Today we’d like to introduce you to Shanna McCormick.
Hi Shanna, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
This all started for me in June of 2020 when the protests of the Summer had broken out. At the time, I was managing one of the most successful boutique fitness studios in the world, right here in Atlanta, GA. I decided to bring my Black Lives Matter Flag to the studio to show my community that they mattered to my staff and myself and that we were standing with them. However, this was met with resistance from some of the members. It made me sad and angry that in such a diverse city, and a fitness concept that plays music that is written, produced and performed by Black people that people could still be racist. However, the catalyst for me wanting to leave that brand was the fact that some of the racist members had reached out to my bosses at the time expressing how the flag “made them uncomfortable” of which I was not here for. I pressed back against my bosses at the time and told them that I planned to keep the flag up for the entire month of June. I won that battle. What does this have to do with me starting The Wellness Factory ATL?
While Atlanta is a very diverse city, I still want to create a business and a fitness/wellness community that is truly inclusive of all. I also do not want to work for people who say they love all people, yet when there is a time to show their allyship they don’t do that. Gyms and fitness centers can be very intimidating for a lot of people. I want people who don’t feel confident in the gym or who may not see people who look like them represented.
I have been in the fitness industry for 12 years now. For me, it used to be about losing weight. I know the mental battles of feeling like you don’t fit in because everyone around you is smaller than you. I also know how much bravery it takes for someone to decide to even step foot into a gym. Unfortunately, what happens a lot in the fitness industry is someone has taken the steps to be brave and show up wanting to change their life and the fitness industry does not nurture that. The way we make people feel is so important. Realizing that wellness is multi-faceted: mental, physically, emotionally, and even economically is what has driven me to create The Wellness Factory ATL.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has definitely not been smooth for me. When I left the fitness studio I was managing in 2020, that had been my career for 6 years. The pandemic shook us all up, right? I felt guilty for not wanting to be there anymore, but I’m not afraid to take leaps of faith. Since I left there, I have had two positions of which I got fired from both for the same reasons. See, while leaving that company was definitely because I didn’t want to work for people who did not show their allyship to the Black community, overall it was the best working experience of my life. I had great clients and great staff so I knew what a great working experience felt like. The 2 positions I had since I left there were pretty much the exact opposite. So instead of trying to push up against and “prove” myself to companies that I believe do not care about their employees, I decided to create my own brand.
I started The Wellness Factory ATL with absolutely no money. I had got let go from the last position in 2021 and went from a salary of $75k to ZERO overnight. You talk about scared? I was SCARED. And then it got rough after that. I started taking clients in person and serving at a fine dining restaurant to have some money coming in December. Then I got COVID for a second time over Christmas and was out of work for an entire month with absolutely NO money coming in. I was so depressed. I call it a depressive spell. I just kept asking myself “How did I get to this point? How have I went from managing a multi-million dollar business to now broke as sh*t and can’t take care of myself as a grown as a woman?”
I live alone and finally, I started feeling better in mid-January. However, after spending time by myself for an entire month it made me really sit with myself and evaluate my values as a person and my life. I started asking myself “What’s holding you back from becoming who you want to become?” The answer kept coming back to Imposter Syndrome, fear and lack of money. I decided to change my self-talk and get myself out of this negative mindset. It has not been easy, but since January 2022, I drew a line in the sand and said that from that moment I was going to start showing up in my life as the woman I want to be. I was going to quit worrying about what I thought other people thought of me and also remove ALL distractions from my life.
One of the ways I have removed all distractions was getting rid of my TV in February. Then in April, I got rid of my couch. My living room is now my office and the needle continues to move forward on my brand. Once you understand that you don’t get from point A to point B overnight, you are able to give yourself a little more grace for not being exactly where you want to be just yet. However, if you never start you will not get to where you’re trying to go!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I have an Online Coaching business where I help women lead healthier, stronger lives in and outside of the gym. A lot of my work with my clients really boils down to mindset and unlearning the things we have been told about our bodies from a young age. I am most proud of authentically showing up for myself on social media. Realizing it’s 100% okay to be who you are just as you are is pretty amazing and that’s what I am most proud of. What sets me apart from others is that I truly do love to accept people as they are right as they are. I also truly love being around people who are different from me. There is so much to learn from each other!!!
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I will be launching The Wellness Club soon which will be membership-based! It will be a private online fitness/wellness-based community with monthly challenges and I am looking for people to be a part of that. If it’s not the right time to invest into a coaching program for you, The Wellness Club will be a great option for that! The main thing is I am looking for people of all diverse backgrounds who may have felt historically excluded from the fitness hemisphere and want to have a community to feel comfortable around. The Wellness Factory ATL will be that community for you!
Pricing:
- The Wellness Club will be a monthly subscription fee of $ $39.99
- Online Coaching can range anywhere between $99-$400 a month and is a minimum of a 6 months commitment which is the best timeframe for us to get you the results you are seeking!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @shanna.wellness
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewellnessfactoryatl
