Ep 126. Inside the Messy Middle: Divorce, Identity & Rebuilding from Rock Bottom with Shannon Pirie

Behind The Smile with Ash Butterss

Jun 09, 2025•1 hr 29 min•Season 4Ep. 126

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Episode description

In this powerful episode, Ash is joined by Shannon Pirie, a global beauty executive with decades of experience and a heart-first approach to leadership. From the outside, Shannon’s life looked picture-perfect. But behind the scenes, she was enduring one of the most painful and transformative years of her life: losing her marriage, dream home, and job in quick succession.

Shannon opens up about hitting emotional rock bottom, crawling her way through survival mode, and rebuilding one step (and one shuffle) at a time. She speaks candidly about the shame of losing everything, the complexities of grief and forgiveness, and how she began a deep physical and emotional transformation, walking herself back to life, one mile at a time.

Now based in Redondo Beach and reconnecting with her truest self, Shannon reflects on the power of female friendships, spiritual surrender, and the courage to live honestly even in the middle of the mess. This is an episode about resilience, grace, and choosing peace in the absence of the perfect ending.

The episode highlights are:

00:00 Introduction to Shannon's Journey

03:01 Navigating Personal Struggles and Professional Life

05:59 The Impact of Divorce on Identity

08:53 The Role of Work in Personal Crisis

11:53 Reflections on Loss and Healing

15:05 Understanding Financial Security and Relationships

18:00 The Path to Self-Discovery and Growth

26:42 The Turning Point: Divorce and Transformation

32:41 Loss and Identity: Selling the Dream Home

38:54 The Unraveling: Job Loss and Self-Reflection

46:51 Physical Transformation: The Journey of Weight Loss