Founder of Shawnae's House, Shawnae Dixon sat down with Stereotype to talk about her business journey.

Where are you from?

Staten Island

What was your first business? How old were you?

A Lemonade Stand 5 yrs old

When did you know working for yourself was the way to go?

While in college and working two jobs and very unhappy.

Can you talk us through your career to date and how you found your way to where you are now?

Food found me in the midst of terror and anxiety. I was stricken with depression and swarming in debt. I had nowhere else to turn when food threw me a raft to save myself from silent unhappiness. No one knew how horribly ill or stressed I was working and traveling into Brooklyn as a teacher. I hated every moment of it as I drew closer to discovering my passion and career. I haphazardly but with forceful passion began my journey as a food professional right in my house. I began to use the phrase, “I’m slinging hood plates like mix tapes.” It sent me soaring into the entertainment industry swiftly. I began building my brick-and-mortar dream every year for nine years until it came to fruition. I emerged amongst the chaos and calamity of a global pause during the pandemic. I didn’t sell enough food to stay open and pressed my way through a year and a half to reach visibility as a globally known restaurant after one and half years of opening my doors to low sales and barely any customers. With perseverance and much hard work through many hardships not only did I survive the two-year cliche for the death of business but I have also partnered with big names and companies such as TICAL, NY Yankees (Bronx), the Dallas Cowboys, and more. One is at a time has become a leap for my legacy.

What inspired you to start your business?

My troubles and children. I realized that if I allowed my troubles to defeat me my legacy and my children would lose on the opportunity to know how amazing our ancestors were to Staten Island as the first free blacks to purchase land and develop economic structure through business.

What are some of the biggest challenges you see in your market?

I’m one of won! My only challenge is what everyone else is experiencing having reliable energetic passionate honest staff to improve and expand the mission.

Who was one of your biggest supporters early on?

Tanisha Smith Franks

What advice do you have for professionals looking to get started in your industry?

Prepare for the odds to be against but for God to be with. What you have been ordained to happens when you agree to win.

Can you recommend one good business book, business podcast/radio show?

Stillness is the Key Ryan Holiday
Goals Brian Tracy

What is some advice you would give to someone with a dream?

Make it a reality without any excuses. Execute with the Ambition to fail when necessary and embrace the victory/success because it’s inevitable. Successful people comprehend what is a lesson and what’s just lazy.

Connect

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/Iamshawnae

Facebook.com: Shaw-nae Dixon

Website: http://saygraceny.com

Photos by: Nataki Hewling