How long have you been certified with NESTA/Spencer Institute, and what made you choose it?
I first received my Holistic Life Coach certification in 2012-2014. I recertified in 2015-2017 and again in 2022 in the Results Coach program this time. I am currently working as a holistic life coach. The lapse in time is due to an illness I have fought within and out of my life. I have endometriosis. This illness is a gift as it has evolved my awareness and broadened my ability to be more sympathetic to others struggling with illness and disease. A friend introduced me to The Spencer Institute. I did some research and felt it was the right fit for me! I continue to get all my certifications at Nesta and Spencer Institute because I like what they stand for, and believe the educational material is spot on! I am eternally grateful to all who have made this educational journey possible!!
Why did you decide to become a fitness/health/coaching professional?
I felt called to it. It is my purpose. Everything in my life, good and bad, has led me to be a holistic life coach. Life (Earth school) I like to refer to, lol- has been prepping me along the way so that I may be of sound mind and body to embrace the responsibility of being a truly authentic and caring individual. I am privileged to be a light in another’s darkness. Nicollette Barrie, who wrote the foreword in my book, said it best:
Since I have known her, Shanna runs on intuition and emotion. Trusting her “gut” has served her well. Please don’t think that means her life has been easy. Shanna has faced hard choices and made some bad decisions and some good ones. She’s failed and succeeded in personal relationships and in business, suffering grave losses and amazing successes. If there is one constant in Shanna’s life, it has been deep caring, especially for those who may have lost hope or don’t remember who they are or who they want to be. And Shanna has turned that into a career as a life coach, training people’s minds as well as their bodies, helping others to acknowledge how extraordinary, beautiful, and intelligent they are, and showing them that love resides in them no matter how lost, dark, hurt, or alone they may be. Shanna’s passion is to inspire others to find peace and truth in their own lives and encourage them to heal their inner selves. She does not claim to have all the answers, but she is able to connect on a primeval level that resonates through you like a soft wind through chimes. In Poetic Love Frenzy, Shanna shares her journey. She is neither ashamed nor afraid of the twists and turns her life has taken. She welcomes the grief as well as the glory. “Without pain, says Shanna, “there is no glory to be known.” Shanna offers you her love story, and perhaps more importantly, she gives you the tools to make your life your own.
How are you currently utilizing your certifications?
My book, Poetic Love Frenzy launches on May 20th, 2023, at Writers & Books, a literary center in Rochester, NY., that fosters and promotes reading and writing as lifelong activities. I plan to give an inspirational lecture from each chapter in the book at every event signing. I am also working as a Life Coach for the station WBTA 100.1, where I read excerpts from my book and share positive insights and wisdom on a segment called “Tell Me Something Good” which aires every Monday through Friday morning.
Also, I utilize social media to inspire a break from the negative chaos and grow love awareness. I am sharing the light that may have dimmed, just doing a small part. In addition, I have a guided meditation class that has become very popular. It has proved to be an incredible healing modality for those struggling to express themselves with words. Finally, I have a private coaching practice to serve my clients better when I am not on the road with the book tour and other endeavors.
What is the biggest challenge for you as a trainer/coach?
My biggest challenge as a coach is to live an authentic life myself. To remember and stay in the light. As my mom likes to remind me, remaining diligent in my daily affirmations, exercise, and meditation, I take being an example seriously as a student and a coach. I maintain an understanding to be patient, stay humble, and gracious, which is not always easy, being that I am still human. Also, considering that my person and my position are two different parts, and I have to keep that in check sometimes is a challenge. As my family or friends will remind me, “Shanna, I don’t need coaching today” or “Okay COACH!” My position can get me into trouble sometimes. My sense of humor is coming to life as I try to remember my person. It’s not always easy stepping away from my work, but a must if I want to live a life faithful to my teachings.
What makes you stand out from other trainers or coaches?
I embrace the “I am also a student mentality.” In other words I too, fall, make mistakes, and feel the aspects of life. However, I quickly remember my beautiful soul and it lifts me up. I breathe intentional breaths and I am ready in a new way, better than I was yesterday. I examine my heart and my beliefs often. It keeps me honest and refined in my steps as a coach and a person. I work hard daily, practicing my mind, body, and soul lifestyle. I am an example. And have a responsibility to my clients to live my best life that carries over. I care about my clients wholeheartedly. Their success is personal to me, not business. I have their best interest at heart. It’s not about the money or the fame. I want people to be encouraged to change the dynamics they have been born into or become accustomed to, to know the secrets to life, to help them discover who they really are, and to have a life worth living. Most importantly, to help them find a way to fire up their inner light. Then, when they move on from this life, they will smile, and their loved ones will have more peace than grief. I aspire to bring peace of mind to every individual I meet.
What is your biggest accomplishment in the industry? How did your certifications help reach this goal?
That would be my book Poetic Love Frenzy. The opportunity to be on the radio as a life coach and my coaching practice. I am evolving from self into recognizing all the attributes of a spiritual being having a human experience. These exceptional opportunities materialized because I did the necessary work and felt every good, bad, and irrational emotion. I never gave up. My certifications give me the tools to break the labels that define me! I found confidence, courage, and knowledge that have empowered me to do anything I want! My father has told me a million times, “You can do anything you set your mind to, Shanna.” I learned how to do it when I bravely signed up and began studying at the Spencer Institute. My dad knew I had it in me, but I had to find my own way and do the work!
What has been your most rewarding experience as a trainer or coach?
My most rewarding experience as a coach would be my clients who have moved on from our work together. Every time I read their testimonies have an overwhelming feeling of gratitude and happiness. I thank God for the uncomfortable and comfortable turns in my life. I would not have been there for my clients if life went in the direction I wanted it to go in, and the friendships made over time; I am rich in the sense of meaning in my life. We are each a piece of a grand and remarkable puzzle. My reward is the love and the light of all those I have come into contact with, near or far. To truly be happy for another person — the reward is beyond measure in words or materials.
How has social media played a role in your business?
It started in 2012. I had had a life change, and a friend introduced me to Facebook. It began as a networking tool and quickly became an eye, ear, and heartbeat. I saw the crying out, the need for relevance, the loneliness, and the anger, people need to express themselves, and often, we are not allowed to do just that! So it drove me to do something. I offer enlightenment; it assists me in understanding people and what their actual needs are; I want to help in the right way. So I listen carefully and watch kindly; it takes my senses to a heightened place. I work off of the momentum from a space of people’s hidden desires, hurts, disappointments, goals, dreams, and hopes, informing me of what is needed. I am building a sacred channel where people can express themselves, ultimately encouraging their inner light to shine so they can live confidently with a voice of free will; to guide my clients to find their true identities.
Any advice for people thinking about a coaching/training career?
If you are being called to do something, it is best to take action. Some people need you. It is in their best interest if you begin the self-correcting stage. It is a responsibility we all have in this life. Being a coach has changed my life for the better.
Moreover, people have things happen; this is the time to reach deep down and work on being the best human you can be for yourself, so you can be 100% for your loved ones and people who come across your path. We are all looking for help, a miracle, and direction. Be that to someone. Look at your misfortunes, illness, mistakes, what’s wrong with me, mentality, and how about asking what is right with you? Are you being called to action? Your knowledge, passion, wisdom, and insight.will inspire, encourage, and empower someone else to live their dream, whatever that may mean to them. Your courage to become a coach or a trainer will change another person’s life, asking for a prayer answered right now as we speak.
What are you most looking forward to in the future for yourself and your business?
To be recognized and embraced as a channel of hope and courage for people and their families. I want to give lectures, and inspirational talks, and spread the love locally and nationwide. To continue my coaching practice, and later live on a bit of land with a swimming pond enjoying life and its serene offering in nature, carry on writing books, and travel to and from inspiring and venturing the light in this miraculous life.
Is there anything else about your coaching career that you’d like to share?
My coaching career has opened doors and has enabled my higher self to emerge. As a result, I have a passion that has a tangible outcome. Life is a gift, and from this brilliant source of knowledge developed to help us succeed, we all can say yes to life and live an incredible life!
Want to connect with Shanna? You can also check out her work on her website Shanna’s World or via Facebook. You can support Shanna’s work by purchasing her book, Poetic Love Frenzy.
NESTA and Spencer Institute has been helping people like you since 1992. To date, over 65,000 people from around the world have benefited from our various certifications, programs, continuing education courses and business development systems. We are here for you now and in the future. Feel confident in your decision to work with us as you advance your knowledge and career. We are here for you each step of the way.
If you are a NESTA or Spencer Institute student and want to be featured on our Student Spotlight, please send an email to elizabeth@nestacertified.com
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