Meet the Tribe - Schanen Smith of High Vibe Media
Each week we bring you the story of one incredible entrepreneur who can be found inside the Hatch Tribe Members Circle. Today we're excited to introduce you to Schanen Smith from High Vibe Media.
Are you an Early Bird or a Night Owl? Early bird!
What’s the first thing you do when you wake up? Chug water
What are you reading now? Richard Branson's "Losing my Virginity"
What's your favorite podcast? Depends on the day, but I am really feeling Oprah's "Super Soul Conversations" on Spotify lately
Favorite place to getaway from it all? The beach! Preferably Hawaii or the Caribbean :)
If you could get an extra hour today, how would you use it? Training my puppy, ha!
Do you consider yourself more of an Introvert or Extrovert? Extrovert
What's your favorite food? Potatoes
I'm on a mission to... experience as much of the world as possible and inspire others to do the same.
How did your AWESOME business come to be?
I was working in restaurant marketing for several years with an awesome local management company, but I tend to have a short attention span and many ideas. I naturally felt uncomfortable working on different projects during my "day job" that weren't related to it, so I knew something had to change. I offered up the idea of being hired by individual restaurants as an Independent Contractor and they agreed, and so High Vibe Media LLC was born :) It's given me the freedom to expand into other areas like videography (with my amazingly talented husband) and brand apparel. So my business is continuing to morph into what aligns with my desires and strengths; it's becoming more of a lifestyle brand to inspire others to reinvigorate their zest for life and LIVE HIGH VIBE!
Who inspired you to pursue entrepreneurship?
I've always enjoyed creating and coordinating my own events and executing my ideas, so it was a natural progression. When I realized it was a possibility to create my own business, I took to reading blogs and books, and listening to podcasts that "gave me permission" to jump. Everyone around me has supported me, but the inspiration really came from listening to people like Marie Forleo, Pat Flynn, Jessica Nazarali.
Have you ever had a mentor? And how did they help you?
The number one person who has helped me navigate entrepreneurship is Hilary Johnson! Working with Hilary helped me sort out my crazy squirrel brain, and she is ALWAYS there to help with a question and boost a low confidence level.
How do you define success for yourself?
I define it in different ways. On one hand, success obviously means being able to pay my bills and my taxes with the income I generate. On the other hand, success means aligning my business with my values, dreams and desires, so that I can say I thoroughly enjoy what I do and make the world a better place because of it. I'm still working toward the latter, and it's been an interesting journey so far!
We all love failure & flop stories! Tell us about something you tried in business that didn't work, and how you moved beyond it.
Hiring someone was a bad idea for me at the time. I hired someone and realized very quickly that I wasn't prepared to manage them. I should have known, since I worked in management before and did NOT enjoy that. What I realized after this experience was that, instead of hiring someone, I needed to streamline/reinvent my systems and processes, as well as flip the script in my mind that had this super negative roadblock against the thing I was hiring for. One day I may need or want to hire again, but I know I'll be more prepared when I make that decision. I'm going to stay solo or outsource as much as I can before stepping into that realm again.
What is a recent success you're proud of accomplishing?
Launching our HIGH VIBES & HIGH FIVES t-shirts! The fact that I'm able to wear my brand is super exciting to me.
What is your superpower?
Making things FUN and comfortable! I'm very in tune to the vibe of situations and people, and able to create a positive spin on what is being perceived as negative. Also, I've been privy to very personal and juicy information from people on several occasions when they first meet me. "I don't know why I'm telling you all of this; I just met you!"
What is the least sexy part of your job?
The planning and organization ;) That's just my least favorite, but I know plenty of people who might think it's sexy. Anything that's not creative, energetic, and active is super unsexy to me.
What do you want to learn from this community of your peers?
As my business grows or changes, there are always new challenges and obstacles. It's SO nice to be able to connect with others who have insight into navigating unfamiliar territory. Currently this includes selling apparel and learning about brand partnerships/sponsorships.
