Shannon Baylor-Henderson
Behind every great business or brand is someone who is talented enough to put the words together to draw you in and pique your curiosity. For Shannon Baylor-Henderson, her natural love of words and stories has created a very specific niche that gives her clients a competitive edge. The DC native tells us how she got started and how she is creating big opportunities in her small NC town.
SM: Who is SBH?
SBH: Shannon Baylor- Henderson is the owner and Chief Content Officer of Content Commanders, a storytelling and strategy company located in Elizabeth City. She’s a creative entrepreneur, wife and mother of four sons.
SM: What do you do? Who do you serve?
As the owner of Content Commanders, I spend my time leading & supporting my team members in creating and managing content for our clients. We provide content storytelling & strategy services to small businesses, nonprofits and artists who want to monetize their multimedia messages. I have a team of seven “commanders” who specialize in digital media, writing, marketing, research and creative design.
SM: How did you get started in this space? What prompted you to open a brick and mortar
location?
SBH: I was a solopreneur for my company, ImShannon.com, which I ran for 15 years. During that time, I self-published four books and was a ghostwriter for a dozen authors and media contributors. Additionally I wrote three dozen e-books. After closing my business, I became a business counselor for small businesses throughout North Carolina. I’ve always been involved in content development and strategy—from helping people to tell and promote their stories to helping people start and scale their businesses, I’ve just always been deeply involved in and excited about helping others make money from their ideas and interests.
Content Commanders didn’t start off as the company it is now. I started this business as a content automation software company. When the pandemic happened, I had to shift gears a bit. Also, I left my job during the peak of the pandemic due to a variety of reasons. I thought people would call me crazy to leave a job in the middle of an economic crisis when millions of people were involuntarily unemployed. But the calling for me to go after my goals was too loud for me to ignore—as inconvenient as the calling may have appeared at that time. After a couple of months of keeping up with the blessings of a demand for our kind of work, that “higher calling” happened again. This time, it was to open a brick and mortar studio. I knew that based on our clients’ needs and interests as well as some of the ideas I had for small businesses in my community, a creative studio & learning lab would make sense.
SM: What can people expect at your new studio?
SBH: The Content Commanders Creative Lab & Learning Studio is a membership-based space where people can create their own multimedia content. We’re in a digital era, where you can easily and quickly make money online and from your smart device. However, some people don’t have access to the equipment, tools, software & space to create their own content. Our space is available to do anything from record your podcast and YouTube videos to take product photography, shoot a talk show or simply write a book. Most importantly, members will have access to our Commander Community, which is an online community where they can take classes, share or engage with other creative projects and collaborate with other content creators. We’re doing our best to remove the barriers of helping people create a revenue stream from content creation. Many people spend a lot of time consuming content and have no idea that they can create and monetize their own content too.
SM: If you could wave a magic wand for the members of what would be your studio, what would your gift be for them?
SBH: My hope is that someone will change the trajectory of their financial future by utilizing this space. I want someone to come in here with an idea, get access to the equipment, guidance and tools and create income from their talent. Also, we have plans to create award-winning content for our brand as well. I’m really pushing to start and complete this project then hopefully get an award recognizing our project. I want my children and my team members to see what a vision, a plan and good intentions can do.
SM: Where do you see Content Commanders in five years?
SBH: In five years, I hope to see Content Commanders recognized by major multimedia companies and brands, but not just with a “wink and a nod”. I want these brands to come to us because we have our fingers on the pulse of the small business community and rising content creators. I want for the Content Commanders brand to be the credible liaison and influencer for major brands to pour into and uplift small businesses and independent multimedia artists.
To find out more about Content Commanders and their new brick and mortart location, visit them on the web:
www.contentcommanders.com
www.contentcommanders.com/lab