Check Out Shandi Finnessey Higgins’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shandi Finnessey Higgins

Hi shandi, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Shandi spent 16 years in Los Angeles working in the entertainment industry following her year as Miss USA 2004. She hosted Lingo and Playmania on the Game Show Network and was on the 4th season of Dancing with the Stars. Her husband, Ben was newer to LA, having moved from Shanghai 2 years before meeting Shandi. A few years later, married, with 2 young boys and another boy on the way, they yearned for a life where they could safely raise their kids in a community with similar values. So, at the start of the pandemic, in July 2020, they packed their bags for Nolensville and a completely different lifestyle! Not long after arriving, they launched Hive on the Hollow in hopes of helping to bring the community together. Hive on the Hollow, a family centric agri-tourism event space that hosts live music nights, birthday parties, fishing derbies, sound baths, kid’s summer camps and much, much more!

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The decision to start Hive on the Hollow came after seeing how much our Pasture Pets (llamas, emus, mini donkeys, peacocks, sheep and fainting goats) loved meeting new people who came around, whether it was friends of ours or just random delivery guys! The Pasture Pets would stand at the fence waiting for someone to come and give them pets. I realized we could only give them so much love and so decided to open our property for others to come and experience nature and animals, while also in hopes of helping to bring the community together in a safe and fun environment. Because this started with a passion for animals, people and nature, everything came together very authentically and easily!

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My personal life has truly done a 180. I was crowned Miss USA in the famed Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, CA before a live audience of 13 million viewers in 2004 and was first runner up to Miss Universe later that year. I spent my time as Miss USA championing the causes of breast and ovarian cancer education, research and legislation. To date, I have helped to raise over 30 million dollars for breast and ovarian cancer research. Hanging up my heels in entertainment and moving to the farm life we have now created with our 3 young boys was such a lifestyle change but one I truly embraced. I now spend my days on our pasture with our animals or inside one of my many beehives.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I grew up the youngest and only girl with a family with 3 older brothers in Florissant, Missouri. I obtained my BS in Psychology from Lindenwood University and then moved to South Beach, Miami with a modeling contract. Shortly after, I competed for and was crowned Miss USA 2004 which brought me to New York City. The Miss Universe Organization, at that time, was run by Donald Trump, so I spent a lot of time getting to know him and his wife, Melania. After my year as Miss USA, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in television hosting and presenting. After 16 years in the industry, my husband and I moved with our 3 boys to Tennessee, to a home we found online. It was a scary move but we knew we wanted land for our kid’s to grow up on.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hiveonthehollow.com
• Instagram: @hiveonthehollow