Shawn Diddy, Miss Iowa USA 1997
Shawn (on the right) working as a health reporter for Electronic News Network at the American Psychological Association’s annual meeting in San Francisco in 2007
On the set at ShopNBC in 2010
Shawn hosting the ChangeMakers event at MUM in June 2019
Born in Waterloo, Iowa, Shawn Brogan Diddy has been a performer since age 14. She became Miss Iowa USA in 1997 and has enjoyed a productive career in the music and television industries. Shawn is currently pursuing a PhD in management at MUM.
Shawn began her entrepreneurial adventures at age 20 by operating a karaoke and DJ business on cruise ships out of Florida. She has also recorded a country music album in Nashville and performed as a vocalist with various bands. She has acted on stage, in film, and on television, and worked as a news correspondent in Los Angeles.
However, she spent most of her time being a product expert on multiple shopping channels and acting in commercials. Shawn was an on-camera brand expert on the QCV Channel, hosted a show with Chef Emeril Lagasse from the Food Network, and hosted Jewelry Television and ShopNBC. She has also worked as a corporate coach, brand consultant, and speaker.
Getting a PhD degree has always been part of Shawn’s carefully crafted life plan. She earned an MA in mass communications from Towson University in Baltimore, Maryland, and entered into a doctoral program in 2009, which she wasn’t able to pursue due to work commitments.
Shawn describes herself as a “recovering perfectionist,” and while she loves entertaining and being on camera, she has had her struggles with anxiety and burnout. In 2011 she switched her focus to becoming a health and wellness expert. Her desire to become a “stress scientist and joy detective” led her to learn the Transcendental Meditation® technique in 2016, and in 2018 she enrolled at MUM.
“The MUM PhD program offers university level teaching experience and research opportunities, as well as the integration of a regular TM practice, so I can work toward my professional goals while balancing personal health and well-being,” said Shawn.
Shawn wants to continue working on television as a lifestyle expert, and having a doctorate can help her achieve that. She is currently acting as a product expert on ShopLC, where she mentions MUM from time to time.
“My entire life’s mission has been to make people’s lives easier,” she said. “I want to use my PhD research to show people what TM can do in corporate America. It can really help people in this high-pressure and highly creative environment.”