We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shayna Grajo. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shayna below.

Shayna, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

The name of my business is simply my first and last name, used as my taxpayer name for my sole proprietorship. This choice is deeply personal, reflecting my desire to build a brand that feels human and authentic.

I want my work to not only help me discover who I am but also allow me to truly be myself in the world. I want my work to reflect my true self, and I want to share that with others.

Before relocating to Spain, I ran a business under a different name, Shoji Arts, as a licensed massage therapist specializing in shiatsu and Thai massage. But the transition to online work as a freelancer has given me the freedom to embrace my own voice and values more fully (although it’s a work in progress). I no longer feel burdened by using a name that could be seen as culturally appropriative. Instead, I’m embracing who I truly am and honoring that in my work as I tap into marketing and copywriting as the healing service for which I want to give back to my supportive community of fellow service providers, coaches, intuitives, healers, artists, personal brands, mystics, wellness professionals, small business owners, empaths, creatives, you get the picture.

I’ve always loved the sound, vibration and meaning of my first name, Shayna, which comes from my Jewish mother and means “beautiful” in Yiddish. My last name, Grajo, is a colonial Spanish name given to my Filipino ancestors, reflecting my father’s heritage. In Spain, a “grajo” refers to a small black bird, akin to a rook or crow. Together, my name represents both my personal and cultural identity—a name I’ll never change.

And of course, my middle name, Rose, is a tribute to my maternal lineage, honoring my mother’s mother’s mother or great-grandmother. It’s a meaningful name that I carry with pride.

Shayna, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m a freelance copywriter with a background as a former journalist, licensed massage therapist, and university instructor of massage therapy and yoga. Through visionary web copy that moves, I blend my deep industry knowledge with empathy, intuition and instinct to create matchmaking messaging that converts dream audiences for creative, passionate entrepreneurs. I love empowering personal brands, coaches and service providers in the health and wellness niche, especially, given my background.

I honed my expertise in compelling storytelling as a journalism graduate of Colorado State University, where I was assistant news editor of the student-run daily newspaper with a circulation of 34,000. During that time I reported on the Democratic National Convention of 2008 and was published in nationwide holistic publications such as Natural Solutions Magazine and Elephant Journal. My press releases for musicians and artists garnered national media coverage through the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News.

I am also a licensed massage therapist in the State of New York, where I instructed massage therapy and yoga at Cornell University and Ithaca College. Specializing in shiatsu and Thai massage in private practice, I leveraged collaborations with artists and creative entrepreneurs of color to drive local business, host gallery exhibitions, perform dance pieces, and fundraise for suicide prevention, garnering the press attention of the Ithaca Voice, Downtown Ithaca Alliance and local news outlets for my leadership.

I am a lifelong educator and learner, having taught hundreds of cohorts of students across the lifespan—ages 3 to elder—in dance, yoga and massage therapy over the past 25 years. Since moving to Spain in 2022 on a study visa, I’ve added English to her teaching list. In my pivot to freelancing, I have also moved into harnessing my passion for writing to support talented health and wellness professionals with their copy, enabling them to step powerfully into their purpose and be unapologetically seen and globally recognized online.

I also bring to the table an extensive background in the administrative martial arts, having served nonprofits in health, the environment and the arts, as well guest services for regional spa experiences. As a marketing strategist, I consult holistic brands, helping them to see their big picture visions and organize, support and execute campaigns to gain more recognition and global reach through their online presence. My approach is the perfect mix of my deep industry knowledge with empathy, intuition and instinct: I understand today’s online marketing environment and combine this with potent content curation.

When I’m not briefing my clients, copy coaching, or designing landing pages that convert aligned leads, you can find me flamenco dancing, conducting volunteer market research for a local language academy, or cheering on my lead singer boyfriend in concert. I’m Filipina-American and live in the South of Spain, right next to the Rock of Gibraltar. I collaborate weekly with my two freelancing Filipina accountability besties—one in the United States, and one in the Philippines.

I’m available for website copywriting, content marketing, and virtual assistance. See my website www.shaynagrajo.com to connect.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

I’ll share about a time I felt it important to be in my power and “take a risk.”

In May of 2014, I was living month-to-month in a tiny efficiency apartment on Lake Cayuga in upstate New York, paying around $350 a month in rent. I was working part-time at an aerospace engineering firm as a “consultant,” teaching yoga and preparing vegetarian meals. Over nine months, my role expanded to 35 hours a week, and I became the in-house feng shui consultant, helping to declutter the building.

However, by May, I felt disrespected. I realized I was being exploited and pressured into an employee-employer dynamic rather than a contractor relationship. When I requested to formalize my position, they terminated my contract the next day and offered me a new one with an hourly raise but didn’t acknowledge my concerns.

That night, I knew in my soul that I wouldn’t return to work on Monday. Instead, I chose to trust my instincts and join friends for a spontaneous trip to Toronto for a contact improvisation jam. When crossing the border, we attracted attention after shaving our heads en route, during a ritual in Buffalo.

I remembered that “decide” means “to cut” in Latin. I wanted my actions to clearly express what I accepted or rejected in my life, even with financial uncertainty looming. In that moment, I surrendered to my own humanity, knowing whatever I decided was right for me.

Later that year, at a Zen meditation retreat, my attorney friend assisted me in a phone hearing that determined my eligibility for New York State unemployment benefits based on how that situation ended. She was there to destress from her demanding work representing wrongfully convicted individuals in the Deep South.

Do you have multiple revenue streams – if so, can you talk to us about those streams and how your developed them?

As of the time of writing this, my only legal employment is online. As a citizen of the United States (and the Philippines) who resides in Spain, I am in the process of changing my residency to a five-year permit.

My previous visa for two years was a study visa teaching English through the North American Language and Culture Assistants Program (NALCAP). But I am applying for residency via the “love route,” I call it, or pareja de hecho, which will register my boyfriend and I as a legal couple, similar to a civil union.

Until my papers are renewed, I can’t cross into Gibraltar, which is the British territory that borders La Línea de la Concepción, my city in Spain.

So, during this transition, my online business is my sole employment. I can’t legally work in Spain, nor can I in Gibraltar.

However, it is common for many “international types” from all over Europe to work in Gib, live in Spain. (I am not a big fan of the term “expat,” in my case, for I identify as an immigrant, to honor my immigrant roots and my intentions for living in Spain.)

Gibraltar is the English-speaking region nearby and one of those tax haven, gaming industry hubs.

Many locals are accustomed to the international crowd residing in La Línea and working in Gib. But I haven’t determined whether a cushy customer service job at one of the gaming companies would be in my future, pending residency, to supplement my business.

People often cite having a job in the gaming industry as a question of ethics. Maybe that speaks to gaming addiction, but a friend has pointed out to me an interesting defense. In her opinion, it’s a less harmful addiction than casinos or cigarettes, and games also really do bring people together who otherwise would have trouble getting out and making connections. A lot of autist communities in games are tight for this reason. So, according to her, I’d be helping folks out if I work for a gaming company.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shaynagrajo.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shaynagrajo
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shayna.rose.grajo
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaynagrajo/

Image Credits

Kait Hoyt Photography (first three photos)