Just doing life together and cheering each other on in the process.

Back in the 1970s, my grandparents bought 2 lots on Mile Post 7 in Kill Devil Hills, NC 🌾 Back when the Outer Banks was mostly sand dunes and beach grass. In 1978, they built a little beach cottage (as my Grandma would say) on one of those lots. It became our family’s anchor. Summers with cousins, trips with friends, and later visits with my own little family 🫶 But in June 2022, everything changed. My Grandma Kitty, the matriarch of our family and the woman who made me feel safe, seen, and deeply loved, went to be with Jesus. The house went into a trust & my husband & I couldn’t afford to buy it. Especially with all the repairs it needed. On the drive home, I asked my dad, “If I could save enough for the empty lot next door could we buy it?” He said yes as long as no one else in the family wanted it, but none of us really believed it. Still, I couldn’t bear to let go of this beach. This house. This legacy. So I grieved the only way I knew how: I buried myself in work. Never in a million years did I expect what happened next. A few months later, my husband (who tracks our finances because money is not my thing) noticed something strange: my income wasn’t matching my hours and hours and hours of work. And as we discussed it on the couch I suddenly remembered a old VA of mine had set up a separate Stripe account with a separate email address for one of my offers… After searching Gmail and resetting passwords I logged in & there it was… The exact amount we needed for the down payment. So in 2024… We bought the lot. We found a builder. And now, @kittyscottageobx is here 🫶 We’ve been here a week & we’ll spend most of June in this space that means everything to me. The Outer Banks has always felt like home. And now…we have one of our own. A place to rest, host, & slow down. A piece of my grandparents’ legacy. And the beginning of a new one. And it’s all because I took a chance and started a little social media business 10 years ago today. So let this be your sign to bet on yourself. Do something that lights you up. Share your passion. And show up with a servant heart. I’m cheering you on so hard, friend 🫶

@shannonmckinstrie • instagram

It’ll make your friend’s day ❤️ I can promise you that. #contentcreationtips #smallbusinessmarketing #socialmediaforsmallbusiness #instagramforsmallbusiness

@shannonmckinstrie • instagram

HAD TO jump on the narrator trend…this was too much fun going down memory lane 🫶 And shout out to ChatGPT for writing the script. It actually made me cry. #contentcreation #contentcreators #socialmediamarketer #instagramforbusiness #socialmediastrategists #socialmediamarketing

@shannonmckinstrie • instagram

Trust me…the creators growing the fastest aren’t making a whole bunch of extra time for content. They’re simply talking while they live their life. So this is your sign to attach your content to a 5-minute ritual you already do every day and make that your filming window. Because if you’re constantly waiting for the perfect time to create content…you probably won’t. Out on your daily walk? Film. Making your morning coffee? Film. Sitting in the carpool line? Film. You don’t need a studio…you just need your phone and five minutes to yap. And remember… Content creation is not that deep…and it should be the fun part. Send this to a friend who keeps saying they “don’t have time” to post and go film your content 🙌 #contentcreationtips #contentcreatortips #contentstrategist

@shannonmckinstrie • instagram