When VINAZINE was introduced to all-around boss babe Shanna Tyler, we knew we had to give her all the VINA love. The yoga instructor, life coach, blogger and podcaster has overcome some dark times in her life to get to the inspiring path she’s on. Read on hear her advice, her big goals for 2019, and what her ideal VINA date would be!⚡️

Q: On your blog, you’re very open about a painful time in your life when you were depressed. What inspired you to be so honest and raw upfront? Can you tell us about that time of your life and how that impacted you?
A: Yas! I love to lead with the darkest period in my life, which was when I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder in 2014. I was involuntarily hospitalized for my suicidal ideations. Ain’t nothing more RAW than that!
I always had an underlying sadness about me. Something that just didn’t feel right. But in 2014, I believe I really hit my edge. I wasn’t living a fulfilling life at the time. I moved to a new state, worked a job that didn’t make me happy, and felt really lost in what I wanted to do with my life. I had no hope. I called my mom and she took me to the hospital who made it mandatory for me to go to an inpatient facility.
My experience was terrifying at first. I had no phone, no computer, nothing but my thoughts, my peers and my supports (therapist, psychiatrist, counselors, etc.). However, I will say it really helped me to grow as a person. Group therapy, individual therapy and prescription of Lexapro really got me ready to go back out into the world. I left with a newfound confidence in my life and hope in my life that I can find what I love!

Q: Why was it important to you to start the conversation on mental health?
A: It’s so important to me because I believe our mental health struggles are ones that we stay so hushed about. Part of my personal goal is to keep it really real on topics that we, especially as women, don’t talk about. One of the biggest one is our minds. We fear being seen as vulnerable or weak, but us being open really does the opposite. It empowers us! Let’s share our stories, seek treatment and then uplift others!

Q: How did you start to pick up the pieces? What really helped you to find YOUR happiness?
A: I had to look for the pieces for a long time before I could pick them up. Trying out so many things helped me find out MY happiness. I tried out so many avenues before I arrived at my current career as a full-time entrepreneur and life + biz coach supporting entrepreneurial women to build their brands and businesses. I pursued a social work degree just to realize half-way through the program that it wasn’t what I really wanted. I became certified in yoga to realize that I don’t want to teach full-time and want to teach part-time and on my own terms.  I hosted monthly events only to find out that I wanted to host only one annual event and launch my podcast. It all took discovery and finding the pieces then picking them up, putting them down and finding what fits!

Q: So many women can relate to this feeling of being lost and not knowing their next step. What is your best, most practical advice?
A: If it’s career-wise, I will say find out what you love. That thing that you really love to do. It doesn’t even feel like work sometimes. Then make money off it 🙂

Q: How did you start carving out the career you wanted?
A: I love this question! I started trying out so many things like I mentioned above. I also never quit, I just molded and transformed my career into something that was fun and profitable! I tapped into my strengths which is supporting other women and walking along with them on their journeys. I also tapped into my gift of gab with a podcast. Events were beginning to drain me and teaching yoga more than three to five times a week was too much for me. I still love these things, but they’re not what my career is based on. I’m a life + biz coach for entrepreneurial women and the community founder and podcast host of The Self Soul Sport Podcast. WOOT!

Q: For women who want to start a blog or a podcast, but have no idea how to start, what’s your best advice?
A: With both a blog and podcast, start brainstorming what you can talk about without hating it. Cause at the end of the day, a blog and podcast are all about passion. It’s going to be a labor of love. You’re gonna have your momma or bestie as your only reader for a while before it really takes off (unless you have an established audience already!) Once you find what you want to talk about, get a Squarespace website up, take about an hour on your website, and create your first blog post. Google, ask friends, network with other bloggers you look up to, so many tips!

My podcast was pretty easy to launch because I already hosted community events and had an audience with my blog! I shared it in my newsletter and my Instagram feeds. It really did well! I also will say it’s so helpful to have guests who share with their audience who become listeners!

Q: Love that advice. So what made you want to be a life coach?
A: The Shanna from three years ago is my inspiration. When I started my personal brand and website/blog in 2016, I was so lost. I didn’t know what my brand was, who my audience was, how I wanted to proceed, what I wanted to do in the future. I truly believe if I had all of that together in 2016, I would’ve propelled faster and smarter in my biz. So that said, I want to really inspire the woman who is lost and looking to build something but not sure what yet.

Q: What do you offer clients?
A: I offer 1:1 coaching sessions for side-hustlers, those who have side-hustles, and new entrepreneurs. In these sessions, we work on building a foundation for your brand, monetizing your brand into a business and much more. It’s so much fun and I love what I get to do every day. I’m also working on my group coaching program that I’m so pumped to launch this year!

Q: For anyone who is feeling down, depressed or uninspired, what can they start to today that would help them?
A: Gratitude journal! I will say this is a huge game changer for me. Grab a notebook, write down 7-10 things you’re grateful for and repeat it every single morning.

Q: What are your big goals for 2019?
A: 1. Publish and sell my very first e-book. 2. Create online courses for my audience. 3. Launch my very first Get It Done Program for entrepreneurial women.

Q: Lastly, tell us your ideal VINA date?
A: Wine, tacos and laughter!!

Use Shanna as your inspiration to get yourself out there! Join Hey! VINA today and start meeting your tribe in communities like Entrepreneurs or Yogis. Start living the life YOU want to live—VINA is here for the ride!✌️