A Little History
Hey Beautiful people, I’m Shanell, entrepreneur and Mama of 2 amazing little beings! I have a commercial cleaning business, I’m an event videographer (Whoo Hoo) and the host of a dope podcast called “What She Grows Through” dedicated to pour into and align with Black Women on a range of topics from sexuality to self-love.
I have always been interested in the mental health field; I had an early longing for wanting to understand how the mind works and why we do and think the way we do.
I attended the University of Pittsburgh and got a Bachelors Degree of Science in both Psychology and Sociology with a Sociological Thematic Cluster Certification in Race, Gender and Sexuality (sounds so fancy huh lol).
Once I decided to leave my career as a Family Based Clinician for UPMC to focus on my dreams and have more time with just my son at the time, I was left still feeling empty and I had to find out how I can still give back but in a way that’s empowering for myself and other women and in that, I found my purpose which I am constantly working through!
My Journey To Becoming a Videographer
It’s a pretty interesting story lol. I was always into dressing up and taking pictures growing up. I always was trying to be cute lol; I was definitely the girl coming to high school in heels smh. I did all the things then, I was apart of the Band/Dance and Drill Team; Perry was really the best in the city, when it was a magnet school of course. I had a little point and shoot camera then lol and I would take that thing everywhere!
I remember getting my first professional camera (I had to put it on credit🥴). That just upped my picture taking skills. It wasn’t until I found myself on YouTube watching makeup tutorials I realized I could definitely do that too!
So I started my channel and quickly realized I enjoyed the editing part and watching the final results more than anything.
Once I got pregnant with my son, I wanted to capture every moment of this journey. I filmed my gender reveal, my baby shower, I even put together a visual letter for my little dude 😍.
I began sharing with friends and family and they soon wanted me to film their special moments, then other people started reaching out and it became a rippling effect.
After a while I realized I could have something here and began to take it more seriously.
There’s of course a lot in between then and now but as of 2019, I was officially (and legally) a professional event videographer, capturing my clients’ moments and turning them into forever films!
3 tips for creatives who feel overwhelmed at where they are in this moment with their journeys.
It was by no means easy to get how far I am in this moment. The entrepreneurial journey definitely has its rewards but no one really talks about the behind the scenes of it all.
It can be very stressful trying to pursue your passion especially when there hasn’t been anyone to look up to in that area. You are doing everything alone and most times, have no clue on how to continue forward so I just wanted to give you a few tips on what has and continues to help me through this journey.
- Push through that fear; the fear of failure, imposter syndrome, fear of the unknown, the list goes on. As long as you have a clear vision of where you want to be, you can and will accomplish all of your goals and dreams.
- You have to continue showing up; thats the hardest part. Be sure to surround yourself with love and support to get you through tough times. Instead of having these huge goals, break them down into smaller, doable tasks and take one step at a time to reach those. Trust me, small little steps make the best impact.
- Continue to build good habits, continue stepping out of your comfort zone and challenging yourself. You’re going to have so many emotions going after your dreams but having that clear vision, walking along your path no matter how overwhelmed or scared, you will push through.
This is just a transition stage and in that comes a lot of change. Remember growth is change. Again keep your vision clear and focus on ways to improve your mindset. You can follow my podcast for those kinds of helpful tips.
My next steps for 2022
Whew! I have so many ideas and dreams and aspirations lol and I plan on attacking each and every one of them. In year 2022 I’m taking over lol. I believe what is next for me is finally my launch of this website.
I also have a few partnerships and collaborations that I’m so excited about! I am now officially partnered with “The Knot” and “Wedding Wire” so definitely go check out my new storefront! Also check out some of work in the “Portfolio” section.
I feel as though I’m the base of a tree and my businesses are the branches ready to sprout and continue to build even more connections, even more meaningful relationships, more moments!
