Build What You Dream: The Rockstar Woman Movement with Shannon Cohen

February 19, 2025

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“ Some dreams come from inspiration. Some things come from observation. Some things come from agitation. This was born out of all three. I think one of the greatest travesties that we do is that we shelve our ideas. We incinerate our ideas versus incubate our ideas. And so my hope for every difference maker on the call is that you will incubate your ideas. You will not incinerate them. And probably one of the most tragic ways we incinerate our ideas is we just let them chill out on the shelf and we never activate them.”

–Shannon Cohen

In sharing the Social Justice Origin Story of the global Rockstar Woman™ Movement, founder Shannon Cohen recalls how manifesting her dream of establishing truly inclusive professional networks and affinity spaces for women was born from a mix of inspiration, observation, and agitation, with a particular desire to create spaces that were markedly different from the exclusionary, predominantly white spaces she experienced as a Black Woman in her early days as a professional.

Drawing on the legacy of resilience and entrepreneurship passed down from her grandparents, Shannon’s storytelling speaks to the power of betting on yourself, incubating your ideas instead of shelving them, the power of collective ambition and cooperative economics, and the importance of healthy hibernation for longevity in social justice work.

Meet Shannon

Shannon Cohen is a consultant, founder, and author of two books, “It’s Normal to Shake as You Soar” and “Tough Skin, Soft Heart: A Leadership Guide to Growing Stronger, Better, and Wiser”. Shannon is the Founder and CEO of Shannon Cohen, Inc. a company that creates products, spaces, and experiences that invest in the emotional wellbeing of people who lead, love, and serve in transformational ways. Her company has a licensing agreement with American Greetings and her products have been featured at Target, Meijer, and West Elm. Her Tough Skin, Soft Heart podcast is available on Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher with subscribers spanning 12 countries. Her “Build What You Dream” album has been coined a “Masterclass put to Music” and is available anywhere you enjoy streaming and downloading music.

Shannon is the Founder of the global Rockstar Woman™ Movement, serving thousands of women throughout the U.S and Canada.

Shannon has been named one of the 200 Most Powerful Business Leaders in West Michigan and recognized as one of the 50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan by the Grand Rapids Business Journal. Shannon is an alumnus of the prestigious W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Leadership Network Fellowship, 2023 recipient of the prestigious Distinguished Alumni Award from her alma mater, Grand Valley State University, and the 1st alumnus in the University’s history to serve as commencement keynote speaker.

Shannon was honored with the 2023 “Woman of Courage” award from Michigan Women Forward, and selected “Brilliant Woman of the Year” by West Michigan Woman in 2022. This March, Shannon was awarded the WMCAT [West Michigan Center for Arts and Technology] Award for “Imagination” at the 2024 iBall. Shannon was recently awarded the prestigious ATHENA Leadership Award by the Grand Rapids Chamber in October 2024.

Shannon serves on several boards including the Corewell Health [formerly Spectrum Health] Foundation Board, GROW Board, GVSU Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Board, and the Small Advisory Board for Congresswoman Hillary Scholten. Shannon is the proud mom of a 5th grader, and 15 years of “I do” with the love of her life!

Name Drops, References, and Resources from Shannon

Book: Love & Whiskey: The Remarkable True Story of Jack Daniel, His Master Distiller Nearest Green, and the Improbable Rise of Uncle Nearest by Fawn Weaver

Book: Who’s That Girl by Eve

Book: Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me by Whoopi Goldberg

Ways to Connect with Shannon and The Rockstar Woman Movement

Learn more about Shannon at shannoncohen.com

Learn more about the Rockstar Woman Movement at rockstar-woman.com

Connect with Shannon on Linkedin

Follow Shannon on Instagram @shannonmcohen

Episode Timeline

00:00 Navigating Networking Events as a Black Woman
01:00 The Birth of the Rockstar Woman Movement
02:05 The Power of Believing in Your Big Ideas
04:14 Introduction to Social Justice Origin Stories
05:22 Guest Introduction: Shannon Cohen
05:46 Shannon’s Inspirational Album and Its Impact
09:39 Shannon’s Social Justice Origin Story
09:56 The Influence of Grandparents on Business and Justice
13:51 Challenges and Realities of Grassroots Work
16:18 The Importance of Relationships in Business
19:15 Creating Spaces of Belonging and Value
23:52 The Evolution of the Rockstar Woman Movement
29:14 A Family of Healers: Legacy and Inspiration
30:38 The Strength and Struggles of Black Women
32:49 Honoring Ancestors and Self-Care
34:02 The Rockstar Woman Movement
39:33 Values and Cooperative Economics
47:22 Gratitude and Acknowledgment
49:26 Balancing Personal and Professional Life
53:41 Encouragement for Future Generations
59:15 Closing Remarks and Call to Action