We were lucky to catch up with Shanice Lewis recently and have shared our conversation below.

Shanice, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your career and how did you resolve those issues?

I have had a couple of unexpected problems faced in my professional career. As I am really just overcoming it, it’s a good time to speak about this once which happened in 2021, one month after I became a Texas resident.

I was a classroom teacher, I taught special education and regular education in Louisiana. I then moved to Texas, where I accepted a role as a program Director of students with autism. I had never taught in Texas before, and different from Louisiana, the education system is quite complex. I was in the role two weeks before I was accused of something so drastic that could’ve really caused me to lose my teaching license and end up in jail. I resigned from the role, scared, and confused, with my own business at the time (gratefully), but really trying to figure out my next step professionally. Distraught because of what had happened, I was very motivated to make a career outside of education, and not needing it to be able to sustain my life.

Data analytics was something I was always interested in as I was really good at using data to determine my students educational plan. I love finding trends and patterns, and being able to do this full-time with the thought of not having to work with the public, seemed like the best idea.

I was then hired by a top 5 company! And in working for the company I was allowed to earn a certification in data analytics from Austin community college for free! With all my education and my masters degree(s) , I had a hard time finding a role outside of education.

While working for the big company I was given the opportunity to get more education with the companies dollar, and I seized the opportunity. Fast forward, This week on January 3, 2023 I was able to accept a new role as a data analyst for a healthcare benefit company using the certification I earned while figuring out my next move in my professional career.

I most certainly used the circumstance to pivot my career in another direction, when the education field wasn’t so good to me, and I gave all I had to my students and staff that I was a part of. It was unexpected, but I am a person to believe in myself wholeheartedly to turn all of my pain into power and never give up.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I attended undergrad for education, as I taught elementary school for six years, and while teaching earning two masters degrees. While earning those degrees researching, and writing was my favorite part of it all. In my profession, I was always able to write, based on data analysis, and really expound on results gathered. If you’ve ever worked with me before, I can really talk a lot, and I think my writing just comes second nature. I really got into the business by happenstance, which started off as a hobby. I saw that I was able to make profit off of it. Offering resumes and cover letters for my family and friends was fun and enjoyable, as I always loved to write. I turned my hobby into a business, and I never looked back, over time I was able to expand my business, The Writing Co, into a writing service that fits customers needs.

The Writing Co, provides writing services for clients with a wide range of needs, including cover letters and resumes, essays, letters of any kind, etc. my business resolves the problem of people, not liking to write or simply not being good at it; The Writing Co, could also be seen as a luxury service, that gives clients the best based on their needs. I always want clients to feel as if they wrote it. I work close enough to understand the expectation of the finished product.

I am most proud of even starting the business, not having it interfere with my 9-to-5, and it’s simply being enjoyable. I love that I can make money from something that I enjoy to do, which is why I currently change my career from teaching to data analytics. In data analytics, I am allowed to find data trends based on what’s collected and use it to support results.

In 2023, I would really like to help former or current teachers transition into other careers with it being tech or anything similar.

I want my future clients to know that I am here to resolve all of your writing needs, with no job being too big or small.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

To build a reputation in my market, customer service is most important. Providing a service to customers is different from just giving them a product. The interactions with you and your team mean the most to them, as clients want to feel as if they are heard and valued. A lot of my clients are acquired through references. Most of the people who I write for, refer other clients as well as come back for additional services. I am most grateful for it, I have never had a customer to have a bad experience and tell me about it.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

As I stated, I attended undergraduate for education, and I never thought that it would be possible to leave my position as a classroom teacher. I accepted a role here in Texas, as I was just moving from Louisiana, the role was not what I expected. Having an amazing husband with great income allowed me to resign from the job and seek out a role outside of education. This was not an easy task, I knew that I had to gain the skills needed as well as expose myself to what the expectations of the companies that I was applying to were. After over a year, I am accepting my first role with the job title of data analyst, where I am able to work from home and complete technical things in my day-to-day work . I am grateful for the opportunity of never giving up and going back to the classroom as it is always there for me, but I wanted a different avenue.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://squareup.com/appointments/book/v3kxx4q3227o4r/LM9GWNQ70RS4N/start
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/writingcoresumeservice?igshid=NTdlMDg3MTY=
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewritingcoresumeservice?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanicelewis
• Twitter: SLewis1913