore what comes next through The Fifth Path LLC.

BLYTHEWOOD, SOUTH CAROLINA –

October 30, 2026 – Shanelle Porter-Simmons, founder of The Fifth Path LLC, is featured by Influential Women for her work helping people navigate high-stakes life and career transitions. A retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel, trailblazing former commander, elite track athlete, and author of Try a New Path, she brings her experience in military leadership and civilian human resources to her work as a speaker, author, and strategic thought partner.

Her focus is especially relevant to women military officers preparing to retire or already retired. After years of meeting an organization’s needs, many face a question their résumés cannot answer: what do they want an ordinary week to look like? Porter-Simmons encourages them to consider time, relationships, health, and financial needs before making their next major commitment.

That approach grew from her own transition. A civilian human resources role offered a strong salary and the opportunity to use her military experience. On paper, it looked like a good fit. In practice, the calendar left little room for the travel and half marathons she had imagined. Protecting time for one trip meant setting aside other plans. The experience prompted her to look beyond the next job title and ask how work would fit the life she wanted.

Through The Fifth Path LLC, she helps people turn that question into something tangible. Her New Path in Motion Framework pressure-tests doable possibilities, giving professionals a low-risk way to explore options before making a major commitment. Participants choose a small experience or action, consider what support they need, put a first step on the calendar, and notice what they learn.

“Movement creates evidence. Evidence creates clarity,” Porter-Simmons says. The point of the test is to learn from an experience rather than expect certainty before beginning. At the end of 14 days, a person can decide whether to continue, adjust, explore something else, or stop. The action should fit the 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 it also helped Porter-Simmons recognize what she valued in her own work: listening to people’s stories and helping them see possibilities they might have overlooked. That insight helped her clarify the direction of The Fifth Path LLC.

Porter-Simmons holds SHRM-CP certification, a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from Boston University Metropolitan College, and a Master of Military Studies from Marine Corps University. She also completed a Graduate Certificate in Project Management through Boston University.

Her background gives her a personal understanding of both peak achievement and major transition. Porter-Simmons is a former No. 1-ranked high school 400-meter runner, two-time NCAA Division I champion, 13-time NCAA Division I All-American, and former American record holder in the indoor 1,600-meter relay. Her athletic career taught her how to train systematically toward high-level goals.

In the military, she became the first African American female to serve as commander of a Marine Corps Recruiting Station. Her military honors include three Meritorious Service Medals. She also earned six Commandant of the Marine Corps Superior Achiever Awards for recruiting excellence. Those experiences, combined with her civilian human resources work, placed her alongside high performers facing demanding responsibilities and consequential life decisions. Today, she draws on that background in conversations, speaking, and teaching about designing a next chapter.

Porter-Simmons encourages people to begin with curiosity and take a manageable step, even when the plan is not polished. She values the human connection that comes from being heard by someone willing to ask questions and help examine the choices ahead. Her aim is to help people make decisions that reflect their own priorities and define success on their own terms.

Learn more about Shanelle Porter-Simmons and The Fifth Path LLC at shanelleportersimmons.com or visit her Influential Women profile at influentialwomen.com/connect/shanelle-porter-simmons.

Influential Women

Influential Women provides a platform where women from all backgrounds can connect, share their perspectives, and create content that empowers themselves and others. Through storytelling, thought leadership, and creative expression, Influential Women amplifies voices that inspire change.