Hi Everyone,

Happy Summer. The delicious season. My favorite! 

I love heat, sunshine, stone fruit, night swimming, pesto, long days, humidity, eating outside, hearing other people’s music when I walk by, warm sidewalks, flowers, salt air — basically all the summer things.

Summer is my jam.

I’m shifting the vibe for this newsletter. It’s been a crazy, epic year for me, my children and my business I’m feeling reflective and want to catch up.  Did you know that I moved back to Portland last September? I left the gorgeous desert sky and tight loving community of Bend for Portland’s artsy Pearl District. Everything is walkable —it’s such a delight. Being here has freed me up to travel easily, and to host friends, family and clients. It’s been healing in areas I didn’t realize needed healed.

When I arrived, I indulged in the many restaurants that surround me – actually I kind of overdid it for a few weeks. Sushi? Mediterranean? Yes, please. One of the best Mexican restaurants in Portland is one block from my house. If you know this city, you know it’s a foodie’s paradise. I’ve mellowed out now, but still try new flavors on the regular. The Mexican place (100% GF) is a permanent in my top 5.

I chose Portland in part to be near my children, a dream come true as we’ve all grown up and now truly enjoy each other’s company. I knew that Lily wasn’t long for this town though. The pandemic had hijacked her big plans to bounce. In June she moved to San Diego. It was a team effort to get her on the road (OMG she is such a packrat). I comfort the part of me that misses her with the knowledge that had I not been in Portland, the move could have remained delayed.

The rest of us flew over her as she drove down in her car. Literally! We gathered a week after her departure to San Diego for our first extended family reunion since...well, you know. We were waiting for Lily when she drove into town. My sister Molly lives in Encinitas (yes, lucky Molly now has Lily nearby). Her son Oliver graduated high school. Lily’s move and Oliver’s launch coincided perfectly.  What a big June.

July has also been event rich! We had a baby shower for Madeleine, who is due in early September. My baby’s having a baby! And just last weekend I had a celebration of my own when I gathered most of the same crowd of cousins, siblings and friends for a 60^th birthday soiree. The party included my oldest friend (but as she often reminds me, I am older) from first grade and someone I met near the elevator two weeks ago, plus cousins, siblings and kids. One highlight was a surprise poetry slam! One of my cousins wrote this Haiku:

Once an ingenue  /  Then foundation of everything  /  Future grandmother  

OMG I was a wreck of tears after that.

So far 2022 has been A LOT! See why we needed to catch up? For the moment I think we are on pause, at least until that baby is born.  I’m still working as a coach and coach mentor. Post pandemic (can we say that yet?) it’s my experience that coaching is an essential industry. It’s personal training for mental health, it’s healing, it’s connecting, and it’s uplifting.

After the past two plus years of isolation and hardship, we all need more of THAT.

When my cousins were here for my party, I was able to hug their kids for the first time since 2019. The pent-up love in those hugs honestly stunned me to tears. We’ve lost a lot. We need each other, and we need to be okay asking for help. 

We need less isolation and more connection. Community. Collaboration. Care. Coaching helps!

We need Ubuntu - a South African proverb that means I am, because you are. 

My mission is your expansion, and I am driven to create events and programs that connect and fuel us. We are growing and have some fantastic opportunities in the works:

• Practice Creation: Join our 5-month incubator for coaches and entrepreneurs who are creating or refining a practice. This program has 5-star Google reviews and student fans who come back when they embark on new things! Small, connected cohorts. Next level education and support. Includes two live events – one scheduled for the end of September. Click here to register.
• Corporate Partnerships: Your company, our coaches. We are actively looking for a few visionary partners who want to add coaching as a benefit or for leadership development.
• Resources page on the website: Soon you’ll have access to recommended books, podcasts, meditations and more – including Masterclasses (first one is August 11 – email clientcare@shannon-conway with "Masterclass" in the subject line to join the list)! 

If you know of anyone who would resonate with our work, please forward this message. If YOU are interested, please reply for more information!