Today we’d like to introduce you to Shanice McLeish.
Hi Shanice, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Hey, I’m Shanice. Growing up in Miami, Florida – I learned about grief early in my life. At the age of eight years old, my father suddenly passed away from a car accident. Of course, as a child, I experienced loss but never this close to home. Fast forward, ten years later, I started volunteering with Kate’s Club, a local non-profit organization located in Atlanta, Georgia. I have been a part of this grief organization since 2014. It has been my refuge while processing my own grief. I owe a lot to my Kate’s Club buddies for supporting and encouraging me to create my own lane within the grief community. Through my volunteering experience, I realized I wanted to have a voice that comforted grieving children. With that being my original goal, I created Grieving It, a brand that helps #normalizegrief everywhere. Through countless conversations, I realized that adults, too, needed a safe place where they could grieve freely. This is when my goal turned into creating a space for both children and adults alike. Now, Grieving It offers many free resources for all ages. We look forward to supporting those in all stages of their grief.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Smooth, absolutely not. My struggles have been lessons that I have learned along the way. The biggest conflict that arose for me on my journey was accepting and understanding what change truly was. I heard so many times that change is constant and never understood what that meant until I was out here on my own, with some hope and a prayer. I came from a world where I loved financial stability and would never jeopardize comfortability. And now, I am willing to bet it all on myself. The mindset shift has been the largest obstacle I’ve faced on this journey. With God on my side, I am assured it’s all worth it.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Grieving It is a brand that supports grieving people everywhere. It was birthed from my very own grief journey when I lost my dad at the age of eight. We serve as a safe place for people to share their mourning and lean into their grief journey. We’ve trademarked #normalizegrief to encourage a movement where talking about death and sad feelings is ordinary. We acknowledge that death, especially close to home, changes us in a major way. Grieving It has been the biggest blessing to me. I am most proud of the connection it has built with the many other voices in the grief community. In addition, all of the awesome projects are coming to the marketplace soon. Currently, we offer free grief resources for both kids and adults alike. These free worksheet pages include coloring sheets, journaling topics, and grief activities. We also sell gifts and apparel on our website available for purchase. In Fall 2021, we look forward to dropping our children’s book focused on explaining grief. This book will be available everywhere books are sold. I recommend it for all ages, not only children. We also have grief conversation cards coming soon! For those wanting to keep in touch with our brand, join our newsletter at grievingit.com.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Grief is something that will be around forever. The feeling of loss and sadness will stay within us for a lifetime. Over the next 5-10 years, I imagine the conversation becoming more common. There are many voices within the grief community. People, including myself, who help #normalizegrief every day. I look forward to being among those who push the envelope in the grief world.
Pricing:
- Normalize Grief Mug $13.00
- Normalize Grief Sweatshirt $35.00
Contact Info:
- Email: grievingit@gmail.com
- Website: grievingit.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grievingit/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Grieving-It-105167714850992
