Hi Shannon, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
When beginning my career, I never envisioned working for myself. I graduated from the University of Memphis with my BA and MA in Communication, with a focus in Community Relations. I had waited tables all through college at a local restaurant chain, and the summer after my first year in graduate school, I reached out to their Marketing Director and asked about an internship.
2021 PRSA VOX Awards Memphis.
PRSA Memphis chapter hosts 26th annual VOX Awards
MEMPHO FEST 2019
Now in its third year, Mempho Fest represents Beale Street Music Festival’s more chill and well-behaved little cousin. The festival takes place right in the heart of Shelby Farms Park, in a hilly region surrounded by trees. If you didn’t know better, you’d think you were in a remote part of the woods somewhere closer to East Tennessee.
DCA, Morris Marketing Take Top Honors at 2018 VOX Awards
Cover Story: Crosstown Concourse's Underground Economy (Part 2)
An estimated 3,000 people visit Crosstown Concourse each day, most of them working for or a customer, client or patient of one of the building’s tenants. There are also more than 260 apartments on the property as well as a high school that just opened its doors for its first class of 125 freshmen.
In addition to all the people who visit Crosstown daily since it opened in August 2017, there is also a steady stream of people showing up to do freelance assignments or to work remotely from their employer’s or home office.
Hopdoddy, Hattie B’s, and More: 15 Memphis Restaurant Updates You’ve Been Waiting For
Find a new Memphis restaurant! Here’s a list of 15 upcoming Memphis restaurants that are opening soon. I’ve included my comments and relevant links.
Please keep in mind that most of the openings are subject to change. The links to menus are either from existing locations or previous/similar restaurants, so use common sense as you peruse.
Here's Mud in Your Eye
Karla Burr, left, boxes up a few cupcakes for Shannon Little, a customer of Muddy’s Bake Shop. Muddy’s opened on Leap Day in 2008 in the Sanderlin Center. The operation started small, with recipes from the home kitchen of founder Kat Gordon, using mixing bowls from her home as well as garage-sale furniture.
The business has expanded to include a Midtown shop plus kitchen space on Broad Avenue. It is celebrating its 10th birthday with a week’s worth of events, including a midnight champagne toast on Wednesday, Feb. 28, at 5101 Sanderlin Ave., plus a tour and tasting at Muddy’s Kitchen, 2497 Broad Ave., on March 1 and 2.
See more at Memphis Daily News
RX for Savings: WREG prices common meds, finds ways to lower prescription costs
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- When Shannon Little started her own public relations firm a few years ago, she quickly learned about the costs of being her own boss.
"I had one medication. When I had insurance, it cost me $50 a month. When I lost my insurance, my neighborhood pharmacy wanted to charge me $600 a month."
Little says $600 was a price she absolutely couldn't pay.
"That's a good percentage of my income, especially starting out as a new business owner, to be able to afford just one of my medications," Little said.
That feeling of sticker shock at the pharmacy counter is becoming more common.
Exclusive: As Traditional Media Outlets Cut Staff, PR Industry sees Boom
The latest roster of professionals leading the local Memphis chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) includes a mix of companies, organizations and institutions.
The mix of industry professionals points to a trend that hasn't gone unnoticed by incoming president Sarah Sherlock, a senior specialist in marketing, strategy and planning for ALSAC.
Getting Started: Business advice for founders
Shannon Little left her job in marketing with the Huey's restaurant chain in Memphis to start her own solo marketing and social media venture. Such ventures at first glance might seem like a dime a dozen, leaving her with a task that had to be addressed before meeting with her first client.
She now handles marketing and social media efforts for several small businesses and is able to juggle all the tasks that go with that because she took the time to form a plan for herself at the very beginning.
"Define your target audience, your offerings and what value those offerings can bring to that audience," Little said, "My business became stronger, and my processes more streamlined, when I was able to define those terms."
Grit, Grind, Grow: Freelancing in Memphis
From FedEx and AutoZone to Elvis and Justin Timberlake, Memphis isn’t a stranger to business and creativity. But the freelance scene is only just beginning to boom in the Bluff City. Ranked as one of the top places for lowest startup costs, new businesses from around the country, and even the globe are tapping into Memphis’ diverse culture.
