I couldn’t be more excited to welcome this female founder to the Moments to Motivate series. I started working with Drew last August after she felt ready to get visible, but felt too scared to start. Something lots of the female founders I work with can relate to! I’m sure she won’t mind me telling you that after her website went live, she even went and hid under the covers!

But the thing you have to know about Drew is that she had a clear plan for what she wanted to achieve with Drew Shannon & Co Real Estate. She has her own unique style and knows how she wants to do Real Estate differently. She doesn’t want to be just another Real Estate agent, and she leads her business from her heart. With some encouragement and a deep dive into her goals, Your AJency and our trusted experts, Tash and the team at Culpepper & Co helped her with a full rebrand and website after a full SEO audit by Kira. Fast forward a year, Drew shows up consistently on socials and is turning her business dreams in to a reality. The results? Drew went from a reach of around 800 per month on Instagram, to now averaging 50,000 a month!

It doesn’t end there for Drew. This past year, she also took on an assistant, set up a Youtube channel, and wait for it….landed a job as a host on American Dream TV. Proof that when you set out your goals and take clear actions towards them, anything is possible.

Drew has embraced everything I’ve asked of her and allowed me to push her out of her comfort zone. In our last monthly catch up, she told me “what we are doing is really working, every single one of my clients is ideal and it is because of what we are doing with visibility. I just love all my clients! This is best feeling!”

I knew I had to ask her to be on the Moments to Motivate series because after 11 years of running a business, she was already a success but knew there were bigger opportunities and like many of you had ambitions. She has managed to take it to the next level thanks to the power of visibility. Her lessons have a lot of takeaways for us all!

So without further ado, meet Drew Shannon.

Drew Shannon photographed by Emily Dorio — The First Drew Shannon Photoshoot - Photographer: Emily Dorio

Drew Shannon & Co: Nashville Luxury Realtor

In my community there are people who are just at the idea stage, perhaps just launched or have an established business. Can you tell us a little about your journey and what prompted you to take the plunge to start your business?

I started almost 12 years ago in Charleston, South Carolina. I was an English Teacher, Yoga Instructor, and a Reading Tutor and I was working VERY hard, but struggling to make ends meet. It was happenstance that an older gentleman, a yoga student of mine, stopped me after class and asked if I'd ever considered real estate. The short answer was "No." But the seed was planted, and I started paying attention.

Real Estate is that balance of being able to teach, so to speak - by way of a different platform. I'm still driven by the opportunity to influence my clients' lives, just as I found it rewarding working in education. Real Estate also invites the arts into the work, which I greatly enjoy: The art of negotiation, the art of deal, the art of staging a home, the art of marketing...the list goes on. The deeper I have gotten into it over the years, the more I have found my own truth within it; and I really love it.

My first year, I had $4,000 in the bank by the end of the year. But I was proud of it. My second year, closer to $20,000+, and then my third year, I shifted from mentoring under my broker, Lois Lane, to being a full-time agent - and I landed my first big listing, and then I moved to Nashville, and had to start over!

Some years have been better than others, I've learned that you are constantly re-creating and changing, and striving to get better. It was in my 11th year that I took the plunge and hired a marketing director, so to speak. And that's you, Anna, and Your AJency. You’ve helped me hone in on my vision, dig deep to reveal the ethos of my business, and get visible. Sharing what Drew Shannon & Co. is and what we stand for - visibly - has enhanced my business by attracting clients who align with what we stand for-and I'm very grateful and thrilled over it - because it's a blast meeting interesting, fabulous new people!

I’m so pleased that Your AJency has been a part of your journey! We often talk about how important it is to share your why in your marketing so can you tell us your why?

As it stands now, it's unequivocally to connect and create enriching, sustaining relationships with my clients, and it's to share in my husband's role of supporting our family. We have a four year old son and a six year old daughter. I want to provide opportunities for them to travel and have a wonderful education, so they can be an asset to the world. The world and relationships are here for us to enjoy it and thrive - I think exploring it opens us up and enriches our lives - and I seek to contribute that to their lives. So in short, my why is my family. When we love deeply we are driven to be better in all regards.

I find that’s a similar why for a lot of the female founders I work with, myself included! But it's hard to launch and run a business on your own, impossible in my opinion. Who and where have you sought the necessary support? What has been most useful?

I had just gotten stuck in my business. I felt I was more than what my business was showing. I had great ideas, but felt overwhelmed in trying to execute them. Also, social media intimidated me - I knew it was necessary but didn't know where to start with it. I took a class in real estate with Lacey Newman, Elevated Agents. And she was very outspoken about the importance of being visible. After sitting on it for sometime, I starting scouring Instagram accounts that I loved, and that's how I was connected to Your AJency. You were in charge of an Instagram account that I was drawn to - we connected - and here we are.

Your AJency guided me in digging deep into the ethos of my business. We brainstormed photoshoot ideas for my brand, and then you connected me with the wonderful Tash to work on rebranding my logo. From there, Your AJency constantly encouraged me to push my visibility - to stay consistent - and I couldn't do it without you. Social media and marketing is a full-time job. With Your AJency on my team, I can off-load the marketing and focus on my clients - which is what I love!

Working with you and getting to watch you in your business has been such a privilege! How do you think you’ve found your audience? Which platforms have worked best?

Through social media but also through investing in a website - via Tash and Anna. This was a big investment and took a lot of work, but it's totally worth it. Clients or potential clients need to see what you're doing, learn about Nashville and the moving process, and understand your process - there's still no better way for them to do this in the preliminary stages of them deciding- than through perusing your website.

Yes! We couldn’t agree more about the power of a good website! We even wrote a blog on why small businesses should invest in a good website! You mentioned your background was in education - how do you think that’s helped you in your business?

My background was first in elementary education then as a College English teacher and as a yoga teacher. I am a teacher, which means I am thorough, have patience, and I have empathy- all tools I use on a daily basis when connecting with my clients.

On the flip side of that, I was raised by a hell-raising trial lawyer. He was a force. Our dinner table conversations were filled with lots of laughter and lots of healthy debates regarding local politics. We learned at an early age to voice who we are as people and what we stood for. We were taught the importance of fighting for what's right and speaking out when it wasn't. This is just who my father was and he lived it passionately.

He heavily influences my career - on a daily basis- even though he has been gone for quite some time. Because although I'm southern and kind - the best way to put it is in the words of my client, "Don't let her Southern accent fool you..she's a shark." haha. I do it in a subtle way, I suppose.

Family life definitely influences your work life and vice versa! How do you strike the balance and set boundaries between work and life?

The best book everyone should read is Buy Back Your Time by Dave Martell. It's a game-changer, and it's what drove me to hire an assistant and in short, "Buy Back my Time," so I can indeed spend it where it's the most well-spent: Family, Friends, and Clients. Everyday, I'm trying to get better - but it will help you prioritise your time, delegate, and therefore, free up your time so it can be with your family, etc.

We’d totally agree that outsourcing can make a huge difference if you’re running your own business! Do you have a highlight for Drew Shannon and Co so far? I didn’t pay her for this answer! 😉

Hiring you, Anna! And hiring Ann, my assistant…and working, this year, with clients who are absolutely fascinating! They are strong business leaders, they are wonderful humans, and they are a true delight to work with! That's the highlight - I am working with amazing humans.

It’s been an amazing year for you for sure! And so well deserved as you have put the work in! Did you receive any particularly good advice in terms of being an entrepreneur/ business owner?

You have to listen to your inner compass- so as you stretch yourself (which is imperative), as you get visible (which is imperative), as you create your website (which is imperative), stay true and honest with your messaging. And in order to do this, you have to do the work in digging deep on your business ethos, which will align with your personal ethos.

You know how important we think visibility is! And like you say, when you match your personal and business ethos, that’s when the best work happens! What’s been the single biggest thing you’ve done that resulted in growth?

Marketing with you, Anna! Honestly. Getting a social media plan - and staying consistent with it. And then hiring Rachel Tenenbaum- my coach - who has been essential in me growing in every way and supporting me in taking these leaps.

Consistency is key! Is there anything you think you’d have done differently?

I would have started earlier on getting visible and getting a coach! But there's no looking back or regrets!

It’s clear that investing in your business has made such a huge difference to you! Ok, so if you could have a gigantic billboard anywhere with anything on it—metaphorically speaking of course - what would it say and why?

Be Impeccable with Your Word (From the Book: The Four Agreements). This one statement, although simple, is very challenging. But it has the power to change your life!

I’m going to have to look that book up!

At Your AJency, we love working and supporting ambitious female founders, and seeing how they can bring their business dreams to reality! What’s next for you and your brand?

That in 2025 we want to serve our clients at a greater level than I can yet imagine. It’s my belief that the relationships we create are here to enrich each others lives.

My prayer is to leave a positive beautiful impression on the world - one that resonates with people and to continue to meet incredible humans by casting a wider net.

I can’t wait to be a part of the Drew Shannon & Co journey and watch you continue to grow and achieve that incredible goal! Thanks so much for taking the time to help inspire other female founders with your story!

Drew Shannon is a luxury realtor based in Nashville, USA. At the core of everything she does lies a genuine desire to help people – understanding their unique wants and needs, then guiding them to their real estate dreams. Drew would love to hear from you! Connect with her via:

Instagram: @drewshannonco

Email: drew.shannon@compass.com

Phone: 843-813-9334

Website: https://drewshannonandco.com/

Are you ready to take action just like Drew? Do you want to transform your female-owned business with the power of visibility? Imagine where you could be a year from now…

Discover the ways you can work with me, just like Drew did and connect with me today. Drew loved our SEEN packages and this all started with a conversation, and could be the same for you.

I’m ready to take action