Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Garcia.
Hi Shannon, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
Hello! Thank you so much for this opportunity. I’m excited to share my journey in hopes of inspiring others! I finished graduate school at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio and became a registered dietitian in June 2012. I immediately began working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Methodist Children’s Hospital. I loved working in that critically acute setting helping the smallest patients grow and thrive and also enjoyed covering the pediatric floors as well. About a year into my time there, I realized I really wanted to create something of my own that would serve patients outside of the hospital walls. Lone Star Nutrition, LLC was born in November of 2013 and I began to work with both adults and children all over San Antonio. As the years passed I narrowed my focus to pediatrics and especially love working with picky eaters and helping them overcome the fear of new foods while helping parents understand how truly normal this phase is with young children.
In 2013 I also began appearing on local news and lifestyle shows to provide monthly cooking segments and nutrition tips to help viewers hopefully feel like nutrition and cooking at home don’t have to be complicated. It was only a matter of time before KISS in the Kitchen, my blog all about keeping nutrition simple (KISS stands for Keep it simple, Shannon- something my dad always used to tell me), was born. It has evolved with me over the years and I still enjoy sharing simple and nourishing gluten-free recipes with readers from all over the globe.
In 2018 my husband and I welcomed our first daughter and I took a step back from my private practice to focus more on my own growing family. I still occasionally work with patients virtually but for the most part, I refer out to other trusted colleagues. I miss one on one interaction with families but I love spending time with my own more and I’ve been blessed to still have a thriving business I work from my phone and at home. While I was pregnant with my oldest I began to learn about a piece to the healthy living puzzle I actually wasn’t actually taught about while in school. For over a decade I had focused on moving my body and what I put IN my body but had never paid attention to what I put ON my body. Although initially overwhelmed by this newfound knowledge, I slowly but surely began to work on this part of health and wellness for myself and my family. I also found a B corporation, Beautycounter, that aligns beautifully with my own health values, and have enjoyed partnering with them for almost four years. Getting to educate other women on the importance of choosing safe products for ourselves and our families brings me so much joy. Women are usually the gatekeepers to our home and empowering others to make better choices in all areas- nutrition, movement, and personal care products is incredibly rewarding work. And in some ways, it’s come full circle to caring for the smallest vulnerable population again as I get to help expecting mamas choose products that won’t bring any harm to their growing babies.
I’ve been so blessed to have experienced a wide array of nutrition opportunities within my 10 years as a dietitian. I’m so thankful for all the relationships built along the way and for the diverse ways to spread nutrition knowledge to others. I definitely consider myself a lifelong learner and I recently joined the Integrative and Functional Nutrition Academy and am working on obtaining my Integrative and Functional Nutrition Certified Practitioner (IFNCP) credentials. I’m truly thrilled to deepen my understanding of functional nutrition and get to the root cause of WHY so many of us just don’t feel our best. I can’t wait to add this to my toolkit on ways to serve and help others!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not! When first building my private practice, I had zero dollars to invest in the business. It was all sweat equity- putting in very long hours and learning things that weren’t previously in my wheelhouses like website building, marketing, and the like. It’s also always been a struggle to charge for my time and what I’m worth. I tend to want to give away the farm and that’s not a sustainable business practice. Additionally, when you charge what you’re worth you won’t be resentful of your time and it allows you to have the resources to give back when opportunities present themselves!
Additionally, in March of 2020 my business, like many, took a pretty big hit. Many of the food brands and farms I was partnering with had to freeze their budgets. This felt scary and almost like what I had built since 2013 was on the brink of collapsing. By the grace of God, my business has been beautifully sustained by my work with Beautycounter. Having multiple income streams is always a smart approach. As long as you love the work and companies you choose to put your name behind, I fully believe you can’t go wrong with diversifying your passions and income streams.
The other biggest (and ongoing) struggle is trying to always figure out that “balance” (I hate that word) between family and work. My husband and my two girls have the first place in my heart and I want them to feel that way. At the same time, a business doesn’t run itself. I often have to check in with myself and spend time in prayer making sure my priorities are in the best order for that particular day, week, season, etc. I’m so thankful to have an incredibly supportive husband. He’s my biggest cheerleader and I couldn’t do any of this without him.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
KISS in the Kitchen stands for Keep it Simple, Shannon! My dad always used to tell me that as a play on words for the other “KISS it” we all know well. My dad was very much my motivation for becoming a dietitian. He passed away 12 years ago at the young age of 66 and he left a lasting impact on me. He passed on his entrepreneurial skillset, his charisma, and his love for Jesus to me and I’m forever thankful- especially for the latter. When you visit KISS in the Kitchen you’ll find EASY recipes that your family will truly enjoy. I’m most active on my Instagram page and probably most known for my coffee + praise music videos every morning where I share a luscious foamy cup of coffee (you’ll find the recipe on my Instagram also) a song I’m enjoying listening to, a scripture and we turn the calendar together. There may or may not be a half-clothed child running around under my feet.
I’m most proud of staying true to myself and my brand reflects that. I’m honest and keep it very real about how challenging (and of course rewarding) marriage and mom life truly are. I don’t just share the highlights and I especially enjoy making and sharing reels about everything from picky eating and packing lunches to safer swaps you can make in your home, kitchen, and bathroom.
This past summer I offered a new workshop for moms and daughters called “Created for More: A Healthy Habits Workshop”. I opened up our home to local moms and daughters and we talked about important and relevant topics like washing your face, healthy hydration, and choosing safer sun protection and natural deodorant. It was a really fun and interactive workshop and it was a joy to watch these young girls practice healthy habits and have their confidence grow while spending time with their mothers.
What’s next?
I am most excited about my functional nutrition training right now! So many of us (myself included) don’t feel our best and I’m thrilled to deepen my knowledge and understanding of functional medicine. We live in a society quick to throw bandaids on the illness instead of truly addressing the root cause and I want to be part of the movement to focus on those underlying factors while helping others increase their quality of life.
I wake up every day excited about the growth and leadership development within my Beautycounter work and team.
It brings me true joy to see so many women joining a mission and movement to create change within the beauty industry. There’s something really special about doing good life-changing work and getting compensated well for it.
I’m here to support all the women I have the privilege of working with and help them meet their goals- however big or small they may be!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kissinthekitchen.com
- Instagram: @kissinthekitchn
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/kissinthekitchn
- Twitter: twitter.com/kissinthekitchn
Image Credits
Wayfarer Photography and Melissa Sanchez Photography
