Today we’d like to introduce you to Shawnee Leonard.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Let’s say, I’m all over the place. I’m the type of person who loves being a part of creative projects, whether I started it or somebody else has.
I got started in the freelance scene as a makeup artist, and I did that while attending college. It eventually led me becoming an editorial makeup artist for Method Seven Magazine, which was a fashion/lifestyle magazine that was created by students from the University of North Texas (Go Mean Green!) After a semester of being on the magazine, I decided to create my own Beauty Department. I pitched it to the editor in chief, she approved it, and I ended up as the magazine’s Beauty Director.
During the tenure of the magazine (2012-2015), I managed a small team of hairstylists & makeup artists while also doing hair & makeup for numerous editorial shoots. This eventually, led me to branch out on my niche in my freelance business when I reconnected with a friend from high school who is a now a hairstylist. I started doing bridal & special occasion makeup after the magazine stopped production.
All of that trickled down into me pursuing other passion projects and figuring out ways to get involved in the community outside of what I was already currently involved in on campus.
Has it been a smooth road?
If it were a smooth road, I would think something was wrong! My main struggle is being a perfectionist (Type A personality probs), and I let that hold me back on pursuing creative projects in a timely manner. I would hold off on doing anything until it was perfect and I had everything in place. I had to let go of that mindset because it was making me stagnant. Yes, I do still plan everything out, but I’m more realistic now that everything doesn’t have to be perfect or make sense. The fact I’m even admitting this shows growth cause 22-year-old me would be cringing right now.
I don’t have any unique advice to give besides to make sure to prioritize yourself and your needs/wants. I know women are socialized to think everyone else’s needs are supposed to come before our’s and I’ve never been about that life. We need to break out of that social conditioning.
We compromise ourselves for people who will not reciprocate those actions to us, and we always end up getting the short end of the stick. If being selfish is the label I get for being about me, then so be it. At the end of the day, as long as you’re happy and fulfilled, nothing else matters. Make sure to have thick skin. I know men and women tend to criticize women who don’t necessarily want to align with status quo standards as far as how they’re living. All they’re doing is projecting their insecurities because they’re scared to walk in their truth. Lastly, as a woman, take a personal finance class. Go read up on stories about financial abuse and you’ll thank me later.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into LAUNCH DFW + Moxie Brides Magazine story. Tell us more about the business.
I am the Marketing Manager for LAUNCH DFW, an online media platform that publishes editorial features on all the happenings going on in the Dallas/Fort Worth startup community. I pretty much manage all digital marketing efforts such as social media and PR. I’m currently handling the logistics for IgniteDFW10 which is taking place October 17th at UNT Health Science Center in Fort Worth. I joined this organization back in April, so right after Dallas Startup Week is when I got acquainted with LAUNCH.
I’m looking forward to getting involved in more events and seeing what else we have planned for 2019 and beyond!
February 2017, I started Moxie Brides Magazine, a digital publication offering wedding inspiration for the offbeat, alternative bride. This is my current passion project I wanted to work on while developing my ultimate career path as a wedding planner. After some self-reflection, I realized the niche I wanted to pursue wasn’t appealing to me anymore. I (along with many other noticed the lack of diversity when it comes down weddings being featured in mainstream publications. & lack of diversity doesn’t necessarily mean different races & ethnicities. All the weddings that were being published, the couples pretty much all look the same. I’m like, where are the brides with tattoos, piercings, ones who don’t wear white. Colorful hair, who is eccentric, etc. I’m a plus size woman, where are those brides at? I’m hoping with Moxie Brides Magazine; I can establish a presence for my particular niche in Dallas, feature more content created by myself & other like-minded wedding vendors in my area, and eventually turn this into a print magazine.
Lastly, I am the SPARK Organizer for Dallas Freelancers Union SPARK. We are a local extension of Freelancers Union which is a nonprofit based in Brooklyn, NY. They currently have a membership of 375,000+ freelancers and provide us with resources, education, community, and advocacy through their programs.
SPARK is the local freelance hub that is currently in 20+ cities. We host monthly workshops on the first Wednesday of every month covering various topics such as legal issues, content marketing, diversifying your income, taxes, policy issues, etc. I handle all the logistics for our monthly meetings on top of marketing and securing partnerships with community businesses. I’m glad I went on ahead and put in the request to bring SPARK to Dallas because I would like to get freelancers connected to the startup community, so yes you can say that I’m developing myself as the freelance plug to help cultivate a freelancer community here.
It would be great to hear about any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve used and would recommend to others.
I’m all about my apps. They literally help me maintain being a functioning adult. I use Asana, Basecamp, Slack, Google Apps, MailChimp, Canva, Eventbrite Organizer, Squarespace Analytics, I mean this list could go on all day.
As far as books, well I haven’t been doing a good job reading books which is very ironic cause I was a bookworm growing up. I barely have time to actually relax and enjoy a book so I’m aiming to do better with that. The last book I read was A Simplified Life by Emily Ley, so if you wanna get your life together I would recommending purchasing that book. Even though I don’t have the time to read physical books, I do read a lot of articles from The Every Girl and Career Contessa while I’m commuting.
Contact Info:
- Website: shawneeleonard.com
- Email: hola@shawneeleonard.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/shawneexo_
- Twitter: twitter.com/shawneexo_
Image Credit:
Melissa Claire Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
