Session Leaders

Cristi Williams | Certified NLP Master Practitioner, Shading the Limelight & Lecturer, Belmont University

With over 20 years in the Entertainment Industry, personally and professionally, and being an educator for 17 years, Cristi has provided workshops and coaching services to world-renowned artists. Creating a flexible and in-depth artist-success model while partnering with major labels, production companies, and studios has resulted in what is now Shading the Limelight. Cristi is a Certified NLP Master Practitioner and has worked with many industry companies including Sony, Universal, RockMafia, Nickelodeon, Disney Records, Atlantic Records, Walt Disney Studios, Treadwell Entertainment, Talent GPS, Hollywood Records, and TV Networks (ABC/NBC/Fox/CW/Lifetime).

Cristi’s greatest and most fulfilling accomplishment has been raising her daughter, Hayley. She is now a Grammy Award-winning artist and the lead singer of Paramore. Entering the entertainment business over 16 years ago opened Cristi’s eyes firsthand to what young men and women experience, which taught her how important it is to have a balanced life as well as a great support system. Cristi has worn many hats in her life’s journey (teacher, tour manager/public relations, presenter, personal assistant, advocate, choreographer, stage manager/producer, and mom), and has experience helping people from all facets of the industry, providing them with the best tools to discover how to manage and cultivate relationships and balance their personal and professional lives.

Elizabeth Porter, LPC/MHSP | Founder & President, Entertainment Health Services

Elizabeth Porter is the founder and president of entertainment health services, specializing in mental health and coaching services for individuals working within the entertainment industry. As a licensed mental health therapist, certified entertainment industry life coach, 15+ years in leadership/management, and a background in the music industry: elizabeth brings a unique blend of experience and skills to those served in the industry. Elizabeth started entertainment health services (ehs) in 2015 and launched her coaching program in the beginning of 2018 as an extended service of ehs.

Beth Barcus | Co-Executive Director & Porter, Porter’s Call

Prior to joining Porter’s Call in 2010, Beth Barcus worked within nonprofit organizations for 10 years providing crisis intervention counseling and care. Beth received her Masters degree and was trained in counseling. However, at Porter’s Call she gets to lay down the title of therapist to pick up the title of Co-Executive Director + Porter. As a Porter, she has met with thousands of touring and recording artists/partners. It’s been her great privilege to provide confidential support & encouragement to individuals, couples, and bands, speaking/teaching, and leading groups, retreats, & intensives. Beth is passionate about helping people find freedom and healing, as she seeks to be a safe friend who guides people through their pain to the gift of hope found on the other side. When Beth is not at the office, she enjoys time with her husband Blaine of 26 years, and their 3 children: 21yr old twins- Jude & Kenya and 17yr old Micah.

Chad Karger | Co-Executive Director & Porter, Porter’s Call

Chad received a Master's degree in counseling in 1995, combining his training and passion for providing tailored guidance, coaching, and care to diverse individuals and organizations. In his seven years at Porter’s Call, he has spent thousands of hours with artists and their partners. He also enjoys working with bands in his work as a Porter, as well as supporting partnerships within the industry as a whole as a Co-Executive Director. Chad and Meeka have been married for thirty-four years and have three kids and two daughters-in-law. Chad enjoys riding bikes and supporting Liverpool Football Club and Nashville Soccer Club.

Heather Schnoebelen LCMHCS, CCS, CTT-II, LCAS | Vice President of Clinical Services, Onsite

Joining the team to lead Onsite’s clinical division, Heather is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Supervisor, a Clinical Addiction Specialist, and a Certified Trauma Therapist. She completed a Master’s degree in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology from Naropa University. With nearly 20 years in the treatment industry, her clinical experience includes direct client care and executive leadership roles at inpatient, outpatient, and wilderness therapy programs.

Heather has been a part of developing, designing, and opening five dual-diagnosis and trauma-informed behavioral health substance use programs. Her clinical expertise includes working with the LGBTQ+ community, trauma, mental health, substance use disorders, spirituality, anxiety, depression, grief, and loss. Her clinical approach is person-centered, holistic, and humanistic, utilizing evidence-based experiential interventions to support the growth of individuals.

Stephanie Hajjar | Certified NLP Master Practitioner, Shading the Limelight

Stephanie Hajjar is a NLP Master Practitioner, as well as a Certified Life Coach and Emotional Intelligence Coach, and holds a BBA in Music Business from Belmont University. Upon completing a “life-changing” course at Belmont taught by Cristi Williams, her interest in coaching began. Quickly after the course, Stephanie sought and completed approximately 3 years of apprenticeship with Cristi. While simultaneously earning her degree, she managed both a New York City-based band and Nashville-based duo and interned at an esteemed artist management company and independent record label in Nashville.

With over a decade of devotion to the wellness and entertainment industries - understanding how the body and mind are interconnected - Stephanie applies a proactive, holistic, and cutting-edge approach to coaching that allows for groundbreaking results. Stephanie aims to assist entertainers and athletes who are experiencing the innate trials and tribulations that come with (seeking) success in their industries. It is her main mission to help her clients maximize their potential and enhance their well-being by equipping them with the tools necessary to find equilibrium in their lives.

Britton Copeland | Certified NLP Master Practitioner, Shading the Limelight

Britton received her bachelor's degree in media & entertainment industries from Belmont University in 2021. During her time at Belmont, she started to see the major lack of mental and emotional resources available to performers and entertainment professionals. After taking Cristi Williams’ incredible course, Social and Emotional Intelligence, she knew she wanted to dedicate her work to providing tools and resources for individuals in this incredibly taxing industry.

After graduating, Britton began working closely with Cristi as an assistant at Shading the Limelight, and discovered her passion for working directly with artists and entertainment industry professionals. She went on to receive her Neuro-Linguistic Programming Master Practitioner certification, and began accepting clients as an NLP M.P. Wellness coach at Shading the Limelight. She believes that artists and entertainment professionals experience challenges and obstacles that are unique to the industry, and hopes to offer an additional level of relief to her clients by having extensive knowledge of the creative and entertainment space. It is her goal to offer client-focused, goal-oriented, positive, and forward thinking sessions that are catered specifically to the needs of her clients.

Cris Lacy | Co-Chair and Co-President, Warner Music Nashville

Cris Lacy is Co-Chair and Co-President of Warner Music Nashville alongside Ben Kline. She and Kline guide the highly successful country division of Warner Music Group that includes such chart-topping artists as Ashley McBryde, Bailey Zimmerman, Blake Shelton, Cody Johnson, Cole Swindell, Dan + Shay, Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band and an array of skyrocketing talent who represent the genre's next generation, including Avery Anna, Gabby Barrett, Ian Munsick and Ingrid Andress.

Lacy graduated from Vanderbilt with a degree in English before beginning her first full-time industry job at Tom Collins Music Publishing. She continued her publishing experience at Rick Hall / FAME Publishing, Island Bound Music and Warner Chappell Music before accepting an A&R position at Warner Music Nashville in 2005. She rose through the ranks at the label, and was promoted to SVP of A&R in 2017 and EVP of A&R two years later. While leading A&R at Warner Music Nashville, Lacy was the driving force behind the signing of many of the label’s most prominent artists, including Barrett, Chesney, Johnson, McBryde, Swindell and Zac Brown Band.

Lacy's accolades include multiple spotlights on Billboard's Country Power Players, Power 100 and Women in Music lists, as well as MusicRow's Rising Women on the Row honor in 2016.

Sheldon Smith | Artist

Nashville-based artist and recent Belmont grad Sheldon Smith ornately blends pop, R&B, jazz, and funk into a playfully sophisticated sound with a sharp retro flair. Embracing a refusal to be confined by genre, he creates a boundless sonic space while maintaining a cohesive artistic through-line in every release. Inspired by musical virtuosos like Stevie Wonder, Lianne La Havas, Justin Timberlake, and Beyoncé, Smith expertly weaves between epic ballads and empowering dance anthems with his versatile songwriting. His latest single "SECRET ADMIRER" (July 2024) previews his debut EP "ELEMENT," set for release in Winter 2024. This EP pays homage to disco, pop, and funk, shaping Smith's identity as an artist. Beyond the studio, Smith captivates audiences with electrifying his live performances, inviting them to join his vibrant artistic journey, and offstage, he is equally passionate about acknowledging the importance of mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness in the music industry.

Brad Parker | Festival Director, C3 Presents

Brad Parker is a seasoned professional with over a decade of experience in the live music and entertainment industry. Formerly of AC Entertainment, Brad now serves as Festival Director for C3 Presents, overseeing the day-to-day operations of Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival as well as several other festival brands within C3’s vast U.S based portfolio. His extensive experience and empathic leadership skills have been instrumental in the success and growth of these iconic festival brands.

Al Andrews | Founder, Porter’s Call

Al Andrews is the Founder and former Executive Director of Porter’s Call, a nonprofit he founded in 2001. Since its inception, Porter’s Call has been offering its services to recording artists at no charge, providing a safe and confidential space for artists to be off-stage and deal with the issues they face. As of 2023, the Porter’s Call staff has spent more than 70,000 hours working for and with their clients, saving them millions of dollars on counseling fees. A 1976 graduate of the University of North Carolina, Andrews is a lifelong Tar Heels fan. He is the co-author of The Silence of Adam, the author of an illustrated children’s book The Boy, the Kite and the Wind, and a Christmas book, A Walk One Winter Night. Andrews loves Southern writers and poets, is quite partial to chicken wings, loves live music and going to movies at the Belcourt Theatre. He lives in Nashville with his poet/artist/counselor wife of 34 years, Nita, and they have two sons, Brent and Hunter.