Q and A with Shannon C. from Cupertino, California, United States

“Many don’t realize you can appear to be a confident and capable high-achiever with low self-esteem at the same time.”

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: Wellness! Specifically “alchemy,” but not in the conventional sense. I help people become the best versions of themselves. I’m all about natural, holistic methods that are equal parts science and spirituality. My brain works on both sides—I’m often described as hyper-logical, scientific, and analytical, while also intuitive and creative at the same time. I’m happy to say that all my solutions bridge these two together!  

I’ve pioneered something called the “IAM Method.” It stands for “inner alchemy mastery,” and it uses evidence-based methodologies as a basis for spiritual practices that enhance people’s lives. People interested in psychic independence, self-development, and manifestation would benefit most from it. 

At some point, I’m also going to develop “skin alchemy.” This is for people struggling with atopic dermatitis [eczema]. It is a natural and sustainable method to heal from the inside out. I’m excited about that one because I think it can change a lot of lives. 

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Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I grew up happily and healthily in a “bubble.” It was always safe for me, I felt very taken care of, and I was fiercely protected by a loving family!

But being in a predominantly Asian-American immigrant community, I wasn’t completely shielded from insecurity, scarcity, and fixed mindsets from the culture of older generations. They trickled down into my school environment. Everything was a competition, and external validation in the form of good grades, accomplishments, and prestige became my primary motivators for success. This automatically disqualified me from pursuing a career as a pop music producer and recording artist, which was an area I expressed extreme passion and skill. I spent every waking moment teaching myself audio engineering instead of studying. I went on to study statistics at the University of California, Berkeley (side note: 100% a successful manifestation story, but for another time).

Many don’t realize you can appear to be a confident and capable high-achiever with low self-esteem at the same time. Later in life, I discovered the type of environment I grew up in was the formula for low self-esteem. My intellect, hard work, and manifesting carried me through college, my first job, and even a complete career change in four years, but I hit a wall. I knew I could do better. 

I became very interested in psycho-cybernetics, or reconstructing the self-concept. I read so much about neuroplasticity, psychology, persuasion, meditation, self-development, and anything remotely esoteric and magical. In 2022, I took a gamble: quit, left everything behind, and spent about 15 months in isolation in the middle of the woods. I was very lucky to have that experience. It wasn’t exactly the wilderness (I stayed in my sister’s beautiful vacation house, with floor-to-ceiling glass windows on all sides). This was transformational, big-time! In complete isolation, this experience allowed me to chip away at my self-concept. It was hard work, but it was healing! 

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That’s what I bring to the table for anyone else struggling with the same things—people feeling disconnected, wanting more from life, burnt-out, breaking free of their “selves” and unlocking their potential. Coming out of college and entering the workforce as an adult for the first time is huge, and people often go through the motions without really thinking about it. But this period in life is when a lot of unresolved issues start to pop up. Issues don’t get better in time; they fester until they burst. It’s something that can be avoided, and it’s so much nicer when someone is supporting you through it!

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Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?

A: It’s a common assumption these days to feel burnt out and say you need to take a vacation. Or go to the spa, or go shopping, or treat yourself, or to do something relaxing. While traveling and these other things do help with self-discovery, they don’t help with healing, reprogramming the subconscious, or unlocking potential! Not to mention, there’s a whole world of self-development and spirituality accessible to us. Things like manifesting can be fun and life-changing!

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Q: What does feminism mean to you? 

A: For me, feminism encompasses both emotional and tangible dimensions. Emotionally, it signifies the liberation to pursue individual happiness, countering historical norms that confined women to predetermined roles dictated by a patriarchal society. There was a time when “gender” was synonymous with “biological sex at birth,” and where “women” was synonymous with “biological female.” Under conventional definitions, we were expected to look, behave, and function in a way that primarily served others, almost like written prescriptions. As victims of oppression, we weren’t free to be individuals; we were taught to be good wives, mothers, and sisters. Feminism represents the opposite of that. While it’s an ongoing movement, it means conventional definitions of women are becoming obsolete, and the pressure for us to meet society’s expectations will continue to fade away.

Tangibly, feminism manifests in the pursuit of equal opportunities across political (voting rights), socioeconomic (education, employment, compensation), and physical realms (reproductive rights). Personally, feminism enables me to pursue my professional aspirations without judgment, while also preserving the option to prioritize starting a family should I choose.
To me, it represents freedom and choice, and it’s a movement that empowers us to define paths on our own terms.

More from Shannon C. The best way to get in touch with me is through email at shannon@alchemyxaura.com.

Thanks for reading!