We recently had the chance to connect with Shantae Menendez and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Shantae, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: Would YOU hire you? Why or why not?
Yes, I would absolutely hire me.
Because I bring a mix of reliability, creativity, and a results-driven mindset to everything I do. I’m someone who takes initiative, communicates well with others, and always looks for solutions instead of excuses. I’m confident in my ability to add value, adapt quickly, and grow within any team or environment.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Starting my entrepreneurial journey at just 17, I’ve always had a passion for building ideas from the ground up and turning them into something meaningful. I began as an event planner and quickly learned the power of leadership, creativity, and connection. By 18, I was managing and eventually owning an event space — an experience that taught me how to bring people together through memorable experiences.
As my passion for entertainment grew, I launched Talent on Edge, a company where I managed multiple models and began making waves in the creative industry. That venture led to national attention, earning features in publications such as The Chicago Journal and New York Weekly.
From there, I took over another businesses like Jamila Reine Models and, alongside my wife and business partner, built one of the most diverse modeling agencies.We opened doors for everyone, proudly representing talent from all backgrounds, including trans and non-binary models. Together, we created a safe, inclusive space that celebrated individuality and broke barriers in the modeling industry.
Today, we are the proud owners of The Hub Studios, a creative, multi-purpose space designed for artists, entrepreneurs, and dreamers. The Hub brings together everything I love: creativity, collaboration, community, and unforgettable experiences. From sip-and-paint events to photography, candle-making, and networking nights, my mission is to give people a space where art, business, and entertainment come together.
I’ve always believed in making something out of nothing taking an idea, adding passion and vision, and turning it into success. That’s what drives me every day, and that’s the energy behind everything I do.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
What often breaks the bonds between people is a lack of understanding, communication, and appreciation. When people stop listening, stop valuing each other’s perspectives, or let pride, ego, or assumptions take the lead, the connection begins to fade. Sometimes it’s not even intentional life gets busy, priorities shift, and people drift apart simply because effort stops being mutual. Trust can also be broken by dishonesty or inconsistency, and once that happens, even love or history can feel distant.
What restores those bonds, though, is empathy the willingness to truly see and hear someone again. It’s forgiveness, humility, and consistent effort. Real connections are rebuilt not through grand gestures, but through small, genuine moments: an apology, a check-in, a willingness to understand instead of defend. Time, honesty, and mutual respect are what bring people back to each other.
Ultimately, what breaks bonds is disconnection and what restores them is the decision to reconnect, with openness and heart.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
The fear that has held me back the most has been the fear of failure — not just failing itself, but the idea of letting people down after putting so much of myself into something. I’ve always been driven and ambitious, and sometimes that pressure to “get it right” can make you overthink or delay taking the next big step.
But over time, I realized that failure isn’t the opposite of success it’s part of it. Every setback I’ve faced has pushed me to grow, adjust, and come back stronger. The truth is, the only real failure is not trying. Once I understood that, I stopped letting fear slow me down and started using it as fuel to keep moving forward.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
The public version of me is definitely a part of who I am, but it’s not the whole me. What people see publicly is the driven, creative, outgoing side the one that’s always building, creating, and motivating others. That’s all real. But behind that is also someone who’s constantly learning, doubting, reflecting, and working through challenges just like anyone else.
I’ve learned that being authentic doesn’t mean showing everything it means that what you do show is true. So yes, the public version of me is real, but it’s also the version that’s focused on purpose, leadership, and positivity. The quieter moments, the self-doubt, and the late nights that’s the part people don’t always see, but it’s what makes the public version possible.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people say that I was someone who created opportunities not just for myself, but for others. That I believed in people even when they didn’t believe in themselves. I hope they remember me as someone who built things from nothing, who brought people together, and who always made them feel seen, inspired, and valued.
I want my story to be about impact about how I turned ideas into reality, how I gave people a place to create, laugh, and grow, and how I never stopped pushing for more. Not for fame, but for fulfillment. I hope people say I lived with heart, that I loved deeply, and that I left behind more light than I took.
Because at the end of the day, success fades, but the way you made people feel that’s the story that lasts forever.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.thehubstudiosnj.com
- Instagram: @TheHubStudiosNJ @Shasentyou
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