Episode Details

EP 2-40 SHELLI JOHNSON

Wendy Corr:

Well, hey there, folks. Welcome to the Roundup. We are a Cowboy State Daily podcast, and our focus is on interesting people in the Cowboy State. And when I say interesting, I'm telling you, our guest today has lived such an interesting - and might I say, epic - life, and she's going to tell us all about that.

Shelli Johnson is - I'm so thrilled to be able to spend a little bit of time with her this morning, and thrilled to be able to introduce those of you who have not met Shelli to her really amazing transformation in two careers. And it's just, it's phenomenal. So I'm excited to have this conversation with Shelli.

But first, I want you folks to know about another podcast. It's called the "Business From the Basement" podcast. It's from the Wyoming Business Alliance. This is a great, great podcast and resource for anybody who's a business person in the state of Wyoming.

So check it out, the "Business From the Basement" podcast. This is by the Wyoming Business Alliance. If you're a business person, you're going to want to see what they have and who they're talking to.

But don't go there first, first you've got to stay here with us, because we're talking with such an amazing, accomplished Wyoming woman, and I'm so pleased to be able to finally make her acquaintance. Shelli Johnson, hello, coming at us from your sheep wagon.

Shelli Johnson:

Yes, hi, Wendy. And thank you for that generous introduction, and thank you for the opportunity today.

Wendy Corr:

Oh, this is going to be so fun. I have to tell you, folks, that I met Shelli today for the first time, but I've known about Shelli for a long time because her father is one of Cowboy State daily's ultimate rock stars, Bill Sniffin. Bill Sniffin is so proud of his daughter, Shelli.

And I'm like, why have I not talked to Shelli before this? Because Shelli is so accomplished in her own right. And I just, I'm so thrilled to be able to talk to her today. Shelli, you are a Wyoming girl. I mean, Wyoming is in your heart. You may not have been born here, but it didn't take you long to get here.

Shelli Johnson:

Yes, that's right. When I was three, my parents moved us from Iowa to Wyoming, and nothing against Iowa. I love Iowa. But this, I consider that one of the greatest gifts from my parents. I just, I love Wyoming. I love that there are only, you know, just over a half a million people, and that there are more animals and people and endless, you know, seemingly endless, frontier land. And I just, it suits me. So I'm grateful to my parents for moving us here.

Wendy Corr:

It does suit you. When you started, like when you started out for your career, though, you had a career path, you kind of followed in your dad's footsteps, and so you went into newspaper publishing. But then you took off on a different direction from just straight newspaper publishing, and that won you awards. Tell us about Yellowstone Journal.

Shelli Johnson:

Okay, well, first of all, growing up in Wyoming, it's such an outdoor mecca, and my parents, I'll tell you a little bit about the backstory leading up to my publishing, if that's okay, or my my journal. So my parents, really, love of Wyoming, and my mom's love of Wyoming inspired my love of Wyoming.

They took us on picnics, and we'd get lost on the roads out in the red desert and Loop Road and Yellowstone on the weekends. And so I was raised very much around the beauty, and, you know, the beauty and majesty of Wyoming.

But honestly, I was more of a jock. You know, in high school, I played basketball, volleyball and track. I wasn't much of a hik