Today we’d like to introduce you to Kara Shannon.
Kara, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
The start of my story in Dallas is similar to that of most millennials who move to the city, which is that I came for a job.
That job was with non-profit Teach For America (TFA), joining a diverse network of leaders committed to confronting educational inequity. Through the organization’s work, I was introduced to Dallas through the lenses of education, social justice, and philanthropy. Also, I was connected to the organization’s people, namely the corps of teachers who are on the front line of our work. Many of our teachers, about 300 brilliant, like-minded individuals, are transplants to Dallas-Fort Worth; they choose to move here and teach for at least 2-years in low-income schools and work to increase their students’ opportunities in life.
Our teachers must balance a high amount of change (new home, new job, new friends, new everything) with a deep commitment to our mission in order to be successful. I admire how they manage that balance and lead as the Manager of Communications, Marketing and Events with the aspiration to foster culture, strengthen relationships, and develop a sense of place for our teachers.
In 2015, I along with my friend Lily Kramlich-Taylor realized the need to encourage all people living in Dallas, especially transplants like ourselves and the TFA teachers, to find and develop their sense of peace and joy in the city. We knew that raising our hands as a way to say “call on us, we moved here and are discovering how to make the most of life in Dallas too” wouldn’t actually help – so we decided to virtually raise our hands by creating the Instagram @Dallasites101. The handle is your #instaguide to being an #instadallasite.
Today, we remain one of the largest lifestyle Instagram accounts in Dallas, sharing daily where to eat, shop, and workout, what events to attend, and how to integrate into Dallas life! We have gone beyond the ‘gram to offer events, a weekly newsletter, and consulting services. We’ve also expanded beyond Dallas; we frequently travel around the country and world so, in April of 2018, we launched the Instagram @Localites101 to help you discover the “101” to traveling like a local!
And as this story concludes, I recognize that there are countless stories that I could tell about my day-to-day journey with Teach For America and Dallasites101, as well as overall about being a Dallasite. Those stories would come with a lot of laughs, gratitude, vulnerability, tears, growth, and pride.
Has it been a smooth road? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way? Any advice for other women, particularly young women who are just starting their journey?
Of course! Depending on the day of the week, the struggles could be about time, priorities, fulfillment, interpersonal conflict, negotiation or keeping my phone charged.
A key struggle across my work with Teach For America and Dallasites101 is being present. It is very challenging not to check my phone every time it buzzes, regardless of where I am and who I am with. It could be a controversial comment on a Dallasites post, an important message from my TFA Manager, a sweet text from my boyfriend or update from my family, etc. Yet with so many posts, alerts, notifications, calls, emails – you name it all coming through at random on my phone – it can be tough to stay present.
My advice would be to do something every day in the direction that you want to go in. This is connected to one of my favorite pieces of advice that I’ve heard: you can do anything, but you can’t do everything.
We’d love to learn more about your work. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of as a brand, organization or service provider?
Full-time, I am the Manager of Events, Marketing, and Communications for Teach For America DFW. What also feels full-time is my role as the co-founder of Dallasites101.
I am known to dream big and show up to the table as an ideator. I am proud of constantly being motivated to work and continuously raise the bar by missions that I believe in.
Which women have inspired you in your life?
My first boss. She was a transparent communicator, which helped her build strong, authentic relationships; she intentionally developed culture without positioning herself as the creator or leader of it; she achieved outstanding results; she was grounded in a mission, and she had a very cute puppy who she would let me borrow for walks and cuddles!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dallasites101.com
- Email: contact@dallasites101.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dallasites101/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dallasites101/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/dallasites101?lang=en
Image Credit:
Through Teach For America DFW, Dallasites101
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