Kelly Shaw shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Kelly, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
In my late 20’s, I’ve become that really annoying morning person who does yoga and journals in the mornings, unfortunately. I like to get up before anyone else in my house, put some morning music on (Norah Jones, Jack Johnson, some old jazz), and make some tea. In true old man fashion, I just sit on my balcony and try to get ready for my day, whether that means answering emails, doing a little writing work, or reading a couple chapters of a book or a newspaper. Most of the time, my signal that real life is beginning in the world is about 90 minutes after I get up, with my husband coming out yawning, asking, “Wait, when did YOU get up??”
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name’s Kelly Shaw and I’m the showrunner of Austin’s first children’s television show, “All Aboard with Ms. Kelly”, which will be airing its first season August 2026. I partnered with the nonprofit Austin Creative Alliance to create the live action, social-emotional learning children’s show, which I now produce, host, and am the head writer for. Our goal is to get an accredited educator into every household for free, even if just for an hour a week.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
Wow. At the risk of getting too deep too fast here… as a child, I really felt like the feelings that I had were not mentionable or manageable, which is very important for a child to think, to feel in control of themselves. I felt like I would have these big, raging feelings that felt like they’d swallow me up, and then I’d look at my very logical, very rational parents and feel like I was doing it all wrong. Through no fault of their own- I just saw the juxtaposition as a judgement. I spent a lot of my life trying to change that about myself, to make my feelings smaller or contained (or at least to trick others into thinking they were).
But throughout my adult life, I watched everybody else I knew have these big feelings and blow ups and act not rationally, and I realized that a lot of people were just like me. Everybody was having these big, scary feelings all the time, and often trying to pretend they weren’t. Where I’m at now, I don’t feel like I try to contain anymore. I trust that the people in my life can handle it all. I just try to be very honest with my feelings and instead of focusing my energy on containing it all or tricking people into thinking I’m small, I focus it on learning new techniques for what to do with the feelings I do feel.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
With the show? Oh, of course! I mean, I’ve been working on this show for 3 or 4 years now and there’s been all kinds of setbacks. Deals with networks that fell through, Hollywood types going back on their word, struggles with funding coming and going… It’s been a little bit of a whirlwind! It’s all things that I expected, with almost a decade in this industry under my belt now, but the day-to-day reality of having the rug pulled out from under you time and time again is a lot to handle. I really wanted to just call it many times; I wasn’t particularly thrilled to be the business end of the show; I just wanted to write it!
When we finally got fully funded and the show was greenlit to film, my husband and I were sort of half-heartedly celebrating and I said, “Do you know why it feels like this? Why we feel guilty and can’t get excited? Because we’re waiting for the other shoe to drop.” We’d just been Pavlov’d into associating good news with eventual setbacks. Most of the story of the show so far has been Ms. Kelly getting bad news and learning to just roll her eyes and send another email, instead of doing what she wants to do which is move to Wales and change her name and never write again.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
I think so, at this point. I tried really hard to make Ms. Kelly a role I occupy, not a character I play. Kids can smell phony from a mile away; no one gives them credit for that. That’s why the TV hosts with staying power are people like Mr. Rogers, LeVar Burton, Steve Irwin. They might be playing roles or slightly heightened versions of themselves, but it’s not ever inauthentic to who they are as people.
I hadn’t really had to think about a “public version of me” until this show, ever. I think much more about how I’m perceived by families and moms, you know? As a host, I’m asking them to trust me with their kids. It’s hard to not put every decision I make in public under the microscope: “Would a children’s tv host go out dancing in Austin?” “Would a kid’s tv host eat that in public?” “What would people say if they heard me talk like I just talked?”
I’ve asked the people in my life to set their own boundaries with my public life, so I have some bumpers to protect them, but my general rule has just been to live very honestly and authentically while taking care of myself. That’s what I would tell children to do, so that’s what I need to follow. But it’s a lot of learning to trust myself to be a good enough person to deserve this platform, to trust myself to be a good enough person to not lose my show and to trust my audience to allow me to be a 26 year old still.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
Oh, I don’t think I have any one story. I just hope that the story of my life is that I tried my best to help others, that I loved the people in my life crazy deeply, and that I was one of those people who just got it. Also, that my risotto was incredible and I hope they pester my family for my recipe.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.allaboardwithmskelly.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mskellyshaw/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@allaboardwithmskelly
