The Power of Storytelling

AT MUELLER MAGAZINE, we believe in the power of stories. A good story can bring people together, helping us feel seen, understood and connected with one another. In a neighborhood as vibrant and community focused as Mueller, storytelling is a meaningful way to build relationships. No one knows this better than Mueller resident Shannon McGarvey.

McGarvey is the founder and executive producer of Moonpie Media, a podcast production company based right here in Mueller. Moonpie Media is rooted in purpose and built around people, specializing in thoughtful, story-driven audio that sparks conversation, deepens understanding and drives meaningful impact. Shannon collaborates with both global brands and independent creators, helping clients bring their stories to life in the form of audio.

WHY STORIES MATTER

The stories McGarvey tells reflect the complexity and nuance of the human experience. Moonpie Media is committed to amplifying underrepresented voices and centering people at the heart of every story. McGarvey describes the stories as human centered, using a methodology that reflects care, research and respect. Whether it’s a narrative on grief, sustainability or true crime, McGarvey approaches every topic with the same empathy and curiosity that she brings to her daily life.

McGarvey’s approach involves extensive interviews, careful listening and thoughtful scripting. She supports every stage of the storytelling process, including research, narrative development and drafting interview questions, always with an ear toward how the final product will connect with listeners.

She believes audio is one of the most intimate storytelling mediums; when someone speaks their truth, it creates a powerful resonance that stays with the audience long after the story ends.

The impact of Moonpie Media speaks for itself. McGarvey’s work includes:

• Sweets Unwrapped” – A podcast for Ferrero exploring sustainability in the confectionery industry

• “Edge of Reason” – A three-season, award-winning arts and culture podcast produced in partnership with The Atlantic and Hauser & Wirth

• “The Good-Bye” – An original series that explores the transformative power of grief

• Scripting work for “Anatomy of Murder” – A top-ranked true crime podcast

• And most recently, a guest appearance on The Giglo Beach Killer series on Peacock, which premiered June 10.

BUILDING COMMUNITY

McGarvey’s storytelling superpower isn’t confined to the professional world. She brings the same intention and care into the community around her. This year, she volunteered to lead a Girl Scout Troop made up of 16 girls from Mueller and the neighboring Cherrywood area. The group bridges the transition from Brownies to Juniors, serving girls ages 8 to 10. Leading the troop has been a way for McGarvey to create connection— for the girls and for herself. “It’s about helping them feel seen and heard in their own neighborhood,” she says. Through troop meetings, conversations and outings, she’s also formed friendships with other parents, weaving together a little community within the larger fabric of Mueller.

And when McGarvey’s not working or leading her troop? You’ll likely find her outside with her three nearly identical brown dogs—Todd, Pugster and Curly— walking the Southwest Greenway or tending to her garden. One of the few homes in the neighborhood with a fuzzy cactus, McGarvey’s garden is a joyful expression of the love and care she pours into everything she does.

When asked what she loves most about Mueller, McGarvey describes it in a way that stops me in my tracks. “The community you feel in Mueller is both quiet and loud,” she says. She elaborated by saying the feeling of community is loud in the obvious ways—people travel here from outside the neighborhood for the farmers market or to walk around the lake. But it’s also quiet in the subtle ways that fill your cup, like a wave from a neighbor or a beautiful garden you walk by every day.

For McGarvey, the Mueller community and her work in storytelling both serve a similar purpose: They make her feel less alone. In helping others tell their stories, she’s found her own place. In leading young girls, she’s created connections. And in tending to her home, her garden and her pack of pups, she’s found beauty in the everyday.

Whether you meet McGarvey at the farmers’ market, hear her on a podcast or catch her walking her dogs, one thing’s for sure—she’s someone who listens, cares and is helping build a more connected world, one story at a time.

To connect with Shannon or learn more about Moonpie Media, visit www.moonpiemedia.com.

BY CRISTINA TANGREDI