This is the unfiltered part of this website where you get the answer: “Who are you? and What can you do for me?” It took over 30 years to be able to answer those questions where I didn’t feel like a fraud.   

How did I get here?

I’ve always been attracted to dark people, addicts, wounded birds, people with ridiculous amounts of trauma and people that are suffering. I didn’t realize until years and years of work through therapy and self-discovery work that the world is my mirror and I was actively seeking help for my own suffering. My intolerance for bullshit (and small talk) should have been the first clue., but healing isn’t linear, it’s a unilome, so here we are.  

I have been miserable, depressed, suicidal and everywhere in between and couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me despite all of the labels, diagnoses, pills and advice from countless self-help books. Turns out there is nothing wrong with me (or you), I just didn’t know who I was without the world telling me that I wasn’t enough unless I was just like them. I didn’t know that I am more than enough exactly the way I am and that I have a purpose here.  

l originally resisted the idea that “God/ The Universe” would give me everything in this life that I wanted and was here to do because I felt like I was constantly walking thought the world with 10,000 paper cuts and God had a spray bottle of alcohol aimed at me at all times. I now understand that I couldn’t get where I was trying to go until I was dragged through all of the shit I needed to clean up first. 

Now that I don’t walk through into every room looking through the lens of my wounds and looking to pick a fight like everyone has a tiny spray bottle of alcohol in their pocket, I am grateful for the journey that has led to a balanced and harmonious life. (yep, I’m aware of my word choices) that Source (what I call God sometimes) cared enough for me and saw enough potential in me to drag me on the ride.  I had so much baggage to unpack and set down that I stayed in survival mode most of my life.  

I wasn’t able to find my purpose until I got to the root of my suffering. I became physically and chronically ill, not from a disease your doctor can name, but from the invisible breaks, tears, bruises and scars from all of the attempts to shove me into a box I didn’t fit into.  I finally got sick and tired of being sick and tired. To get to the root of my suffering I had to learn who I was without all of the societal and cultural conditioning that had turned me into a numb, dumb, sheep who couldn’t get out of fight or flight mode no matter how many books I read or classes I took.

Hint, hint: All the degrees in the world can’t tell you who you are. 

My job is not to save you from doing your own work or to wave a magic wand and alleviate your suffering. My job is to help you find your Ikigai and share experiences and tools along the way that hopefully will help you help yourself! This is not therapy. This is a place for you to figure out who the fuck you are before the world got its hands on you. And when you meet your true self for the first time, you can begin to start designing a life that not only doesn’t suck, but is RAD.  

If you’re suffering, good news…you may just be out of alignment with who you really are. How can I help? Tell me your story. 

Full disclaimer: There’s going to be a lot of cussing going on here. I am a writer.  I do have a full and well-versed vocabulary, but I choose to use raw and disruptive language because it’s more honest, raw and real. When I was suffering the most, the sugary, syrupy ra-ra words only made me feel more like a failure, more like I should be the president of the Imposter Syndrome club, more isolated, more alone and most importantly, less like myself. I connect deeply through real language and communication. My words are all rooted in authenticity not surface level bullshit. If you’ve met me, you’re likely to know that we’ll talk about your childhood trauma before we’ll talk about the weather. 

If words like blessed, grateful, harmony, journey, breathe all make you want to slit your wrists or if one more person tell you to “let it go” you’re going to snap, you’re in the right place. Don’t get me wrong, these are all great words when you’re not suffering from living a life that wasn’t meant for you. Until those words feel good, thank yourself for having the reaction to them because it’s a sure-fire sign that you aren’t in alignment with your true self. 

Want more:

Shannon - Business Owner & Avid Adventure Seeker

Hidden Gems - Meet Shannon Vogel