"We all need that friend in our lives who tells it like it is. She gives us the kick in the butt we need to get sh*t done, she reminds us of what our goals are, and she inspires us to go after our biggest dreams. If you don’t have that person in your life yet, meet Shanna Tyler, Life and Biz Coach and host of The Self Soul Sport Podcast.
After being hospitalized and diagnosed with major depressive disorder, Shanna decided to use her story to empower other women just like herself. She quit her full-time job and developed a career that she was passionate about. She started her blog in 2016, launched her podcast in 2018, and began her life coaching and biz consulting not long after.
We know you will be just as inspired by Shanna as we are! Read on for her amazing career story and how she approaches mental health with her clients:
Name: Shanna Tyler, Life + Biz Coach for entrepreneurial women and Podcast Host of The Self Soul Sport Podcast
Age: 27
Current Location: NYC Metro Area
Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Merchandising
What was your first job, and how did you land it?
My very first official job was at a baby boutique in Hoboken, NJ. I somehow marched in there, dropped off my resume, and asked for a part-time sales associate position for the entire summer, then I got it! The owner showed me both how amazing and challenging it was to run a business. I learned so much about invoicing, marketing, merchandising, and girlbossin’ before it was even a term!
What brought you to your career? Was this something you always wanted to do?
My life circumstances brought me to this career. I graduated with a BA in fashion merchandising thinking I would eventually own my own boutique or become a well-known name within a fashion brand, but I wasn’t happy. It didn’t feed my soul. I did some soul-searching and passion-seeking, especially after my major depressive diagnosis in 2014. That was the game-changer.
Long story short, I vowed to only follow my heart with my career. I realized I deserve to spend most of my days in a career that I loved and aligned with my values. I started working for non-profits and landed at a women’s health startup where I was under another girlboss. That’s when I realized how much I could share my skills as a coach for other women. It’s so interesting, but my first official job and last corporate job were both with female CEOs. I don’t believe it’s a coincidence! I believe it’s because I was meant to really live this life and encourage other women from my experiences.
I started my blog in 2016, founded the Self Soul Sport Community® in 2017, launched a podcast in 2018, and officially opened my coaching business at the end of 2018. I’ve been so in awe at how my career has been crafted from one dark experience to being able to share with other women that they can live a life filled with their passion. I coach such amazing entrepreneurial women in the beginning phases of their business in building their brand and seeing it can be a really real business!
I vowed to only follow my heart with my career. I realized I deserve to spend most of my days in a career that I loved and aligned with my values.
What does a typical day look like for you?
My days are batched with different tasks and focuses throughout the week to increase my productivity so they don’t tend to look the same! For instance, Mondays are when I complete projects/miscellaneous tasks and Wednesdays are when I aim for photoshoots. This is something I talk about a lot on in my e-book, Get It Done: Move Forward With the Sh*t You Want.
But I will say, my typical days are filled with certain activities! My mornings are always rising before the sun comes up, brewing a cup of coffee, meditating, and gratitude journaling. My afternoons (around 12-2pm) are spent with a lunch workout and eating a nutritious meal. My evenings at 9pm are spent turning off my phone, laying in bed, reading an inspirational book, and making sure to get those 7-8 hours of sleep!
You’ve been open about your experience with major depression and mental illness. How has this influenced how you approach clients?
My experience with major depression and mental illness has made me so empathetic and realistic on this journey with other ladies. I can empathize with life circumstances and realistic with mental challenges. I know when my clients need to seek outside care with a therapist and when they need to continue moving forward with their discomfort in their journey. It will happen!
I also have a program that I work on with my clients that prioritizes how they take care of themselves in the midst of building their brand and making it a business. I don’t graze over when they mention their struggles. We lean into it. I find my experience makes me more comfortable with the uncomfortable topics that may arise.
My experience with major depression and mental illness has made me so empathetic and realistic on this journey with other ladies. I can empathize with life circumstances and realistic with mental challenges.
Mental illness can take a toll on your career (and all areas of your life, unfortunately). What advice would you give to career-driven women who struggle with this?
Yes, it can take such a toll and the biggest piece of advice I have is seek a therapist. There are many ways to do so today that aren’t just the “sit on a couch” approach. You can use apps like Maven Clinic or Talkspace. You can find therapists by using the #therapist hashtag on IG. You can browse therapists on Psychology Today. We’re living in such a time that seeking therapist is the easiest it’s ever been (even if you don’t have insurance!!).
Secondly, it’s important to foster a support system. Find friends who are doing activities that make you happy, whether that’s working out or writing poetry. Seek groups that will make you feel less alone. Loneliness can be such a tough thing, especially when you’re a career-driven woman who most likely works so hard! Using platforms like MeetUp and Groupon will be so helpful in finding groups of people who love what you love and get you meeting other human beings!
You launched your podcast, The Self Soul Sport Podcast, in 2018. Why did you want to start a podcast?
I started The Self Soul Sport Podcast to get really real. I wanted to foster really real conversations with girlbosses who are authorities in their industries to share how they love themselves, nurture their souls, and live their sports. I wanted to break the stigma that we all have it together in this journey and create a platform that can be relatable to others who are along this journey or aspiring to work for themselves! I’ve been so lucky to have so many amazing ladies already on this podcast and it’s continuing to grow even more in 2019!
What do you hope listeners get out of your podcast?
My number one goal with The Self Soul Sport Podcast is that listeners will get actionable steps and inspirational takeaways on their girlboss journey. I want women to feel they can take action! They can move past perfectionism, live authentically, and share their story too. They also can be badass, curse, be unapologetically themselves, and make money doing it too! Another goal is to normalize the entrepreneurial journey. I like to always keep it really real on my journey throughout the podcast coffee chats.
If you could give women one piece of career advice, what would it be?
Do what you love and make money doing it. It can be done. It can happen. Whether that means working for someone else or crafting your own career, you can do it, girl!
If someone wants to work in the same field as you, how should they go about starting their career? What got you to where you are today?
If you’re interested in being a coach, invest in a training program. I personally trained with The Institute for Life Coach Training and it was amazing for me, such a good fit! Find a coaching program first, then build a practice. After that, seek a mentor or build a fellow coach community. I have a business coach/mentor myself because coaches need coaches! You’re going to need to be guided, especially in the beginning. Also, hook up with other coaches and talk to them about their biz. Exchange ideas, notes, and resources with one another!
How I got here is going to be a really real answer: grit, hustle, and passion got me where I’m at today. I’m well aware that I’m only here because I keep going. I’ve had the highest highs and lowest lows that I’ve ever experienced in my career. My best days of working with my clients and the worst days of dealing with annoying steps on the backend are all worth it because I love what I do!
You are your best investment. I will never be disappointed when I invest in a workshop, event, or program because I’m investing in my damn self.
What was the most influential advice you heard about your career?
You are your best investment. I will never be disappointed when I invest in a workshop, event, or program because I’m investing in my damn self. It’s important to invest in me. If I’m not investing in personal development and professional growth, how in the world can I support others in their journeys? I heard this in my foundational training in The Institute for Life Coach Training. So valuable!
Do you have any role models? Why and how have they shaped your life?
Marie Forleo is one of the biggest role models I have. She shows me that being a coach is a life that you can be passionate about and craft your own lane in. I invested in her B-School program, and it was the first investment I made for my coaching biz. She’s shaped my life in giving me the spark before I quit my full-time job! Marie is a queen! Plus, she shows that you can have personality and be feisty as a girlboss, which I so resonate with.
What advice would you give to your 22-year-old self?
Well, that was five years ago! I would tell her to lay off the Long Island Iced Teas and get her ass back home. Then I’d also say that you’re beautiful, worthy, and valuable. The 22-year-old Shanna needed to hear that.
You’re beautiful, worthy, and valuable. 22-year-old Shanna needed to hear that.
Shanna Tyler is The Everygirl . . .
Coffee or tea?
Matcha!
Favorite book?
You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero
Favorite drugstore makeup product?
Cotton Pads
Guilty pleasure?
Horror Movies
Last show you binge-watched?
Scream on MTV
Best way to blow off steam?
Working out (barre, pilates, running, weight lifting — doesn’t matter!)
Favorite date night activity?
Netflix in bed
If you could have lunch with any woman, who would it be and why?
Maya Angelou in the afterlife, I feel as if she’s my second mom