Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Buth.
Hi Shannon, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I always say this all started as a love letter to my Mom and her life… There was no business plan, or monetary goals, this all simply came from my heart.
We lived in Chicago for 20+ years. My husband and I have four boys and moved down to Austin almost a year ago.
Ten years ago (2011), When my oldest son was 19 months old, I delivered twin boys. I was in over my head and needed support, a lifeline, to be surrounded by other Mothers going through similar experiences. I decided to reignite a Mom’s group called 24.7 moms. The purpose of the group was for Moms to enjoy a night out (a night off). I had speakers come in and talk about relevant Mom topics. We had dinner, some wine, and incredible conversations + a beautiful community developed. I always say we learned just as much from each other as we did from the speakers. It’s incredible what can happen when a safe space is created for women to let their guard down… that’s when the magic happens. The group grew over the years to about 200+ members.
In 2014, I received the news no one ever is ready to hear… My mom was diagnosed with stage 4 duodenal cancer and had months to live. She was 66 years old. She fought fiercely and was a true cancer warrior. Eight months into her treatments, there was nothing else they could do for her. We knew the end of her life was near. She came to Chicago one last time to see us and her grandbabies. She wanted one final week with us. It was a trip I think about often, and hold on to. During that week, a dear friend of mine came over and gifted my Mom and I matching bracelets. The words on the bracelets-
‘Live What You Love.’
Those words. They stuck with me. My Mom died a month later. It was a defining moment for me. Something that changed me forever. The death of someone close to you will do that. But, I always think in some ways my Mom gave me the biggest gift. Because her passing made me realize how I wanted to live the rest of my life… Living what I love. Finding the joy in each day, embracing the imperfections of life, and lifting other people up.
My therapy was writing, and I decided to create a website, so I could share… share about the grief I was experiencing, Share topics from our Mom’s group, I decided on the logo ‘an imperfect heart’. An imperfect heart because nobody is perfect, let’s embrace the imperfections and lift each other up.
Every December I hosted a Mistletoe Market in Chicago. It was a chance for the women in the group who have small businesses to sell their items and a fun holiday party to end the year. It grew over the years, and I opened it up to the public at a beautiful event space. I had an idea before my market in 2019… What if I take this imperfect heart and stitch it on a sweatshirt. We were giving back to a local women’s shelter and I thought, I’ll call it, The ‘Live What You Love’ sweatshirt… give a portion from each sweatshirt to the women’s shelter.
I went for it, even though I was I wasn’t sure if anyone would be into this Live What You Love sweatshirt… But I was proven wrong. I sold out that evening. I had a waitlist,… and so it began. The beginning of a journey I am so grateful for.
I placed the sweatshirt on my website in January of 2020 and sat down to write about what the Live What You Love Collection means. I wrote this once… Didn’t change a thing.
An imperfect heart stitched over your heart, as a daily reminder to live your passion, laugh every day, love deeply, live others up, and don’t ever quit your daydream.
$5 from every purchase goes to women + children’s charities and since we’ve begun we’ve raised over $44,000 for some incredible organizations.
The line has expanded to many items – women’s, men’s, kids, baby, accessories, and drinkware.
I know my Mom is watching on and smiling, so proud, so happy that something beautiful came from her passing.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Oh my goodness, being an entrepreneur is no joke. I have learned so much about myself, and the ups and downs of running a business in the last 2 1/2 years.
Luckily my husband has been involved since the beginning and the biggest supporter of House of Shan – I can bounce ideas off of him, but he also helps tremendously with customer service, our distributor, embroiderer, all the back-end pieces of the business.
We have had issues with entire runs of sweatshirts arriving incorrectly, we’ve had all the covid delays like the rest of the world… but one thing I’ve learned is that is if you have great customer service, people are truly kind and understanding.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I think I’m most proud of creating a brand that resonates with so many people because the message and mission are so simple but powerful. I believe now more than ever people want to support small businesses and brands that have a mission and give back.
When the imperfect heart arrives, people want to share it – share the product -share the message. It’s so beautiful seeing all the women, men, and children proudly wearing the imperfect heart. That is definitely what I’m the most proud of.
And of course, the amount of money we’ve raised for charities. Never in my wildest dreams did I think in 2+ years we’d raise $44,000 when I started this… and it’s just the beginning!
What were you like growing up?
I’ve always been outgoing and truly thrive from friendships with others. I think I’ve always been an empathetic person who cares about helping others + a giver.
I have always LOVED fashion… My Mom would take me school shopping and I’d proudly come home and try on all the outfits we got from TJ Maxx… I’d do a little fashion show every time, ha! I made a career out of fashion and was a midwest rep for a California-based clothing line and then went on to be the first stylist at Trunk Club.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.houseofshan.com
- Instagram: @houseofshan
Image Credits
Laura Morsmon Photography for all photos except… jean jacket – Nicole Defilippis photography African american woman in creme sweater – Nicole Defilippis photography
