How Shannon Shafer Built Esternow and A&E Connect Around Faith, Vulnerability, and the Power of Story

Meet Shannon Shafer, founder of Esternow and A&E Connect, her public speaking and divine healing business, and its companion studio A&E Connect, a visual art practice grounded in the same belief that vulnerability is a source of strength. Before launching her own work, Shannon spent years in banking, insurance, business and indirect lending, mortgages, and job development. Being let go from a previous role was the catalyst that turned her attention to the businesses she had been quietly building toward.

Shannon built both businesses from the same foundation: that vulnerability is a source of strength, that visual art and honest speaking can carry the weight of healing, and that faith is what keeps her moving through every setback. Nearly a year in, after paying for a website she then had to finish building herself, what defines her is not that the setbacks didn't happen, but that she is still here and still convinced this year is her year.

Please share a brief introduction and your business:

A&E Connect: I believe in the power of visual art to heal and inspire. Each photograph and item offered is a testament to resilience and empowerment. Esternow, my public speaking and divine healing business, believes in finding strength in your vulnerability. Trusting God's sovereignty and knowing that your story can inspire hope and transformation in others.

Do you have a co-founder?

No.

Are you a mamaprenista?

I am, but my children are all grown and accomplished.

Take us back to when you launched? What was your marketing strategy?

None.

Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

Yes!

What accomplishments are you the most proud of to date in your business?

I am still standing after almost a year of wonderful gifts, one being paying for a website that wasn't correctly done and having to add pictures myself and do most of the work I paid them to do. I could go on but we simply do not have the time. I am still here and I know this year is my year.

What is one thing you wish you had known when you started your Entreprenista journey?

Asking for help has never been something I felt comfortable with and we as women accomplish more working together and quite honestly we not only instill change when we do. We change the world.

What did you do before starting your own business?

Banking, Insurance, Business and Indirect lending, Mortgages and Job development.

What made you take the leap to start your own business?

I was let go by my previous employer, Assurance Business Concepts.

Do you have any recent wins?

I would have to state becoming a member of Entreprenista.

What's one app on your phone that you cannot live without?

YouTube Music.

Who are your customers?

Hospitals, doctors, and middle school age children for public speaking.

What's your top productivity tip?

Putting yourself and your relationship with God first.

What's your favorite business tool?

Every business move I make is in conjunction with God. If he says move, I move.

What's your approach to work-life balance?

Boundaries are number one. You need to take the time to workout, meditate, and read your Bible. You simply can't pour from an empty cup.

How do you avoid burn-out?

My relationship with God. He is my strength and confidence.

What advice do you have for aspiring Entreprenistas?

Believe in your power. The vibration of being you and doing what you love aligns you with everything you want in life with that energy.

Shannon's story is a reminder that vulnerability is not the opposite of strength but the source of it, and that still standing after a hard year is its own kind of win. We are so glad to have her in the Entreprenista community and cannot wait to watch Esternow and A&E Connect continue to grow.

Want to connect with founders like Shannon? Visit Entreprenista League to explore our community and discover more stories of women building businesses that truly matter.