Shawn Vance has been married to his wife, Beth, for 5 years and they have 7 four-legged children. 3 dogs (Jack, Sam, and Max) and 4 cats (Ajalee, Linus, Lucy, and Pepper). He retired from the Navy after 20 years and his favorite job while he was in the Navy was as an SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) instructor which he did for 5 of his 20 years.

His hobbies include video games and poker; he enjoys taking short-term educated guesses that produce a long-term profit. He grew up in Boulder, Colorado and as a Denver Broncos fan with their primary color being orange, he thought he might fit in well in Knoxville. He has since figured out that Knoxville only allows one shade of orange, and he is currently working on changing his wardrobe.