We’re looking forward to introducing you to Shannon Truax. Check out our conversation below.
Shannon, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
Motherhood ha! I was never planning on becoming a mother. In fact, I was certain it wasn’t part of my story. My life was mapped out in motion… flights to catch, lives to save, speaker talks to give, and freedom to savor. I saw myself as the traveling auntie, the nurse who dealt with chaos and came home to quiet, the entrepreneur who built a life on her own terms. I was the one chasing adventure, not raising it! But life has a way of surprising us, doesn’t it? This chapter found me unexpectedly, and I’m still learning what it means to grow into it. I thought I could approach it like every other challenge using determination, adaptability, and grit. But nothing prepares you for the mix of hormones, sleepless nights, and the reality of doing it all as a single mom. Motherhood found me when I wasn’t looking, and it’s been the most meaningful detour I could have taken. I may not have chosen this path, but I’m beginning to believe it chose me.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Pre- baby, I wore many other hats. My work is unique in that I am able to blend all of my experiences in the health world to create a more complete picture of what it truly means to feel alive and well. I’m a cardiac ICU nurse with over 20 years in the medical field. About ten years ago I expanded into functional and integrative health after dealing with my own health issues from my “adrenaline junkie” lifestyle. I believe the best care happens where science and nature meet to create a balanced application towards a healthy life. I focus not just on treating illness, but on preventing it in the first place by helping people understand how lifestyle, stress, and the environment shape their well-being. My business began as a one-on-one health coaching practice and has since expanded into group programs and wellness talks for big tech companies, well known hospital systems, and even school districts and federal agencies.
A few years ago, I also became a flight attendant which started as a way to explore my love for travel and discovered that it surprisingly mirrors nursing in many ways. Both careers require you to think on your feet, teamwork, quick problem solving, and compassion for people from all walks of life. Both roles also need you to have a little fun along the way.
I guess you can say that becoming a mother has been my fourth career and all the skills from the other three have helped me as I am learning to navigate the one role that will be the most important.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
The part of me that’s ready to be released is the version of myself who was planning for a no-kid life. That identity served me well for a long time. It gave me freedom, adventure, and room to build a life I loved through my work and travel. I poured myself into helping others, whether it was saving lives in the ICU, making someone’s flight a little brighter, or teaching people how to care for their health. In that season, every decision was mine alone. Now, as a mother, every choice ripples outward and touches a little life that depends on me. Letting go of that old version of myself hasn’t been easy. It has been uncomfortable and at times frustrating, but it’s also teaching me to slow down and see the little things in the world again.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering has taught me things success never could…patience, surrender, and to slow down when I’ve spent my whole life moving fast. In my work as a nurse, I’m used to acting quickly, staying calm under pressure, and finding solutions in the middle of chaos. Motherhood, especially navigating it as a single mom, brought a kind of challenge I couldn’t outthink or outwork my way through. It’s taught me that not everything can be controlled or fixed. Some things simply have to be felt and moved through, even as painfully slow as that may be. The exhaustion, the hormones, the moments of loneliness… they stripped away the version of me who always had it all handled. What grew instead was softness, empathy, and a deeper understanding of what real strength looks like. Success taught me how to achieve; suffering taught me how to be.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
I admire people whose strength comes from God and recognize there is a power far greater than themselves. The kind of people who stay grounded when everything feels unsteady. In my life and my work, I’ve learned that power fades when things fall apart, but character and faith are what hold you together. There’s a peace in people who trust His timing, who believe that even detours are part of His design. I’ve seen that truth in my own life…motherhood was never on my agenda, so it would take a far greater source of wisdom to make it happen. God knew exactly what He was doing. Watching His purpose unfold, even when I didn’t understand it, has taught me that character built on faith will always outlast worldly power. Those are the people I lean on, the ones who walk with God no matter where the path leads. My path was a lot of fun, but His is wiser.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
If I knew I only had ten years left, I’d stop worrying so much about the long haul… the retirement funds, the pension, the relationship meant for “forever”, the careful planning for a future I may never see. I used to live that way naturally, because I knew I’d always land on my feet. I never understood the concept of waiting until retirement to live. I could take risks, change directions, and trust that I’d be okay. But now, with a child, that kind of freedom feels different. Every decision carries more weight. Still, if I only had ten years, I’d want to teach my child that security isn’t just financial- it’s spiritual. I’d focus more on time together, on showing them how to trust God, be present, and live fully, right where we are.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theintegrativenurse.info/
- Instagram: the.integrative.nurse
- Linkedin: Shannon Truax
- Facebook: The Integrative Nurse LLC
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