Shannon Jackson is not only a self-made successful business woman, she is a hero of our times. As the proud host of the inspirational podcast, Living Your Life Without Limits, this unique ‘Wellness Host for the Covid Era’ is a certified life coach and also a Registered Nurse (aka, ‘The People’s Nurse’). She answered the call as an essential worker where she completed a two month tour-of-duty in the frontlines epicenter helping New York’s corona struck hospital wards. On her return, in an effort to help people stay ahead of the Covid curveballs, she developed her new Wellness Box – a mighty and perfect gift for family and friends, where now it’s all about heightened health consciousness for keeping loved ones safe.
Shannon is also an avid community advocate where she has translated her podcast reach by bringing her episodes LIVE to inner-city communities through her Street Love events, an extension of her platform. This wellness host goes into different Los Angeles areas with good Samaritan gifting, essentially continuing to show more wellness love and philanthropy to the community. For National Fall Prevention Awareness Month, she catered a giveaway of 60 free lunches to 60 seniors. For her Thanksgiving episode, she gave away 10 free Thanksgiving meal baskets to families in need from her own resources; as it is and always has been about giving service for this caring host.
Where the call for hope has never resonated louder, Shannon’s important work through her popular and inspirational podcast uplifting the lives of so many people, is the epitome of what reaching success looks like from the inside-out, and going well beyond herself as she continues to raise her sights on helping others. Shannon reflects an essential story about successful leadership and entrepreneurship: one diversified and industrious woman who is trying to make a difference with heart and service.
Please tell us a little bit about what Living Your Life Without Limits (LYLWL) is all about?
LIVING YOUR LIFE WITHOUT LIMITS (LYLWL) is a Health & Wellness / Motivational Life coaching service. Through my weekly podcast, of the same name, my mission is to serve people first and foremost, having them rediscover themselves through a series of practical resources and ongoing conversation, helping them to achieve their vision. It all starts with reclaiming their voice and their goals. We also offer a variety of health and wellness training programs.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how/why you started LYLWL?
For almost most 30 years serving as a Registered Nurse, I built my Leadership and Mentoring reputation on gentle and effective caring; as further reflected through my nursing career, life coaching, public speaking, entrepreneurship, and now as the host of my own motivational podcast, Living Your Life Without Limits (LYLWL), which launched on January 4th, 2020. The inspiration behind the title first came to me, as my ‘aha’ moment, on how I wanted to start living my life. More proactively and without limits. And from that time until now, I have set my course on fire to where I decided to share my voice and pushed my broadcast mission forward. I am proud to continue inspiring and uplifting the lives of so many people with now more than 7,000 subscribers to-date. Amazing to think that we are still at the infancy stage of our growth. We’ve come a long way in a short time within our first year.
What would you say are the top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
I would call them the 3 P’s:
Perseverance
In life, especially business, perseverance means pushing forward through challenges, disappointments, and obstacles. Many people fail because they give up at the first sign of difficulty. On the other hand, most successful entrepreneurs have a testimony of endurance and determination. There is a saying that goes like this: “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” 😊
Positivity
Having a positive attitude is equally as important as your experience and skills. Having a positive attitude is also infectious. It motivates the troops. Everyone will feel engaged and motivated, which translates into high productivity and impacts the quality of work.
Patience
This has been invaluable for me and is something I keep reminding myself of on a daily basis. Growing a business from scratch takes time. When you jump to a hasty conclusion, or rush to make decision, you end up creating an artificial timeline in your mind, and with that, a bad decision. Alternatively, the virtue of patience allows you to assess, evaluate, and make adjustments, while also preventing your outcomes from becoming major unfortunate ones.
What were the top 3 mistakes you made starting your business and what did you learn from them?
Because I was not familiar with the podcasting world when I started, I relied heavily on what others were telling me. What I should do, or not do. My first mistake was blindly trusting others earlier on without doing my own research. My second mistake was I did not have a clear and definitive business plan. And lastly, my third mistake was I didn’t have a consistent core team working alongside me in the beginning; the time when I most needed the proper support for doing my launch justice.
What was the best business advice you have ever received and who gave you this advice?
I have had a few amazing mentors that were a blessing to me in my career as it relates to business and my professional individual growth. One piece of advice that really stands out is from my very first business mentor, John Fenton, who was the CEO of various healthcare organizations. May he rest in peace. Prior to his passing, I went to see John while he was receiving care in the hospital. I confided in him regarding my desire to open my own business. He proceeded to tell me to listen closely to what I am about to say. “To start, make sure your business is something you will enjoy doing. Because when you face challenges in the building phase, you will and must keep going. And trust me there will be challenges. Next, keep the faith and it will definitely happen kiddo“ (the nickname he gave me because I started in leadership when quite young).
What are the top 3 online tools and resources you are currently using to grow your business?
- Active Campaign, an effective tool for automating your email marketing.
- Social Media platforms with key hashtags.
- Google Analytics SEO.
What are three books or courses you recommend for entrepreneurs?
- A Purpose Driven Book, by Rick Warren.
- Put your Dream to the Test, by John Maxwell.
- They Ask You Answer, by Marcus Sheridan.
If you only had $100 dollars to start a new business, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
On creating a prototype for an improved N95 mask. Who would’ve thought we would have ever run out?
How can our community connect with you?
You can visit my website Living Your Life Without Limits find me on social media, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
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