We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shaina Renee. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shaina below.

Shaina, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

The story behind The Model Knowledge Group is one of vision, passion, and resilience. As a serial entrepreneur with multiple businesses, my journey began in 2014 when I created this company in my living room, driven by a simple yet powerful idea—to build something that could change the world. At the time, I had no idea the impact it would have today. From the start, I was committed to creating a company that embraced diversity and inclusion, focusing on uplifting women leaders, brands, and creatives while providing a platform for those often left behind. My mission was to produce impactful events, workshops, and conferences where women and creatives from all walks of life could come together, collaborate, and thrive. What started as a dream has grown into a movement that continues to break barriers, amplify voices, and inspire change worldwide.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Shaina Renee, and I am serial entrepreneur with a deep passion for creating businesses that drive meaningful change. My journey into entrepreneurship began with a background in fashion and business, but my path took a transformative turn when I founded my creative agency The Model Knowledge Group in 2014. I saw an opportunity to create something that would empower women and foster diversity and inclusion across industries. My education in business and hands-on experience in various fields helped shape my approach to building impactful events, workshops, and conferences that bring together women, creatives, and brands from all walks of life.

Alongside my fashion and creative ventures, I ventured into the world of finance and real estate, recognizing a need to address financial literacy and access to resources, especially for women and underserved communities. I started my financial consulting firm, SRSL Consulting, to help individuals and businesses navigate credit, funding, and real estate opportunities. This part of my journey has been driven by my belief in financial independence and the power of real estate to build generational wealth. Through my work, I help clients achieve their financial goals, whether it’s building credit, securing funding, or purchasing homes.

What sets me apart from my competitors is my holistic approach to business. I don’t just focus on one area—I bring together fashion, finance, and real estate to offer a well-rounded, impactful experience for my clients. I believe in breaking barriers and providing opportunities where they didn’t exist before. My businesses solve the problem of underrepresentation and lack of access to opportunities, particularly for women of color, by offering platforms that allow individuals to thrive. What I’m most proud of is seeing the women I work with succeed, the relationships we build, and the positive ripple effect my work has on the world. From launching businesses to helping people build wealth, I’m most proud of the lasting impact I’ve been able to make, knowing that my efforts contribute to a future where more people have the chance to fulfill their dreams.

How did you build your audience on social media?

To build a strong social media presence, consistency is absolutely key. We spent a lot of time showing up regularly and focusing on being present, rather than obsessing over perfect aesthetics. When I revamped The Model Knowledge Group, I was extremely busy managing multiple aspects of the business, so I hired interns and created a comprehensive marketing strategy tailored to our audience and brand. We studied the analytics to understand what our audience responded to, and based our content around their preferences. This approach helped us grow a strong, engaged community. Over time, we’ve reached a point where we don’t need to post every day, but we make sure to keep our story active so our audience knows what we’re up to and what’s coming next. If you’re afraid of showing your face or don’t feel comfortable being on camera, don’t worry—your audience may enjoy things like swiping through photos, reading quotes, or other types of content. But if you love being in front of the camera, it’s essential to stay consistent and share your story. Ultimately, building a solid presence is about authenticity, staying true to your brand, and always engaging with your audience in a way that feels natural for you.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

I love this question because funding is often overlooked in business, but it’s absolutely critical! That’s actually one of the reasons I became a financial expert—because I’ve been through it myself. When I first started funding my business, I had an investor, but I didn’t know much about credit or business credit at the time. My first step was applying for a business credit card through Chase. They gave me a $3,000 limit, and while it wasn’t much, I flipped that into $20,000, and from there, it was history. My strategy is simple: FIX YOUR CREDIT. This is crucial if you want to apply for business loans, lines of credit, and business credit cards. Being financially literate is key, and just as important, having the discipline to manage your finances responsibly.

I always teach my clients to spend money on things that will increase wealth—investing in things that will bring returns over time, which is why I’m so passionate about real estate, but that’s another story for another day! If you can get an investor, do it. If you can apply for grants, do it. However, keep in mind that these options can take longer. For me, getting loans, lines of credit, and business credit cards was much faster, and it gave me the leverage I needed to grow quickly. Often, people worry about debt, but just like Robert Kiyosaki says, there’s good debt and bad debt! Good debt is when you use borrowed money to generate income or grow your business, while bad debt is when you’re using borrowed money for things that don’t contribute to your wealth. The key is to have discipline and manage your debt wisely.

The biggest takeaway here is: fix your credit and invest in a mentor who can guide you through the process. It’s not just about having access to capital, it’s about using that capital wisely to grow your business. Surround yourself with people who understand the financial landscape and who can help you make smart decisions that will lead to long-term success.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.themodelknowledgegroup.com, www.srslconsulting.com/thefirm
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/iamshainarenee , www.instagram.com/themodelknowledgegroup
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shainar
• Other: Real Estate Brand: www.the-powerpitch.com

Image Credits

I own all of my photos, with my company “themodelknowledgegroup”