We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shawna Beucler. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shawna below.
Shawna, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.
I enjoy my little bubble of comfort. I am not known to be a risk taker, and anything that pushes me outside my comfort zone gives me anxiety. Not the most attractive of truths, but one that I have learned how to fight over the years. Lunchbox Babies was an idea for quite a while before it came into fruition. It was always on the backburner of my mind, but it involved jumping off of that cliff of comfort and I was scared. Scared of what people would think of me. Scared if it failed. Just scared. I finally made that jump on March 19, 2018, and created the platform that has grown, morphed, and built an amazing community now 4 years later. The moment I hit “publish” on that first post back in 2018, my eyes filled with tears. The thought of moving permanently to a place outside of my comfort zone was such a frightening thought, and one that I still truly struggle with to this day. I’m happy over here in my office with my family and dogs where no one judges me, and I know that I am loved. But I have found when those big dreams are hanging out in the backburner of your life, well . . . they start to burn hotter and more fiercely until you bring them off the stove and into the light. I am so very thankful that I started Lunchbox Babies when I did. It started out as way for me to heal from the heartbreaking grief I was feeling and with a goal to help others like me. Today, four years later, I am now a transition and health coach for women like me. I have walked the road of infertility and loss with so many couples as they struggle to grow their family. It is a hard and lonely road to travel, and I am honored that these people choose to share their stories with me and allow me to love on them, pray for them, and help them on this path. So thankful that I took this risk. It was worth it!
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
I have a CRAZY story of infertility. I have been pregnant eleven times, I am blessed to have two miracle boys with me here, and I have a football team in Heaven. I believe that we are all in this together, and we should support each other through hope, humor, and faith! In 2017, we lost Sophie when I was five months pregnant. I delivered her, I held her, and I was destroyed. The waves of grief were crushing for my husband and me, along with our boys that just didn’t understand where their sister went. It was the worst moment of my life. When we lost another little boy later that year, we finally “closed up the shop” and decided that our family of four was complete. Healing for me meant finding my WHY . . . the WHY did this happen to me. I created my own WHY and started the Lunchbox Babies brand and blog in March of 2018. I had so much to say, so much healing to do, and I knew that there just had to be other people out there like me. What started out as a way to heal myself and find others like me has morphed into something even greater. Today, through my Lunchbox Babies brand, I offer several services. 1. The Lunchbox Babies blog is still a source of monthly book reviews, travel posts, fun self-care tips, and other lifestyle pieces.
2. Life Coaching for women that are struggling on the road of infertility and loss.
3. Health Coaching for men and women that are struggling in their own bodies. My plan is not just about being skinny, but about being healthy and happy in your own skin. I am thrilled to have helped over 80 clients within the last 18 months lose weight, get off medication, rediscover their health, and just become the best versions of themselves.
4. Transition Coaching for anyone that is struggling with where they are at this point in their life. This is for the college athlete that is suddenly working in the real world, the mom that is trying to redefine herself once the kids go off to school, the man that is trying to define himself through his new business and struggling with his personal life, for all of us transitioning from one phase of life to another. I find that my clients range widely on their ages, needs, and wishes.
I am proud that the Lunchbox Babies brand continues to grow, and I look forward to continuing to grow the coaching piece. I love helping others and finding that we are all dealing with something. We all need a coach! Even me!
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Perseverance is my very favorite word! I find that when people are down and out, there are those that crumble and those that fight. I was born to fight. I didn’t really get that until I was in my 30s and then I looked back on my life to see that I always survive the fight.
Being told over and over again that an infertility procedure did not succeed is heartbreaking. Especially when it was MY fault that my husband and I were in this mess. For a decade, on and off, we dealt with infertility and loss. Trust me when I say that it was rough, it was lonely, but I would do it again in a minute to get my miracle boys. I somehow made it through this journey with my faith, sense of humor, and love of life intact. That is only through God, and I am thankful. It made me who I am today and has given me the heart to coach people through hard times in their own lives.
If I can offer any advice, it is to fight. Do not crumble when faced with adversity. You will want to. You will want to grab the bottle of wine and bag of Fritos and hide in your bedroom. Ok, so do that for a day . . . and then come out and fight for yourself. Persevere. It will be hard, it will be challenging, but you will survive. You are not alone.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
As mentioned before, I am a fan of my comfort zone. Sharing my story and starting a blog was one thing, but growing a business is another. Prior to starting Lunchbox Babies, I was a financial consultant by trade. My wheelhouse was sitting behind a computer and helping companies with their finances and projections. That was about numbers, all about facts. My job was not to put myself out there, offer guidance beyond the facts, and grow a business. No, I was one of thousands of employees just doing my job. Growing your own business is 100% different. When I decided to start growing Lunchbox Babies and add in the coaching aspect, I had to realize that I am not one of thousands. It is not my job to just sit back and let the companies and their numbers come to me. I have to put myself out there on social media, at local conferences, and in other settings where I can sell my story and myself. THAT IS SO UNCOMFORTABLE. Now, want me to look at your balance sheet and nerd out on your projections? I am on it. But, having to get out there and market myself is WAY outside of my comfort zone. It is something that I fight every day, and I am sure that I will continue to fight. The transition coaching piece is the newest service that I am growing, so I continue to fight, persevere, and unlearn the comfort role my heart knows so well.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lunchboxbabies.com
- Instagram: @lunchboxbabies
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/lunchboxbabies