Season 3, Episode 12: “Love, Loss, and Charity” with Dana Vavalle

Rosanna 0:15
Welcome to season three, episode six of the relentless pursuit podcast, “Live what you Love” an interview with Shannon and Greg Buth. In January of 2020, I saw a post by someone that has done photos for us before, and she was promoting House of Shan. And so I had started following this business just a little over a year ago. And House of Shan is empowering others to live what you love on a daily basis. Shannon has designed apparel that includes an imperfect heart on every piece. And the heart signifies a daily reminder to Live Your Passion, laugh every day, love deeply and to never quit your day dream. House of Shan also donates $5 from every purchase to a local women’s charity.

So the company was founded in January of 2020. We’re kind of closing out to the end of January 2021. And in that year, Shannon has donated over $20,000 to organizations.

Jordan 1:08
That’s a lot of money. This was one of my favorite conversations. And I felt privileged to speak to you know, sometimes we talk to just one person, it’s kind of an expert in the area or running with their vision. So this is really nice to talk to a couple and to see how they make it work behind the scenes and are still thriving as individuals and as a family as well. So we’ll tell you a little bit more about Shannon and Greg. They’ve known each other since they were just kids growing up in Minnesota, they’re highschool sweethearts. – It’s just like us – who found their way back to each other in their late 20s. And now they raised an incredible spirited, crazy crew of four boys together in Chicago’s Roscoe village neighborhood. Shannon made a career out of her passion for fashion, and worked for a California-based clothing company for most of her 20s. And then was the very first stylist at Trunk Club. She stepped back from work after the birth of their twins who were born 19 months after their first son. And Greg has worked in the trading industry for the last 20 years and has traded everything from soybeans to the euro dollar options on the floor of the Board of Trade.

Rosanna 2:16
So what I really loved about this interview is that Shannon started this business that wasn’t intended to be a business. And now her and Greg are working together to help build this brand. It’s been more than just some retail items. But it’s a business, a brand with a mission. And it’s inspiring other people to love, love people around them.

Jordan 2:38
Yeah, yeah, there’s a lot of really positive elements that have come together last year, it was really refreshing to hear their story.

Rosanna 2:45
So during this episode, you’ll hear about how House of Shan got started and how it evolved into a brand people are getting behind. You’ll hear about the role that having a mission and charity play in what they’re doing. Like you’ll also hear them talk about juggling business and family, especially during a pandemic, and the role that making mistakes plays in getting better learning and thriving.

Jordan 3:06
That’s right. So a lot to learn from. We hope you enjoy this interview. And as always stick around afterwards for a few of our thoughts and takeaways as well. All right, Shannon, and Greg, thank you so much for joining us here on the podcast today. Welcome.

Shannon 3:21
Thank you.

Greg 3:22
Thanks for having us. Yeah,

Rosanna 3:23
it’s so great to have you on the show about a year ago. Someone that I used as a photographer once for my kids that was a friend of a friend had posted that she was taking photos for this new business House of Shan had posted a little bit about it with some photos and you know, right away when someone posts about a new business I’m always curious to see you know, you know, What is she talking about? What is she what is she standing and getting behind and so I clicked on it and had started following you and over the last year have just seen House of Shan and live what you love explode. And so I reached out to you, and you reached right back out right away like a personal email from the like the woman behind the business. So kind so sweet and was like, Yeah, I’d love to do an interview. So thank you guys so much for being here today. Tell us a little bit about what house Shan is what the backstory is and a little bit about like this past year for you guys.

Shannon 4:15
Yeah, so um, well, basically, I would say House of Shan started as more of a community more than a brand. I started this moms group when my three oldest were babies and life was seems really hard. It seemed isolating. And so I started a moms group and it kind of grew and grew and basically the premise of it is getting women together to connect. I would have speakers come in and talk about relevant mom topics and we had a chance to have a glass of wine, have dinner, and be away from our kids, and, and just talk. So I feel like over the years that connection has grown into this, you know, kind of huge community of women and I decided in 2019 I decided I wanted to put it online, and kind of marry all the things that I love, you know, this community of women talk, you know, kind of post some about some of these topics that we, we share in our mom’s groups and have some of the speakers write articles. And then of course, share my love for fashion, kind of just put it all in one spot and reach more women. And it was really fun year in 2019, just kind of kind of exploring new things and doing new things like from, you know, my position is like mom, and you know, manager of the house and all of that. So, to kind of get out of my comfort zone. And the blog, it has this imperfect heart. And that’s always been kind of like the unofficial, I guess, logo for my blog that Greg’s brother helped me create. Greg’s brother’s a creative and he works in design. He’s awesome. And so it’s in the imperfect heart just kind of exemplifies, you know, nobody’s perfect. We’re all just doing the best we can. And, you know, just kind of like living our lives, even though, you know, social media will tell you a different story. This imperfect heart is just kind of embracing that, imperfect. So with this moms group, we do I do a mistletoe market every holiday season. And it’s a way to get everyone together for a little holiday party. And then kind of showcase some of the women that have different companies and small businesses, people make things, different ornaments and artists and things like that. So I had this idea this past holiday. I’m like, Well, what if I made this hard into a sweatshirt? So I talked to Greg’s brother. He was like, he was my ear. He was in town. Yeah, he was in town. Yeah. And so I was like, hey, Kev, what do you think about this idea for this sweatshirt? I have, you know, putting this heart onto a sweatshirt embroidering it on there? And he was like, Well, yeah, just do it. Let’s just go for it. And I feel like sometimes you need that person, right? To just force you to do something like that. Like he, I feel like if he would have been like, I don’t know, I probably would have done it.

Greg 6:59
He had a wholesale account due to his business with Alternative Apparel, and they got on and they picked on they like and ordered like 20. And they gave us the, you know, the vector file, and we found an embroidery shop and just made it.

Shannon 7:13
Yeah, so it was like it was like that. It wasn’t like some obviously, it wasn’t some big business plan. It was more of like, I kind of want to share this on a sweatshirt and just like in called the Live what you love sweatshirt. And I have a story behind that too. And I just I had this idea. I think it was just kind of like deep in my head. And I finally said it out loud. So and even then, like 20 sweatshirts seem so daunting. I was like, Oh my gosh, that’s a lot. You know, what if nobody buys them, and then this mistletoe market, I had this donation component where we kind of partnered with a shelter where we wanted to raise some money for them. And so I decided I wanted to put some of the proceeds, if anything sold back to this shelter, and we had a raffle anyways, we ended up raising $1,000 for the shelter. All of my sweatshirts all 20 of my sweatshirt sold, which I couldn’t believe it. And there was a waitlist after. So I had a talk with Greg after and after going to the shelter, and it just made me feel so good to just be able to donate that, you know, small amount of money, but it felt like I kind of made an impact. And I was like, I kind of want to just keep going with this and make some more sweatshirts, put them on my website, and then and then see what happens. And then honestly, I couldn’t believe it. Like if they just started selling and people it was word of mouth. People shared it I think because of the message behind it. And I always say when I went to write the card, because I wanted to have this meaning behind it. I went and I wrote down what I wanted it to mean. And I just I wrote it and I didn’t change a thing. And I can say it by heart because I know I you know I say it all the time. It’s an imperfect heart stitched over your heart, as a daily reminder to Live Your Passion, laugh every day, love deeply lift, others up, and don’t ever quit your day dream. And it was funny because I wrote it and it just like came out of me. I feel like it’s just been in there and I just, you know, so I feel like that is why this has grown over the year. I feel like this has been a tough year for all of us and we all kind of missed connecting with people. And it’s kind of been a way for people to share love with people in the mail. I’ve wrote so many sweet notes for people over the year and one of my friends said to me today she’s like, I feel like your your notes that you write could be a coffee table book someday I’m like, oh, that’d be kind of cool. It’s just so genuine like these the you know, when people are sick people have gathered around people and bought sweatshirts for all their friends to support a friend or celebrate something or just you know, send a birthday gift and it just it means so much to me.

Rosanna 9:52
I saw I saw an Instagram today you had like I looked like 20 boxes that one person bought something for like 20 people that like it was for Valentine’s Day or something like that, that she was sending out because there was like a meaning and a purpose behind it that it’s, you’ve created a brand but it’s it’s what it stands for is that what is impacting people and what people are flocking to at this point.

Shannon 10:15
Yeah, it’s so cool

Jordan 10:18
I was gonna say it just seems like that the the community that you had had started organizing is just like expanded through house Oceana through the like, just being able to have like something that you can gift and the message that that represents to one another.

Shannon 10:33
Yeah, absolutely.

Greg 10:35
Yeah. I mean, obviously, people love to buy something that has a purpose, right. And the way that it started even with like, those sweatshirts donated to that shelter, became, let’s donate $5, from every sweatshirt to the shelter, then it’s become let’s do it to feed the frontlines when the pandemic happened, and then it was my block, my hood, my city. And like you were saying, your network of people and the people you’re touching changes every month, because you keep picking different charities. And you keep spreading this message and this love and like, that’s part of the reason why I think it’s been so successful. I mean, who doesn’t like helping other people when you’re like buying something? Right? Like TOMS Shoes does that right? Every time you buy a pair of shoes, someone else gets a pair of shoes.

Shannon 11:30
Right? Yeah, it just feels I think it feels good. I feel like especially this year, it feels good. And I think people right now are wanting to support small businesses more than ever, you know, this holiday season was so great. And I think, you know, that’s attributed to people want everyone wanted to shop small this this holiday season. So yeah, it’s been it’s been incredible. And, and also, it’s really cool, like this House of Good Shepherd shelter that we donated to, and then we, our first couple months of when we started, we donated to them. And we were able to give them I think $3,000 is is what we started with. And then I decided every every year around November, December on the holidays, I want to circle back and donate to them again. So we just were able to donate another $3,000 to them. So it’s it’s been really cool. And they they’ve been so welcoming to me and make me feel like such a part of it. Like next week, I get to go and do an art class with the with the women at the shelter there. And yeah, so there’s like some meaning behind it. It’s been super cool.

Rosanna 12:32
So I mean, it started with the market that you did that you donated $5 for sweatshirts. And then once this grew, I mean, it would have been very easy for you to keep everything that you made for yourself. What inspired you to want to continue to give? Was it just like, you didn’t think twice about it? Or was it? Was it hard? Was it hard to let go?

Shannon 12:50
No, that’s that no one’s ever asked me that. That’s a great question. I feel like it just feels good to give like I’m definitely I feel like that’s a part of who I am. That makes me feel good is giving gifts to people and, and that sort of thing. So to be able to like to be able to do what I’m doing and be able to give back, it’s been awesome. And like right now we’re donating to Betsy Blankets, which is a dear friend of mine who is also our neighbor. And she started this Betsy’s blanket in honor of her mom after her mom passed away. And they give brand new bedding and blankets to the homeless, to shelter animals, to cancer patients. And it just feels good. And like, you know, we’ll try to do like every month or two change change. And we haven’t been you know, it’s not really planned out. It just kind of all happens organically, kind of with, you know what’s happening.

I don’t think we ever talked about. I mean, like we said, This wasn’t like, let’s start a business. Let’s start a brand. Let’s have an apparel brand or whatever. It kind of just has continued to grow like those 20 sweatshirts turned into 50. And I think then it was like, oh, let’s keep giving money to this charity. And then it became like, oh, people are really getting behind this. Right people not only did it turn into by, you know, by the middle ear, you’re selling really comfortable sweatshirts during a pandemic, that also are giving back to charity. Right? Like, there’s to that to everyone’s home. And now no one’s getting dressed up and –

Rosanna 14:32
You need seven days worth of sweatshirts!

Jordan 14:35
It did wonders for my sweats collection.

Greg 14:37
Exactly. So like, the timing of it wasn’t bad. Like, it wasn’t planned that way, but like you’re selling something that has a purpose and a meaning. And we have never struggled to figure out what the next charity is going to be. It’s all become super easy to like shift. And it just has made sense every time we’ve moved to the next charity, like, someone will contact us and we’re like, Oh, that makes sense for breast cancer awareness or that makes sense around winter to give to Betsy blankets and during, you know, the protests and unrest this summer, my block my hood, my city who I have relationship with the guy who started that. So that was super easy for us. And we’ve been involved with them before. So like, it’s all just like, figuring out how to do the sweatshirts after the market, what charities to donate to, and how we’ve grown that way. Like, it’s seemingly been like, it’s just made sense.

Jordan 15:36
Yeah it strikes me that, you know, a lot of businesses are, you know, they have a business plan, right, we need a product, and we need to sell it and we need to hit these like revenue targets. And then when we’re at a certain point, maybe we’ll look at, you know, giving back somewhere. But it seems like your story is the opposite, where you’re a lot of like building community and building into people. And then think of like, you know, how can we give How can we spread love and, you know, from that emerges, you know, House of Shan into the business that you’ve been building since then.

Rosanna 16:08
Yea. Kudos in 2020. You know, I saw that you gave over $20,000 to various organizations. I mean, that’s just incredible. So that is amazing.

Shannon 16:18
Yeah, thank you. Yeah, no, it’s been really cool. I think that is the best part by far. And then just seeing how proud people are to share when they’re wearing the imperfect heart or holding it in a cup with a cup of coffee. Hey, cheers, cheers.

Greg 16:37
Part of the draw of what Shannon has done, like, and is that basically everyone that gets one wants to share it. Like, someone gets one in the mail. It’s like, Instagram, or however they want to share it. But like, it’s people all over spreading the word because they just get behind, like, the logo and the message and the charity is just like, people do your advertising for you when you’re putting something out into the world, I think that they like, think is genuine and like authentic. Yeah, that’s seriously what it is. So that part has been awesome.

Rosanna 17:20
So obviously, this was kind of Shannon’s idea. It stemmed from this community of women that she had built and then the 20 sweatshirts, you know, bringing your brother in with almost like that permission of Yeah, you got to do it. So what is your role in all of this, Greg? Like, are you just the happy husband who was like, sure make a sweatshirt?You know, was it was it hard? Was it easy? Yeah, transpired?

Greg 17:41
At first? Yes. Like I said, it was like, Oh, well, she’s gonna do 20 sweatshirts and it was you know, I was just happy to see her getting into something I knew she loved because I know you know, she’s been in fashion her whole life and then it turned into Wow, like oh, that’s kind of nice. Like you’re making you know, like some extra money like grocery money whatever. And then it’s turned into Oh, we need to order like $5,000 worth of sweatshirts. How do we do that? Right and then like –

Shannon 18:18
And then it’s turned into oh my gosh, I need help I need help…

Greg 18:23
As its as its progressed, my role has changed a lot but like, you know, yesterday when you saw those boxes like I was part of the assembly line helping to do that.

Shannon 18:33
I should have probably showed that huh.

Greg 18:36
I’ve taken over like doing our all the taxes that go along with it and figuring out like when when we need to be charging sales tax and, you know, I bought way too many sweatshirts paying tax on on the wholesale side, because of the way we were using my brother at the beginning. Like –

Shannon 18:55
Just things you learn as like things you you know, it’s all these mistakes that people talk about with the small business all these like growing pains. We’ve you know, I mean, gosh, we’ve had a ton of mistakes. We’ve had tons of things happen already. You know, like, that’s, that’s real, but honestly, I feel like you’re not giving yourself like he helps with everything.

Greg 19:15
I do a lot of the customer service stuff like I’ll help out on her email like in responding to people that want to exchange and do all that stuff because she’s super occupied with people coming at her from all angles on Instagram and text messages and I think many people don’t realize from afar how much she’s actually doing. Like everyone thinks they’re like Shannon’s best friend, which is awesome. People text her being like, Oh, hey, can I get this show me like 10 of me like to go the website. Right and and that’s fine. Like that takes her away from a lot of like the other stuff.

Shannon 19:55
And to be honest, like filling orders. I mean, I’ve got my my table right there. Like I mean, that takes up, which is a good thing, because we have orders to fill. But I in Greg’s like, okay, at some point, we got to streamline this. These are like, again, the growing pains with small businesses, but I want to write a note with each with each, you know, I have my note card and I want to write everybody a personal note and Greg’s like, I think there’s probably going to be a point where you can’t do that anymore. I’m like, No, but that’s the best part, like a handwritten note, even if it’s something small, because I appreciate that. And I think that’s why people are buying this from us, as well as because they know it’s a small business. And we all appreciate a handwritten note. I mean, you know, like, we don’t get those very often anymore. So those types of things I take a lot of pride in, and I, you know, probably take way too long to pack each order. But we’ll streamline that we have, you know –

Greg 20:49
So, so, to that, I think we’ve also, you know, at the end of last year talked about what we wanted this year to look like. And I think the reason it’s worked is because we haven’t said, Oh, we want to double our sales, or we want to make this much money or what have you. It’s been more like we’re growing at our own pace. And we’re creating stuff as we go, like different sweatshirts and drinkware. And all this stuff, kind of just keep adding on to itself. But without the pressure of setting these expectations for ourselves, we’ve just been able to kind of continue to grow at a pace that like really works for us. And like that takes into account, kids being at home, me still having a job, things like that. Right. So like, being able to like run a business on your own terms like that, and not set expectations. Also, the fact that I’m helping her part time is a really good thing. Because if it was full time, and this was our only source of income, I think it becomes a job. And we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to do Oh, my gosh, we need to sell this much this year to support our family. Right. And at some point, I think it’s going to become that I do think at some point, this will be something that we’re doing together and like growing, but like, thankfully, it hasn’t been something where we’re like, oh, by the end of next year, we need to have this in sales so that we can.

Shannon 20:53
I think I think a lot of people that I’ve talked to that have small businesses where that that is obviously the stress, right, like you have a job where we can get insurance and things like that where this is this has been like we’ve been able to grow at our own pace. So yeah –

Greg 22:35
Like we need to hire an employee because she can’t be packing bags all day, because we can grow in better ways and do better things and touch more people. And she can do all the things she needs to do if she’s not standing there packing bags.

Jordan 22:50
Yeah. So not that it’s a hobby necessarily, but it kind of emerged from just this, this this this passion that you guys share in this vision that you had, and like you said, like organically evolved. And so now at this point, this time last year, you didn’t really know like, what was going to be come of it. But now that you can, now that you’ve lived that last year, you can better kind of maybe define like, Okay, this is what we enjoy, and want to retain. And this is where we see this going over the next year too.

Greg 23:19
Totally, I mean, I’ve realized I’ve had the same job for 20 years. I like it, I love the people I work with. But now that I’ve been doing this, like I didn’t think I would love trying to grow an apparel brand. But like it’s turned into that because like, I let people ask me, oh, you know, someone who’s not on Instagram or someone who’s brand who doesn’t really follow what’s going on? Oh, like, how Shannon’s like little business. Like,

Shannon 23:47
Like hold on, I’m doing our customer service!

Greg 23:51
It’s kind of like turning into a full fledged brand and a full time job for her. Which is amazing. But like that has its own challenges. So yeah –

Shannon 24:01
Yeah, I mean, especially with the boys at home all the time, right. I mean, that that’s kind of the, you know, where we’ve been trying to find some sort of balance. And that’s really hard for me, because I feel like I’m very type A like that, like I woke up at five this morning and came down here and immediately started working. Because, you know, as we all know, like we’re all trying to find these little, you know, gaps of time where we can get something done because we’re trying to do all the things there kids home all the time. So yeah, you know, it’s just trying to find some balance.

Rosanna 24:34
I was gonna say when you live what you love and you love what you do, I mean, which is very evident from the both of you like is it hard to walk away and set boundaries, especially when your business is in your basement? Yes, right. Like I can wake up at five like no makeup on in my pajamas looks like a hot mess, package orders get the kids fed.

Jordan 24:51
I give Rosanna a hard time because she’d be like, you know, on her phone in the kitchen and she’s like I’m working right now am. I’m like Well, this is kind of an awkward time and place to do that, but we really because you know, thanks to technology and just thanks. So it really the conditions for this last year like we have tried to find the ways to do that. So what’s what’s that looks like for you guys?

Greg 25:09
I’d say that’s the one thing that we struggle the most with, like, her job, besides packing orders stuff is being on Instagram responding to people, you know, scheduling different events, and it’s full time and like she could she could be on our phone or on our computer responding to people all day.

Shannon 25:28
Yeah, I know, you just have to put I mean, you I mean, which, you know, it’s easier said than done. You just got to put it away. You know, like, last week, we were watching movies, every, every night of the week with the boys, we watched a couple of good classics, and I’m like, I am putting my phone on the other side of the room. I mean, otherwise, I you know, you’re sitting and looking at your phone while you’re watching a movie. I’m like, I’m not even paying attention. So like, it’s, you know, with your time, it’s like, you know, just be in the moment, right?

Greg 25:56
We struggle with that. It’s hard, like, targeting time alone with the kids. Right? Like, one of the things we we always say, all the kids need more of is like, one on one time. And let alone us getting time with each other. Because

Jordan 26:16
God forbid.

Rosanna 26:16
I know that that was on my list. Like, how do you how do you keep your marriage thriving and not surviving? When, right this booms, but then you’ve got the boys. And we’ve said the same thing. Like they need one on one with each of us. But there’s four. So you’re like, totally outnumbered. Right?

Shannon 26:32
I don’t know the answer to that. Do you guys know that?

Rosanna 26:34
No. So but that’s, you know, we like asking people that because we’re like, well, they certainly they must know the answer, or they have it all together.

Jordan 26:41
But I think there’s something to not, you know, have something that you can like both be working on and working towards. And, you know, I don’t think that a lot of couples necessarily have that or we have like homes and you know, with with our kids, where, you know, we’re kind of working on parenting together. But to have like a united vision that you guys are collaborating on, it’s like an excuse to come together. And it’s sometimes it probably feels more like work than others. But I would say that that’s that’s a great excuse you have right there.

Greg 27:10
You guys are seeking it out. And it’s having the awareness of wanting to do it, right, like, very easy to like, come home from work and get into a routine of making dinner and doing the kids homework and going to bed and like but to step back and have the awareness of, hey, as a couple, we want to spend time together or as a couple or as a family. We know we need to get one on one time to each kid having that awareness. And then like you said, working towards something like that. That’s more than half the battle. Right? Like it makes you it makes it happen, right? Because if you don’t even think about it, then it’s just gonna go by the wayside.

Rosanna 27:47
So what are your boys think of all this? Like, you know, I, you know, I follow you on social media, and y’all know that it’s always prettier and more cool online? Do they know how cool You are? Are they? Are they repping the brand? are they telling their friends? Like how on board are they? How part of it are they?

Greg 28:05
A couple of them were the heart sweatshirts more than others. But all their friends are like in our neighborhood, right there, their circle of people, it’s so small, and all their parents and all those people are like such huge supporters of Shannon. So like, it’s, it’s rare that one of the kids that they hang out with comes to our house, or I see him when one of them doesn’t have a hard sweatshirt on.

Shannon 28:29
That’s that’s the sweetest I mean, that, and and honestly, when I, you know, obviously, when we first started doing this, and they were like, oh, let’s do some, some kids. I was thinking, I mean, I was I was thinking I didn’t think men or boys would probably wear the heart. I was more you know, a heart, it’s feminine, it’s on your chest. So many dudes wear the heart. It’s so cool. I mean, it’s all the time in these boys that are you know, at the age where they’re trying, you know, they’re kind of age or they like, want to be cool and whatever. And they’re all wearing my heart all the time. It just like, it’s, it’s the coolest. And I think, you know, also going back to what we were saying, I think, to for our boys to watch us do this together and to see Greg kind of take the backseat and like support what I’m doing and and for them to hear these conversations. I like, I think it’s great. You know, I think it’s, it’s great for them to see, you know, and I mean, sometimes Yes, there needs to be more balance. Sometimes. I work later than I should at night or whatever. But yeah, for the most part, it’s it’s, it’s, I feel like they’re fully on board. They’re, they’re really into it.

Greg 29:36
Maybe they think it’s cool, right? Like, yeah, they’re wearing their mom’s sweatshirt, like when their teacher will be wearing the sweatshirt sometime. And they’ll like come and tell us or it’s just, it’s it’s one of those things that there’s not a whole I mean, minus, you know, the time it takes for us to do it. There’s not a ton of negatives to it, right. Like you’re you’re teaching your kids that You can create something from nothing, you can do something you love, like your mom loves fashion, she created this out of nowhere. Your parents can work together. Like, they couldn’t be more like, excited about super cool.

Rosanna 30:18
I mean, what example that’s, that’s for them as, as young men like as they grow older, right? And then they get interested in girls and they’re looking for a partner someday, like, you know, like, Oh, I want someone like that my dad has in my mom, like, you know, and I’m going to support them, and I’m going to build them up, and I’m going to push them to do great things. Like, those are going to be some really cool, cool kids some really great men.

Shannon 30:38
I love that. You know, that it’s a good example like,

Greg 30:41
And it’s not taught, but like, it’s, it’s good for them to understand their feminine side to understand that there is it’s okay to wear a heart or to wear pink or to feel be sensitive, or do the quote unquote, like, those kind of things like, men don’t teach their boys those things. Right? at all. Like that’s, I mean, I should say, most men of like, our generation didn’t get taught those things by their parents. And this, that’s not at all why this started, but I’m just saying that through this conversation, it’s one of those things that like, they’re gonna absorb that with without even knowing it. Yeah.

Jordan 31:30
So do they, do they help with any part of the business the process at all?

Shannon 31:35
A little bit, like once a while have them

Jordan 31:39
It’s a little awkward

Rosanna 31:40
Sometimes you help by staying out of the way.

Shannon 31:44
No, like, put a bunch of like, pins in a jar.

Rosanna 31:52
Age appropriate types of things.

Shannon 31:54
Right? They’ll be like, oh, Caden full there, okay. Oh, yeah. My type A and me, but yeah, they’re great. Like, I feel like they’re always drawing pictures of hearts. And they’re just they’re into it. They’re always they see in perfect hearts everywhere. That’s what I love to mom look a heart, you know. So it’s, it’s been cool. From you know, from that perspective?

Rosanna 32:15
So what motivates you on the hard days, and the days where there’s a lot of orders, and people are constantly asking you for things and looking for referrals, and the kids are everywhere, and Greg’s busy with work? What what gets you through? What part of all of this kind of keeps you centered?

Shannon 32:33
That’s a good question. I’d like to know the answer.

I mean, I think it’s truly just because most days, I still pinch myself, I can’t believe that this has grown into what it has, and that people, you know, are sharing this and so I think it’s the message and the community. I think that’s what that’s, you know, what keeps me keeps me going. And honestly, I I take pictures often of notes that I write to people, because that all those just melt me, like some of these notes that I write when people you know, sending love to someone like and I get to do that, right. I get to be the person I get to send this love from this person I and be a part of this, like that makes my day. You know, like packing all those boxes of love last night? Well, we did sorry. I don’t give them enough credit. Um, so yeah, that’s what keeps me motivated.

Greg 33:29
I think. For for Shannon, who was in the fashion industry. Yes. Like selling that gives a Midwest rep for a clothing line. To have people like say to her, like, you believe you have your own brand. Like that’s the pinch yourself. Someone told her like a little over a year ago and she’s this woman who’s she’s not a clairvoyant or anything like that. But she’s like one of those kind of mystical people that got to know Shannon a little bit. She’s like, really tall. She’s like, you’re gonna have a clothing line some day.

Jordan 34:10
What? When was this?

Shannon 34:11
Yeah. I think she is a clairvoyant.

Rosanna 34:14
So a little over a year ago. Oh, wow.

Shannon 34:16
Yeah. So anyway, yeah.

Rosanna 34:20
Well, right, cuz when you started House of Shan How old were you?

Shannon 34:23
I was 40. Right. I was 40. Yeah. So I mean, that’s,

Greg 34:29
That’s when it started? Yeah right around there.

Shannon 34:30
Yes. Yeah. But I’m 40 so that’s the other thing too, is I feel like, you know, for people listening, it’s like, you know, I feel like a lot of times women, you know, especially, men too, but you know, when we’re home, we’re home for a number of years and you kind of feel so out of things like you feel out of the workforce you feel out of, you know, like, Oh gosh, what do I have to offer right? And I think like with for me at 40 like I got this like new confidence. I did. I was like, You know what, like, I, like I, who cares what other people think I’m gonna I’m gonna put, you know, like, and I think that I kind of had that going for me too. It’s just like, just do it, you know, and I feel like, I think, like I said in the beginning, we talk ourself out of things and like, this is proof like, you know, at 40, you know, 41 years old, you can start something. And, you know, just believe in yourself, I guess, right?

Jordan 35:26
Yeah, I think it’s funny because in to an extent, like, we almost realized at that point, then like, the world is waiting for someone to, to, like, help bring us together and help give us you know, common cause and inspiration and to love and to be. I mean, I would, I would argue that this is more than I got a message for a brand, but you are genuinely like leaders of that, you know, people are following and inspired by and I think probably being able to, not to spread love, but live better lives according to like, just the model that you set for them.

Shannon 36:00
Thank you.

Rosanna 36:02
Well, yeah, I mean, we’re so we’re not yet 40. We’re both 38. And, you know, like the idea for a lot of the things we’ve done, like, you know, you go to school, right, you have your degree, you work in that degree. Same thing with me, I had kids, so I was a teacher at one point, and I stopped that and then just have dabbled here and there with like an Etsy shop. And now I do wedding and events like is like, what am I? What am I doing? What do I have to offer? And you know, someone saying, like, you know, I could see you doing this, why don’t you just try it, or, you know, someone hired me to do something one time, and then it became something and it’s, sometimes we hold ourselves back from trying, because they’re like, well, I can’t do that. But then just figuring out that, that you really can –

Jordan 36:42
Like I’ve offered to help with her event planning, I’m like, I could totally, you know, help you decorate. This one, I think I’ll go solo. I’ll have a role to play some day.

Rosanna 36:56
But you know, you know, in our 20s, we would have thought like by 40, you’re supposed to be at a certain spot, or get all together or have worked this many years in your industry and then be at the top of your game. And what I’m finding when I look around is a lot of people have reinvented have totally shifted have found something that your 20 year old self is not the same as your 40 year old self. And so knowing that those opportunities are there, or if there’s something in your heart that you can create that opportunity for yourself too.

Shannon 37:23
Absolutely. Love that.

Greg 37:26
I mean, for me, it’s like I’ve been doing the same thing for 20 years, like you said, and aren’t my industry at being a trader has totally changed. So like now I’m at the point where I’m like, deciding like, is this? I don’t really like this anymore, right? Like, why do I like it? And do I want to keep doing something I don’t like? Or do I want to keep doing something, you know, for X amount of time? Or do I want to just dived in headfirst with what she’s doing, because we love it. And right, and like, that gets a little scary, right? You’re like, Oh, no, I only know. Now I’m learning how to do other things. But like –

Shannon 38:08
No, but it’s it’s funny though, because like, again, like we just got new tissue paper. Very exciting. You guys. And I’m like, and it’s you know, this cute, like imperfect heart printed paper. And I’m like, that was all Greg, like he does these like he he’ll be, he’ll be on you know, a website and come out. It’ll be like, Oh, we should get this. I’m like, perfect. Like, he’s a creative too. You know, he’s just been using this other side of his brain for so long that I feel like it’s all coming out.

Greg 38:35
I think one of the you had asked earlier, what some of the roles. I think one of my roles too is and I’ve gotten her to take a little more risk with

Shannon 38:45
He pushes me.

Greg 38:46
In a good way. Like, she’ll be like, I’ll be like, how many of these should we buy? And she’ll be like, Oh, it’s

Rosanna 38:54
Two is probably more expensive than 12 or 25. So…

Greg 38:58
I like to be somebody like, Alright, we’re gonna buy 25 Beach. Yeah. And you’re gonna sell them because everything you bought, like you shown that you’re gonna do it and like, and then it’s gonna be easier as we move forward, because we’re not gonna have to worry about ordering again and going through this again.

Shannon 39:14
Yeah, so like, and then I typically say you were right.

Jordan 39:19
Those magic words.

Greg 39:23
And that’s the fun part for me, too, is like, I have helped with some of the stuff. So like, for me, it’s been fun, like, the drink where the tissue or something like that, like, I like figuring out how to find it, how to get it made, how much we need to order to make it cost effective. You know, figuring out like that side of it. Like that part’s interesting to me. Yeah, I don’t think that’s interesting to her at all. You know what I mean? Like, right,

Jordan 39:50
So you found it a nice way to compliment one another?

Shannon 39:54
I feel like that’s like marriage and now it’s like, you know, finding your role to like in this new you know, business to it’s like you figure it out as you go, right? Yeah.

Rosanna 40:04
So well, and even to Greg’s point about, yeah, working in the same industry for a long time, and now it’s changing and kind of even having that moment of, do I want to keep doing this. Sure. Like, sometimes I even think of like, our parents generation probably worked the same job, or the same career for their whole lives, was never questioning Is this what I really want to be doing? And saying no to a sure thing, instead of leaping for something that may or may not work out, but when you’re the husband and you carry, like, he’s got great insurance, and benefits, it’s like, how do you? How do you say no to that, you know, is the risk worth it? So I think sometimes, as the men in our lives, that’s, you know, you don’t want to close the door too quickly. Right. But if if things are trending a good way for House of Shan how exciting, you know.

Shannon 40:52
The company that I work at, to smaller trading company, and some of our best friends, you know, from our early 20s, through our to now and they still are like our best friends like, and we had all of our life events together, right? We had marriages and kids and we went through all the same things together. Some of those people, some of my best friends that I worked with, for 15 plus years, have started to leave. They’ve started to leave to do other things. And so…

kind of following their passions –

Following their passion, doing the type of stuff that you’re talking about. So like, prior to house Shan, I’d always been like, well, maybe I would consider doing that too. But I just have no idea…

Rosanna 41:38
Hadn’t found your thing.

Shannon 41:39
Right, like would it be. I’m pretty good at what I do. I’m not great, otherwise, I wouldn’t be doing anymore. You’re a great trader, you don’t have to trade. But prior to seeing her kind of create this and working with this on her, I’d always been like, well I would have no idea what I want to do. So that’s been kind of cool for me to to understand that, like you guys have said like, toward at 40. Like, there is more stuff out there. And I can do more than what I’m doing right now. And I have the ability to do it if I want.

Rosanna 42:19
So what would you say are your biggest takeaways from the last year? If you like what made it like an aha moment or something that maybe was like a, you know, a light bulb went off? And it was like, this is this past year? This? Is it? Like, what would it be? Is there anything that really stands out?

Shannon 42:35
I mean –

Greg 42:37
I, for me, it was a couple of times, and I was like placing orders for sweatshirts. And I and I looked at like the amount of inventory we had bought over a very short period of time. And I was like, kind of took a step back and be like, I didn’t even blink. Like I didn’t even think about it. I was buying it. I was like, that was a lot. That was a lot of sweatshirts. And I kind of had those moments where I was like, this is really like, this is going to turn into like a real business. To me, like the moment where I realized it was like, went from hobby passion project selling 50 sweatshirts to like, I was witnessing it become a brand. That to me was like and there wasn’t a one moment, but it was some of those moments where I was like, okay, like, we just bought a lot of sweatshirts, like, this is more than just for fun at this point.

Shannon 43:39
Yeah. And I mean, gosh, I mean, I think I’ve had so many over this year, because I, you know, like I said, I still pinch myself. I think there’s been so many beautiful moments within this year. And I feel like a couple that stand out are like, you know, I had a group of women in Simpsonville, South Carolina, it like makes me cry thinking about it. One of their friends is going through a pretty, pretty intense cancer treatment right now. And they all they bought, I think there was probably 60 or 70 people that bought these green t-shirts with a pink heart on them men, women, kids, they all bought them to wear every time she had a chemo day. And they still wear them every time she has a chemo day like that, to me is so cool. Like they bought the imperfect heart to signify their support and their love towards her right so for me, like, I like I you know, I can’t believe that like it’s, it’s so beautiful. And that’s why this all is happening. So like, I’ve had a few moments like that or several moments like that over this year that touched me so deeply.

So that like t shirt, when you made it was called the Chris-T which is two Her best friend’s name, and it was like, it was like a friendship t. So like, people get behind it. Right? Like 60 people. Yeah, never wearing the friendship t when their friend is having chemo like, it’s cool. I’m getting teary eyed thinking about.

Rosanna 45:16
Well, because it’s not just a T shirt, t shirt, especially now when people can’t be together. And if you’re sick, you can’t be with someone else. And you can’t write a text sometimes doesn’t do it. But you know, to get a text of somebody else wearing that T shirt on that day. And people are rallying it’s it’s life changing to have that kind of support.

Jordan 45:34
Well, it’s really special to to note, like, just to know those stories as well. I mean, I don’t think very many brands can do that a lot of times. So it’s like you, you bought a T shirt because you needed something warm. But in this case, there there is a story behind a lot of the purchasing, and you get to hear those and be a part of how they play out.

Shannon 45:52
Yeah, yeah. It’s pretty cool. So I’m very grateful. Yeah, it’s been so much fun.

Rosanna 45:58
So if people want to learn more about House of Shan where, where should they go? How can they find out what charities that you’re donating to each month? How can they order? How can they help you spread awareness about living what you love?

Shannon 46:09
Yeah, um, you can go to house of Shan calm. And we have a charities tab so you can see all the charities we’ve donated to you can see the current charity we’re donating to, you can hit the shop button, if you want to check out our shop. We also have a really cool tab that was just added that I love looking at too. It’s the LWYL tab, or LWYL love tab. And it’s just showing all all sorts of different families and kids and people wearing the imperfect heart. So –

Rosanna 46:38
I think I saw a couple celebrities on there some Chicago celebrities wearing wearing that sweatshirt.

Shannon 46:45
That’s been kind of cool, too. There’s been a couple people that have gotten behind it. Yeah, I mean, pinch me right.

Greg 46:53
Like our friends who knows celebrities give it to them. But it’s still always cool when people –

Shannon 47:01
A friend of a friend Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, what is that? Yes.

Rosanna 47:04
It’s not what you know, it’s who you know, you just gotta share. Well, thank you guys so much for joining us today for telling us about your story the way that you guys work together how you’re you’re doing this amongst you know, a pandemic and and kids and still spreading these messages of love and positivity and and really being you know, exactly what people need right now, even though they didn’t know they needed it.

Shannon 47:30
Thank you. It’s so great to be here.

Greg 47:32
Thank you for having us also, like, I think we feel honored that people like yourselves that are doing something so cool and following some of your dreams and having a podcast with think of us. And like I read the email that you first sent. And it was so thoughtful, like and well written and just made us both feel super proud. So thank you.

Rosanna 47:58
Yeah, well, hopefully when this pandemic thing blows over, we’ll come down to the city and meet you in person.

Jordan 48:04
Big day for us when we suburbanites get to come down to the city.

Rosanna 48:10
Well, thank you guys both so much. We will make sure that all of our friends and followers, check out House of Shan and see what you’re up to in 2021.

Shannon 48:18
Thank you.

Rosanna 48:19
Thank you, guys.

Jordan 48:23
Okay, well, we hope that you are feeling as refreshed and as inspired as we are after that conversation with Shannon and Greg.

Rosanna 48:31
Yeah, you know, it’s funny, sometimes what you see on social media isn’t always what you get. But I felt like what, who they really are, as a couple and what they’re doing with their business and as a brand is, I mean, they’re, they’re even cooler than than what they’re putting out there.

Jordan 48:46
Like, we talked for an hour or so. And it’s like, you know, I could I could spend a little more time with you. Yeah, well, I mean, like, I’ve learned a little bit more from you.

Rosanna 48:53
That the fact that they do live close, and hopefully once the world is back to normal, I definitely look forward to meeting them in person and hearing more about what they’re doing and how they’re doing it.

Jordan 49:01
Yeah, and seeing where it goes from here. So there were several things that we both kind of took away from this conversation and I I almost don’t know where to start but I think maybe the thing I’ll start with what what struck me the most and to maybe earlier in the conversation was that Shannon had talked about even you know before House of Shan it really became a thing she was just kind of on her own finding ways to just bring people together and House of Shan is not doing something different now it’s that’s kind of what’s emerged and continues to I think bring like rally people around one another and rally them around some I would say some positive concepts and positive feelings of love and togetherness and community. And so I was I was really just interested in in in that aspect. And I’m inspired by people who you know, almost like for the I want to say for the fun of it, but like, just because that’s what they want to do they want to bring people together and create something good. And obviously, she’s been doing that for some time. And that really kind of took off in the way that it did over the last year.

Rosanna 50:11
Yeah well we live in a world now where people can be pretty independent. We don’t need to rely on other people for things like we used to. But what she found after being at home with the first three boys is that she felt lonely, and she needed to feel connection. And so knowing that she needed that she, you know, that let her know that other people needed that too. And so then that’s kind of what she’s doing now with her merchandise and with her brand. I mean, in a time when small businesses have been closing their doors, and have been, you know, just overwhelmed by the pandemic, and what’s happening, House of Shan not only launched during that time, but is growing and thriving.

Jordan 50:47
Yeah, I think that tells you something, I mean, because you can, you can get certain types of apparel from almost anywhere, but you can’t get what House of Shan really offers. And that shows you to just go and if what you’re saying that it is, I think I mentioned this in the interview, like that is a type of leadership as well. Like if you know, like, there’s a bunch of people who are all kind of thinking or feeling the same thing, and to step forward and be the one to rally those people together, behind like a common cause, and to build that community, I think they really says something.

Rosanna 51:16
Well, and they mentioned this, too, is you know, Greg has a great job that affords them, you know, insurance and benefits and a roof over their heads. And so House of Shan has never been about, like hitting a certain number of sales, you know, sometimes when your business is around, you know, making a certain number of sales to hit a certain point so that you can feed your family like the pressure is on. And sometimes maybe you get lost in like, what your mission and what your message is. But this, you know, they just kept following this. What she had started with House of Shan, you know, to the next thing into the next thing and just kept saying yes, when it felt right. And so it continues to be about a mission and people and when a mission, and people are your focus, it’s easy to find fulfillment, it’s easy to find purpose. And it’s easy to love what you do.

Jordan 51:59
Yeah. So how did you phrase it to me? It’s like moving, moving towards the vision, right? Because as, as they continue down this path, they realized, how do we describe like almost accidentally, or almost like reverse? They didn’t really intend on starting, what has become over the last year. But as that emerged, like, moving towards that, embracing that and finding ways to more intentionally build into it.

Rosanna 52:24
I mean, it’s there wasn’t a plan, a clear plan for this or a direction or like, a year from now, this is what we’re going to be doing. But but now they’re starting to look at that, because it’s it’s continued to emerge. So they just keep taking steps in the direction as doors open. They continue to say yes, as it leads them by doing podcasts and, and other things and spreading the word.

Jordan 52:42
Yeah. And I think we talked about this too, when we brought it up, like, Alright, so you’ve donated $20,000, within the past year. That’s a lot of money, don’t you…right, in that sense, I think like man, like, what, what could I really do with that? And just their sense of like, no, like, that’s the question almost didn’t make sense to them. Like what, you know, what else could you do with that? Or is there any sense of, of, you know, wanting to, you know, with, I guess, like, withhold that in a sense for your own benefit? Because no, it’s like that – doesn’t, that’s that’s not the point. The point is to bring people together and to do good. And what has emerged from that is a business that were kind of figuring out as we go. And to me, that’s also inspiring to to be to be like that. The point is to give to in a selfless kind of way, find how we can enact some good within our community.

Rosanna 53:36
Yeah, I mean, what it’s so obviously, she’s, they’re both able to donate large sums of money. And they pick a different organization and nonprofit each month, kind of depending on the season, and kind of and what’s going on. But living what you love, like the brand and the merchandise people are sending and spreading love to others while supporting great causes. So she talks about stories of people going through cancer treatment, and family and friends all buying the same sweatshirt. And when that person is going through treatment on Thursdays, they all wear it. So it’s people are rallying behind other people and the people that they love, you know, even they’re getting their kids on board. They have you know, little boys and little girls things. They have other merchandise like people are sending love with the intention of also spreading love, right and a message of giving and a message of open open handedness instead of closed mindedness.

Jordan 54:24
Yeah, yeah, I really like the way that you’re putting that into to me and hopefully to you as well. Like that’s, that’s inspiring, like, my take away is just like, okay, like building sort of a platform or a way to facilitate love in community. That’s a beautiful thing.

Rosanna 54:38
Yeah, I mean, it really stems from what we’ve been trying to talk about during love month with loving our neighbors loving each other loving ourselves and you know, even how to love people that we we don’t yet know, right? buy, buy something from her and $5 from that purchase is going directly to a charity and you can hop onto her website and see, you know what charity is being supported that month and maybe that even you know, gets you to Thinking about well, why not just make a donation to that charity as well?

Jordan 55:03
Absolutely. And that is a little bit of our model this year as well. And like one of our goals, I think, is anything that’s maybe is motivation, for me, at least to like, stick with our goal this year and to see it through and find a charity each month that we can get behind and we can support financially as well.

Rosanna 55:23
Yeah, so they can, if you guys are listening, you can check our website, and you can see what charities we are donating to each month throughout 2021.

Jordan 55:31
Absolutely. All right. Well, again, we hope that you enjoyed the conversation that we’re able to share with you with Shannon and Greg. And, as always, we hope that you give us a little bit of feedback and love about what you’re learning and what you are pursuing as well.

Rosanna 55:46
Okay, have a great day. See you next week.