Shannon Spills the Tea on Personal Relationships
After 10 years of podcasting and 554 episodes, we’re coming down to the final four episodes of Martinis and Your Money. These final three episodes before Happy Hour will be a chat between me and you. When I was thinking about how I wanted to end this podcast, all I could think was, “I have to make it epic for my fans and listeners,” who have supported me for almost a decade. I have shared so much with you over these past 10 years, but I’ve also held some things back.
My intent with these final three conversations with you is to answer all of the questions, spill all of the tea, and share all of the lessons I’ve learned not only over the past 10 years but also over the past 46 years I’ve been on this earth.
I am splitting the final three episodes before Happy Hour into three categories: my personal experiences, my work and professional experiences, and my blogging and podcasting experiences. You can listen to all three, one or none.
I know that many of you have come here for years for money-related advice and guidance, and I will have that in these final episodes, but I’ll also have more. My intent in sharing all of this with you is in the hopes that my journey and the lessons I’ve learned can help you or someone you know who has been on a journey. I have faced a great deal of challenges over my life, and I would face all of them again if I knew that my story could help just one person.
Podcast Notes
Personal Growth and Family Dynamics
Shannon began to understand herself and her journey after diving into her human design chart in 2019. She has learned a lot of lessons throughout life and will soon be entering into her role model stage, where she can use her experiences and journey to help lead and guide others.
Over the years, Shannon has experienced some of her most difficult personal growth. Her biggest struggle has been with her family, learning how to deal with relationships that bring pain. She's had to remove a lot of negative energy from her life, which is especially tough when it comes to family.
Shannon shares her complicated family dynamics, particularly around her parents' divorce and how it shaped her feelings of belonging. There are a number of painful situations that led to her decision to end her relationship with her father.
Setting boundaries has been extremely important for her mental health. Just because someone holds a family title like parent, grandparent, or sibling doesn't mean they should remain in your life if they're causing harm.
Friendships and Romantic Relationships
Relationships and friendships are always evolving. People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. It's important to let go of relationships that no longer serve you.
She opens up about her past struggles in romantic relationships, including being unfaithful, which she attributes to not knowing herself or her needs. She was not the best partner and didn't always know how to communicate.
Learning to break unhealthy cycles has been a huge part of her personal growth. In her current relationship with Vinnie, she feels like she's become the best version of herself. They have both gone on personal growth journeys, which allows them to communicate with each other well.
Shannon reflects on how relationships, both with friends and romantic partners, are like tending a garden—they require care, attention, and sometimes pruning to grow.
Motherhood and Life’s Biggest Gifts
Shannon calls being a mom the greatest gift of her life. Her son Will has been the biggest driving force behind her growth and drive to be a better person. Parenthood is a roller coaster with the highest highs and the lowest lows, and she wouldn't change a thing.
Will recently started college, and Shannon feels deep pride in the person he is becoming. Shannon's personal journey has been influenced by her desire to set a good example for him and break generational cycles. Being a child of divorce, she wanted Will's experience to be different.
Shannon went through many challenges and messy stages in life, and she knows Will is going to have a similar journey. While they both start these new chapters of life, she knows he will grow and evolve in college, the same way Shannon did.
Shannon closes by expressing gratitude for the important relationships in her life, including Will, Vinnie, her mom, and Bill, who have all helped her become the best version of herself.
Takeaway: My biggest takeaway is that you are a human going through human experiences, which means you'll make mistakes, you'll hurt people, you'll hurt yourself, but as long as you find a way to heal each scar, learn from them and not continue to create scars, you'll be thankful for all of your battle wounds and realize that everything was happening for you and not against you.
I encourage you to email me at Shannon@fingyms.com or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook Page, and let me know what you want to hear.
As many of you know, other than running this podcast, I’m the founder and CEO of The Financial Gym, and we are celebrating 10 years of this journey. Now more than ever, I see the importance of the work we do every single day. Rising inflation, the return on student loan debt, high-interest rates on loans and mortgages, and volatile stock markets make it a time where, now more than ever, you need a best financial friend to help you make the best choices along the way.
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