Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shanea Shayon. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Shanea, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
I go into every space & room knowing that I am exactly where I’m supposed to be. It use to be very intimidating, especially being a black woman, in her late 30’s, LGBTQ, & Just now discovering what my Dream is. I would watch other influencers with perfect lives,perfect bodies, living the life of their dreams & think “I’m not good enough to do that”! I’m just a regular woman! I then realized that there are probably millions of other women who feel the same way! So I go into rooms with those women on my back. I remember why I started & that I HAVE SOMETHING TO PROVIDE! Now, no matter where I am, I TAKE UP SPACE!
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am Shanea Shayon. Fashion, Lifestyle, Hair, and Home Influencer from a small town called Lynchburg, VA. I am 38 years old & only 2 years ago started my YouTube Journey. I created Livin4Shayon initially as a Safe Space for ME! A place where I could be unapologetically myself & share with the world the things I love! I didn’t realize at the time that this became a safe space for so many other women like me! In a year my Instagram (Livin4shayon) Took off & since then I’ve worked with over 100 brands, started to turn my social media into a business, & now I’m a YouTuber with over 2 Million Views. My main goal is to show every woman that You can be & do whatever you want at any age! It’s never too late to start & it’s ok to be Regular in a time when everyone is promoting Luxury.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
My 3 Top Skills were: 1) My Tenacity! I just DONT GIVE UP! I know what I want & no matter how long it takes- I WILL HAVE MY DREAM LIFE.
2)Some knowledge of Social Media. I already had an IG, so i really researched how to turn my platform into a monetary business.
3)I love to Learn! I didn’t know what I was doing in the beginning. I had to do my research on everything. How to edit, how to make reels, etc… but doing it for myself gave me a wealth of knowledge that no one can take from me. I can run all my platforms myself.
My bit of advice would be, KEEP GOING! In the beginning you won’t see growth, you will get discouraged, but you have to keep pushing! It only takes 1 good post,video, or piece of content to Change Your Life!
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
I am big on taking breaks. I know when I’m feeling overwhelmed & burnt out! I will take days off, I have days where I don’t even pick up my phone, & most importantly I give myself GRACE!
Advice I have for anyone starting is, Listen to your body & PLAN AHEAD to prevent overwhelming yourself.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livin4shayon?igsh=d2Q1ZWFrcDhuNWFx&utm_source=qr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@ShaneaShayon?si=eTKApCCz9I-2pW-l
- Other: TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@livin4shayon?_r=1&_d=e2hl44ak30i0g1&sec_uid=MS4wLjABAAAAIXg9jA_2vbvoTH-L1F51BV9pAY5KP9nvDqpT3–gbS6LJe-l52xWOiKbzQtiZsbn&share_author_id=7068419390236066863&sharer_language=en&source=h5_m&u_code=e0cbbe1d6m5gf3&ug_btm=b0,b0&social_share_type=4&utm_source=copy&sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAIXg9jA_2vbvoTH-L1F51BV9pAY5KP9nvDqpT3–gbS6LJe-l52xWOiKbzQtiZsbn&tt_from=copy&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=client_share&enable_checksum=1&user_id=7068419390236066863&share_link_id=061C669D-AE75-4AED-836B-BF8E27364E96&share_app_id=1233
