Podcast | Mindset
Episode 25| December 22, 2023

Escaping a Soul-Sucking Job w/ Shannon Mulligan-Mayernik

The Egg Run That Ended a 12-Year Career

Shannon spent twelve years in publishing. A steady paycheck. A desk. A career that looked fine from the outside.

Inside, it was quietly draining her.

One ordinary morning she drove to a local farm to pick up eggs. As she pulled out of the driveway, it hit her. She needed to quit and build a life around what she loved.

She did not leap that same day. She built the bridge first.

In this episode of the Happy Healthy Hustle Podcast, herbalist Shannon Mulligan-Mayernik shares how she turned a side project into Mayernik Kitchen, a seed to harvest herbal apothecary, and what she would tell anyone sitting in a job that is slowly draining them.

Her story is not a plan to blow up your life overnight. It is a lesson in noticing the signal, then moving with a plan.

If part of you already knows something has to change, this conversation will help you take the first honest step.

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“If I never try, I’ll never know.”

– Shannon Mulligan-Mayernik

Fast Skim & Timestamps

0:00 The Moment She Knew She Had to Quit
0:41 Meet Shannon: Herbalist and Plant Medicine Maker
1:33 The Superpower Growing in Your Backyard
3:06 You Do Not Need Much Land to Start
5:15 Twelve Years in a Soul-Sucking Job
7:13 The Leap of Faith and the Three-Year Bridge
9:44 What She Would Tell Anyone Stuck Right Now
13:01 Where to Find Shannon

Key Takeaways

A soul-draining job rarely announces itself. It shows up as comfort you have stopped questioning.
You do not have to leap overnight. Shannon built a three-year bridge before she jumped.
Follow your real passions first. When you do, the practical pieces tend to fall into place.
Look honestly at your finances and home life before a big change. A plan beats a whim.
You do not need much to start. One sage plant, a patio pot, or half an acre is enough.
You do not have to change the whole world. Change your little corner of it, where your strengths shine.

Three Petite Practice® Questions

1. Where in my life have I mistaken comfort for contentment?

2. What passion have I been treating as a side project instead of a real path?

3. What small bridge could I start building this week, before I leap?

Transcript Chapters

0:00 The Moment She Knew She Had to Quit

[00:00:00] Shannon Mulligan-Mayernik: It was just a literal, soul-sucking job. It hit me, and I thought, I need to quit and do something that I love. I knew something had to change, but I did not know what. I had been studying herbalism for a while, still in the publishing world. So if you are ever out and about with me, there is a good chance I am pointing at the ground, teaching you about the weeds growing everywhere.

0:41 Meet Shannon: Herbalist and Plant Medicine Maker

[00:00:33] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: Welcome back to the Happy Healthy Hustle podcast. We have a special guest today. Shannon, why do not you introduce yourself? [00:00:41] Shannon Mulligan-Mayernik: Thank you for having me. I am Shannon, an herbalist and plant medicine maker. I live in New Jersey, and my husband and I run Mayernik Kitchen, a herbal apothecary. We also have a herb farm where we grow medicinal herbs to make our products. It is a full seed to harvest company. We start seeds in February, harvest throughout the season, and make product throughout the season. Our hands are in it from the very beginning. [00:01:20] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: Because I am a marketing professor, I have to say it, you are fully vertically integrated. [00:01:28] Shannon Mulligan-Mayernik: Yes, we are.

1:33 The Superpower Growing in Your Backyard

[00:01:33] Shannon Mulligan-Mayernik: My superpower is that I can walk outside, whether it is a park, a forest, or a city street, and point out plants that can be used medicinally. So many plants we call weeds actually have medicinal properties. If you are ever out with me, I am looking down at the ground, ready to teach you about the weeds growing everywhere. [00:02:15] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: That is amazing. It made me think about living a more sustainable life, because you use what most people would discard. [00:02:40] Shannon Mulligan-Mayernik: It cannot get more sustainable than picking the weeds from your lawn or the forest. We make sure we are certain about what we harvest before we ingest it, because some plants have look alikes, especially in the mushroom world. We like to be a hundred percent sure before teaching anyone.

3:06 You Do Not Need Much Land to Start

[00:03:06] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: How large is the farm where you grow everything? [00:03:12] Shannon Mulligan-Mayernik: We do not live on the farm, we lease land about an hour north of us in New Jersey. It is a little over half an acre, but we have over five thousand plants in the ground. Herbs do not take up as much space as vegetables, so we plant them close together. That is all we can physically handle across the ten growing months. We would love to expand one day, but for now it is perfect. [00:03:59] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: I love the sustainable aspect again. You do not need large pieces of land. You could even grow indoors, a little herb garden in your kitchen. [00:04:26] Shannon Mulligan-Mayernik: You could grow in a pot on your patio, or on a fire escape in an apartment. One sage plant could get you through the full year, because it comes back every year. You do not need raised beds or lots of land to start bringing herbs into your everyday life. [00:04:50] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: These are small changes, but using something fresh instead of dried makes a real difference and kick starts your wellness.

5:15 Twelve Years in a Soul-Sucking Job

[00:05:15] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: Let us go back in time. Where was a point where you struggled with a challenge, and how did you overcome it? [00:05:36] Shannon Mulligan-Mayernik: For me it was my career. I was in publishing for many years. It was a soul-sucking job. I sat at a desk all day, I did not go outside, and I knew something had to change, but I did not know what. One day I went to a local farm to pick up eggs, and as I drove out of the driveway, it hit me. I needed to quit and do something I loved. For years I told myself I was comfortable. I had a steady paycheck. It was mindless work, but I knew I had to change. I got a job at that same farm, and I worked there for three years before turning Mayernik Kitchen into a full-time job.

7:13 The Leap of Faith and the Three-Year Bridge

[00:07:13] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: Was that before you started a family? You keep using those words, a soul-sucking job. For everyone in that same spot, at what point did you make the move? [00:07:42] Shannon Mulligan-Mayernik: I got the publishing job about three weeks after I graduated college, and I stayed twelve years. We were able to substitute my salary, cut back on a lot of things, and I had a part-time job at the farm bringing in some money. It was a leap of faith to give up benefits and a salary, but it was the best decision I ever made. [00:08:23] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: Did you have a plan B in case it did not work out? [00:08:28] Shannon Mulligan-Mayernik: No, because we had been growing Mayernik Kitchen for a few years while I was still in publishing. It was my side project, and making it full-time was always the goal. I had a three-year transition, working part-time on the farm while building the business.

9:44 What She Would Tell Anyone Stuck Right Now

[00:09:44] Shannon Mulligan-Mayernik: I knew if I did not take the step then, I would have been stuck in publishing much longer. I was driving down the driveway early in the morning, I saw the greenhouses, and I just knew, this is what I need to do. If I never try, I will never know. [00:10:21] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: What is your recommendation to someone, say Paula in publishing, who tells you the same thing? [00:10:49] Shannon Mulligan-Mayernik: Know your passions, because if you follow them, things tend to fall into place. Look honestly at your finances and your home life. I do not suggest doing it on a whim. I thought about it constantly. I would come home and cry at the kitchen table. It was not healthy for me or my husband. Think it through before you act. But if you are a hundred percent, there is almost always a way to recoup if plan A does not work. [00:12:13] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: You do not need to change the whole world. Just think about changing your little corner of it, where you bring out your superpowers.

13:01 Where to Find Shannon

[00:13:01] Shannon Mulligan-Mayernik: If it is something you are passionate about, it shows. People can tell you love what you do, whether you are teaching someone or providing a service. Within your community, you can do a lot of good. [00:13:41] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: Where can people find you? [00:13:53] Shannon Mulligan-Mayernik: Instagram is my number one, at mayernikkitchen. We also send a weekly email, and you can find everything on our website, mayernikkitchen.com. My favorite product right now is a fresh ginger and lemon tea. [00:14:47] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: It is amazing how we can connect across the country. For a moment I felt like I was standing on your farm, looking over your garden. Thank you for being here, Shannon.

Meet My Guest

Shannon Mulligan-Mayernik

Herbalist & Founder of Mayernik Kitchen

Shannon Mulligan-Mayernik is an herbalist and plant medicine maker in New Jersey. With her husband, she runs Mayernik Kitchen, a seed to harvest herbal apothecary growing more than five thousand medicinal plants on a small leased farm.

She left a twelve-year publishing career to build a life around what she loves, and now teaches people to see the medicine growing in their own backyards. Find her on Instagram @mayernikkitchen.

Meet Your Host

Dr. Christiane Schroeter

TEDx Speaker & Leadership Strategist

I’m Dr. Christiane Schroeter, TEDx speaker, leadership strategist, and host of the Top 1% ranked Happy Healthy Hustle Podcast. I help leaders think clearly, speak with conviction, and take the next step during change.

About Dr. Christiane

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