We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shannon a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Shannon, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?
It was the Spring of 2016 when I’d finally built up the courage to abandon my broadcasting career and pursue something different—something fulfilling.
A little context…
I was two years out of college making $25,000 a year as the morning anchor and producer of a local TV news station in small-town West Virginia. I was working 65 hour weeks at the station from midnight to 1 pm every Monday through Friday and I was babysitting a few days a week after work just to scrape by.
I quickly realized that the “dream job” I landed felt more like a nightmare, but I stuck it out and made the most of the opportunity while I spent my free time diving deeper into the art of manifestation. I journaled, vision boarded, and meditated daily on the idea that a career was waiting for me in my hometown of Pittsburgh.
Eventually, I took a leap of faith and handed in my two weeks notice. Immediately, a weight lifted from my shoulders and I knew I’d made the right decision.
I didn’t know what I’d do next, but I was hopeful and open to the possibilities!
So, I moved into my parents attic and went back to bartending at the same local pub where I’d worked during my senior year at Duquesne University. I’d applied for a couple of “real” jobs with no luck and admittedly felt a bit discouraged but I was making great money and having a blast bartending, plus I was loving the freedom after feeling trapped and miserable for two years in my news job. I had a new lease on life and I was happy!
That’s when an opportunity popped up to produce a documentary for a local environmental organization. It wasn’t a paid gig, but It sounded fun, so I volunteered. I thought to myself, “I’ve got a camera, I’ve got a microphone and a tripod, why not me?!”
That summer, I must have spent one hundred plus hours shooting more than twenty interviews and collecting footage for this film. I was in my glory piecing it together!
Unlike the horror stories of deadly car accidents and devastating fires I’d been forced to share for so long in local news, I was able to produce this positively uplifting film that inspired people to clean up our city. (https://vimeo.com/209236735)
I realized then that I had a service to offer and saw an opportunity to create the life I wanted instead of seeking to find it elsewhere.
So, I printed business cards, amped up a website I’d made in college, and started bringing my camera everywhere. I developed a pricing guide and got a friend with a law degree to write up a standard contract I could use. I didn’t know everything, but I didn’t let that stop me. I asked questions, studied youtube tutorials, and developed my skills through trial and error. I learned on the go and trusted in my capacity to solve problems and overcome challenges along the way. I collected deposits for upcoming shoots and invested every dollar back into upgrading my gear and paying freelancers to help me produce more cinematic films. I built a network of talented people to call on when I needed a team so that I could serve my clients at a higher level.
In my first year of business, I surpassed my news salary, grew a rainy day fund, and started paying down my student loan debt.
The following year, I left my bartending job and took my passion project full time.
My business grew quickly and organically because I opened myself up to clients and believed that I was good enough to serve them. I poured my heart and soul into my projects and always led with love and vulnerabiltiy. People praised me and spread the word about my services. Community has been the key to my success!
Every year I increased my prices and attracted more ideal clients without ever paying for a single ad or going into debt.
My business has evolved since then, but my mission has stayed the same: I aspire to spread love and make a positive impact.
I hope my art helps people feel the magic that exists everywhere and I hope my story helps people see that absolutely anything is possible for them. If I can do it, they can too!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m Shannon Chavez, also known as Shannon~The Good Witch. There’s no easy way to sum up all of the hats I wear as a multi-passionate entrepreneur, but in a nutshell, I strive to use my gifts and creative passions to spread love and make a positive impact. I believe that every person on the planet has a divine purpose. I’ve devoted my life and business to helping others see their value so that they can confidently shine and serve in their own special way!
I grew up with a camera in my hand, always documenting the magic around me. In 2010, I went on to study Broadcast Journalism at Duquesne University where I fell in love with storytelling through the art of writing, photography and film production. I used what I learned in school and in the early days of my career in the television news industry to start my own production company in 2016.
After 7 years shooting more than 120 weddings, I shifted my focus to helping non-profit organizations and small business owners tell their stories. I’m passionate about helping leaders build strong personal brands so that they can share their message and attract the support they need to change the world!
In 2020, I opened a photography studio in Pittsburgh so that I could offer my clients a bright and airy space for their shoots. It was important to me from the beginning that I could share my creative workspace with other artists, so after a year of renovations, I listed the space on AirBnB for short term rental and have had the pleasure of hosting hundreds of guests over the last three years.
In 2022, I received a double certification as a Spiritual Life Coach and Soul Purpose Coach from the Dharma Coaching institute so that I could help my clients on a deeper level. I used what I learned through the certification program combined with my own life experiences to start teaching online through digital products and personal development tools like journaling prompts and virtual workshops. In 2024, I published my first book–a dream that had been on my heart for nearly a decade.
(https://www.shannonthegoodwitch.com/thehealthyhigh)
$1 from every purchase of my book is donated to The Good Witch Scholarship and Coaching Program, an initiative I’ve founded to help community leaders grow their impact. (https://www.shannonthegoodwitch.com/about)
I find I feel most creative and aligned with my life’s purpose when I’m pursuing my passions, chasing my curiosities, learning new things, and giving back to my community. It also helps to be surrounded by people who inspire me! There’s nothing that lights me up like connecting with creatives and working with purpose-driven individuals toward a shared goal. I’m passionate about community and owe my successes in life to the people who’ve so willingly supported me along the way. Now I hope to be a beacon of light for anyone who’s feeling lost or alone.
I am most proud of myself for never settling. I’ve pivoted so many times over the years and I used to think that I was indecisive, but now I see that I’ve just never been afraid to change my mind or own up to making a choice that no longer feels aligned. I’m human, and as a human being who’s learning and growing and changing everyday, it makes a lot of sense that my goals and dreams would grow and change too, right? When it comes to happiness, second best has never really felt like an option, so even though I usually have no idea what I’m doing, I shoot for the stars because I trust beyond the shadow of a doubt that the Universe has–and always will–have my back.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
As a young girl who believed in a higher power, my prayers sounded something like this. . .
“Please God, make my life count. Show me the way. Lead me to the people I’m meant to help. Grant me the power to do something good in this lifetime with the freedom, privilege, and opportunity you’ve blessed me with. I know you are inside of me. I am listening.”
But somewhere along the line, the responsibilities of adulthood piled on and I lost touch with my spirituality. I was still carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders, but I felt small and helpless–like my desire to make a difference was silly and pointless–so even though I knew in my heart that I had something special to offer, I stayed stuck in my solace for years looking outside of myself for direction.
I busied myself with work and obligations and got trapped on the hamster wheel of a work hard, play hard lifestyle. I turned to sex, drugs, and rock’n roll on my off days to make me feel better and got hooked on the temporary escape from the grief I was holding.
In 2021, I was battling the side effects of the global pandemic and fell into a depression that I blamed on booze and burnout. But thanks to therapy and my spiritual tool box, this rock-bottom moment led to a break through.
During my dark night of the soul, I vowed to become the highest version of myself so that I could help others break free from their pain and suffering.
In my book, The Healthy High, I reveal the intimate details of my own healing journey because I want people to know that they don’t have to be perfect to be good. I hope to help my readers and my clients feel loved and valued, exactly as they are. I want everyone to know that even the things they’re ashamed of make them special.
Through my coaching and branding services, I strive to help people recognize and harness their divine potential so that they can live the full and meaningful lives they deserve.
Simply put, my life’s purpose is to help people feel good about themselves and my goal is to help them find success and fulfillment on any path they choose to walk.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
During my first few years in business, I was blogging and using my professional social media accounts as a portfolio to share my client work, but for the most part, new clients were flowing in from word of mouth recommendations. I served my clients well and they raved about me to their friends and families, so I always had plenty of inquiries coming in. I took pride in responding quickly and providing my clients with clear and easy steps to lock in their dates. Being organized and having stellar systems made it easy to grow my clientele and keep everyone happy, but I was starting to feel burned out by all the work that was piling up on my plate.
In 2020, when the world shut down during the pandemic and most of my shoots were cancelled, I felt relieved. I took that as a sign that it was time to make some changes to my strategy.
That’s when I discovered my #1 business role model, Jenna Kutcher’s Goal Digger Podcast and used the extra free time to learn everything I could about branding and marketing. Jenna taught me the power of showing my face online and sharing more about my personal life so that I could grow my audience and attract even more aligned clients.
When I was transitioning out of weddings and into my new role as a Purpose Coach and Brand Photographer in 2022, I knew that claiming the name Shannon~The Good Witch and owning my love for magic would attract the kind of clients I wanted to work with. I can’t remember how I came up with the name Shannon~The Good Witch, but I knew that it was catchy and something people would remember, so I changed my Instagram handle and printed little moon ritual cards to pass out with my QR code. I hired a professional designer to help me build a beautifully branded website… and it worked!
Suddenly, other business owners in my city were recognizing me as Shannon~The Good Witch and I was calling in new magical clients left and right! By 2023, I was able to retire from weddings and step fully into my role as an author, purpose coach, and brand photographer thanks to my own strong personal brand.
Being vulnerable and putting myself out there hasn’t always been easy, but it has been worth it!! I’ve learned that I don’t need everyone to like me, I just need the right people to love me! Being myself is key!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.shannonthegoodwitch.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannonthegoodwitch/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ShannonTheGoodWitch
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0D6SGTLGC/about
Image Credits
All photos were taken by me or of me with my camera. Please credit Shannon Chavez or The Good Witch Creative @TheGoodWitchCreative