What we put in our shoeboxes, or what we discover in someone else's, can alter the course of our entire lives. I am proof of it.

What we put in our shoeboxes, or what we discover in someone else's, can alter the course of our entire lives. I am proof of it.
"Most of us have one, or something similar, hidden away. That box filled with reminders of a past we long to revisit. That box we shove into a corner, hoping it will help conceal the memories from our minds. And for some of us, that shoebox keeps our secrets."
Marcie J. Keithley, The Shoebox Effect
What is the Shoebox Effect exactly?
The Shoebox Effect, a term commonly used in the financial and insurance industry, references when someone pays the normal price for reimbursable services and saves the receipts to include when submitting a claim. These receipts, often stored in a shoebox, are usually forgotten and never submitted, and the person saving the receipts usually never reaps the benefit of doing so.
The Shoebox Effect applies to our lives in another meaningful way. While we may store mementos in a physical shoebox hidden in our closet to sort through occasionally, we also hold on to heavy memories in our emotional "shoeboxes," trying to shove those painful experiences to the backs of our minds.
Whether you have an actual shoebox or an emotional one, there is a price you pay when you don't face the box's contents. Let the Shoebox Sherpa help you find the courage to unpack your shoebox and face your truths. It will be the beginning of a newfound freedom ... a freedom you desperately need and deserve.
Just like me, you deserve the peace that awaits you. Are you ready to face your truth?
The Shoebox Effect
Marcie Keithley's shoebox contained a secret, one she kept for decades, one released when her shoebox was unexpectedly revealed in a moment of grief. A flood of memories and emotions were unleashed when the lid was knocked off. No longer able to deny what she had sequestered away in her closet and in her spirit, the revelation created challenges for Marcie, but it also did something positively unexpected. Releasing the truth began a cascade that resulted in a freedom Marcie did not know was possible. The Shoebox Effect gives you the steps you need to face your truths, heal your past and find the freedom you deeply desire. You’ll see how you can transform your pain into purpose and fortitude so you can embrace and live to your fullest potential.
Hi there! I'm Marcie, although my friends call me the Shoebox Sherpa. Like you, I tucked away secrets for years in a shoebox in the back of my closet. I attempted to ignore it, hoping that the grief it bore would become forgotten. But it didn't, and it never would have. I realized to move forward I had to embrace my past ... my shoebox.
And your shoebox awaits, too. Whether the lid is tightly on or gently cracked so you can get a glimpse of its contents, the box will always exist until you put it in your lap and allow the rawest parts of your past to come spilling at your feet.
If you need encouragement to heal your past and don’t know where to start, well, you’ve come to the right place. Think of me as your guide as together we navigate through loss, grief, divorce, death, and all of life's adversities and transform them into fortitude and purpose.
Just like me, you deserve the peace and freedom that awaits you. And while your box may be full of unknowns, remember that some surprises turn everything upside down and also right side up.


Invite the Shoebox Sherpa to help you and your group unpack the weight of what is holding you back.
Marcie speaks on a variety of topics, guiding groups and individuals to greater productivity, profit, peace and purpose through her inspiring motivational message. Her in-person or virtual keynote experiences, engaging workshops and speaking engagements are customized to meet the needs of your group and are promised to leave attendees on the path to self-discovery and infinite growth.
"In The Shoebox Effect, Marcie Keithley takes us on a journey of her life's painful losses, beginning with her mother at age five. As a confused and again abandoned young woman, she succumbed to the tragic loss of her own child to adoption. Keithley reveals her emergence from denial and suppression as she opens her shoeboxes of momentos and confronts her pain with courage and fortitude. As she faces her own personal demons, she adds to her story by offering us, her readers, questions and guidance for how we may do the same, leading to our own transformation and healing."
~ Linda Franklin Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Psychotherapist, Author of I'll Always Carry You.
"An important story to tell, Marcie Keithley has written a must-read primer for anyone on a journey of healing and self-discovery. We all have shoeboxes tucked away, but this compelling read not only offers insight and hope, it also gives us direction in opening our own shoeboxes to promote authenticity in our own journeys."
~ Pamela Karanova, Founder, Adoptees Connect
"A riveting and exquisitely told story, The Shoebox Effect is sublime in that it not only inspires through its author's rich reveal of family secrets but through its unique inspiration and roadmap for the reader to do the same."
~ Suzanne Bachner & Bob Brader, Award Winning Writers of The Good Adoptee & Spitting in The Face of The Devil
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