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RISE with Shannon
May 12, 2025
How I Stopped Hiding and Started Building
How I Stopped Hiding and Started Building
00:00
09:01
Transcript
0:00
[upbeat music] You're listening to The Rise Experience, where faith, leadership, personal, and business transformation align for lasting impact.
0:17
We'll dive into mindset, purpose, and strategies to help you rise into the leader God created you to be. I'm Shannon Denniston, and I'm glad you're here. Let's rise together. [upbeat music] Hey, friends.
0:33
Welcome to the very first episode of The Rise Experience. If you're here, I want you to know this right away. You're not behind, you're not broken, and you are not alone.
0:45
You're in the right place, and today we're talking about what it really takes to change your life, your leadership, and your business from the inside out.
0:53
I'm Shannon Denniston, a former customer experience expert turned faith-driven entrepreneur, and this podcast, this isn't just a show, it's a movement.
1:02
And it's one I almost didn't start because I honestly thought-- I was convinced I had to have it all figured out first. But here's what I've learned. You don't have to be perfect to be impactful.
1:15
You just have to be real. And y'all, this space, we do real. We talk about the messy middle.
1:22
We talk about mindset shifts, habits, the faith it takes to grow, and the emotional strength it takes to keep rising even when you feel like shrinking.
1:32
So let me start by sharing just a moment that changed everything for me. It was, uh, December of 2020 and I was curled up in my bed hiding under the covers, not just physically, but emotionally. Y'all, I was burned out.
1:45
I was binge eating. I was constantly numbing, whether that was alcohol or candy. Let's just... I'm a sweet-- I have a sweet tooth, like a sugar addiction.
1:54
So I would like to just say that when I was binging, it was usually, like, candy, jelly beans, like the massive party bag size of jelly beans [chuckles] and that was me.
2:04
Anyway, um, I got to a point I was exhausted, burned out, all of that, and I just really felt like I had nothing left in the tank.
2:13
So as I scrolled through Facebook one night, uh, something just, something inside of me whispered, "Enough. You, you can't keep living like this." I mean, the moment, it wasn't flashy, but it was, it was holy.
2:28
And it, it's a moment that I really got honest with myself, not just about the weight I'd gained or the routines that I'd really abandoned, but about how small I'd let my life become.
2:40
I mean, it was, uh, so much that I was af- I was afraid to, I don't know, show up in meetings. I was afraid to speak up, speak my mind.
2:49
And as someone who's, like, really short, five one and a half, let's just round up to two, like, spend your entire life people looking down on you 'cause you're so short.
2:59
Y- I, I felt like I had to learn how to command the room and speak my mind and, you know, say that, like, I'm a lot bigger than I really-- I'm a lot bigger than I appear. Um, I'm not as small as, you know, I seem.
3:12
I was even afraid to, like, be around my neighbors and let them see me in r- in real life. It was very... It was a very strange place to be, but
3:20
needless to say, I'd really, I'd let my life get small and I'd let myself feel small.
3:28
Um, so that was kind of the beginning of that, my transformation physically, yes, but, like, more than that, emotionally, mentally, spiritually. So over the next few years, I really began healing, growing,
3:42
showing up differently. And then another shift started, I guess last year, '23, '24, kind of felt like a second awakening. I'd lost my weight.
3:52
I'd done that, um, but it was no longer just about losing the weight or finding a new routine. It was about stepping into alignment with the calling that I'd been dancing around for years.
4:06
It was one of those that, like, when you're sitting in a quiet place and just letting your mind wander and God keeps poking at your heart. It was one of those, like, what do I wanna do with the rest of my life feelings.
4:16
But anyway, it, it was one that I kept thinking of, but just sort of sidestepping and saying, "Okay, well, that's not really, it's not really where I'm gonna take my life right now."
4:25
But one morning, lying in bed again, and I don't know what it is about the bed or the driver's seat of my car, but that's where I have the, my, like, epiphanies or that's where I kind of have my awakenings.
4:34
Uh, something about that, those quiet spaces. But I got this download that I really couldn't ignore. It was a podcast, a movement, a way to finally connect the dots between faith, business, and leadership,
4:51
and helping others rise without making the same mistakes that I did.
4:55
And here's what I really need you to know right now is that I didn't feel ready, I didn't feel qualified, and I most definitely didn't feel like a leader. I spent...
5:06
Gosh, I spent most of my corporate life helping companies create unforgettable customer experiences.
5:11
But for some reason, I just didn't feel like I was meant to lead transformational experiences or journeys or whatever you wanna say. But the truth is, I've learned that leadership is not about having a title.
5:27
It's about being willing to go first. It's about raising your hand and saying, "I've walked through something hard and I'm willing to share what I've learned so you don't have to stay stuck where I was."
5:41
And that, friends, is what this podcast is about.
5:43
If you've ever felt like, you know, you were made for more but didn't know how to access it, you were growing in one area of your life but you felt totally disconnected in others, you're just craving deeper alignment between your faith, your work, and your purpose, or you've been quietly leading from behind and justWaiting for someone to invite you to something bigger?
6:06
Well, let this be your invitation. I mean, not, not to hustle harder, not to chase perfection, but really to rise. To rise into who God created you to be.
6:18
To lead from a place of alignment and build a life and a business that feels rooted, not rushed.
6:26
Every week on The Rise Experience, we're gonna dive into mindset shifts, and I wanna help you grow and stop hiding and start building sustainable habits for health, leadership, and growth, faith-driven strategies to lead well without losing yourself in the process, and then just practical takeaways that you can apply to your life, your business, kinda right away.
6:50
But more than that, you'll be reminded that your story matters, your voice is needed, and your calling is not canceled out just because you've had some setbacks.
7:07
So before we close out today, I wanna, I wanna leave you with a simple scripture and a reflection kinda to carry into your week.
7:16
Zechariah 4:10 says, "Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see work begin." Maybe today is your small beginning.
7:28
Maybe you're taking your first step towards healing or towards leadership, towards becoming the version that God already sees.
7:37
And maybe that step feels shaky or uncertain, but friend, God is not waiting for you to have it all figured out because He already sees the big picture. He's not waiting for you to be ready for what He already sees.
7:50
Gosh, He's rejoicing that you've even begun. So this journey, it's not gonna be perfect, neither will this podcast, but it will be worth it, and you don't have to do it alone.
8:04
So this week, I invite you to pray this simple prayer, "God, give me the courage to rise one step at a time." He's already gone ahead of you, and now it's just, it's our time to rise. It's your time to rise.
8:20
So wherever you are today, hiding under your covers or questioning your next step, or you're already rising into something bigger, I just wanna say I see you, I believe in you, and I am so glad you're here.
8:35
Thanks for tuning in to The Rise Experience. If today's episode encouraged you, inspired you, or gave you clarity, share it with a friend or tag me on social and we can rise together.
8:47
Until next time, keep leading with faith, showing up with purpose, and becoming the person God created you to be. [upbeat music]
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