We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shana-Lee Scott a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Shana-Lee, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
I get my work ethic from my dad. He was always working when we were growing up, but teaching my siblings and me that no one owes you anything and working hard is the key to success. We migrated to the United States from Jamaica. For my parents to learn a new country, starting over in a new country, and raising a family took work. They did the best they knew and could, seeing my parents’ work ethic, but my dad indeed showed what hard work looked like and providing for your family by having his own business at times and working for someone as well.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Breathe & Exhale 360 is a company that provides experiences for women to care for themselves. We offer these experiences through our quarterly subscription boxes and events. Each quarter, we ship theme boxes with self-care items. This past year, we expanded to include specialty boxes for Father’s Day and kids returning to school.
I am pleased to announce our First Quarterly Event! We will be reading ‘The Garden Within’ by Dr. Anita Phillips. We will discuss the book every Saturday, and I welcome women to join us and take an hour for themselves. We are starting on October 14th at 7 a.m. CST! This is a FREE event, but women must register on Eventbrite at https://bit.ly/Gardenwithin .
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
This journey is not for the faint of heart; however, the three qualities that have helped me sustain this entrepreneurial road are doing it scared, giving myself grace, and learning about self-care opportunities.
Fear had crippled me for many years, and I decided that fear prevented me from pursuing my dreams. I found myself at a crossroads where I could either continue to be scared or at least try to see if I could reach my goals. I realized that fear can only hinder you. I may not have everything worked out, and I may not have everything figured out, but one thing I know is that fear will only hold back my dreams. So, with all my nerves, I put myself out there. I owe it to myself, the future version of me a year from now, five years from now, and the future entrepreneur in me.
I give myself grace on this journey because I am a new entrepreneur. I do not know everything, and this is genuinely on-the-job training. There will be things I will learn along the way, so I stay calm when things do not go as planned. I grow from it and move on. There is no time to dwell on the lesson; there is only time to learn from it. It is essential to continue learning your craft, stay updated on the latest trends, and be aware of what people are discussing to remain current.
I advise anyone considering starting their own business or new to the entrepreneurial world: Failure is not doing anything with your business. Often, we believe failure is when we launch and no one buys our products or when we put ourselves out there and do not get the results we desire. But the actual loss to yourself is not taking any action, stopping before you even get started, hiding behind the pursuit of perfection, and being too hard on yourself. I encourage you to do it even if you are scared, give yourself the grace to accept that things will not always go as planned, and continue to educate yourself about your craft. The dream is already planted inside you; let it bloom.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
The most impactful things my parents did for me were introducing me to my faith and instilling leadership qualities. I recognize two key influences, one from my mom and one from my dad, which shaped me differently.
My mom took us to church growing up, and as I got older, it became a personal decision to continue my relationship with God. I am a believer, and my faith keeps me grounded, compassionate, hopeful and reminds me that there is something greater than myself. My business is not just for me; it’s also for future generations to understand that entrepreneurship runs in our blood. It’s a space for women to find solace and be themselves.
On the other hand, my dad taught me that I am unique and set apart from others. He emphasized that my siblings and I were born to be leaders, so there was no need to follow anyone mindlessly. He used to ask us when we were kids, ‘Were you born with someone?’ The answer was always ‘No,’ he’d follow with, ‘Then why are you following them? You are a leader; be comfortable marching to your beat.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.breatheandexhale360.com
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- Facebook: Breathe & Exhale 360 Self-Care & Soft Life Group
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Image Credits
Breathe&Exhale 360 team [email protected]
