Meet Amanda Shannon | Sign Language Interpreter and Interpreting Agency Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amanda Shannon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amanda, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Working as a sign language interpreter for the past 28 years I feel a need to provide the upmost, professional service possible in which I always consider the consumer and their needs as the priority. Within recent years, I have seen some entities provide interpreting services without considering what is best for the consumer (please understand this is not everyone, there are still some fantastic services being provided as well). They would provide any “interpreter” available to fill an assignment, regardless of their qualifications. This was causing me to feel an ache for the Deaf Consumers and I was sad to see the success of our profession taking steps backwards. I had lots of ideas of how one could help this situation, but no authority to implement any of them. After complaining with my colleagues I finally felt a pull to start my own agency. It has not been easy, but I feel I am helping little by little each day. Now I can make sure that the Clients who come to me are treated the way they should be, the Deaf consumer is getting an interpreter that can match their needs and the interpreters are respected and treated as the professionals they are. With the current interpreter shortage we are facing in our nation right now it is becoming even more of a priority to do what we can with who we have. I hope to eventually start a program to mentor new interpreters so that we can develop more interpreters with the skills and knowledge needed to provide the best service we can.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I often am asked how I got into the career of being a Sign Language Interpreter. I honestly felt led to this profession most of my life. I learned that ABCs in ASL in third grade and became pretty fluent at fingerspelling. I sometimes do it unconsciously and people notice and ask what I am spelling. I also had a friend/neighbor who’s parents were Deaf who helped me learn signs for a school project, then in High School I had a Deaf boyfriend who introduced me to more of his friends which taught me about the Deaf Community. I immediately went to college and studied ASL Interpreting then started working after graduating with my degree. Within a year I was hired to be an interpreter at a middle school where I had a definite paycheck every month, but I did not feel it was challenging enough for me. After three years, I took a leap of faith and I resigned to become an independent contractor. I registered with a couple of interpreting agencies and started getting experience in lots of different fields and learning the basics of running my own business with just one interpreter, me. Twenty plus years later I have been exposed to so many different settings: Postsecondary, Medical, Community, Legal, Business, Religion, Weddings, Funerals, Government, Film, Camps, Cruises, Conferences and so much more. I have learned a lot about myself and which settings I flourish in and which ones I do not belong. I have taken workshops, had discussions with other interpreters and worked on getting experience where I felt I lacked. It has taken a lot of hard work to get to where I am and to have done what I have done. Without having this experience I would not have felt qualified to open my own agency. I now can look at an assignment and know what sort of experience is needed for it and make sure I find an interpreter I know is qualified to work in that setting. I care about the Deaf consumer and that they receive the access they deserve. It is more than just a business, but a calling to fulfill these needs.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
A perk to my profession is sometimes I get to go and experience fun things while interpreting. Due to confidentiality reasons I can’t always say specifics, but I can share some basics. One of my favorites to get to do is go to a filming of The Family Feud. It is filmed here just outside of Atlanta and tickets to sit in the audience are free. If you are Deaf they will provide an interpreter per request. Another is the Georgia Aquarium. The sea life they have is amazing and the shows are so much fun! I always request that I am interpreting in a position where I can be seen, but not splashed, haha. Nearby is the National Center for Civil and Human Rights Center. I highly suggest visiting. I think everyone should experience the lunch counter at least once. I had to interpret it the best I could for some Deaf visitors and it was very emotional. Ponce City Market is a nice place to spend some time. There are shops, restaurants and activities. I went and hung out with a Deaf person working in Atlanta from out of town and I had a blast experiencing it with them for their first time.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I could not have done any of this without my husband, Scott. He has been encouraging me and supportive of my career ever since I was in college to become an interpreter. I would not have had the courage to take the risk of starting my own agency without seeing him and how he handles his own business. Anytime I start to waiver on if I can do it he always gives me a pep talk and offers to help in any way that he can. I also could not have gotten started without the wonderful interpreters who stood by my side and continue to support me. They trusted me and were willing to take a risk by accepting assignments from a brand new agency. Without them, I would not have been able to do it. There are also several friends who recommended my agency to people who needed interpreters which helped get my business going. I appreciate each and every one of them!

Website: https://www.alliedcommunication.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allied_communication?igsh=MXIzZDBvYW44bmc0

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allied-communication-interpreting-services-200350371

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Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/allied-communication-interpreting-services-monroe

Image Credits
(Solo photo) Tommy Altman