After 16 years as a pediatrician, Shanna pivoted from medicine to real estate and hospitality, founding Blue Bridge Homes, a collection of Airbnbs designed to highlight the best of Owensboro. She partners with local businesses to feature Owensboro-made products in her rentals—turning every stay into an experience that supports the local economy.
Tell us about yourself and your family. What does life look like at home and in your business world?
I am a 45-year-old wife and mom here in Owensboro. Our family, which includes 3 teenagers, Mason (16), Reagan (14), and Riley (14), moved to town almost 13 years ago when my husband, Mark, and I accepted jobs to practice medicine (pediatrics for me and orthopedic surgery for him). Life at our house is busy, but fun. It was challenging for me to step away from medicine, but I love the creativity and flexibility I have with my small business. I am also thankful to have more time at home during this season of parenting teens because it is so sweet. Many parents are fearful that the teenage years will be filled with angst, but that has not been the case for us and we are thankful to the Lord for that. We certainly have our ups and downs and we don’t have as much of a routine as I would like. Every week is different. Right now, I am in a season with my business of getting some larger maintenance projects done on my short-term rental properties. I have to balance that with getting things done at home, taking the girls to music lessons, dentist appointments, etc. We keep things fun, though.
As a business owner yourself, what has it been like watching your daughters step into entrepreneurship at such a young age?
It is so exciting to see the girls pursue their passion for music. Their dad’s side of the family is very musical and they say they inherited the “McGinnis music gene.” They take their performances very seriously and have overcome stage fright. They have learned to communicate with one another so well and have matured as musicians.
What lessons about work ethic, creativity, or leadership do you hope your daughters are learning through their business experience?
Already, the girls are learning the importance of preparation – practice makes progress! They still need gentle reminders to practice, but they see the benefits of diligence and consistency. An area I hope to see them grow is in communication and networking with others.
How do you encourage independence while still guiding them through challenges or setbacks?
They have been very independent with choosing the songs for their sets and I applaud that. They have great ideas; for example, they have a request to play at a retirement home and they have been working to learn some new songs that will appeal to that particular audience. For a recent performance, they were struggling with a particular song and I suggested that they table it until it was more polished. Determined to perform the piece, they buckled down and practiced diligently to get the song ready. I was so proud when I heard them play it.
What advice would you give other parents who see an entrepreneurial spark in their child but aren’t sure how to nurture it?
Encourage your kids to investigate their idea to learn more about it. They may even consider having their kids create a short business plan. The girls researched how much string ensembles charge to play at events. Along the way, they have become more organized with knowing how many songs they need to fill a 45-60 minute set. Even if the idea does not work out, pursuing new things is great for character development and it is fun a way for parents to spend time bonding with their kids.