Shawn Engel, the owner of Witchy Wisdoms, is a spiritual mentor, brand strategist, 6 figure entrepreneur, and published author. Primarily she works with other spiritual entrepreneurs to help them solidify their brand and land features for exposure, but she continues to work as an abundance coach, helping women find their spirituality and build a firm foundation of gratitude on which to manifest from. She has worked with thousands of women by performing Tarot readings, leading spell work and rituals, teaching manifestation lessons, and providing business strategies and mindset work. She has been featured in multiple publications including Cosmopolitan, Bust, and Sabat magazine, and is the author of Cosmopolitan’s book on Love Spells, The Power of Hex (Chicago Review Press, September 2020), and Witches Brew (Sterling publishing, 2021). She recently founded the Boss Mystic Podcast Network, which is a growing home to witchcraft podcasts, including two of her own, The Boss Mystic and True Crime Astrology.
What is your entrepreneurial story? How did you come about building your business?
I came into my purpose after many personal hardships. Due to my own codependency, and a smattering of unfortunate circumstances, I turned to therapy and the Tarot to help me heal. Through that work, I created the blog Witchy Wisdoms, and because it did so well, I turned it into a life coaching business to teach other women what I was learning about empowerment. Four years later, and it’s a 6 figure coaching business that now hinges on a brand strategy to help the next wave of women do the same.
What is your business model — how were you able to grow so fast?
My business model works by launching various courses, programs, and 1:1 mentorship offerings. I have tiers for every level (including tons of free value on every platform you can think of) and because of that, I am able to serve as many women as possible. I think the reason why I was able to scale so fast was that I had a mentor of my own, a really solidified and confident brand identity, and was able to contextualize it on every platform out there.
Can you give me an overview of who you are, what is your educational or overall background? What are some of your achievements?
Funny enough, I didn’t think I had any achievements before about 4 years ago. I graduated with a business undergrad, expecting to become the first female owner of an NBA team. When I moved from Los Angeles to New York City in order to first pursue that dream as a sports agent, I ended up working in restaurants as a waitress and bartender until I was made to face my demons. And when the day finally came, I found my true path and haven’t looked back! It’s brought me three-book deals, many media features, and growing business that I am so grateful for.
What have you learned through your experiences as an entrepreneur that can be used by aspiring business individuals?
Don’t give up! If what you’re doing isn’t working, don’t take it personally. There is usually a lesson to be learned or a boundary to create that will lead you out of the fire. But entrepreneurship is a roller coaster, and it isn’t for the faint of heart. Keep persevering and showing up in a way you can be proud of.
What makes your business so unique and successful?
In a world where the word “authentic” is thrown around so casually, I think my business thrives because I embody the true meaning. I am 100% myself in every capacity and lead with empathy. This is why people are so drawn to my brand, no matter how niche it is!
What have you learned through your journey as an entrepreneur?
That there is always deeper to go when learning about yourself. Being in the public eye will challenge every thought you’ve had about yourself, and so will building a business. If you are open to growing and evolving in pursuit of a better version of yourself, it’s much less frightening and intimidating as it can be.
What skills and attributes make you as successful as you are?
I am dedicated, a very fast action taker, and have a true vision for what my brand will accomplish. The latter came in time, but because I am inherently the former, I had an easier go at figuring out exactly what my brand stood for. Plus I am very good under pressure.
Why is online business, marketing, etc important?
Especially in today’s world, online marketing is essential for growth. Coming from a background in witchcraft, a lot of us felt very alone and isolated without the presence of social media growing up. And once Myspace hit, we were all able to find like-minded individuals in other spaces that otherwise, we would have never known existed. The internet does that for us. So whether you are a mommy blogger, a bicycle seat crafter for a specific shape, or a witch CEO, you can find your people with targeted messaging and a good old hashtag search.
