Explore Shannon Thomas’s powerful story of transformation, resilience, and her mission to empower women entrepreneurs.
SHANNON THOMAS
Tell Us Your Story
I believe in the value of raw authenticity. In this space, we allow ourselves to reach a vulnerability that creates the soil for our true inner self to emerge and flourish. Learning to live life authentically came through my experience of walking out healing from relational trauma and allowing myself to thrive on the other side. I strongly believe in the power of living to our fullest potential and the need to keep moving forward toward our life dreams. However, in different seasons, we find ourselves aching for a pause from pursuing our goals, and that’s okay. It’s part of the ebb and flow of productivity and, ultimately, success as women entrepreneurs.
My life story includes becoming almost an entirely different person, and that metamorphosis continues. The story details include dropping out of high school to eventually earn my master’s degree at the age of 34. It includes overcoming debilitating panic attacks to go on to become a certified trauma therapist who mentors younger therapists. It includes losing over 100 lbs because for me, the weight was an outward representation of the inner conflict to find peace in the midst of chaos. Most important to how my own life story has developed, includes at the age of 11 losing my rock in life and beloved dad to a violent crime committed in our family home. The story details also include having a front-row seat to the daily struggle of addiction and mental illness that my mom dealt with until her untimely death. When I say that I understand the need to overcome life challenges, I really mean it. No matter where we might find ourselves on this journey to reaching our fullest potential, we can make slow steady changes that will add up and get us pointed in a new and healthier life direction.
What are the most common challenges you’ve observed facing women entrepreneurs in your industry, and how can we work together to create solutions and resources to overcome them?
Entrepreneur life can be isolating, not just physically but more so relationally. I have found being a female entrepreneur at times challenging in the aspects of connecting with other women business owners who are able to authentically celebrate successes and not engage in sabotaging behaviors. The challenging behaviors come in a variety of packaging, from outright business sabotage and smear campaigns to more covert expressions of jealousy, such as refusing to acknowledge business milestones or snide remarks that ooze with resentment. I am a content expert and researcher in the areas of psychological and financial abuse & exploitation. These hidden abuse behaviors in entrepreneur life do have an impact on us but coming together in a supportive community is an antidote.
We’ve worked hard to reach the levels of success we now enjoy, and having other women entrepreneurs to celebrate those achievements alongside of us is vital to our longevity as business owners. We can create a community where women entrepreneurs come together regularly from different corners of the world and support one another, brainstorm new business paths, and authentically celebrate each other as women entrepreneurs out there doing amazing things with our time, energy, and life focus.
