LIFT UP LOCAL 023
Written by Jordan Kossuth
Portable Refreshment for the Soul
Meet Shannon Cohen
Shannon Cohen is a bi-coastal Michigander who originally moved from Detroit to West Michigan to attend Grand Valley State University. A “Laker for life”, she returned to earn her Master of Public Administration degree at GVSU in 2011, and now calls Grand Rapids home.
Shannon is an author, podcaster, and the founder of the global Rockstar Woman Brunch Experience. She’s been named one of the 200 Most Powerful Business Women in West Michigan and recognized as one of the 50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan by the Grand Rapids Business Journal. Shannon is also the founder and CEO of Shannon Cohen, Inc, a boutique firm that creates products, spaces, and experiences to invest in the emotional wellbeing of people who lead, love, and serve in transformational ways.
📷 courtesy of Connor Rake
When speaking with Shannon, it’s clear that human connection and encouragement is at the core of everything she does. She jokes that the people who knew her growing up would not be surprised to see her innovating in this space. Shannon has always been a source of encouragement for others, with a heart for those she describes as “visibly invisible” – people like doctors, educators, and mothers.
Being a beacon of guidance and support for others can take a toll on your wellbeing when you are unable to find that support for yourself. Shannon emphasizes the importance of focusing on the person behind the title, because it can often become more difficult for someone who identifies as a high performer to admit that they are struggling.
“All of the people who lead, love, and serve, also do that in their own home and communities. They can get lonely, deal with stressors, and can have to navigate disappointments and discouragements. We see them and create marketplace solutions to pour into them with the same intensity they pour into others.” ”
Shannon is no stranger to the feeling of burnout and working to maintain balance between leading in the workplace and at home. Shannon is a mother to 10-year-old Duriel Jr, and entering her 15th year of marriage with husband Duriel Sr. The family is a three-part harmony who have overcome their own share of health challenges, giving Shannon a unique insight into supporting high performers navigating invisible struggles.
📷 courtesy of Connor Rake
Take Your Wellness on the Go!
Hope on the Go wellness affirmation cards are a culmination of Shannon’s experience leading corporate in-services and giving keynote addresses where she noticed two things. The first – that a talk without tools is incomplete. While audiences can be ignited and inspired by a speech in the moment, it’s easy to lose that drive once returning to the demands of everyday life. She wanted to do something to disrupt this and create a replenishment discipline and refueling plan for high performers, care givers, and difference makers struggling with self-care routines.
The second thought she had was that you can find portable versions of almost anything humans need to thrive. It’s not uncommon to throw a granola bar in your bag to keep afternoon hunger at bay, or to stock your purse with lip balm to combat the Michigan winter, or medications and supplements to cure whatever ails you. So, why not supplements for the soul?
Having an umbrella on hand can protect you from the external storm, but what about one raging internally? Shannon saw a need to normalize refueling your soul in the same way you would your stomach – and envisioned that these could intersect in one convenient location.
📷 courtesy of Connor Rake
Capital City Market
“Everyone goes through the grocery store,” Shannon points out, “it’s an organic universal gathering place for human beings.”
Shannon Cohen Inc greeting cards and stationery were already featured in select Meijer market-format stores, so it was a natural progression when Hope on the Go hit shelves here in October 2023!
During the installation of the Hope on the Go at Woodward Corner Market (Royal Oak, MI), Shannon recalls an emotional conversation she had with a customer asking questions about the cards. The woman had lost her son several years prior, and always found herself struggling emotionally around the holidays. “You made these cards for me,” she had said.
Having a presence in the community to experience moments like this is important to Shannon, who piloted her first in-store pop-up in February at Bridge Street Market (Grand Rapids, MI) for Hope on the Go. Her team plans to continue making the rounds to Meijer market-format stores to have conversations with customers surrounding their lives, their roles, and how Hope on the Go can help you to thrive emotionally and physically.
“The Heart Needs to Hear Different Things on Different Days”
The Hope on the Go affirmation deck has 50 cards, each falling under one of 5 categories intentionally chosen to infuse daily self-care into your busy lifestyle. After all, every day brings new challenges and triumphs, and – in Shannon’s own words – the heart needs to hear different things on different days.
I will invest in my own recovery. – We recognize when we’re hungry, just like we recognize when we’re having a bad day. These cards encourage you to take notice of your own wellbeing without waiting for someone else to ask if you’re okay.
I am a curious creative and cutting-edge difference maker. – For days when you need a little encouragement to show up and perform in the workplace.
The state of my soul is greater than the work of my hands. – In today’s hustle culture, everyone could use a reminder to slow down and center priorities before succumbing to burnout.
I have greatness in my bones. – For those suffering from imposter syndrome, navigating insecurities, and in need of a reminder of their own value and worth.
Leading at the intersection of joy and purpose. – Life can be a journey of navigating crisis, risk, and disruption and figuring out how to retake the mantle of leadership with joy and purpose.
Continuing to grow Hope on the Go and help others be intentional about their physical and emotional health is Shannon’s heart’s desire.
Stop into Capital City Market for some portable refreshment for your soul and keep an eye out for more innovations from Shannon Cohen in the future!