About Us
Here's What to Know About Me
Hi, I’m Dr. Shanae S. Jefferies!
I love to think. My brain just does it's thing and I'm having a good time! So, as you may have guessed, I'm likely to be an introvert. True. That's a joke, I'm also really sarcastic. I tend to keep to myself until I have a question, and to a thinker like me, that's pretty often. My background is in Sociology. My BA, MS, and PhD are all in sociology. I had different minor concentrations along the way; but, in totality-I love to think about the way other people think and then organize it into society.
My research (again, a thinker) is about naming. I am really interested in the way we name people and how culture and stratification shape our society through names. In the beginning I began to look at points of discrimination that seemed random in the workplace, for example, how, systemically, racial discrimination still exists in a post Civil Rights Act of 1964 atmosphere. The answer is covert discrimination. As a child I noticed that people treated me differently based on how I was introduced. Shanae or Shae. However, instead of focusing on the negative aspects of my name that may factor into discrimination, I decided to take a more holistic approach. I want to know about the culture of the names we give our children, and specifically-Black folk. Research has shown that people believe stereotypes about a person based solely on their name. So why continue to give our children names that could negatively impact their life? Well, because there's power in what you call a thing and I've learned that that's called nomo. See, I could go all day! I love this topic. So, that's my research!
Other broadly interesting facts about me is that I am the second child of 2 Army veterans. Both my mom and dad were in the US Army and I was raised in a military community. I grew up meeting a lot of people from different places. I went to undergrad in Austin at St. Edward's University and my graduate degrees at the University of North Texas. Now, I'm settled down in the DFW, TX area and I live a pretty good life. I'm a mental health warrior and I fight to give the thinkers something that will help us relax our thoughts. I was shocked to know that some people have moments where they're not thinking at all, they're giving 100% of their attention to what's happening in the moment. They call that mindfulness and I want to help us thinkers feel that luxury.
Here's What to Know About the Brand
Meet the Shanae Shantel brand, where thinking meets luxury!
As you may have read in my bio, I like to think and I want to help us thinkers have more moments of luxurious mindfulness. In that, I've created two platforms that I think will help. First is Dr. Awkward. Dr. Awkward is a card set game that will help inspire moments of mindfulness. Second is Radar. Radar is the consulting arm of the Shanae Shantel brand. Radar target's individuals who are transitioning between industries.
Dr. Awkward.
Hey, it's me, I've been told that I am awkward. If you've been told the same thing, hey friend. I've also been diagnosed with depression and anxiety. If that's you, hey again friend I see you. Millennials and Gen Z are facing higher rates of depression and anxiety than other generations and the 2020 lockdown of Covid-19 definitely exacerbated those numbers. We are currently experiencing life changes like promotions to important positions in organizations, becoming parents, losing parents, and a host of other complex life problems while being depressed and anxious. I'm not immune to this, I've found it hard to be present in the moments because of my mental health. So I created a card game to help me get out of my head and into the moment and I'd like to share it with you. You can play the game solo or on those days when your social battery is charged, you could host a game night or ask your friends, your partner, your parents, your niece, or even your work bestie some questions to help connect.
Radar.
In my background I've been a professor, a healthcare insights leader, an intro level researcher, a foundation board member, a school aid, and so on. I've also held multiple positions simultaneously. The hardest transition for me was from academia to corporate! The words, the terms, the expectations; everything was so different. In my transitions I kept a journal of things learned, terms that were common in corporate but called something completely different in the academic world, and so on. I had to. So, I offer these resources to you. Book an appointment. Let's chat about your next career leap and prepare you to be your best.