Today we’d like to introduce you to Shandale Janee’ Johnson.
Hi Shandale Janee’, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My journey as a mom blogger/content creator began in 2020 during the pandemic. I’ve always had an inner passion for writing and sharing my life’s journey with others. With time at a standstill during Covid, I took full advantage of a new adventure. Throughout the years, I have shared my authentic experiences as a millennial mom and wife in hopes to inspire, encourage, and motivate mothers and wives who may have similar narratives.
I take great pride in being a millennial wife and mother. Balancing two demanding roles can be challenging at times, yet so rewarding. We live in a time where social media magnifies marriage and motherhood in a such “glamorous” way that it contradicts the inevitable events of real life. My husband and I have been married for five years, and we have four beautiful children. Our union has faced several obstacles: opposing viewpoints, differing parenting styles, financial struggles, and disconnected companionship. There was a time, shortly after our marital bliss, where we became individualized. Thankfully, our commitment to persevere through our hardships led us to where we are today, happy and better than ever before!
Motherhood has been a profound journey filled with unconditional love, challenges, and growth. I openly admit that I have suffered from postpartum depression after having my second child in the heart of the pandemic. I felt alone thinking that I was the only one going through these unpredictable behaviors and emotions. I needed an outlet to express my thoughts and feelings. This series of events ignited my blogging journey to help mothers overcome postpartum depression and conquer the hurdles of motherhood as I had done.
Today, I continue to share my navigation through motherhood and wifehood while advocating and recognizing the entire woman for her worth, strength, growth, and ability to thrive in life.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
In the early years of being a new mom and a new wife, I had unrealistic expectations of both roles and operated in blindness. Of course, I had prominent women figures in my life such as my mother and two grandmothers who modeled the duties of a devoted, loving mother and wife; however, it was a totally different experience when I began living out these roles and establishing my own norms and traditions.
One thing I give myself full credit on is seeking wisdom and knowledge from others as needed. I live by the motto, “transparency leads to growth!” In the deepest pit of my struggles, I asked other mothers and wives how’d they balance multiple roles while maintaining their sanity. Overtime, I discovered the formula of time/patience + trial/error + advice from experienced mothers/wives = an ongoing journey!
No matter how hard I try to reach 100% capacity in my daily work, being an efficient mother and wife, maintaining self-care, and living life, there is a probability that I may not fulfill these duties entirely. Acceptance is the hardest pill to swallow, and I have accepted the fact that I am not able to tap into my creative side as much as I would like because of the multiple roles I function in daily. Social media requires consistency in order to grow and thrive. I do not gauge my content creating success based off analytics. Instead, I focus on the close-knit community that I am establishing filled with trust, support, and shared values. Micro influencers can sometimes make more of an impact than mega influencers. My content will always hold true to quality over quantity!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
It is quite difficult to limit myself to one entity in terms of work. My daytime profession is an elementary school teacher. I have been in Education for 10 years. Working with children has always been a passion of mine along with having a genuine love of witnessing a child’s academic and social emotional growth. I was selected for HAABSE Teacher of the Year in 2019, the same year I received my master’s degree and got married. My goal in the near future is to pursue a leadership role in as an instructional coach or principal.
My nighttime job is where the magic happens with my content creations. When my children are asleep, I am able to have a couple of hours to myself to tap into my creative space where I am writing, editing, or creating content. My content over the years has consisted of multiple niches— motherhood/wifehood, family, lifestyle, and fashion. I recently tapped into a new niche of natural hair as I embark in my natural hair journey. In college, I had my own hair styling business in the comfort of my apartment. I did various styles such as box braids, marley twists, sew-ins, and starter locs. This was my first glimpse of being an entrepreneur. When I started having children, I stopped pursuing hair. Fast forward a decade later, I am back in the limelight with hair, and to my surprise, my hair content has been doing exceptionally well!
I am most proud of pursuing all the things my heart desires. There are so many hidden passions and talents I have and that I want to share with everyone. My community on my social media platforms have witnessed everything starting with my mom blogger days in 2020, landing brand collaborations as a micro influencer, taking a break from social media for two years due to life’s hardships, losing my main Instagram account and the followers I gained over the years, and now finding my way again in a new creative era. My supporters are the REAL MVPs!!!
My content is an open display of me showing up and embracing my authentic self—unfiltered, transparent, and relatable. One thing people are seeking is the desired truth in a society filled with illusions and unattainable expectations. Capturing the hearts of others will always leave a long-lasting impression!
How do you define success?
I define success as the ability to reach your life’s goals. Everyone’s success looks different. We should never measure or compare our success to someone else.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shandalejanee_?igsh=ZGxwanAzM21zdXFl&utm_source=qr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@shandalejanee?feature=shared
