Shannon D Martin: 0:00

Hello, beautiful, welcome to today's conversation where we're going to talk about one's journey to breathe, exhale and thrive. Let's talk about it. I'm your host, hannon Martin, and welcome to today's episode of this Thing Called Wellness. Welcome back. I'm so excited to introduce today's guest, shana Scott Lee, the visionary founder of Breathe and Exhale 360, a wellness brand dedicated to helping women embrace self-care, healing and personal growth. Through her company, shana offers life coaching, quarterly subscription boxes and wellness retreats, all designed to support women on their journey to balance and inner peace. Women on their journey to balance and inner peace. She's been featured in Voyage, dallas, Shout Out and Bold Publications for her incredible work in the wellness space.

Shannon D Martin: 0:53

Shauna's mission is deeply personal, guided by the scripture Song of Solomon 4 an 7. You are altogether beautiful, my darling. There is no flaw in you. It's this message that drives her to empower women to feel valued, whole and capable of thriving. Today, we'll explore how her personal self-care journey led to the creation of Breathe and Exhale 360, what participants can expect from her upcoming retreat, and how she balances her role as CEO and life coach while enjoying time with her husband, family and friends. Let's listen in. Hi, shauna, thank you for being here today. We're so excited to have Shauna from Breathe and Excel 360. We met years ago at a conference and we have been friends ever since, so thank you for being here today.

Shana Scott-Lee: 1:45

I am happy to be here. Yes, I get to hang out with my girlfriend. I'm excited.

Shannon D Martin: 1:53

I'm excited too, god. It's been a hard time catching up with you. Have been so busy, but a good busy, yeah. So, Shana, I wanted to ask you you know we talked. We talked about Breathe and Exhale, but I never really asked you about, you know, your personal retreat that led you to creating Breathe and Exhale 360. Can you talk to us about that?

Shana Scott-Lee: 2:14

Yeah, so you know, it's funny and interesting at the same time. I always said I wanted to have my own business, but I never exactly knew what type of business. So when I came up with my retreat so how my retreat even came about it was the pandemic, of course, in 2020.

Shana Scott-Lee: 2:38

And then in 2021, the year later, we were still under certain advisory and all my friends were actually doing the pandemic very differently. And I typically hang. I typically for my birthday, I typically do something with my friends and then I do something with my husband.

Shana Scott-Lee: 2:57

So, that particular year, since everybody was doing, you know, doing the pandemic very, very differently, I didn't want anybody to come in. And then they get COVID, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera and all those things. So I said, well, I still want to do something for my work day. So I said, you know, let me go ahead and plan a retreat and do something and go out of town, because I love to travel, I love to explore new cities and just see what they have to offer.

Shana Scott-Lee: 3:27

So I always wanted to go to Fredericksburg. So I ended up going there, Fredericksburg, Texas, and it is a wine country. They also call it the hill country. So I created so we're going on a retreat because I'm so extra, I decided to create myself like a little basket. You know, when you go to a retreat, you go to any conference, they give you a little goodie bag.

Shana Scott-Lee: 3:51

Right, I created myself a little goodie bag and from there that actually was the start of breathing and health. So when I went to, I went the weekend. It was a fabulous weekend went by myself. My husband just wanted me to check in with him every night, just to make sure I got back safe and everything, and part of that was with wanting to launch my own business.

Shana Scott-Lee: 4:19

I was also scared, because, of course, you're scared when you put things out and people are going to receive it and people are going to reject it right, you're going to say you know things such as that, so that was part of it too. So while I was in frederickburg, I wanted to go and see the sun sunrise.

Shana Scott-Lee: 4:37

I love sunrises and I love sunsets, yeah and I particularly wanted to see the sunrise at this park. It's one of the national state parks and I wanted to go and see the sunrise, not thinking it's pitch dark, because of course, if I'm trying to see the sunrise, I got to get to the sunrise. It's pitch dark and it's roads I'm not familiar with.

Shannon D Martin: 5:00

Oh no.

Shana Scott-Lee: 5:01

And, like I said, it's hill country, so there's a lot of hills, there's a lot of twists and turns and it was such a scary experience and. I just kept going Long story short when I finally made it to the national park. First of all, I thank God that I made it to St. Louis, because I was like Lord, I didn't know, but just trying to get here and it was so many times I wanted to quit, so many times I wanted to just turn around and quit.

Shana Scott-Lee: 5:30

But another part of me was like keep going, keep going so you can see the beautiful sunrise. And I was able to see the beautiful sunrise while the moon is disappearing. It was so beautiful. And in that moment, moment I realized that's kind of like fear, right, um, and I can put this whole analogy of you know, it wasn't that I wasn't afraid while I was trying to get to the sunrise because I was, um, but it's also about how I'm channeling, channeling that fear, right and still continuing to go and still getting to see the destination, and doing it while I'm scared.

Shana Scott-Lee: 6:09

So ever since that moment I started saying and I started seeing it more and more I'm seeing people saying it Do it while you're scared, Do it when I'm scared.

Shana Scott-Lee: 6:21

I mean, I'm still going to do it. It doesn't minimize the fact that I'm fearful, or I mean, I'm still going to do it. It doesn't. It doesn't minimize the fact that I'm fearful or scared or anything like that. Um, it's. It also propels me to like okay, you can still do this, even with all those different emotions, so breathe. The next hell that was that. That event alone Um number one.

Shana Scott-Lee: 6:43

It gave me the idea of having, of starting a business, and creating like a personalized gift basket, like something that I could send to people for them to do their own self-care. So the tangible thing it did with my personal retreat, but it also gave me the permission per se to go out and say, hey, we are going to start this business and even though I'm fearful of all these things and I can list everything that I'm fearful of but I can still do it and still acknowledge my fears. So, that's how my personal retreat came into, came into place of in launching my business.

Shannon D Martin: 7:29

Uh, breathing exhale wow, that is awesome. So how did you come up with the name? Was it from the? Seeing the sun in the in the um sun setting and rising in the moon setting?

Shana Scott-Lee: 7:38

no, actually it's funny. I wanted to name it. I forgot what I was trying to think about. What was the original thought when it went, what the original name? I was going to name it, but then I was still playing around with it because it just didn't settle. And then I thought about my business. So my business is, in essence, reminding women to take time for themselves, to do self care, to love on themselves, to empower themselves. So, with all of that being said, I thought about that and I thought you know, when we are rushing, when we are running around and we wear multiple hats as women, one day I was like driving and I thought about the breath, like breathing.

Shana Scott-Lee: 8:27

And I was like man, like if we could just take a breath, right. And so then exhale well, what goes with breath, what goes with breath, what goes with breathing? And then I thought, and then exhale came to mind, and so breathing and exhale, and I was like, yeah, because when we're running around and we're wearing multiple hats, it's going to take a moment to breathe.

Shana Scott-Lee: 8:48

And then with the exhale of it all right, just releasing anything that is hindering us, anything that is bottled up in us, any stresses, any worries, because that's part of it is that I want women to know that you know, we, we do handle, we do have stress of this world, we do have worry, we have all these. But if you exhale and just start taking like some deep breaths and exhaling, um then you, then that really helps.

Shana Scott-Lee: 9:16

So what you're um just channel what's going on with you. So that's where the breathing and the exhale came from. And then the 360 came from. Really, I was just thinking like for the whole woman and the exhale just don't just focus on yes, to me, self-care is not just. I am an advocate of doing like massages and facials and right here, the pedicures and all that great time. We also focus on the whole woman. So if you're a mother and with uh, with children, you know trying to, how do you incorporate getting some time to recharge yourself so you can try to?

Shana Scott-Lee: 10:02

be the best mother for those children Right.

Shannon D Martin: 10:05

Right.

Shana Scott-Lee: 10:05

Think about that aspect of it and I have someone on, someone on my team that actually, you know, gives me. They help me come up with ways for moms to incorporate their child in self-care. So then I think about the finances, right. If, if our money ain't right, we ain't thinking about no stuff, nothing, exactly exactly.

Shana Scott-Lee: 10:40

Exactly, we have that mindset, so making sure that our finances are up to staff, up to par. So I'm not a financial advisor or anything like that. I do love learning about finances and how to make our finances better Exactly so we have that aspect of it. So in my weekly newsletter we talk about the finance. We have like a finance section where I give a tip.

Shannon D Martin: 11:10

I love that section.

Shana Scott-Lee: 11:12

So that's where the 360 came from. Just thinking about the whole woman and then Breathing in Tales just came about when I think about women and I think about what we deal with and everything.

Shannon D Martin: 11:25

It's like how do I?

Shana Scott-Lee: 11:25

women to remember to breathe.

Shannon D Martin: 11:28

Yeah, I love all of that. Shauna. That's amazing. I love that. So how has your personal journey? I know that you said that you're for all things wellness. How has that also helped you cultivate, Breathe and Exhale?

Shana Scott-Lee: 11:49

Yeah, so you know, I've always been a person you know, I didn't know the term right and I know, self-care is like. It was like one of those like words that was like so overused and everybody, everybody.

Shannon D Martin: 11:57

It's that cha-ching word?

Shana Scott-Lee: 12:00

and with that. Um, it was one of those situations where I was doing stuff here before I knew it was a time for it.

Shannon D Martin: 12:10

I just thought it was my quality time Right, my me time.

Shana Scott-Lee: 12:14

I was like it's my quality time and so ever since I can remember, I've always been the child that went to journal and expressed myself and talked about how I'm feeling and what's going on in my life. I've always been that person. I've always been the person that believes in going to take walks and spending time with themselves to really replenish myself. I love being around people. It's not that I necessarily believe I'm an introvert, because I'm really. I think I'm like I'm a little bit of both, which they call that ambivert yes, me too but um.

Shana Scott-Lee: 12:52

So for me, I'm like I always just want to have time with myself so I can check in with myself, you know. So I've done that way, like ever, since I was a child. And then in college I used to like make myself bubble baths. I used to like have my candles and like. Listen, I love you, India Arie. I read, Let me. I love you.

Shannon D Martin: 13:15

I love you.

Shana Scott-Lee: 13:15

I read you and your friend. Yeah, so it was so natural when it came to like breathing that health, so it was so natural when it came to like breathing that's healthy.

Shana Scott-Lee: 13:28

Hey, I can tell you. I can tell you about, if you're a busy person, how to incorporate, you know, self-care and what things that you can do around the house and things that you can do for free. You don't always have to pay to do self-care right, and so, again, you know there are times that you want to pee and you want to splurge and you want to treat yourself.

Shana Scott-Lee: 13:46

And that is completely OK. So, with all of that, that's where that's, that's how I incorporate my personal life with Breathe, and Exhale is coming from my own personal experience.

Shana Scott-Lee: 14:00

And then, even now, even though, yes, I have a business, I have a family, I have, you know, friends, I have, I do, I am still in corporate America and I have a job and everything on all those things, but I still try to make time and not really try, I really schedule it in to say I'm still going to do it because I can't have a business about self-care, but they don't do self-care that part yeah make sure that you know that's part of it.

Shana Scott-Lee: 14:32

So, and as I evolve, as I, as I continue to grow, and just look at what are some ways um that then I can continue to help women know like, like it's important to do, to spend time with yourself and to take time for yourself.

Shannon D Martin: 14:50

So you just went to my next question. So how you? Said one of the things is that you schedule time in for yourself? Yes, so what other tips can you have? Someone that has all these busy lives, because you know we all are doing like entrepreneur, or mothers, wives, all the things. So how do you put that time in for yourself?

Shana Scott-Lee: 15:10

Yeah, yeah, so one is scheduling it. I definitely say, okay, schedule the time right. Sometimes it's about being impromptu and what I always try to tell people.

Shana Scott-Lee: 15:23

It doesn't have to be so lavish, right, if you find that while you're driving, because it's going to be different seasons, and I acknowledge that right there are different seasons where we are more busier than we can even imagine, and then there are times when we're not as busy, those moments when you find that you're like, oh my gosh, when am I going to schedule it? I can't figure out when I'm going to schedule it, and everything like that. Use your car like when you're driving, turn off the radio, right just have a moment of silence, have a moment that you talk to yourself.

Shana Scott-Lee: 15:58

Yesterday I was driving to one of my friends house actually, and it's a lot of things that are going on right now in my life and I and and I haven't been, I've journaled, but I haven't been able to and I got an epiphany while I was driving, um, so I actually turned down the music, I turned off the music, I, I I turned on my recorder on my phone and I just start talking and downloading what the epiphany was while I was driving Sometimes it's just as simple as just being in your car and you spending time with yourself and just reclaiming that moment for yourself.

Shana Scott-Lee: 16:38

Sometimes it is being in your car and listening to your nice music or your favorite song and just jamming out to it. I've done that. I've done that where it's a song that comes from the blast and I'm like, oh my gosh, I used to love this song and it just makes you feel really good.

Shana Scott-Lee: 17:02

The endorphins are doing it and everything like that. So that's what I tell people like you can schedule it, you can go ahead and just don't overthink it and just try to steal some time. Figure out in your schedule where can I steal some time before you have to, you know, pick up the kids or before you walk in the house. You know what can you do If you're a mother and you're a single mother and you find that you know I really like what am I going to do with my child? Go for a walk.

Shannon D Martin: 17:40

Go for a walk right.

Shana Scott-Lee: 17:41

It's something simple as that Go for a walk in your neighborhood, go for a walk in your neighborhood, go for a walk in the park and have your child go for a walk, have them on their bike or just have them walk alongside Sometimes kids, they don't run and jump and everything like that.

Shana Scott-Lee: 17:57

So while they're, you know and make sure you can see them, you know, but let them go and then they get that energy out, you know. So that even helps you. When you bring them back home they go to bed, so you know things such as that. So if you're a single mom, you know you can't find someone to babysit your child and you can't find some. Some um and your child just have to always be with you. I always recommend going to the park, go and get ice cream. Don't even treat them, but you're also treating yourself. You're sitting there. I'm a firm believer in talking to your child and saying, hey, how do you feel? How was school today? And they're taking that as part of time with their mom.

Shannon D Martin: 18:47

Right.

Shana Scott-Lee: 18:48

But it's also a time that you can just decompress and just enjoy this precious moment, right? So don't overthink it. Find little pockets in your schedule that you can't steal away. That you can't steal away like five, 10 minutes, 15 minutes. That's part of it. And then the other part of it too. I mean, you can't do something every day. I'm not one to say you gotta have some tacos up here every day. That's the idea, that's the goal, right? If we're being realistic, because we're wearing multiple hats, that may not be an option.

Shana Scott-Lee: 19:24

So, even if you shoot for once a week or shoot for once a month, start off with like once a month and then it will grow to once a week and then it can grow to probably two or three days. And so, and even if it's like going to the gym, like things such as that, that you can find and say you know what, I'm doing this for myself and I'm not allowing anything to interrupt that time for me.

Shannon D Martin: 19:51

Right, and that's so important because I used to walk with my mom. I never understood that that was her time, yeah, but I remember enjoying it so much because it was just our time together. But it was also her time to, you know, walk and pray and all the things for the daily life. So, right, I totally understand that.

Shana Scott-Lee: 20:10

Yeah.

Shannon D Martin: 20:11

So you're coming up with a retreat that's coming up? Tell us about your retreat and it's sold out and I'm so excited for you. I'm just like, oh my goodness.

Shana Scott-Lee: 20:23

Yes.

Shannon D Martin: 20:23

How did that come to fruition?

Shana Scott-Lee: 20:25

Yes, oh my gosh, let me tell you, I'm just like, oh my goodness, how did that come to fruition? Yes, oh my gosh, let me tell you Something beautiful retreat, my first annual self um, some, um, first annual self-care retreat. And it's called something beautiful. It actually, you know, when I, when I birthed, breathe and Exhale 365, I actually wanted to do, I wanted to do retreats as well. But I was kind of gearing up towards retreat. And then this year, and then, like towards the end of last year, I was like trying to think like what do I want to? You know, how do I want to grow my business and everything, how do I want to stretch my business? And I thought about, like, is it time to do a retreat? And I remember, and so so I have a business plan, I have like goals and I said, you know, my third year, I want to start doing a retreat.

Shana Scott-Lee: 21:23

Well, in october 1st, will be three years, okay yes, with that, um, I said, okay, well, it's that time right so I. So I thought about okay, I thought about my own personal retreat what I went on and what things that I can take from it. What things um I would change and everything like now with the group of women. So we're going back to francesburg where yes my personal retreat.

Shana Scott-Lee: 21:50

That is the first place. Every year I want to change the location, um and so. So with that I thought about like I do want to spend some time that we get to explore the city, because I never want to go to somewhere and it's like we just in the house and we ain't. I want to see what's going on. So it's a part of spending time with one, and I wanted the retreat to be relaxing.

Shana Scott-Lee: 22:20

I want it to be fun. I had certain adjectives that I was like. I want them to. I want the women to walk away feeling refreshed. I want them to.

Shannon D Martin: 22:29

I want the women to walk away feeling refreshed.

Shana Scott-Lee: 22:30

So with that, I have some of that. So some of the activities is at the house. We're going to be relaxing, enjoying each other, and then it is some time that we are exploring the city and we're going to. You know, furchesburg is known for a wine country, so we are doing a wine tasting. I'm very big on having a nice dinner. Listen, I'm all about experiences, right? So I'm like, hey, if I go on any type of trip, I don't care, we can eat.

Shana Scott-Lee: 23:04

you know, like find different places to eat but, one night, we gotta have a good meal you know, and I'm not saying you gotta break the bank, but it's a good experience and everything nice experience so with that um, instead of going to a restaurant, um, I decided to hire a private chef.

Shana Scott-Lee: 23:29

So we're having a private dinner with the retreats and then we are going to be doing some activities and some yeah, just some activities individually as well as a group, so we can bond with one another, because I also want it to be a retreat that I'm able to work with the ladies individually, but at the same time, also opportunity that we can bond and we can get to know each other and everything.

Shana Scott-Lee: 24:01

Because that's important to me, sisterhood is important to me. So that was one of my issues that I had for the retreat. I wanted to be a sister, not saying everybody's going to walk out and they're going to, but I do want to start something that, hey, I met this young lady at a retreat and here we are, you know how many months later, and I still talk to her, I still call and check up on her, because I realize that we're all learning together.

Shannon D Martin: 24:30

Right, that's awesome. I love the whole concept. I'm just excited for it. Yes, yes, thank you. And so you have another accomplishment as a life coach. So how did that? How did you think that becoming a life coach would encompass into you know, breathe and exhale?

Shana Scott-Lee: 24:49

Yeah, so so you know. So you know it's funny because I started working so last year. Again last year I worked with this young lady about um. She was kind of stuck. She was like I don't know what I want to do, um, with my um. You know, I know I need to go to college, but I don't know what I need to major in, and so I had. So one night I went over to her house and we sat down and we talked about, you know, all the different options that she had in front of her. We talked through some things and afterwards I know her aunt, her aunt was like she, so she told me that I see you working with individual women I really do, because you break it down and you help um in such a way that's not intimidated, that's not fearful, right but,

Shana Scott-Lee: 25:42

you also speak truth. So I thought about that and I was like, really, and I was like, well, I always thought about doing retreats. And so I was like, really, and I was like, well, I always thought about doing retreats. And so I was like, yeah, but I was always thinking of like the fun aspect of it and helping ladies just to see like we're more similar than we think we are. And then, and then I was like, ok, well, I'm doing this retreat. And I said, and in this climate, you know, I'm very much aware that we all have so many things going on- Right.

Shana Scott-Lee: 26:13

And some of us are hurting, but we don't vocalize our hurt because we're wearing this mask, because we think, you know, I'm supposed to show up this way, right? So, with that being said, I was like well, maybe we can look into doing a life or get some type of certification. And so with that I also thought about I'm always that friend that my friends call to get advice from I'm that friend, so I'm like well, I know.

Shana Scott-Lee: 26:44

So, even when I was thinking about my business and then I started realizing like well, you've always been that person that just gives. I just want to help people, you know I encourage people.

Shana Scott-Lee: 26:53

Um, that's, one of my gifts is that I'm I have a gift of encouragement, right. Well, with that being said, I was like, oh, and I was like, well, to get a master's, get a license, like you know, get an L, I'm like that's a lot, that's a lot, that's a lot. So it's like, well, I do want something that can certify me to say, hey, I'm willing to walk with you through this journey. I want to walk with you through the season of life and help you come out on the other end successfully and as whole as you can be.

Shana Scott-Lee: 27:42

So that's where I was life coach came about is that I want to help people walk with them through this season and help them become better individuals on the other side of it.

Shannon D Martin: 27:57

I love that, Shana, I love that so much. I know that also, too, you've been doing summits and conferences and everything. So how has that been just sharing your experiences with a larger audience?

Shana Scott-Lee: 28:12

Yeah, you know what it's fun it's. It's been so fun. People have been taken to me. Um, because you know, I always try to tell people like, hey, I'm just here just trying to help, but I remind you, really, really wait. Whenever I go and I speak at summits and conferences, I just want to remind women that they are beautifully, they are wonderfully and beautifully made, that you know their paths to show up as their authentic self, even if it's something that happened to them. That is all. If it's something that, when you're comfortable with sharing, you know if something bad happened to you, that's part of your superpower, right, and not to be afraid of that, not to be ashamed of that part of your superpower, right, and not to be afraid of that, not to be ashamed of that. That is part of your superpower because you can show up and you can speak to that aspect and you have such a different perspective, right.

Shana Scott-Lee: 28:58

You show up with the compassion and things like that. So my job whenever I go and talk to these summits and conferences and things like such as that is, to remind people to not only take time for themselves, but to also remind them that they are, they are awesome, they are wonderful and they and, and that they show up as them, as themselves, recognizing their superpower. They helped. They helped the next woman, they helped the that.

Shannon D Martin: 29:29

We're all here to help each other. Exactly.

Shana Scott-Lee: 29:31

It's important, and if we can just get to a space that we're empowering each other, it's even better. So I just show up and give reminders, that's all. That's all.

Shannon D Martin: 29:44

I love that.

Shana Scott-Lee: 29:47

It takes a little minute to really understand it. Number one and to not be afraid of it and to lean into it. So just to remind them and to encourage them to press in, press in on that space.

Shannon D Martin: 30:03

And also too, when you hear from someone else that you kind of know or may not know, to actually hear that it kind of it kind of awakens something in you to say, hmm yeah, that gentle that like a gentle reminder to say, hey, it's time for you to take time out for yourself or whatever your message was for the day, and that gets that comes across so much better I love that yeah, love that.

Shannon D Martin: 30:23

Okay, ma'am. So what do we have to see for um breathing exhale down the line your long turn goes. What do we see?

Shana Scott-Lee: 30:30

oh my goodness, you're gonna see more retreats um I I actually have an idea. I have a couple ideas, um, but I'm just well, I actually have an idea for just one more type of retreat, and so we shall see if that, if that comes to fruition next year along with um my year, along with the self-care retreat, so you'll see more retreats. Okay, you'll also see me as a life coach.

Shana Scott-Lee: 31:01

I do plan on. So right now, with being a life coach, I am right now creating my formula, my kits and everything, my strategies and all those things, and then in 2025, in January 2025, I'm officially launching the life care, the life coach aspect of. Breathe and Exhale, and so I'm excited about that. I'm excited too, be in the know.

Shana Scott-Lee: 31:32

Yes, and then, and honestly, just continuing to remind women that they have a voice and to use their voice and that everything that they are going through in their life to take time to stop smell the roses I know it sounds cliche as well as reminding them that they, they too, have something great inside them. So that's, that's what you, that's what you'll be seeing in the future All those things. We're treating life like coach, as well as just reminding people of who they are.

Shannon D Martin: 32:17

I love that, Shana, and I'm so excited to see all of that because you know I'll be here and I'll support you in any way I can, and I will make sure that all of your contact information is in our show notes so that everyone can reach out with you and sign up for your newsletter so they can keep up with what's going on with Breathe and Exhale and what Shana Scott Lee has coming up. So, ma'am, I thank you so much for being on this thing called wellness and I'm excited to see what's in store for you and wish you so much more success.

Shana Scott-Lee: 32:47

Thank you. Thank you and the same to you. I wish you nothing but success. I love the podcast.

Shannon D Martin: 32:53

Thank you so much and I'm just so proud of you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I'll talk to you later. All right, bye, bye-bye. If you enjoyed today's episode or enjoy the show in general, please do me a favor and rate our show on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen in. This will help listeners find us and help them find our wellness community. Thank you so much. Disclaimer I am not a licensed mental health professional. The information provided here is for general informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for professional mental health advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you need help, please consult a qualified mental health professional.