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

Shannon , appreciate you joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I was drowning. Not literally, but figuratively I was drowning mentally, and physically. I was in college attempting to complete my undergraduate degree in nursing. I fell for the aspect of nursing late in my life. I knew I wanted to help individuals that could impact them in such a way they would not forget. During that time I assumed nursing was the best route for me. I remember I was in class and felt completely unfilled and stagnant. I felt as if I was just doing it because for one I started it, secondly those around me encouraged me to stay, and in the end a part of me wanted to finish it. I remember I started to feel myself slow down I just stopped. I felt myself stop trying. It was a moment in my life where I did not recognize myself. I recalled I had notebook and pen and I listed all the things that made me happy. When I was finished I stared at my note and realize all the things I wrote down were for me. I was following the motion of nursing to please people around me and not myself which is why I felt unfilled. I decided to walk away and start over. When I took that giant risk and stepped out on faith it happened to be the best decision I’ve ever made in my life. The risk taught me how to persereve, it taught me how to believe in myself and lastly it is okay to change my narrative regardless of my age and how I was viewed by other people. I was given one life and I will live it the way I see fit. I did not want to fit into the standard mold of how society should perceive me and what I should be doing. Taking risks changed me and it challenged me to become the best version of me I could be. Any opportunity that may look like a challenge or a risk I fully embrace it now and I don’t look back because it evolved me.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Shannon. I’m all hands on deck type of girl with a high energy that will make your head possibly spin. I find the most joy out of making people smile. I quickly learned the best way to make people smile is through great delicious food. I was taught about food from a very young age. My family is from Jamaica and as soon as I was tall enough to reach the gas stove and understand the mechanism of how a gas stove works I was in the kitchen. It brought me so much joy learning to cook from my grandmothers, and my parents. My grandmother would always tell me I was inquisitive and always helpful and she nurtured that in me. Since that moment food became my safe haven and my comfort. That is how I got into the industry of cooking. I prepare meals for clients elevating the foods they love but also making the meal 100% vegan. Vegan means no animal products or by-products such as dairy or eggs.

The problem with the food industry today is that animals are being consumed at a high rate and do not live in a safe environment. Every time an animal is being slaughtered for consumption the planet dies more and more each day. My clients are able to see that even though their favorite meal may contain meat I can replace it with veggies and the flavor is not depleted. I also prepare meals this way because I care about the body. The body should be taken care of and we should mindful of what we place in it.

I’m most proud of my creativity. There are many of individuals that can make great vegan meals but they lack flavor and elevation. I’m constantly educating myself on different cooking techniques. I challenge myself daily on my skills and the execution of meals or desserts. I challenge myself to take a item that may need a by-product such as milk and still make that same food without it not losing texture or flavor. I see myself as a scientist and my kitchen is my lab.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

My advice for managing a team and maintaining high morale is do not micro-manage your team. As a business owner there are 100s resumes that come in and just like jobs there are filters. It filters out the bad and keeps the applicant that fits the criteria. Then of course there are interviews. All of these filters and conversation is to make sure that the applicant fits your business and your team. If you know your team and find candidates that fit your business and morale there is no reason to micro-manage your team. Of course check-in with your team daily but watching over them will never allow your team to trust you or talk to you openly about any issues that may arise. Be confident in your ability in choosing the right applicant that fits the team you envision in your team.

A previous employer did this with her company and it was one of the best experiences of my life.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The backstory is we all have our faults and we get in our heads about what we can accomplish and what we cant. I think this all stems from how we would be perceived by those arounds us. It is scary when we place ourselves on full display. Full display is often greeted with heavy criticism and opinions. Some of these opinions hurt and so does the criticism. It easier to say than do but no one should have that much power over you that you stop showing up for yourself.

Had to unlearn to stop self-sabotaging myself. It is so easy to self-sabotage when you don’t believe in yourself. It’s so easy to not believe you can do something then believing you actually can. Through my life I constantly felt as if I could not do certain things because I did not have the full confidence in my ability to do the skill I may have envisioned in myself.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannon.swaby/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shann.swaby
• Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@shayswab
• Other: TikTok.com/@shayisrandom https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm11418188?s=d8c70bcc-04fb-7891-215e-04bafb2b50f9&site_preference=normal

Image Credits
Photos taken by Shannon Swaby