Show notes –
I am Shannon Mitchell, a black millennial business owner, the founder of ShealoGlo, an all-natural handmade shea butter company. I am a champion for your self-care, business care & intentional wellness
and
I am Christine Gautreaux, a white social justice advocate, an international speaker, coach & published author who helps you upgrade your self & community care.
Together we are Women Connected in Wisdom a Podcast grounded in the 8 dimensions of wellness
Join us and special guests for weekly intentional conversations about how to be wise in business, relationships & wellness.
Connect with us on FB, Instagram & YouTube for our live shows on Wednesdays at 5 pm ET & head over to Mighty Networks and join our community at https://women-connected-in-wisdom.mn.co/
Show Transcript –
NOTE: While it’s not perfect, we offer this transcription by Otter.ai for those who are hearing impaired or who don’t find listening to a podcast enjoyable or possible.
Christine Gautreaux 0:08
Let’s do this.
Shannon M. 0:08
Okay, ladies, welcome to our podcast. I am Shannon Mitchell, a black female, millennial entrepreneur, the founder of shallow glow, a handmade shea butter company. I am a champion for your self care, business care and intentional wellness.
Christine Gautreaux 0:25
And I am Christine Gautreaux, a white social justice advocate, an international speaker, coach and published author who helps you upgrade yourself in community care.
Shannon M. 0:35
Yes. And together, we are women connected in wisdom, a podcast grounded in the eight dimensions of wellness. Welcome, welcome. We’re gonna have our show every Wednesday at five. This week, we’re doing us so that we can introduce ourselves to and from now on, we’re gonna have experts in the different dimensions to make sure that we have resources and tools that we can use to be dimensionally Well, together.
Christine Gautreaux 0:58
Right. And we’re coming on today on a Saturday because we originally were going to do it last Wednesday, and here in the United States. There was some other stuff happening. So we decided that we’re going to pay attention to that, take a breath, and then come on together after we’ve gotten a little sleep and grounded ourselves, right? Yes, yes. So we are both coming to you from Atlanta, Georgia. north of Atlanta, but we had some exciting stuff happen this week. So how are you? And should we start with the how are you? Or the why we’re doing this together? Shannon?
Shannon M. 1:36
So I mean, you asked how I am I can definitely answer that question. Again. I’m great. Christine, I told you I got more rest than expected, which is always a beautiful thing. And because we were supposed to record this before, I’ve been looking forward to it, you know, with everything that’s going on, let’s just be transparent, right? I knew that it was going to be interesting. You and I doing a podcast together and not doing it on Wednesday was interesting. But I realized it was gonna be even more of have a thing as me as a black woman, and you as a white woman doing a show together after everything that happened last week. So not like it wasn’t relevant after these hundreds of years. But especially, you know, after last week, I’m excited to for us together to talk about wellness with women to show them what it can look like, in a healthy way. And to learn stuff from everybody. That’s part of it. I can’t wait to be more set up and to live a fuller life.
Christine Gautreaux 2:36
Right? Cuz you know, just to give you a little backstory for our listeners, Shannon and I met through our dear friend Joe vantrease, who’s going to be one of our first guests next week. And we I have been running, manifesting masterminds for probably close to 10 years now. And so one of the things that I do in business is I support women and people who identify as women, entrepreneurs, you know, I support them in the work they’re doing in their world, and especially around self and community care. Because myself, I’m an artist, I’m an activist, I’m a caregiver, all of those things, especially when you add on top or other responsibilities as women are a lot. And so Shannon and I have been in community and in this group together for Well, years, two years, see how yours narrow because I’m turning into my mother where I forget, like time does this weird work thing that. So two years, and we’ve been talking about this and having some really deep and interesting conversations. And so we’re excited to share with y’all our listeners and each other like it’s a little bit of accountability for us each week, like what’s going on in the world? What are our different perspectives? So, you know, we had history last week in Georgia on Tuesday. Yes. For those of y’all that don’t know me yet. I am completely a political nerd. I love I think it’s a part of anti racism work and a part of my social work. And so I have been working on the ground with lots of organizations here for years. So really excited to elect Raphael, Warnock, Reverend, who said, Well, I felt Warnock and John Aasif. Senate last week, and we had I don’t know what do we have? For hours maybe because we didn’t we didn’t get us off confirmed until Wednesday. So we may have had four hours to celebrate. Before all hell broke loose in our capital. So yeah, like, who? And the more that comes out about it and the deep divisions and especially around racism And I don’t know what you were seeing on your feet, Shannon, but you know, on mine, so many white people shocked. This is not America, this is not who we are. I’m like, where you been? Right? Right? Because you know, when you see black people as criminals, and you see terrorist as Muslim, right? Or people that aren’t from this country, then of course they don’t see white people as terrorists or criminals, which the books that stormed our capitol work. So, yeah, there’s so much work to be done my friend. So holding both right, hold them to grief in the gratitude holding the gratitude of relationships, the gratitude of the work that’s been done in Georgia for years, especially led by black women, to get the senators and change the state of Georgia’s politics. Well, actually, let me change that our politics have been blue for a long time, we’ve just due to suppression. It hasn’t. It hasn’t been shown to the world.
Shannon M. 6:20
So that makes sense. Yeah.
Christine Gautreaux 6:22
So the holding that right, hold on that celebration, at the same time, we’re holding the Holy schnikeys, we got a lot of work to do
Shannon M. 6:32
so much work. And that’s why we’re having this you know, because it can be overwhelming, when there’s so much work to do on the world. And there’s so much work to do in your life. People are sick, Corona has shut stuff down. Situations look different. Where do you start when you’re worried about your family, and then just all of these things, you know, so that’s, that’s why we’re talking so we can be genuinely whole and well, and have the tools that we need to address situations like this. And not always by me and somebody in Atlanta, driving all the way up to the Capitol, right, but being able to do what I can hear and then still be balanced, and still be saying,
Christine Gautreaux 7:15
well, I know because we’re friends and colleagues that you have a new company, yes, beginning of our intro, about your business. But you know, every time we talk, I want you to tell folks what your company is, because I’m gonna start rubbing my hands, and they’re gonna be like, but this happens every time I talk to you, my friend. And I’m so glad we talk as often as we do, because I take better care of myself because of you. So I want you to tell folks about who you are as far as a business owner and what you’ve been up to.
Shannon M. 7:45
Yes, no. So I love it. So what Christine is using is shea butter, right? And I don’t mind it, I love it too. It makes you feel so taken care of and is funny that something so simple, can do so much for you. But it’s really changed my life and the way that I think about taking care of myself, you know, I started the company because I was a server at Papa Joe I was actually kitchen manager and I stepped down because my mom was sick, you know, kitchen manager hours or like nurse hours, you know, as a working all the time, missing a lot of stuff. And I wanted to spend more time with my mom, she passed away at the end of last year. And of course before that, with cancer being a huge part of wellness in our society, people being sick. I’ve been very intentional about the products that I use on myself, right natural products that do what they say they’re going to do, but also don’t have a huge list of side effects that come with me trying to fix one thing. So as a server, the other servers were going to the dermatologist because our hands were so dry. Now the whole country understands that washing your hands and doing all this is going to make you dry and it affects your skin hands. You’re cracking again, they’re going to the dermatologist. I was going home, I was using the shea butter and I because it has coconut oil and aloe in it. I said I’m so glad that I have this but what are they using? Because clearly they need something. I started selling it and corona happened, it shut down the restaurant and I decided not to go back. And I started this business with my unemployment company. So the mission of it is putting something that’s going to help eczema, diaper rash if you have a young baby and dry skin on your face from the mask and you could put on your eyebrows, your lips, I love one thing that could do so much for you. And that’s what I think about wellness. It reminds me of the eight dimensions of wellness and that’s what we’re going to be talking about on this podcast.
Christine Gautreaux 9:45
Right and I want to transition us to talking about eight dimensions of wellness but I have to do my little testimonial real quick first. So you know it’s it’s cold here in Georgia. Now for those of y’all that are not from the south, you’re gonna be laughing when I tell you but I mean, really, we’ve been at freezing a little bit lately. So anytime it even gets close to their eye, my skin starts to get really dry and crack and it starts to hurt. And I’m gonna say like, the other it was probably a week or two ago, it was 20 degrees or 25 outside and I go for a walk part of my wellness practice is to go for a walk run every morning. And my hands were hurting, because they were starting to do that cracking thing. And I was like, Wait a second, wait a second, where’s my logo. And so I got it, and I started playing on. It was either after the first or for sure after the second time I put it on, I went from hurting to healing, like, boom. And I was like, I sent it to my mother because she has the same like, we have the same thing that happens. I send it everybody. Well, I’m not gonna say our brand new because everybody that’s listening is gonna be like you didn’t send it to me, Chrissy. I sent samples to everybody. So if you need one, reach out to me, and I’ll send you another one with that holiday not holiday card that didn’t make it out.
Shannon M. 11:09
Right. So let’s talk
Christine Gautreaux 11:11
about the eight dimensions of wellness. Let me and I’m looking over here, Shannon at the the opening picture of us. And I was looking down and I’m like, oh, oh, I got a little double chin that’s going on there. We got to talk about physical as the first is, as one of the eight dimensions of wellness. What are the other ones?
Shannon M. 11:33
So we have mental and emotional, right? We’ve talked about that a lot this year, with everything going on. There’s occupational I hit on that when I was talking about stepping down from the kitchen manager position back to a server right? We’ve talked about that with the increase of unemployment this year. There’s environmental now I’ve always been outdoors person, but I definitely spend more time outside now more than I used to. But not just spending time outside I think about throwing away plastic or recycling. How do you minimize your your footprint? That’s one way to get more environmentally Well, right? There’s financial, of course that goes hand in hand with occupational. And that’s been another topic.
Christine Gautreaux 12:15
Can I just say something really quick about financial? In when I was a baby social worker, I used to do home studies for years. And people have a harder time talking about their finances than they do talking about their sex life. Wow. Oh, like,
Shannon M. 12:33
right, you’re gonna say their kids.
Christine Gautreaux 12:36
Though, really, it’s really, like finances are one of those things that people and in my experience, and I think it changes for different generations. So I’d love your feedback on this because we’re two totally different generations, especially for women my age, which I’m 50. So we didn’t talk about finances. Again, it wasn’t something that we were really taught. And maybe that was just my household and where I was raised, but we didn’t talk about it a lot. And we didn’t. Um, and we, yeah, it was one of those things in my family of origin. You know, we didn’t talk race, religion, politics or finances.
Shannon M. 13:19
Interesting, though, it’s true. It’s true. And I think it’s a lot. I don’t think it’s just your house or your generation, I think is definitely a thing. And it’s interesting, because I told you ladies about these books that I’ve been listening to the audible for or subscribe to actually the audio books. And one book that I love is secrets of six figure women. And it was specifically talking about how women are left out of the conversation about money about politics about actually, I don’t think I said politics. I don’t want to misquote the books, but specifically about money. But you know that sex is all over the place. You know, sex is one of the things that women are told were put on this earth for even though that’s another conversation that we can have, you know, having more purpose outside of just what our bodies can do, you know? So I don’t I don’t think that you’re far off. And I definitely don’t think that it stopped in your generation.
Christine Gautreaux 14:12
And is that the book by Barbara standing?
Shannon M. 14:16
Yes, yes.
Christine Gautreaux 14:20
And we’ll drop this in the note after this. But I also wanted to, to put that out there that because I know both you and I love this. We’re resource givers. Like one of the things we do with all the women we support in our businesses is give them resources like how do you do this? Right? How do you do your occupational and your purpose in the world? I’m a big believer in it takes all of us like you know it takes a village and in having you having our Monday group Having all the amazing women I have in my life that I’m connected to? I am because they are, like, hands down. And there’s some awesome men in my life too. Don’t get me wrong, but my friendships and collaborations with the women in my life? Yeah, yeah. Yeah, well, and unfortunately, I think there’s a lot of myths out there too. You and I had this conversation, like the myths about women can’t be friends or you know, they don’t support each other. They end in our lived experience. Sure. We got a couple of those. Right? That’s right. Definitely, definitely yes, willingly. I have more women who support me on my journey, and lift me up and celebrate along with me. I just Yeah. And that’s what I think that’s the other thing we talked about that we want to talk about on this podcast is, is not nurturing. And cultivating those relationships, right? Yes. Because that comes in relationship. Relational wellness. Mm hmm. And so social wellness,
Shannon M. 16:11
yes, that’s the category. Yep. And that’s, that’s really important. When you’re thinking about your wellness and where you are in social wellness. You know, I’ve had a lot of conversations with the different women in my circle, since I got back in town, you know, doing our check ins like we do following up with everybody. And we’ve been having conversations about being able to stay centered, and not overextend yourself, because other people need things, especially this year, a lot of people we you got to make sure that you were well, that you can breathe before you put the face mask on somebody else that is the rule, you know, and what does that look like in a healthy way, because we’re also taught that we should feel guilty when we do that, you know, and that women should always be there for other people. But we’re not taught the priority of our own wellness, financial wellness, occupational wellness, social wellness,
Christine Gautreaux 17:01
right? That just made me think Hang on, I’m gonna grab something off my bookshelf, hang on. Okay.
So, my book, right, right beside me, but it’s on my bookshelf. So still point is the book that I co authored with my dear friend and mentor, Sheila Kate Collins. And we talked in this book about self care and self healing. And we talked about it not being selfish and, and why it’s not and but I, I want to read this to you, Shannon. Because really, I read it to myself often. And it’s the thing that if I was going to get a tattoo across my forehead to see in the morning, this would probably be the one I need to do. And especially after this last election cycle, I, you know, the book was on the bookshelf. So here we get, right. So self care is not continuing to educate and train ourselves to withstand more stress, in order to take on more stress. That’s, you know, just what you were saying. Like the having, having the rest. Here’s another one. self care is not putting ourselves through frequent reoccurring cycles of overwork, followed by crashing to recover. That’s probably the one I need tattooed on my forehead. Honestly. You know, I get excited about work. I get excited about, you know, we were doing I was doing voter protection last week and training folks to go out and knock on doors to make sure every vote counted. And so it was crucial work at the moment, and it was timely, like, we only had three days post election to get it done. But boy, when we set that down on Friday, and I checked in with my buddy, my buddy, you talked to me I was almost incoherent like you called me. And you’re like, and I really later I thought I should text her and tell her I’m okay because I really boy that I was like, I don’t know that I can speak anymore. I get it. So I want to say what self care is. Self Care is tuning in recognizing earlier and earlier, the subtle physical signs of potential difficulties. caring people, and I’m going to say mostly, a lot of women become good at reading other people’s bodies, language, clench, JAWS, stooped shoulders, and sad eyes. Self care means tuning into ourselves and learning how to read our own body language that comes into that physical, you know, in Bali, all of the dimensions of wellness. And then one more and then I’m going to put this down. Self Care is tending. being actively involved in a caring role creates the potential for taking on other people’s tensions and stress. So by tending to ourselves, we perfect The Art of not taking on other people’s tension. And when we do take it on, because you know what happens, by tending to ourselves, we learn to let go quickly so that we are free to experience a life of balance and vitality. I love it. Yeah. I mean, I know when we have guests, because part of you know, today’s just us, but part of going forward, we’re gonna have some awesome women that we’re connected to on the show, and some that will just be meeting for the first time. And one of the things we’re going to do is ask them a few questions. And one of those that question is like, what is wellness and self care mean to you? So I’m gonna ask you that first, Shannon Mitchell, owner of Shiloh glow.
Shannon M. 20:53
It’s interesting, because it’s literally what you just said, being more aware quicker, you know, of what’s what’s actually going on. I haven’t known about the eight dimensions all my life, right, even as a psychology major having a bachelor’s in psychology, I had never heard of the eight dimensions of wellness. So Google brought it across my page, the beginning of last year. And so being more aware of where I am in all of these categories, has really helped me understand what I need to do next. You know, honestly, even if I’m realizing that I’m not healthy in a category, that is me being closer to my wellness, because now I’m aware of it. And now I can figure out what I need to do next. So being intentional, being aware, and then putting action behind all of those things, is what I think about when I think about wellness and being well, I love
Christine Gautreaux 21:50
that. Yeah, the balance and vitality part for me. And when you and I started having conversations about the eight dimensions of wellness and researching them, like, they started talking about six dimensions of wellness back in the 70s. And then it’s been, like people have added to it and people, when I think about them as a whole group, I think balance and vitality. And I mean, we’re human right. And there’s times that we’re going to be great at one category. And I don’t know about you, but sometimes I ignore another category or, you know, stress or things like that. So even bringing attention to them. And having the conversation I think is a good reminder. It’s like, Yeah, I mean, we can be really healthy physically. But if we have $0 to buy good food that’s gonna start impacting the others. Like,
Shannon M. 22:47
it’s that balance, right? Yes, yes. Yeah. I love it. What about you? What would you say wellness means for you?
Christine Gautreaux 22:57
Well, pretty much just what I read from the book about self care and self tending in in about balance and vitality, like, what is, you know, am I taking care of myself? Am I taking care of my community, and a million balance with that, because, you know, me, you’ve known me for two years, I can get out of balance, because I get excited, and I get passionate, and I am out there, like, let’s do this, and not fall over and have to sleep. So I like to go back to basics and to be into balance, right? So wellness is for me, like taking it all the way back to the balance but to the beginning for me would be really good sleep than I am. I’m doing my routines and I am processing stress well enough that I can sleep at night, and I’m drinking good water and I’m moving my body every day, whether that’s walking, running cycling interplay in you know, I, one of the things I love to do in the world is interplay, which is movement and storytelling and voice and that that body wisdom and checking in with myself on a regular basis and really noticing To me that is wellness, like how am i right? And being in being present because in these times, you know, especially as a white person, why people have the privilege to check out and, and not pay attention to some of this stuff. And one of the tools I use is that noticing in the checking on my body, to stay in my body and to stay present and to stay as a witness and to stay grounded and to stay in the conversations for myself, my family, my community. So there’s also community wellness you know, That was probably a way longer answer than you want.
Shannon M. 25:04
No, that’s the answer. That’s what that’s what the answer is. Who am I to dictate the length of, you know, when it makes sense? It makes sense.
Christine Gautreaux 25:11
No, I get a little long winded. So we may need to have a sale. We may need to have like,
Shannon M. 25:18
your pool or something, right?
Christine Gautreaux 25:21
We’ll get to buddy battles that you can hold up and go.
Shannon M. 25:27
Right like a Toastmasters meeting, or
Christine Gautreaux 25:33
Oh, I am so excited to go on this journey with you. Me too.
Shannon M. 25:38
I think that is going to take us in places that we can’t even see it, honestly. Right.
Christine Gautreaux 25:45
Right. So what are you doing for self care this week?
Shannon M. 25:51
So this week, I let me look actually have my planner right here. It is the end of the week. Right is Saturday. So let’s talk about what I’ve done. Actually, yesterday was my dad’s birthday. And he turned 58. Happy so that his dad? Yes, happy birthday did that is part of my community care, which of course, like we talked about goes straight into your self care, right? So I just got back in town. And being able to spend that time with my family was great. I rested today, I actually I have a routine that I do in the morning, right to check in with myself, just like you said, Christine. And it didn’t happen today. I usually say if I’m not done at a certain time, then you got to go on to the next task. Right. But it’s not happening actually means that I slipped in. Clearly I needed to do that. And so that’s what I’ve been doing and catching up on my my list of things for my business since we just launched. It feels great to make sure that I’m on track with everything. And I know what we’re doing next.
Christine Gautreaux 26:54
I love that. Yes, I’m gonna Shiloh glow calm in the in the in the notes in the chat. Make sure I spelled it right. I don’t think I did. Actually, I know I didn’t. Because you taught me that the egos before the?
Shannon M. 27:11
Okay. Yes, yes. And the reason? Okay, and I couldn’t even see it at first, so I’ll check it. But yeah, yeah, my name is SHA and Shay is Sh E. So I learned from smelling a rock too. And I made it. So it’s okay.
Christine Gautreaux 27:30
I’m going, Oh, hang on. I did the wrong one. Here we go. I’m showing this. Look, we’re playing with all this in this fun. It looks great. So we started to get listeners and people are on with us when we’re on live. If you put your comment on Facebook or on YouTube, we can pop your comment up here. So yeah, we haven’t really advertised a show. So you know, it’s me and you but we get to play and and figure this stuff out. So it looks great. Yeah. So all right. Where were we I totally left turn this there.
Shannon M. 28:05
So we were in the dimensions of wellness, we need to give the people the rest of the dimensions. So we have intellectual. What I was doing that say, I think actually totally one on
Christine Gautreaux 28:18
you. You were reading the secrets of six figure women by Barbara stone. Yes, yes. And I pop that up there just really quick. I probably should have capitalized her first name, but that’s okay. Can y’all tell we have a new platform on the stream yard and we’re playing and learning? And that’s one of the things I love about collaborating with you, Shannon, you’re all like, let’s do this. Let’s figure
Shannon M. 28:44
it’s good. Yeah.
Christine Gautreaux 28:47
Next week, we’re gonna invite our friend, and amazing entrepreneur artists. Jove, entry solver. Dr. Joe VZ. will give you all all her specs next week. But holy cow, I’m excited to talk with her. And yeah. So what do we want folks to do between now and Wednesday? Ooh. So
Shannon M. 29:15
I would love to know what your favorite part of this show was, write what you took away from it. I know that we were talking about who we were and how we met what we’ve been doing. But what I find again, with the group of women that I’ve been around is specifically talking about those things, you know, is what really helps. So if we were able to help you figure out a way to apply yourself care in a more healthy way, you know, to be more intentional about your community wellness, or if you didn’t know about the eight dimensions of wellness. Let us know which one you plan on implementing and working on this week. We will love to hear from you.
Christine Gautreaux 29:52
Yeah, and they can find us we’re on Instagram. We’re on Facebook. We’re on YouTube, under women connected in wisdom calm Podcast. And so let’s see you entered what you’re doing for self care and communicate this week? Yes, I drop it. Oh, community care for me this week is Monday, the Georgia legislature comes on session. So I’m going to be paying attention because they’re already, they’re already talking some smack about some voter suppression. So um, be paying attention. So I can call in right my representatives. And for self care, I’m going to be doing my daily stretching and walks and running and, and reaching out to dear friends for short conversations, but that connection, you know, that connection, social emotional, so, so I am excited that we did this that we finally said, go. Is there anything else you want to say? Before we sign off? Is there anything else we need to say for this very first one, Shannon?
Shannon M. 30:59
Let me see. I don’t think so. I think we’re good. I think we hit everything. And I look forward to ladies joining us on the ride. You know if there’s any questions that you have, again, we said we have the Facebook, Instagram and YouTube join the conversation. And I just look forward to it grow. And I think I think we fit everything and we’re ready to get the show on the road.
Christine Gautreaux 31:23
All right. So we talked about what our sign offs gonna be because you know, y’all we’re, we’re just going for this. So we’re going to be playing and seeing what we liked and changing but I think our sign off for today. So I love it be well
Shannon M. 31:42
be wise, and the whole
Christine Gautreaux 31:46
thing. Find My Friends
Unknown Speaker 31:53
thanks for listening. This has been the women connected and wisdom podcast on-air live on Wednesdays at 5 pm. Eastern via Facebook and YouTube. Be sure to like, share and subscribe be part of the conversation and get connected at women connected in wisdom.com.
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