Wanna Read a Good Brand Story?

Start with Ours.

Storytelling

Digital Marketing

Graphic Design

Content Production

Our founder, Shannon Baylor-Henderson, always knew she wanted to be a writer. From the time she could hold a crayon (and spell a few two-syllable words), Shannon started crafting sentences that told vivid stories that stemmed from her observations and imagination.

Those crazy and exciting stories led her to entrepreneurship. At the age of 9, Shannon started her first business, a greeting card company, where she crafted special and personalized messages inside of blank business cards for her family members. At $2 a pop, Shannon was swiftly on her way to becoming a millionaire–well, not really–but she knew that her writing could translate into big ideas and dollars.

Elementary school homework and cheerleading competitions got in the way of her ambitions to put Hallmark out of business–so did middle school and high school. But, she met some incredible writers along the way, including Adina & Davie, who also wanted to use their writing chops to build an exciting writing career.

Eventually, Shannon made it to college. Somewhere between roaming the campus, crying through a French III oral final exam, and changing her major four times, Shannon embraced the idea that she would become a college drop-out.  Upon telling her parents that college wasn’t a good fit, she faced her first grown-up decision: what would she do with the rest of her life?

After dropping out of college (with a 3.98 GPA), Shannon started her first adulthood semi-successful business, a digital magazine (when digital magazines didn’t exist). She met Irving, another aspiring writer. They began to write books together, and she began to build her brand as a professional writer. They married and made a family together between writing books and writing anything else that would pay.

The “starving artist” phase of her writing career soon emerged, and bill collectors seemed to fully support the idea of her “getting a real job.” The corporate world called her name. Shannon found herself transitioning through a few jobs, hoping that it would subdue the buzz of her artistry and love of entrepreneurship. Although steady paychecks were excellent, she felt writing and entrepreneurship constantly smacking her upside the head and suggesting, “You know better than that! Figure out a way to make your talent and entrepreneurship work!”

While soothing the bruises from the entrepreneurial smack upside the head, she met Kim via Twitter, a talented digital marketer. They agreed to test an idea that converged storytelling and digital marketing. The two strangers built the program and promised to split any money they made. The idea worked, and they decided to strengthen their relationship–over 1500 miles apart. Who says you can’t trust people on the internet?

Shannon toggled back and forth between entrepreneurship and corporate quicksand and eventually dived–again– into full-time entrepreneurship–in the middle of a global pandemic.

That’s when Content Commanders was born. She had already amassed over 15 years of professional writing experience and entrepreneurship. This time, she knew that she didn’t want to go back to the corporate world, and she had an idea with real traction and power. After building and operating Content Commanders for a few months, she started seeing tremendous growth and success. There were so many stories to tell and so many people who just needed professional guidance to tell those stories. Eventually, she convinced ArLynn & Dava that she could pay them to contribute their artistry to the Content Commanders brand, too.

And now, Content Commanders has written over 1 MILLION words in storytelling content, worked with brands across the country, received recognition in media outlets, and even won an award for their impending development of a content development app.

And to think, it started with a snaggle-toothed little girl, who wore big eyeglasses, frilly outfits and loved to write words on paper for people to lose themselves in her stories.

Some things never change. 

*Shannon did eventually get Invisalign to fix her snaggle-tooth appearance.

Creative Lab & Learning Studio FAQ



What is the Content Commander Creative Lab & Learning Studio?

The Content Commanders Creative Lab & Learning Studio is a membership-based space that provides access to equipment, resources, guidance, and technology to learn about, create and monetize your content.

 

How does membership work?

We offer monthly membership with no contracts, penalties, or termination fees. You can manage your online account to upgrade or cancel your membership at any time? Your membership is automatically deducted from the credit/debit card you have on file. You must cancel your membership before your next billing date if you do not want to be charged for the next month’s services. We do not offer refunds on membership fees. 

 

What are the hours of operation?

Since we require our content creators to book sessions, our hours of operation are by appointment only. We are available 7 days a week, providing you have booked an appointment at least 48 hours in advance.

 

How long do studio sessions last?

Your session lasts for up to two hours. You can use the entire session in any manner you choose (a combination of photos, filming, podcasting & writing or just one thing). 

 

What are “open studio” hours?

We offer open studio hours, which means that members can use the studio in a collaborative manner. Instead of private sessions, there may be multiple content creators in the studio at one time doing various multimedia projects. This is a great way to network, collaborate on projects and get new inspiration.

 

What should I do if I need extra time to complete my studio session?

If you think you might exceed your two-hour studio session, you’ll need to check with our Studio Commander (our on-site team member) to see if there are any scheduling conflicts. If not, you can add up to an additional 30 minutes of studio time at no additional cost (after 30 minutes, you will need to pay a cash fee of $20 for every additional 20 minutes of time). If there is a scheduling conflict, you will need to end your session on time and book another studio session for a later date/time.

 

Can I take equipment & supplies outside of the studio?

Unfortunately, we can’t allow our equipment, furnishings, props or supplies to leave our space. This also means that you won’t be able to use our equipment, furnishings, props or supplies in the areas immediately outside of the space including the sidewalks, streets, adjoining properties, etc.

 

Can I rent the equipment from the lab & studio?

Unfortunately, we can not offer our equipment for rent. You can, however, rent specific props and furnishings for a fee. Please ask our Studio Commander about the fees for specific props & furnishings.

 

Can I bring my own props & personal equipment for my content creation?

Sure! If you have your own cameras, lights, props and small furnishings, you can bring it to the studio to personalize your “set” for photos and videos. Please let us know ahead of time if you are planning to bring your own props & equipment so that we can accommodate your requests and provide you with the required paperwork (legal releases & insurances). 

 

What should I bring to the studio to create my content?

Feel free to bring your own laptop, earphones, podcast mics, lights and small items. While we have most of the things you’ll need to create your content, some content creators feel more empowered when they use equipment that they are already familiar with.

 

Can I rearrange the furniture and equipment in the studio?

Sure! One of the benefits of our space is that we offer a “modular” studio design. We don’t mind rearranging our equipment and furnishings to accommodate your content creation ideas. For your safety, please allow our Studio Commander to rearrange equipment & furnishings. We require advance notice if you would like to set up the studio with a specific layout for your content creation preferences.

 

Can I bring food & beverages to the studio?

Food and beverages (besides bottled water and light-colored beverages) are not permitted in the space. Please be sure to keep all beverages away from our equipment and power sources. 

 

Are pets allowed in the studio?

Unfortunately, we can’t allow pets of any kind in the studio. 

 

Can I bring guests to the studio?

You may bring one additional guest to the studio with you. Please let us know ahead of time if you plan to bring someone.

 

Can I rent the studio for private sessions (classes, meetings, etc.?)

In some cases, we can offer our space for small private sessions. Please inquire about these opportunities. 

 

Can someone help me during my studio session?

Sure! Our Studio Commander will be on-site during your session to troubleshoot any concerns and ensure that you’re ready for your session. If you need extensive assistance such as a production assistant, content creation guidance & tutorials, etc., please inquire about these services. 





Additional questions? We'd be happy to answer them via email: hello@contentcommanders.com