Thoughts or comments? Send us a text!

What if the life you built—career, identity, confidence—vanished overnight? Mary sits down with Shannon Michelle, a former LA interior designer whose world changed after a near-fatal motorcycle crash and, later, a breast cancer diagnosis. The story that follows isn’t about superhuman grit; it’s about ordinary presence practiced relentlessly, and the surprising ways community, faith, and tiny decisions can carry us through the unthinkable.
Shannon takes us into the ICU, the months-long coma, and the slow work of relearning everything from walking to using a phone. She explains how an EMT on the beach, friends who covered hospital walls with photos, and nurses who saw the whole person made healing feel possible when memory could not. We explore her yes, no, maybe method for simplifying choices during brain recovery, why surrendering control is not defeat, and how the lavender heart eye patch became both a medical tool and a statement of self-acceptance.
When cancer arrived a year and a half later, Shannon applied the same practice: do the best you can today, and leave tomorrow to tomorrow. We talk about friendships that deepened, others that faded, and the courage required to pivot from a high-profile design career to a purpose-driven life helping others rebuild. Her book, Step Into Your Miracle, distills a patchwork self-care approach that’s honest about pain, gentle with progress, and fiercely hopeful.
If you’re standing in the rubble of a before-and-after moment, this conversation offers clear tools, grounded encouragement, and a new lens on resilience. Listen, share with someone who needs it, and tell us: what would your 2.0 look like? Subscribe, leave a review, and email [email protected] with your takeaways and future topic ideas.

You can find Shannon HERE.

Support the show

Sign up for the launch team for my book, Nature Knows, and get free insider news and surprises at https://maryrothwell.net/natureknows

Comments about this episode? Suggestions for a future episode? Wanna be a guest? Email me directly at [email protected].

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram, and check out my website!