Shannon Litton on Purpose and Profit in Action

Q: What did the beginning of your career look like?
Vastly different from today. I was teaching English to middle schoolers and my greatest aspiration was to have summers off with my kids. Then my husband and I moved from Florida to Tennessee and I found a job writing employee newsletters. I fell in love with marketing and when my boss left to start a company and invited me to join him, I didn’t hesitate to say yes.

Q: You founded Nashville’s 5by5 Agency more than a decade ago. What was that like and what work are you most proud of?
It’s been an incredible journey, with some amazing milestones like making the Inc. 5000 List five times in seven years. I’m equally proud of us being recognized as a great place to work for two consecutive years by the Nashville Business Journal. And really that’s because the people are the pulse of 5by5. They work hard, celebrate together and genuinely care about the changemaker clients and causes we serve.

As far as campaigns, I’m especially proud of our “It’s About Time” work with the University of Mississippi Medical Center. This was a capital campaign developed to build a world-class home for the institution’s cancer-related care and research programs. We led a research-driven strategy process from the ground up, delivering market research, campaign strategy and messaging, commercial video and photography, website design and digital advertising, which all culminated in “It’s About Time.” The campaign and commercials featured narration by Morgan Freeman, a Mississippi native and cancer survivor, and to date, the campaign has raised over $100 million. Our team was recognized with five Telly Awards for excellence in video for this project and it was a special moment.

Q: 5by5 is now 100% employee-owned. Tell us what that journey was like.
I think the future is about proving that “for profit” and “for good” don’t have to compete. They can actually work together. When I realized that there was a business model that actually embodied that belief and really was purpose and profit in action, that’s what led us to employee ownership.

So in 2024, we became 30% employee-owned. It meant that the amazing people at 5by5 who helped create value everyday for our clients and company benefit from that.

Then, in 2025, 5by5 became part of the 3LS family of 100% employee-owned Changemaker companies. We knew we wanted to work toward becoming 100% employee-owned, but being acquired by an employee-owned company is actually one of the easiest and quickest ways to make that happen. 3LS is a team of changemakers and so was 5by5. It made so much sense and I’m so proud that we’re part of such an incredible family of 27 employee-owned Changemaker companies as a result.

Q: What’s your role look like now?
I now serve as CEO of 3LS Professional Services where I oversee a portfolio group that brings together marketing, technology, digital strategy and ESOP advisory services around organizations that are doing work that grows good in the world.

Rather than focusing purely on revenue aggregation, we take a strategic approach—bringing companies together where being part of the group can help them grow faster and stronger. If a company can grow more because it’s part of this group, that’s a win for everyone.

Our team has worked with organizations of all sizes across industries, from social services and behavioral health to nonprofits, small businesses and fellow employee-owned companies. From Nashville to communities across the country, we help changemakers at every stage move faster, gain clarity and achieve sustainable growth.

Q: What do you want other Nashville leaders and business owners to know?
Employee ownership has enormous room to grow in Tennessee. There are 95 employee-owned companies across the state, representing nearly 67,000 employees and more than $14 billion in plan assets. But with thousands of closely held businesses facing an ownership transition over the next decade, we’re really just getting started.

For Nashville leaders and business owners, I think it’s something worth understanding. We hear a lot about people-first cultures and thinking long term, and employee ownership is one way to actually put those ideas into practice. When employees have a real stake in the business, they tend to stay longer, care more and think differently about their work. And for a business owner, transitioning ownership to the people who helped build the company can be both a smart business decision and a meaningful legacy.

The Tennessee Center for Employee Ownership (TNCEO), which I’m proud to serve as President, supports business owners, employees and communities in understanding and pursuing employee ownership. If you’re a Nashville business leader who is beginning to think about your exit, your legacy or what happens to your team after you leave, I’d encourage you to start that conversation with TNCEO. In fact, October marks Employee Ownership Month, and TNCEO has a number of events and resources to help you think through whether employee ownership could be the right path for you.

At the end of the day, employee ownership gives people a real stake in the future they’re helping build: for themselves, their families and the company they helped create.