Meet Shannon
~ Grow beyond your numbers. Listen to your intuition. Connect. Play. Rest ~
About
Shannon Reed is a mum of two boys, a crochet crafter and a creativity and wellness advocate. She draws on her NLP and mindfulness training and years of personal growth through her experience with depression and anxiety to create healing and permissive spaces for the community.
As founder of Mockingbird Makes, she facilitates a sell-out event, Creative Conversations, for people to reconnect with their creativity. Over the pandemic, Shannon championed small business owner wellness and brought indie business owners in a weekly online event called the Small Business Huddle (“SBH”). SBH also hosted bi-monthly activities and business clinics.
Shannon also leads Ho’oponopono (an ancient Hawaiian practice of forgiveness) gatherings where she guides participants to untie and let go of some of the hard feelings and step into a more peaceful space. Her love for community and ability to hold deeply healing spaces is widely known. Before children, Shannon was an innovation consultant helping organisations with creative problem-solving and worked with companies such as Unilever, Cancer Research UK, and BT.
Entrepreneur ~ What’s your definition?
In a word, Shannon sums it up as “freedom.” Along with it comes responsibility, opportunity, and playfulness, she adds. Responsibility extends to a wider net to include yourself and care for the community you are serving. Opportunity is multiplied in the freedom of expression, which brings beauty into the world along with personal growth. The final and one of the most important components is play –”It is here for the taking – we get to do this! Let us keep it light, be open to making mistakes and grow from them.” she says.
Characteristics of an Entrepreneur – Your top 3
Authenticity. Shannon believes in the unique gifts each one of us has to offer. “We are our unique selling point (USP),” she says. Leading by example, Shannon shows up as herself – talks straight from the heart. Over the past few months, Shannon has taken a sabbatical, which she terms the ‘pause – for integration and reflection.’ Whilst this decision surprised many, Shannon continued to shine in the community’s hearts. She was taking a break from playtime (her entrepreneurial journey), which entrepreneurs can learn to do without attributing blame, and instead by showing compassion.
Compassion. “Self-compassion will take us much further than willpower,” says Shannon. Understanding ourselves and learning to forgive ourselves is instrumental. Otherwise, we are holding onto matters, which could quickly spiral into limiting thoughts.
Open-mindedness/intuition. Entrepreneurship brings a sense of freedom, and to embrace this fully, one must be willing to get things wrong, learn, and be open to the unknown.
Entrepreneurship style – Follow your intuition, focus on connection, and be human.
“When I follow my intuition, I’m on track,” Shannon says. Through a journey of experiences, Shannon distils her key learning and adds that it always comes back to listening to herself. Making space for her creativity is an ongoing lesson, and she takes the opportunity to remind herself and others as frequently as she can to rest and give herself permission for some ‘slack’ in routines. “We are human beings first, not human doings, and our best value shines when we live this way,” she adds. Shannon aims to model this behaviour through her leadership style.
Self-compassion is a superpower.
Shannon’s mantra is ‘self-compassion is a superpower.’ With compassion at its roots, Shannon feeds her motivation by having accessible role models through people in her community and practising a string of successful daily habits and routines. This includes slowing down, taking time to rest, and inviting gentle accountability with the support groups she facilitates. She loves her books, and whilst she wishes the stacked set on her bedside table would self-read, she is gentle in turning the pages and understands it is all part of building a healthy habit. She also loves taking walks in nature, cold water swimming and listening to inspiring podcasts.
What’s the best advice you have received?
“Stay in your lane. You have a unique offering. Do not be pulled off track by wondering what others are doing. Make sure your measurements of success are much more than numbers.”
How do you pick yourself up from a not-so-great day?
“Rest is first. I have an enormous toolkit of self-care practices, and I accept that some work better than others at different times. Ho’oponopono is a beautiful one that brings loving kindness and forgiveness. I can isolate a bit too much, so I reach out as much as I can when I am down.“
What would you say to someone reading this?
“Turn to your heart and ask what its deepest desire is. Take time to listen and act. A wise
a teacher told me to look for the next lily pad and take the next small step; that is all you ever need
to do.”
How would you describe your journey as a quote?
“Trust the process.”
As of the publication of this piece, Shannon is taking a sabbatical to reflect and integrate the past few years. However, her messages in this interview still inspire entrepreneurs, and how we can entrepreneur our lives. You can follow Shannon’s journey at MockingBird Makes.
~ Entrepreneur Your Life: Lead on your terms is an empowering account of women around the globe who carved their paths. Driven by passion and perseverance, these women created possibilities for themselves despite the odds. Resourceful and resilient, they represent remarkable strength of character and show us how to be the entrepreneurs of our life. ~
Category: Entrepreneur Your Life