Elaine Shannon
Coach, Teacher, Follower of breadcrumbs, Believer of possibilities
I am a coach, a teacher, a follower of breadcrumbs, a believer of possibilities.
I’ve been helping people reclaim their time for nearly 20 years. I started out as a professional organizer, helping high-powered people declutter their lives. I taught MBA students to prepare for the demands of work and an intense academic program.
I realized I was doing more than helping them manage priorities. I was changing their lives. I shared what I knew on my TV show, Simply Zen, and through a weekly newspaper column.
I use the left and right sides of my brain equally. I love process, technical details. I also adore creativity, personal expression and art. I bring my experience and my intuition to my work.
I am honored to work with entrepreneurs. It’s a sacred experience, to be invited into their lives, to help them build the business and life of their dreams.
How I Reclaim MY Time
I know what feeds my soul. Being with my family. Walking in nature (ask me about #forestbathing). Reading great books that leave me asking for more. Connecting with people in real conversations. Exploring new places, near and far. Having a midday meditation (nap) and chopping vegetables for a pot of soup. I always have soup!
And, of course, helping people reclaim their time for what matters most to them.
I cap each year with an audit. A day of reflection. I look at my photos and my calendar, and ask myself: What did I love? What didn’t I love? What’s missing? Am I doing what’s important for me?
I make adjustments. I can, because I have white space in my calendar.
That’s where inspiration and creativity come from. That’s where true joy resides. So many people don’t have that. I want to give them that connection to spirit, to love, to joy. To their purpose.
What are you most proud of professionally? And who or why?
From 2012 to 2016, I was the Producer and Host of a TV Show called Simply Zen. This show was part of the Lifestyle programming for the Atlantic Canadian Bell Aliant Community TV channel. Over the four seasons of the show we travelled throughout Southern NB mostly, with a few stops in PEI and NS. The show highlighted aspects of wellness through inspiring stories of everyday people.
With over 300 interviews we had the chance to meet and experience a diverse cross section of Atlantic Canadians sharing their best tips on how to live and be well. Financial literacy, pickling, arts & crafts, volunteerism, forest bathing, and duck hunting are a few of the many episodes we filmed. We also shared some unfamiliar wellness aspects like slow food and what an earth ship is. It was a show dedicated to educating and inspiring people to look at wellness in a different way and to find something that resonated with them. I am proud of the crew I worked with; we did so much with so little in producing this show. I am proud of the guests, a great majority of them had never been on camera before and their trust in us made us work even harder to share their amazing stories in the best way possible. I am proud of my family who came along for the journey. They lugged gear, working behind the scenes and thankfully in a few episodes they were in front of the camera...oh the amazing memories I have.
Someone once asked me which episode was my favorite. It took me a minute and here is what I said. "Like my children I love them all equally but for different reasons. They are all unique and they came to life with love." This show made me love Atlantic Canada even more...if that is possible.
What's your vision for Atlantic Canada in 10 years? What’s our biggest opportunity now?
My vision for Atlantic Canada is that we grow and thrive while remaining kind and loving. Our biggest opportunity is this stunning place we call home. With a world that is becoming more virtual every day we have something that many people want. We have short commute times, we have an abundance of nature, and we have what most people want...joy and happiness. East Coasters are generally happy people. I have watched Don Darling the mayor of Saint John pitch the east coast lifestyle, I have watched friends pitch it and I pitch it too. What if we all shared how amazing this place is, this place where you can walk near the ocean waves and then walk on a frozen river the same day. I did this. It’s a magical place and a place of opportunity.
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Producer, writer, content creator, organizer, arranger, empath, sparkle amplifier, forest bather, beachcomber, sea glass collector
