Show notes –
Join Shannon & Christine as they talk about Spiritual Wellness this week with special guest Keira Poulsen.
Shealo Glo – www.shealoglo.com Now offering Subscriptions * Delivered on the 1st & 15th!
Discount Code – WISE5
Nominate your Shearo by emailing subject “My Shearo” to shealoglo@gmail.com
Stillpoint – https://www.amazon.com/Stillpoint-Self-Care-Playbook-Caregivers-Breathe/dp/1732370400
Join us in community: https://women-connected-in-wisdom.mn.co/feed
Listen to past episodes: https://womenconnectedinwisdompodcast.com/
Like & Subscribe to get notifications when we are live
Instagram @womenconnectedinwisdompodcast – https://www.instagram.com/womenconnectedinwisdompodcast/
Facebook page Women Connected in Wisdom Podcast – https://www.facebook.com/womenconnectedinwisdompodcast
Resources we talked about in today’s show:
E.F.T. – https://www.healthline.com/health/eft-tapping
Brené Brown’s TEDxHouston Talk – https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability?language=en
Ways to connect with our special guest today:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awaken.keirapoulsen
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keirapoulsen
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvQk16owZqSv6uRmTh4hB5Q?view_as=subscriber
Freedom House Publishing: https://www.freedomhousepublishingco.com/
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 to our show.
Christine Gautreaux 0:43
We love to get together every week and have intentional conversations about how to be wise in business relationships, and wellness. Like how do we do all these things with all the craziness that’s going on in the world,
Shannon M. 0:56
though much what Listen, water sleeve there’s there’s a lot to the list. There’s a lot of crazy and there’s a lot of things that I tried to do to be intentional about combating it. So let’s talk about a lot
Christine Gautreaux 1:09
of grief and loss in the world. You know, last week episode, we were talking about the loss of two of our mentors. We each had lost one. Since the last time we talked a dear family friend passed away in his sleep from Yeah, it was my dad’s fishing buddy. Like it was somebody I grew up with, like somebody that you know, loved and respected. Not super close to me. But you know, it’s my dad’s fishing buddy that kind of says it all, you know. And so holding a lot of grief and gratitude as we go through this time, like Yeah, big time. And
Shannon M. 1:50
I’ve realized that I was undervaluing us going through our wins every week. You know, every week we meet not only with our women connected wisdom, but we have our own little group. I’m not gonna lie, y’all. I don’t think there’s space for all y’all in our group. You can’t come on Mondays. It’s only open to connected and wisdom. We talk about our wins every week. So being focused on how did you win last week, I think has really also helped us keep that front of mind when we’re going through all this stuff that we’ve been going through with everything.
Christine Gautreaux 2:27
Right? Well, in here in the United States, we celebrated Labor Day on Monday. And so we didn’t meet. And I was telling Shannon before the show, like totally throws my week off. Like it’s such an integral part of who I am and my work week meeting with this incredible group of women entrepreneurs, that I’m like, wait, what day is it? Was it what is happening here? Because they hold me accountable. Right?
Shannon M. 2:53
I still had the blood the time I still I sat down to eat it was 1130 I said perfect. I would have just got off manifestation Monday we right on time. Right? Treat it like it was still there. So I could continue about my week organized. Yeah,
Christine Gautreaux 3:07
yeah, I was a totally college kid back and forth to campus on that day. So my day was completely like, we we reached. We’ve just gotten back to campus. And thank goodness, it’s not too far from the house. Like it’s a little too close. Honestly, if we’re gonna be I hope she’s not listening. I love you. But, you know, I get we pull up and she’s like, Mom, my ID is hanging on the key ring. And how can you like, oh, cuz you know, you can’t do anything without your ID. That’s your meal plan that you shouldn’t freshmen. So like, you can’t get in the door like, oh, so yeah, yeah, that was my Monday.
Shannon M. 3:49
Or I had to happen late at night. And I got all the way home and I had my friend’s car keys. I said, You’ve got to be kidding. Me. Right?
Christine Gautreaux 3:56
Well, and it was so cute. Because she had that intuition. You know that right? When we were getting really how she’s like, I feel like I’m forgetting something. And I’m, you know, we just dropped her off a couple of weeks ago. So I’m not thinking I was like, Okay, you got your purse, got your clothes, you got like, you know, I’m I’m thinking, I totally, I don’t think we’ll make that mistake again. But
Shannon M. 4:20
that’s the funny thing about life because you could be so frustrated and it bends you into a bad mood, or you could laugh at it. And you know, you’re not gonna forget it again, you know, and you’d be on to the next thing that you have to learn. Right?
Christine Gautreaux 4:33
I you know, I love that you say that Shannon, because that is such a strategy and a coping mechanism for me laughter like, looking for the good, you know, an interplay. We talk about affirmation and looking for the good and looking for what works and it’s not to say that bad stuff doesn’t happen because we all know it does. I mean, you can look at the news for 10 minutes right now and know that
Shannon M. 4:57
not even a lot, right? Look at it, just listen to Do it. Yeah.
Christine Gautreaux 5:00
Right big shout out from my friends and colleagues in New Orleans and Pittsburgh, like, there’s just so much between just everything that. Yeah, it’s a lot. But today we’re talking about spiritual wellness. Yes, we’re talking about how do we do this. And I know for both you and I, like the spiritual wellness piece is huge, because it keeps us grounded, it keeps us having hope it keeps
Shannon M. 5:33
glitter, like, that’s the key. And it sounds so simple, right. But I was reading, I was reading, actually, it was in the I think it was in the art of war by Robert Greene. And it was talking about how this prisoner of war camp did not physically touch the soldiers, right. But instead, they played psychological tricks on them. So that basically, they broke down the team structure, made them only worry about themselves. And then when they got them in that position, made them hopeless. So they didn’t give them any of their good male, right, automatically and immediately delivered bad news. Again, turn them against each other had them snitching on each other. These are soldiers, you know, so when they got home, it was interesting because they also were more isolated and their soldiers that reached out less so the hopelessness is so key. And that’s what I look forward to talking about the spiritual wellness today, because I remember when I felt like the enemy literally told me hopelessness, hope is dangerous. That’s what I thought, right? I said, and I thought, I thought about it for a while I said, you know, you can get disappointed, you might get hurt, because it doesn’t happen the way that you think it should or the way that you want it to. But then being wise, right, you know, sometimes that’s in that’s in your favor, that it didn’t happen the way you thought it was supposed to, you know. And so hope is really what’s helped me get through all of these situations in my life, that we’re gonna write books and all this stuff about because it’s very important.
Christine Gautreaux 7:10
Right? Well, and what I heard you say in there, too, is the connection piece. Yeah, like the the isolation was torture, and that the connection pit which we know I mean, we do women connected with that connection, she then our guest, and you want to read off our spiritual wellness definition before I tell our listeners about our awesome guests today.
Shannon M. 7:34
Yeah, let’s do it. So spiritual wellness, allows us to be in tune with our spiritual selves. This realm of wellness lets us find meaning and life events and define our individual purpose. It can be defined through various factors including religious faith, values, ethics and morals. Regardless of whether you believe in a particular religious faith, there is always something to be learned about how you see yourself in the world.
Christine Gautreaux 8:03
Yeah, love it. Well, I am excited to introduce our listeners to our guests today. She is definitely one of us. She is a business coach, a speaker and author a podcaster. Which I think she may be our first podcaster on the show. Have we had a
Shannon M. 8:29
we haven’t yet but we have some on the way. Many,
Christine Gautreaux 8:34
right it’s it’s, you know, it’s a fun club to be a part of, I have to say. So Kara is an intuitive energetic healer and creator. She has created the awaken program and the awaken mastermind programs designed to help leaders learn how to do their own daily healing work, and awaken their ability to be leaders of light. She is a creator and host of The Awaken podcast, a show that talks about awakening the greatness inside of each human. I also know from our pre talk that she’s a mom of, I think five and she has this awesome new program that she’s going to tell us about that helps women takes their idea and create a book and get all the way to publishing. So I want to welcome to the show. Kyra Polson. I hope I said your last name right. So welcome. Welcome.
Keira Poulson 9:36
I’m so excited to be here. Thank you for having me.
Christine Gautreaux 9:40
You are so welcome. How are you?
Keira Poulson 9:44
I’m good. I’m excited. I feel like just listening you too to talk like woke up some energy inside of me and spray to jump in.
Christine Gautreaux 9:54
I love it. Well, when you heard that definition of spiritual wellness Yeah. What bubbled up for you? Cuz I know this is your jam. This is what you do. So what bubbled
Unknown Speaker 10:05
up for you? I mean, just the whole time thinking How have I never heard this before? This is so good. Yeah, I just the spirituality part of my life is, it’s a non negotiable part like it has to happen. And I’m so deeply grateful for it, because it has grounded me, it has awakened my gifts. It has allowed me to be an entrepreneur that I would have never been before. And that all routes from me taking time, with spirituality with my inner self and connecting to the divine. So it’s just, it’s all the things that I love so deeply.
Christine Gautreaux 10:47
Right? Do you have a daily practice? That and sometimes guests like to share that or they don’t? But is there something like for our listeners? Is there something that you do every day that makes a difference?
Unknown Speaker 11:01
Yes, I do not miss my sacred space. And this is the core of everything I teach. So all my programs, all my masterminds, I have a whole training on how to create sacred space because it is so important in my life. And I watched that it routes everybody who I work with. So my practice, it ebbs and flows. I like to throw new things in to keep it exciting. But the the two things that are always the same, I guess the three is that I always spend time in prayer. I always spend time in healing. So I do healing work on my chakras. And I always spend time in gratitudes. And there’s a bunch of other things I like to throw in I love to chant I love to do if EFT I love to spend time with my future self and like my visions and my goals. But those are like, kind of like the sprinkles. The core is those main three.
Christine Gautreaux 11:57
Right? Now, this is a very logistical question. But sometimes we have listeners that are new to spiritual practices, or they’re new to creating. How much time, do you because we’re busy women, all of us like, it may have been flow this may too. But how much time do you put in your planner? That’s my shout out to my co host, Shannon, who is a planner? How much time do you block out for this?
Unknown Speaker 12:24
Well, I’m gonna tell you how much time I do. But that’s not how much I suggest people start with. So I, I definitely spend an hour every morning in my sacred space. And it is because I have a lot on my plate, like I have five children and I run a publishing house and I run a coaching business. And if I am not spiritually grounded, my nervous system is on fire. So it’s that hour is my deepest self care. And so I get up way before my children do. And if I can’t wake up, the minimum requirement for me is 20 minutes, because that’s how much it takes to do those top three things. But on most days and hours where I go, now, when people are just starting out, I suggest 10 Just 10 minutes, because it’s so easy to look at that and say I can give 10 minutes of my day. And we just kind of baby step into a practice.
Christine Gautreaux 13:25
I love that. And who was it that said if you don’t have time to meditate for 30 minutes, meditate for an hour. It’s some kind of quote like that, I’ll have to write it. So I’ll have to look it up and put it in our show notes. Some kind of quote that if you don’t think you have time to meditate for 30 minutes, you need to be meditating for an hour or prayer or whatever your practice is. Right. That that it is a keystone. I know both Shem and I have Keystone practices that keep us keep us going. Yeah, right.
Shannon M. 14:02
Yeah. And I love this blog that you said the hour, you know, absolutely. And you know what, if my body needs something, and I need to actually read less than 20 minutes, and I’ve been working on time management, especially especially since COVID. Right? We had all the time to ourselves. Okay, my question was, how are you managing your time as well as your money? So I see the same blocks automatically. So I’m happy that I’m on the right the right track.
Christine Gautreaux 14:32
Yeah. Yeah, I want to I have so many things. I want to ask you about care, because I’m so excited that you’re here. But I had several friends recently, just this week talking to me about publishing books and I was like, Oh, you got to listen to the show this week because we have somebody that has a publishing house coming on. So way broad question But tell us about that.
Unknown Speaker 15:02
It’s one of my favorite conversations. So my publishing house is called Freedom House Publishing Co. It is a publishing house for women. And I believe that there’s power when women gather and speak truths. And so there’s so much power when women write books that I believe are divinely inspired written books. So these books that we publish are self help in nature, they’re spiritual, they’re healing, the requirement is that they must add light to the world. If they add light, then they can publish to the Freedom House.
Christine Gautreaux 15:41
I love that so much one of my clients had just reached out to me and said something about the book that spirit was downloading for her and that she needed a publisher. And I was like, I think I got a publisher for you. So I’m going to be sending her your way, because she definitely adds light into the world. And I love that requirement. Yeah, just add light into the world. Now, are you a hybrid publisher? Are you how does that work?
Unknown Speaker 16:11
So what I do is I have trained a publishing team. So everybody who publishes the Freedom House gets their own publishing specialist. That’s a very hard word to say. But what happens is that then we have this system, because with five kids I’ve learned everything has to be systemized in my world. So I have a system that you upload all of your work to the system, you give us everything, we literally show you everything we need, and then we take it from there. And we get your book formatted. And we get covers made back covers made, we get everything up to standard requirements, and then we upload you to Amazon. So everyone who publishes with us gets up on Amazon, which is the best printer fulfillment out there. And I just, I love it, it’s just such a joy. Something I see that happens is that everyone woman who publishes with us they, they feel like they were divinely guided on these messages. And for many, these messages stayed in their hearts for a while. And they kept trying to quiet them or be like, someday, someday I’m going to write this. But what happens is that the message gets heavier, and heavier, and the inspiration actually starts to weigh them down. And when they choose to publish it, like, share it with the world. It’s pure liberation. And so I call our publishing house, a house of freedom. it liberates our authors, and it liberates readers because light liberates. And so there’s just so much joy in this work. And we have four books being published this month, that are just powerful forces in the world. So I’m just, it’s just such a joy.
Christine Gautreaux 17:58
I love that so much. We will link to your publishing house so folks can find you and they can get hooked up to you. Shannon, you look like you had a question.
Shannon M. 18:09
You know, I love books. So I love the light part, right? Especially because the I think we actually know we didn’t get to talk about it. The name of my company is Shiva glow. Right? So I always think about no i and tying in, it’s not just about self cares about you as a person who What about you? Let’s talk about that. You know, that’s why I love this podcast. So I love what you’re doing. I love what you’re doing for women. And I need to look at this book list because I’m excited about it. But questions? Yes. So what made you start a publishing house? And what was that process like?
Unknown Speaker 18:48
So at the very beginning of my journey, when I would say it was an awakening, I had all these trauma memories show up, and it just tore me to the core, there was no more ground like the ground had fallen 1 billion times. And it opened this new space inside of me. And in that place of books showed up. I never ever thought I was gonna write a book. But the divine literally just like wrote this book for me. And as I was writing this book, I heard very clearly in my spiritual ears, that I was to start a publishing house. I was like, what, but so I did. And so I researched how to do it. And I had all the time in the world really, really didn’t have a business. And so I just like met with lawyers and set up copyright and all these things. And then it just like sat on the backburner for like three years. I just never even thought of it. And then I got really into coaching leaders, women leaders, and as I began coaching them, every one of them was like, I have a book, how do I publish it? And I was like, I will. Let’s figure it out. And that is how really at birth was from pure inspiration. And then a few years later, like, I just was thrown into the fire and figured it out. And now we have this really amazing system that makes it easy.
Christine Gautreaux 20:17
I love that story. You know, one of the things that stands out to that story about me, for me, especially, is that you listen to your intuition, you listen to that spiritual voice, and then you let it kind of be until the time was right, like you had an easy focus around it. And then when the time was right, you’re like, boom, here we go.
Shannon M. 20:40
Well, I love that. That’s a question. Did you have easy focus around it? Or was it? Oh, my goodness, I started a publishing house, and I’m not doing anything with it. God gave me this message. What am I doing? Or what was what was that? Like? I know, sometimes I have to fight with myself, you know? Well,
Unknown Speaker 20:57
I had so much going on. I started this coaching business. And I’d written and published a book. And so it was just like, I had so much focus in other areas. I would every now and then have this feeling like That’s so weird, that God inspired me to start a publishing house, like nothing happened with it. And so there were times that I just doubted that inspiration, like, well, and there was this moment, I forgot about this, where I got the bank statement that said, my business bank account for this publishing house was down to $14. And I just thought, I’m just gonna close this. Like, I don’t know why I was inspired to start this and there was this very distinct, like, No, you don’t. You go put $100 in that bank account here. And I, I did, I went, I threw $100 in and the whole time, I was like, This is so silly, but whatever. And it was two months later, that I published my first book, which was one of the women I was coaching. So yeah,
Christine Gautreaux 22:00
that is awesome. That is such an awesome story. Now, where did your podcasts come out of?
Unknown Speaker 22:08
So my podcast was, so everything I do is just divinely inspired. Like, I don’t do anything unless it comes to me from what I what I feel like is the divine God telling me showing me and I had this like crazy, like desire, like I am to start a podcast. And I kept thinking, I don’t want to do that. That feels too hard. And so I kind of would pray about it, and I just let it go. And then one day, I had this thought, like, I think my parents assistant, has started a podcast. So I told my parents for Christmas. Can you hire your assistant to start a podcast for me? And sure enough on Christmas Day, that was their gift. And about six weeks later, the first episode was born. So that’s, it’s just been such a joy. I love I love my
Christine Gautreaux 23:00
mom and dad. That’s also
Shannon M. 23:06
Christmas present. So you know, help us build stuff. I love it.
Christine Gautreaux 23:11
The other thing that stands out for me about that care is asking for what you want. Yeah, that’s like I love that. Like what such a gift like that. That is fantastic. Well tell us a little bit about your podcast, because you know, podcast listeners love other podcasts. So give a little shout out for your podcast and what you talk about,
Unknown Speaker 23:33
you know, it’s one two years, so it kind of has ebbed and flowed. But I would say the main theme is just awakening to inspiration awakening to the creations inside of you, which is like awakening greatness. And so a lot of it is actually just me, podcasting by myself, I spend a lot of time in prayer and just asking to receive messages. And then I podcast and then if someone shows up that just lights my soul up, then I bring them in. And also anybody who publishes with Freedom House, I actually interview them on my show. So we have a lot of authors coming in telling their stories, telling their messages, I do have a lot of the women that I coach, get on and share their work. There’s something about women who are in Divine Creation, who are co collaborating with the divine, that just really is my space of just joy and happiness. And I love to listen to their stories because I think that they wake up inspiration for those who listened. So it’s kind of what you find
Christine Gautreaux 24:42
there. I love that and it’s called
Unknown Speaker 24:46
just the awakened podcast.
Christine Gautreaux 24:48
Okay, yeah, we’ll put a link in the show notes for that for sure. And it can be found on all major podcasting platforms, right. Okay. Yeah. So when y’all are listening to women connecting wisdom and liking and subscribing because that’s the thing that helps us. pop on over to the awakened podcast and do the same thing. Yeah, so we can be connected and support each other, for sure. So what is a project that is just lighting you on fire right now? What do you have going on?
Unknown Speaker 25:20
So much all the time. Um, I think I’m a bit of a manic creator. Like when I create, I create, and it doesn’t just come out in one form, it’s like litres. Right. So right now I just launched a boot camp that is super affordable. It’s like $37, you jump in, you get to learn how to clarify your message, how to write your book, How to take it and put it into courses, just all the little tiny pieces that I teach my big programs, it’s like the taster level. So I launched that last week. And then yesterday, the doors open to my brand new mastermind, which is called awakening authors. And this mastermind is fire, like, so much fire. The support that I put into this, I’ve hired an accountability coach who meets with everybody on their own every week, we’ve got these powerful calls. And I teach women how to receive their book spiritually, but then also how to take that message and put it into an extraordinary work of light. So creating your courses from the message in your book, launching a podcast, creating a coaching business, truly creating a successful business so that you can make a difference in the world. Because if you have a really powerful message, but you don’t have a successful business, you have to go get a job doing something else. And that’s a tragedy.
Christine Gautreaux 26:49
I love the work you’re doing in the world. Our friend, Randy Lee, who is also an author, I let you know, we all just kind of circle around each other. And she is one of our podcast listeners. And she’s just catching us live today. So brandy, we’re so glad you’re listening. And we need to have brandy come on the show. She’s got a great new book out. So I’ll send you that invite brandy. Yeah, you know, curious, so aligned with what we do here on women connected and wisdom about lifting up each other and getting these messages out and lifting up voices. And I love that.
Unknown Speaker 27:33
Yeah, it’s, it’s how we change the world. Like, this is our effort. You know, there’s so much pain and sorrow and suffering everywhere. And one of the things that I see happen is I work with women who are very empathic, because they’re healers. They’re light leaders, they’re shamans like, these women are here to change the world, but the suffering, it actually distracts them, and it can pull them down. And so what I try and teach is, we can have massive compassion. But if we get distracted by the sorrow in the world, we stop being light. And so we have to focus on our purpose, our message, and as we do, and we lift it, and we share it. That’s how we make a difference right now.
Christine Gautreaux 28:17
Huh? Can you say that again? Kara? Because I need to hear it again. Like I really, I don’t know if our listeners do, but I need to hear that again.
Unknown Speaker 28:28
Well, what I find I truly, it’s like one of the hardest things is I coach these women and they’ve all been showing up just like so pulled down in darkness. And just so inundated with the news and the suffering. And what happens is they’ve been inspired to write books, they’ve been inspired to be thought leaders. But this suffering distracts them from their purpose. And it actually it like, it’s like weird, it adds to the collective suffering. So what I do is I invite them to actually come back to their vision, come back to what they were inspired to do, and then move forward and action because that is what’s going to change the world when we all rise up in our light and start sharing it. That’s when things get to shift.
Christine Gautreaux 29:18
Oh, thank you. Thank you. Yeah, I really needed to hear that this week. I mean, I’ve been holding a lot of grief and loss. And you know, we have to walk through some of that, especially when it’s personal. But boy, you are so right. It’s distracting. Like I was telling Shannon before the show, I’ve lost a set of car keys of last debit credit card, and I know it’s a symptom of my grief and loss and it’s the fact that I’m distracted. And so you even saying those words to me personally today I’m like, whoo, I don’t know if they refer our listeners they refer me but I’m so glad everybody got to hear him. Did you need them to share their
Shannon M. 29:54
email taking notes? This one here I know other people will listen after but I’m here for the live conversation taking like a student? But no, definitely. And I love, of course that the owner of a publisher house would come through with the publishing house with the verbiage to be able to articulate things so eloquently, right. But that’s exactly what I was talking about last week, you know, I struggle with everything that’s going on in the platforms that we have. I don’t want to minimize anything by not posting about it, and not being, you know, current and aware of things that are going on and always talking about positivity. Because that’s not healthy either. We have to be realist, but I also don’t want my feet to be another newsreel. So that means I have to say no to some things, and that’s something that I go back and forth with. But again, if I’m serious about my mission, and I feel led to do these things, I’ve prayed to work only with people who I’m aligned with, and we’ve been working. So it looks like it’s alive. You know, and we are building amazing things. Then me saying no that to that, just like, you know, Kira taking an hour for herself before her five children is so that we can go do all of those things. So thank you for the reminder that I’m not crazy. And it’s okay. It’s healthy to do it this way. Cuz it’s difficult to hold it there sometimes with everything that’s going on. Yeah.
Christine Gautreaux 31:20
All right, I just have to know what time do you have to wake up in the morning, that’s to get up before we before five kids
Unknown Speaker 31:28
530. So too
Christine Gautreaux 31:31
bad. I like to get up early to care, like I was raised on a small farm. So like, I’m an early bird by my nature. My rule is, though, if it’s before five, that should be illegal. So 530, like you’re okay.
Unknown Speaker 31:49
Five is still nighttime, we don’t.
Christine Gautreaux 31:53
We had this huge thunderstorm roll through Atlanta last night. And it was 1am in the morning. And just like these powerhouse booms, like I mean, waking everybody up. And I was telling my walking buddy, who I walked with in the morning, I said, I just don’t function between usually 11pm and 5am. Like I am, I don’t function and I’m a very highly functioning person. But I used to tell when I was a social worker, and I would have clients that I’d be on call all the time. I’m like, if it’s an emergency, please don’t take it personal. Like if I don’t know who you are in the middle of the night, like, tell me Give me all the statistics, because I just really shut down at night. That’s my hope, at least. So value that value that sleep. And that that part of our wellness. So,
Unknown Speaker 32:48
so much, right? Yeah, it’s really important. And it is tricky. I’m finding now that I have teenagers, the only time they want to talk to me, is at 1030 at night, and I’m like, oh guys. But it’s like I crave that time because it’s the only time they really will drop in and talk. So, you know,
Christine Gautreaux 33:11
I can’t tell you how many amazing conversations I had with my daughters who are now grown. Right when I was like, just about to fall asleep. Like, I would shut and they knock him on. And you know, there was a tone of voice or there was a thing and I’m like, Oh, this is a big one. I probably wasn’t functioning during those conversations. But it wasn’t about me. It was about me just listening. Right. That listening piece? Yeah.
Shannon M. 33:45
It’s interesting. I’m actually I told you Christine reading habits, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Yes. And it talks about how communication is the number one skill, right? And there’s different levels of communication. We can read, write, speak, and listen. And a lot of times, we’re trained in all these other three categories, but the listening you know, we didn’t sit through three years of that in school. So different types of listening, listening to understand listening to respond and how that changes the dynamic of the conversation. So I hear what you’re saying, but I love how, as moms, you ladies have that perspective of patience with your children and holding space like this is what we do for the people that we care about. And you show up as you are I show up as I am and it’s gonna be okay, we’re gonna get through it and love the memory. I love that
Christine Gautreaux 34:42
you guys just took savy back to college in this weekend. And I am a scheduler and and planner because I have to be you know, run my own business. Do this pie get like all the things right? And I’m like, Hey, we have five weeks until fall break. So do we want to put a lunch in there? Do we want to put? Oh, I don’t know, Mom, let’s kind of go with the flow because I may want to come home for the week. It’s such an interesting time of transition. Right? I was I was thinking about that about when I left home. And you know, it’s that it kind of takes me back to, you know, when kids are really little, you know how they’ll run ahead of you. And they’ll turn and they’ll look back to see where you are. And care. I’m not sure the ages of your kids right now. But you know, that stage and they and your little brother Shannon, like how they run, they look to make sure you’re there. It kind of feels the same way with this 19 year old, like, she’s like, I’m out of here. But hey, are you still home? And?
Unknown Speaker 35:49
Well, that’s so special, though.
Christine Gautreaux 35:50
It really is. It really is. Shannon, how was it for you when you left home?
Shannon M. 35:58
Um, it was interesting. I haven’t. So after I left home, my dad moved, like, I don’t even I don’t even know if it was two weeks later, I said you might be moving, what is going on? Where’s my flu that I’m still looking for my open hope flu, okay. And so it’s a interesting conversation. And that’s why we really talk about the wellness and being set up, you know, so I think about it, people go home, I was an RA on campus. So I was helping the freshmen transition to campus, and they will go home for the holidays, and I will still be there just because my dad was moving and stuff. So it’s, it’s kind of different. But now, you know, thinking about connection in different generations. And, you know, of course, we’ve been talking about grief and loss. My dad was sick with cancer, too. They took his stomach out when I was in middle school, high school. So just the fact that he was there, like, you know what, let me think about what I want this to look like in the long term. So I need to get set up. I’m at school, I was completely focused in that, because that was the only thing that I had thought about doing. You know, so we talk about women and choices and purpose and everything that we spend our time on, where did the ideas come from, for the possibilities that you think about yourself, you know, we’re told stay in school, so I was staying in school, and I graduated that with honors too, so we wouldn’t talk. And he will come up there, I was working, he was working. And it kind of stayed like that. But that’s also how the house was. So you know, I grew up with my dad, I didn’t grow up with my mom, which is also why women connected and wisdom is so important. It’s important in real life, you know, this is real life. So I love college, but it wasn’t necessarily as back and forth. And you know, I was looking forward to the future with optimism and excited to, to be in college and have that period of my life as a woman before I get married. With kids, I can enjoy waking up at 530 in the morning, after I do whatever I want to do with all 24 hours. So you know. So that’s how I said it.
Christine Gautreaux 38:08
I love it. I well, and as you were saying that I just saw a vision of you with your planner to Kira, Shannon is a master planner. And she’s an organizer like she, she just it’s her jam. And so I just see a young Shannon with her planner and being an RA just keeping everybody organized. I love that.
Shannon M. 38:32
And it’s so interesting, because being in those roles also taught me the things that I wasn’t doing. You know, when I was a manager, my at Papa Joe, my boss one day, we had a one on one. And she told me Alicia, she was a general manager. She said, You know, you hold everybody else to a higher standard than you hold yourself. And I said, Oh, how much? Right? And I do hold myself to high standard. But I wasn’t committed. I was eating whatever I wanted. I wasn’t drinking water. I wasn’t working out. I said I was gonna do all this stuff and didn’t do it. You know? So planning. Sure, but in college, sometimes I still wouldn’t wake up on time. So looking at the discipline, what do you want for yourself? You know, where do these ideas come from? What do you what are you gonna do about that? What are you going to do with your life? So that’s what I was doing in college, I reminded the freshmen Hey, college experience is not going to come find you in your dorm room. You better get out of here and enjoy yourself while you’re here. So yeah,
Christine Gautreaux 39:28
boy, I think that’s a lesson we can all take, isn’t it? Right? When you talk about awakening greatness, Kara? Like, I love that when I was looking at your website, and I was listening to your podcasts, like when you talk about awakening greatness. I know you can’t do it in three steps. Maybe you can maybe your program good. What did you tell like, where do we start? Where do we start with that?
Unknown Speaker 39:59
So I just Believe seeking is the first step that was the beginning to my whole journey is that I had really lost myself and I would fallen into this place where I didn’t know even what I liked. I didn’t have a passion for anything, I was just alive. And I just was like, this isn’t, this isn’t what I want. So I just began to pray, I began to seek like, show me my purpose. And the seeking led me to a horrible breakdown. But the breakdown led to this beautiful expansive life I live now. And so yes, pain is always involved when we choose to expand. When we choose to wake up our greatness, we have to like break. Because it’s like, mud gets packed on our bodies. And so, think of it if your arm was stuck in mud, and you want it to break, it kind of hurts a little bit. And that’s how I feel like when our greatness starts to expand, it breaks us, and pain happens. But if we can heal through it, if we can continue to seek and ask for ideas, creations, inspirations, and then take action. I mean, greatness follows, because you’re stepping into the realm of faith and bold actions on things that you were inspired to do.
Christine Gautreaux 41:21
Like that? Oh, yeah.
Shannon M. 41:24
And I will say, That’s true for me, too, right? We have the book, girl wash your face, I said, Hey, I have this in my journal, things that lie. Let me write my book, you know, the lies that I believed about my life. And that’s actually how I lost the way that I started. The day nose fast. I said, you know, again, I’m committed to everybody else committed to work committed to friendships and relationships. But what about God? Isn’t he a jealous guy? You know, let me make sure I have my priorities. Right? So did the Daniels fast through that last way. And again, it’s with the spirituality and the focus on taking care of myself and prioritizing self care in a healthy way. That is why Shay logo is the company why we’re talking on a podcast. And, you know, like, I’m not thinking, Oh, well, this is not what my degree is in this is. But instead of thinking about how everything actually sets you up for that. I love the way it flows together. So really good movie, I feel like everybody’s life, you know, so I love that you’re helping people share their stories here.
Unknown Speaker 42:23
Well, it’s a joy. And I do love to point this out. Because I think my story breaks a lot of ideas, right? Like, I never went to college, I went to massage school, I had a phenomenal, you know, 20 around in massage therapy. But I never went to a day of college. But I do believe in what I’m here to do. And that means that when the ideas come in, there’s never the thought of like, Oh, I’m not qualified. It’s like, how do I make it happen? And that’s all that’s really required is like, the gumption to just take action, even if you aren’t fully qualified. Yeah.
Christine Gautreaux 43:05
I love that. Because it’s so true. Like we put ourselves in boxes, or we put ourselves in, oh, I don’t have this, or I don’t have that. Or somebody asked me one time, I can’t even remember what I was doing. I was doing something wild and crazy. And they said, by whose authority are you doing that? I was like a mind. Because I can do it. And I know how to do it. And it needs to be done. Like, you know, it’s very interesting. Like, what I’m hearing from both of y’all to in today’s conversation is also just about listening, like that, listening to that guidance listening to what am I doing next? What is you know, I think that’s powerful. This weekend, I was I had had a conversation with a friend who’s working on a self care project that’s kind of being downloaded. And she was like, Hey, I’m looking for an artist. And I’m like, Oh, I can do that. And she’s like, do you have time to do that? I go, No, I said, but what I do know is, I’ve been wanting to make more time for my art. And I love Shannon knows this Kara. But I love when things stack on top of each other. And so I was like, Oh, I can collaborate with you. I can put artmaking in my calendar for a clap for a work project. And I get to create art, like a win, win, win, win win. And so that’s what I did this part of what I did this weekend was create, like all this art that was like, oh, whether she’ll use it or not, who knows? But I had so much fun. And it also makes me think when you said that about you set it came in. You set it aside and then it was used later on
Shannon M. 44:53
for years later. Yeah. Yeah,
Unknown Speaker 44:57
I think that’s what happens a lot with most Inspiration. And we think, Oh, I was inspired to do this. And it’s supposed to be really successful right now. But the truth is, is like the inspiration shows up. And then we just have to ask for the next step, and ask for the next step. And trust the timing. Like, I would not have been able to build a whole system, and train publishing specialists five years ago, I had no business technique whatsoever. I didn’t even understand systems or funnels or anything. And now it’s like, of course, it had to be on the sidelines until I was ready to really create it to be what it needs to be.
Christine Gautreaux 45:37
Oh, I love that. I always say divine timing. Yes. Like it is. It is when the time is right. It’s gonna happen. And it’s like, a lot of times I laugh with some of my clients, because, you know, they’re like, you see all these people that look like overnight successes, right? They look any like, yeah, they’ve been working with that for 10 years. 15 years. 20. Like, and yes, sometimes there are overnight successes. But one of my favorite music groups are two sisters out of Atlanta rising Appalachia and Leah and Chloe, were I think it was two years ago, Rolling Stone was like great new artists to watch. Well, women are watching them for 15 years, y’all in Atlanta, like they’ve been doing gigs. They’ve been showing up, they’ve been putting their work out into the world. And then yes, for their success in there and people seeing them. But I think that’s true for all of us, like listening and putting our passion and our purpose out there. And, and just going for it.
Shannon M. 46:43
Yeah. And I think it’s having the courage to pivot to like, Oh, if I was doing this for five years, does that mean that this was all the ways? No, you have everything you need for the next level? You know, and that’s one one thing I was saying about you when you were talking here is I love something that helps me gives me courage is that God qualifies the call. So you Okay, unqualified by whose standards because this person said you need a piece of paper with some scribbles on it. Listen is Corona, and that is somewhere in a garage somewhere packed up. Okay. I got it. But what are you doing with it? You know, so? Absolutely, I hear what you’re saying. And I think that that’s part of the beautiful story of the differences is, look how all these women with their wisdom from different places can change the world because they decided to open their mouth and work together, you know. So that’s something else with identity and the value that we give ourselves like, with the titles and how we pair them with, again, how we feel about ourselves, you know, a lot of people have been struggling with their job titles. And because the spiritual aspect might not be as strong, that’s where they get their identity and the anchor from, but when it slips, your value is not different. Today, you know, yesterday, today, and forever, God is the same. So if he loves you and you’re valuable and all this stuff, then that’s true. No matter if I’m a server or kitchen manager, this person might talk to me different, because my uniform is different. But that’s them and not me, you know. So remembering that you’re qualified. I love it.
Unknown Speaker 48:22
Like gave me goosebumps.
Christine Gautreaux 48:24
Kyra every week, we do what we call a wisdom and action, where we talk about if you had to have a hashtag about spiritual wellness this week. What would your hashtag wisdom and action be?
Unknown Speaker 48:44
Share your light.
Christine Gautreaux 48:50
I love that. Share your light. Shannon, what would yours be?
Shannon M. 48:56
Okay, so I want to make sure I have the rules, right? Is it that is the honor student right? Is it a hashtag? Or is it like the action that we’re actually doing? It can be either my friend. Okay, perfect. I love it. So what I’m doing this week, is being disciplined in the time, you know, it’s important to not let it slip. So I’ve been prayed one day did devotion one day, I need to I need to for the rest of the week. Let’s get it back on track and make sure that we’re doing that so it doesn’t affect the rest of the day.
Christine Gautreaux 49:30
I love it. I am going to get up a little earlier. Because when I’m in my jam and I’m I usually take about an hour to an hour and a half to really do my sacred space. And I’ve been slipping a little to be honest. I’ve been hitting that snooze button. So Carrie, you’ve totally inspired me this week to be like, yeah, it is worth that hour. It is worth that 5:30am Wake up call. And to be more grounded. it because I definitely been off my game. So. So that’s going to be mine this week is to rededicate to myself and that self time. So here I have so loved our conversation today. Thank you so much for being here. Do you have any last words of wisdom that you want to impart on our listeners before we pop you back in the greenroom
Unknown Speaker 50:27
before my kids come knocking at my door I get I’m like, worried they’re going to get home five minutes early today. Honestly, my biggest call is that if you have this in your soul, like you know that there’s a message in you, like you have a work to be doing, and you’ve been trying to quiet it. Or maybe you’ve tried it and you feel like you fail, that’s something that stops a lot of leaders is that you don’t ignore it any longer, that you give it some oxygen, like breathing it out, breathe into it, so that the world can experience it, you can if it’s a small little thing you throw up on Instagram or something, you speak out loud to someone or you write your book. Just bring it through, and it will just it will liberate you.
Christine Gautreaux 51:15
Ah, thank you so much for being here. We will put all the links to your stuff in our show notes for our listeners to find you. And I just have a feeling we’re going to be connected. Like, we’re going to continue to stay connected. And we’ll be paying attention to your work and your podcasts. And I hope you’ll come back in and chat with us at another time, too.
Unknown Speaker 51:38
It’s so fun. Thank you so much. I’m
Christine Gautreaux 51:40
so grateful for you. Talk to you soon. Oh my gosh, that was good.
Shannon M. 51:47
So good.
Christine Gautreaux 51:49
What level that for you listen to Cara.
Shannon M. 51:52
Okay, let me see. Let me look at my notes. So I love how she said she does creation and litters. I just was Corolla, something about the Dalmatian. Dalmatians, right? Like that’s how I feel I want to do this and that and this and that it oh my goodness, all the variables that it takes to do. So I definitely heard her when she said that. I love that it’s a non negotiable part that the spiritual is true, you know, you can let it go a week without doing your stuff and see how you’re, you start reacting to stuff and the timing and everything else like you
Christine Gautreaux 52:30
see how you lose your debit credit card and your keys like all in the same week. Hello.
Shannon M. 52:37
I love how she said spend time with my future self. So I think my past self sometimes for putting stuff in the right place. Thank you so much for putting this here. You know, I have my back spin in some of my features. So for something I will do. And yeah, oh, everything you know that how the inspiration starts to weigh you down if you don’t let it out. And that was powerful when
Christine Gautreaux 52:59
it apps that was powerful and about sharing your light like that if you’ve got this inspiration if you’ve got this idea that
Shannon M. 53:10
like get it out there. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Like literally. I stepped down from and we Okay, so we specifically talked, talked about saying, You know what this is, where am I going? What do I want for myself? What do I like to do? What are my hobbies? What brings me joy? When I stepped down from being a salary manager, I realized I didn’t know the answer to those questions. I said, were to all my answers go like why do I not know this about myself? I know this about my best friend or my partner. But what, where’s Shannon at? You know, and I really had to tap in and figure out where who she was and where she was and what she wanted to do. And you know, what happened? And what she thought about that. And we programmed all of that stuff. But again, what is the anchor? What is the code that you’re holding the whole computer and system around? For me, it’s been the spiritual wellness and having a healthy identity, that way to be able to do everything else.
Christine Gautreaux 54:10
You know, what I really noticed too, is when Kara was talking about, you know, the breakthrough can be painful, and there can be a breakdown with the breakthrough. You know, and I meant to say it to her, but, you know, one of my teachers Brene Brown and her TEDx talk, same thing happened to her. Like, it was like there was a breakdown before hitting the authenticity, and the sharing of her greatness with the world. And I think that is so powerful like that if we avoid the hard parts, or if we avoid what could be potentially painful, would as we go to level up and share greatness, then we don’t get to the other side. Right. And and what I love about what we do and what Carrie does, and the work we do in the world is you don’t have to do it. by yourself, right? Like you do it in community, you do it connected, you don’t have to. I mean, those pain points can be scary or they can be hard, but you can have somebody holding your hand while you do it. Because that’s what women do for each others, we lift each other up and, and we make it easier, you know,
Shannon M. 55:17
and I love the you know, just like having a coach in your business or when you’re working out. Now I’m already ready for teenagers who want to talk at 1030 I knew this was gonna happen this 28 years ago. Now I don’t have to now I feel like I’m more prepared to go into it, you know. So even in conversation that just strikes up and you hear the details. That’s what I love about being connected in wisdom. And in truth, like she said, that’s very important, you know, to be authentic. So we’re not just telling stories, and they didn’t happen or didn’t happen that way. So we’re not portraying the lesson. Really being honest. Like I don’t know where my card is right now. Right? What are you do it right,
Christine Gautreaux 56:02
I need some divine inspiration for that. Like I think it’s St. Joseph. I can’t remember who the patient saint of last things is but I’m gonna call him out loud on this podcast today to help me find this. This debit credit card for I have to replace it.
Shannon M. 56:19
Definitely believe in the Holy Spirit. I just asked where’s my phone that Laura and I promise
Christine Gautreaux 56:26
serious, serious financial wellness. Well, my friend before we say goodbye and give a shout out for our give a shout out for our sponsor.
Shannon M. 56:37
Absolutely. So Shayla blow the handmade shea butter company. We started off talking about Ladies, don’t forget that it is September 8 today. So you have more than enough time to get your nomination in for your Shea row. That’s going to be somebody in your life, your community who’s made a difference who’s made a difference in your spiritual wellness or just in general and the different dimensions that we go through. Shayla was going to take care of a free gift of self care for her. We do have new scents and everything coming out. So if you’re interested in things like that, make sure that you follow us so you can know what she’s going to get. And that nomination that you’re going to send in send it to Shayla glow@gmail.com with the subject title, my shero and we will put her in the nomination for the running for free gift of self care. Yes,
Christine Gautreaux 57:29
thank you so much. And thank you and all our listeners. If you don’t know, with what is the coupon code for our listeners,
Shannon M. 57:39
yes. So for wisdom, women connected and wisdom. If you’re listening and want some shallow glow, use wise five and you will get 5% off on your next order. So we’re about to switch over containers. I’ve told you ladies a little sprinkle about the different sizes. We have a lot of stuff coming. So the glass is going away the lemongrass, Senate sugar scrubs and oil is going away. So if you love it, use your 5%. Come and get it now before we run out and go to the next free ladies.
Christine Gautreaux 58:11
Thank you. Thank you for your work in the room, my friend and thank you for this awesome conversation today. I look forward to this time together every week and thank you for everybody who was listening and reach out to us reach out to us on social media. Give us a like and a subscribe and we appreciate you.
Shannon M. 58:31
Yes, and we’ll see you here next Wednesday Live at Five and don’t forget be well be wise
Unknown Speaker 58:48
thanks for listening. This has been the women connected and wisdom podcast on air live on Wednesdays at 5pm. 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.
Leave A Comment