Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon McCoy.
Shannon, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
The idea for launching a blog had been on my mind since 2010, but it wasn’t until 2013 when I felt that it could actually be a good idea. I attended Howard University in Washington D.C. and decided to get my M.B.A. after that. I later moved to New York and Los Angeles and landed in Atlanta two years ago. I traveled a lot in between (and literally my entire life), so it was important for me to explore the cities that I lived in and traveled to. I always enjoyed finding the coolest things to do, best places to eat, and places with good vibes not to mention other life experiences along the way.
I consider myself well-rounded because you never know what you’re going to get with me. I have a ton of interests and have had a lot of dope life experiences. I love God, art, music, giving back, culture, food, traveling, networking, and trying new things. You can catch me at a concert, community service, party, church, museum, brunch… you name it. I noticed that I started to become the go-to person in my friend groups for things to do, places to eat, sights to see, and just what was going on in the world. Not to mention, I tend to have an opinion on everything. One of my friends finally told me “you should start a blog since you’re always doing cool stuff.” This was the first confirmation for me, but then more friends kept asking me to document different things that I did, so I decided it was time to finally do this or so I thought.
In 2013, I built a website for the blog and wrote content, but never launched it. Why? Because I was scared. I literally sat on a quality blog for five years. Nobody saw it but myself and my MacBook. After a mentally and emotionally draining year (2018), I chose to redirect my energy into something positive and toward things that made me happy again. I revisited the un-launched blog I created in 2013, redesigned the site, wrote new content, and finally launched ShanMichele: A BLOG this past November and here we are! The blog is my insight, opinions, and recommendations on places I’ve been, things I’ve done, and more while surviving and thriving through this thing called “life.” I just wanted to stay true to myself, be open and share parts of my life that people can connect with.
Great, 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?
Surprisingly, it has been a pretty smooth road. The biggest struggle along the way was me. I knew this was something I needed to do since it had been on my heart for years. I also knew people were interested because they kept bringing it up, but self-doubt was a killer. I kept asking myself “what if it’s boring?,” “what if people don’t read it or actually like it?,” “is it good enough?” All these questions delayed the process and caused me to feel like I wasn’t ready to share my blog with the world.
After I convinced myself to move forward with the blog, I delayed the launch again because I couldn’t come up with a catchy name. You would think this would be easy since I work in advertising, but I went back and forth between so many different ideas, and nothing seemed to fit. I eventually decided on ShanMichele: A BLOG. ShanMichele is a combination of my first and middle name (Shannon Michele), and it is also my social media handle on Instagram and Twitter. Since the blog is ultimately pieces of me, my thoughts, and my life – it worked.
Self-doubt and worrying about what people would think were the main bumps in the road and why it took me five years to launch the blog. Once all of that was out of the way, then everything flowed especially since the site was already done and I had enough content.
In the grand scheme of things – it’s easy to start but following through is the hard part. Now that ShanMichele: A BLOG is launched, I sometimes struggle with finding the time to actually sit down and commit to doing a blog. Some days after I leave my 9 to 5, workout, cook dinner, and relax, I’m not in the mood to write or come up with new content. I have to remind myself that the hard part is out of the way and that this is something that I committed to and need to continue to do for me and others.
My advice for anyone is to: get out of your own way, and JUST DO IT! It may sound cliché, but it’s true. I saw a quote the other day that said: “if I waited until I got all my ducks in a row, I’d never cross the street.” It took me over five years to realize that my all of ducks weren’t in a row, and probably never will be – that’s life, so you have to roll with the punches and keep going. When God keeps putting something on your heart that’s the only confirmation you need that you’re on the right track.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I work in advertising from 9 to 5, so I spend my days helping others create content to leverage their brands and sell their products and services. I figured I could do the same for myself since I spend most of my time doing it for others.
ShanMichele: A BLOG is a collection of my experiences, thoughts, ideas, and recommendations. I like to highlight different events, things to do, places to eat, books to read, and just give simple life lessons that I’ve learned. It seems like everyone has a blog these days with similar content, yet each one is special and unique since no two people are the same. My blog is authentic and true to myself. It is a real reflection of who I am and what I like to do. Sometimes, I feel like it is all over the place, but that’s who I am. Like my myself, ShanMichele: A BLOG isn’t perfect and is a work in progress. If I can impact or inspire at least one person when I make a post, then I feel like my blog has served a purpose.
Do you recommend any apps, books or podcasts that have been helpful to you?
Yes! I am a very organized person, and I love the Passion Planner. I have used this planner for the past four years, and it has helped me keep track of my daily life and map out my goals. The Passion Planner is key to keeping me focused.
Aside from being organized, I like to start each day off on a positive note, so the Bible app, Shine app, and Calm app are all ingrained in my everyday life. I start each morning with a devotional, scripture, and inspirational quote. This helps me stay rooted in my faith and gives me encouragement to conquer each day.
I also love to read, and I challenge myself to read at least one book per month. I even block off time in my planner for reading every day. The books that have impacted my life the most are “The Dream Giver” by Bruce Wilkinson, “Year of Yes” by Shonda Rhimes, and “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho. These three books contain life lessons that I literally carry with me every day. I don’t want to ruin the books for those who haven’t read them, so if you haven’t read them yet – please do!
My favorite blog is xoNecole by Necole Kane. I have followed her journey for years and watched her rebrand her blog into what it is now. It is catered towards women and millennials and has highlights travel, lifestyle, relationships, beauty, fashion, and more. I literally read it every day since the articles are inspirational and empowering.
I’m a firm believer that what you feed your mind directly impacts your life, so it’s important that I spend my time with apps, books, podcasts, and blogs that give me a push to be better in life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.shanmichele.com
- Email: contactshanmichele@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shanmichele
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/shanmichele
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
