Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shannon Hernandez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Shannon, thanks for joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later

I’ve been a consultant for the past decade, and that definitely began at the right point in time for me. But I do wish that I had shifted my mindset from “independent consultant” to “consultancy” earlier in my journey for a few reasons.

Initially when my client load would get to large I would have to turn down work – there just wasn’t enough of me to do it all. Once I shifted to the consultancy mindset, and started bringing on additional talent to help manage different aspects of projects, I was able to take on more and continue to build the Shan Comms book of business (and revenue) while maintaining a product standard I could be proud of.

Second, it’s allowed me identify the areas where I’m really strong, and where I should outsource to people who are stronger than me. I’ve built a trusted network of go-to’s who have expertise in areas outside of my own that I can collaborate with and in doing so we’re supporting each other’s businesses.

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?

Younger me never would have imagined myself in this role, running a communications and branding consultancy!

While in very analytical roles, I would always be shoulder-tapped to help draft communications, help to create presentations – even decorate someone’s office or cubicle for their birthday! I would always be told things like, “you just do it so well,” or “you make things look good,” or my very fave “you’re good at telling a story.”

When the opportunity came in my career to pivot from an analytical role to more creative one (about 15 years ago), I decided to capitalize on the thing that I realized I was pretty good at! Ten years ago I made the jump from corporate life to consultancy and while it’s had it’s ups and downs, it’s been a really great fit for me and my family.

My analytical nature allows me to run multiple projects for multiple clients, and to see potential gaps and solutions. And my artistic side gets to flourish with the creative work that we do!

Shannon Communications is a boutique branding and communications agency headquartered in San Antonio, TX. Formed in 2021, we’ve consulted with large organizations, non-profits, and small businesses alike – and our team has deep expertise (a combined 50-years worth!) in working with companies with non-desk employees, multiple-location businesses, retail brands, and professional companies with remote workers.

When it comes to communications we’ve found that folks usually know what they want, they just aren’t sure how to get there. That’s where we come in.

We offer a wide array of services such as;
– internal communications support
– website and social media/digital marketing
– graphic design/branding
– photography/videography
because every organization is as unique as the people who work there, and the product or service they provide. We like to take a collaborative approach and work with folks in order to connect the dots, and deliver custom solutions that work.

I take the most pride in the team that we have built and the trust that we have in one another. Together we’ve created a collaborative environment and we really feed off of one another to deliver a top notch product for our clients that we can be really proud of.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Referrals from past or current clients are by far the best source of new clients. Typically, engaging with a prospect and transitioning them to client has a few steps. As a referral they’re coming from a trusted source, so we’ve been pre-vetted and they have usually seen some of our work product which means we’ve already passed step one of the process.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

It sounds cliche, but in some respects, I think that our work speaks for us. We have a lot of experience, and we work hard to deliver a top-notch product that our clients can be proud of. In fact, many of our recent campaigns have won awards, which is really cool.

Of course, it also comes down to being honest and gaining trust with our clients and collaborators. We do what we say we are going to do, and when unforeseen things or obstacles pop up, we’re up front about it. That also includes being honest with what we need from our clients in order to be successful and put out the best product for them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shannoncomms.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannoncomms/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shannoncomms/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shannon-comms/?viewAsMember=true
• Other: Vimeo Showcase: https://vimeo.com/showcase/8265000

Image Credits
Shannon Communications Group