We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shani Ashley Francillon a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Shani, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?

The first dollar I ever received as an artist was for an H&R Block Commercial I booked when I was 20. I had never been so happy to receive a $300 check. I found the gig of Backstage.com, I remember having such a fire and hustle to audition for anything and everything (that was safe and verified). I went into the audition room and they had me do some improv work. One of my favorite sitcom actors is Raven-Symone. Aside from being in acting class, “That’s So Raven” really taught me comedic chops that I brought into the audition room. The Casting Directors were laughing hysterically as this commercial was supposed to be comedic, I knew I had it in the bag. Ahhh… to be young and confident. Days later, I booked it. When I found out I was getting paid $300 dollars just to act I was hype! I couldn’t believe it. My face would be everywhere and I can get paid for it? I thought I hit the lottery. Thats the beauty of being young and not doing things for money, when you do end up getting paid for it, that’s just a bonus. Needless to say, anyone I’ve known all these years who saw that commercial, still brings up how funny I was till this day.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. My parents, both Haitian Immigrants, introduced me to the arts at the age of four when my mother entered me into a pageant. I sang Brittney Spears “Sometimes I Run”, and I remember feeling so confident on that stage. My mother likes to tell me of the time when she asked me if I was afraid to perform and I replied to her “Mommy, all I see is me and the microphone.”, it was then she and my dad knew they had a firecracker on their hands. Not knowing anything about the entertainment industry my parents asked around, my father is very resourceful, he’s an owner of a liquor store in Brooklyn. He asked one of his customers about performing arts schools in NYC. By the age of ten, I was training in dance, singing, and acting at Harbor Conservatory Of The Performing Arts in Harlem. My dad would take me after school and on Saturdays. Singing was my first love, but when I entered my first acting class, it was improv, it was like I opened up the doors to a whole new world. I was already an imaginative kid like many, but this time I got to do it with other kids, and in front of an audience. It was a dream. From there, I focused on acting in areas such as musical theatre to advanced acting classes. After booking my first commercial for Bill Clinton’s Global Initiative at age 11 which led me to introducing him at his conference in front of so much press, it was then my parents who came all the way from Haiti, knew that this could be something. By age 21, I signed with my first acting manager, enrolled in my first adult acting class with Anthony Abeson in Manhattan, NY- who is truly one of the most influential people in my life. Anthony had over 30 years in the industry and read thousands of scripts. One day I performed my own written piece. Anthony asked me what play the scene was from and I responded “I wrote it…” he was shocked and insisted we produce a showcase of all my written work.

Now, I had been writing for a very long time but I never considered myself a writer, I did it as a hobby, as a way to put on paper what I desired to see on TV, and for someone of his intelligence, talent, and experience to admire and want to invest in my writing changed the game. In 2017, we produced my first showcase called Views From the Terminal Hotel. From there I Produced, Directed, Wrote and Starred in my own one-woman show called Naked: An Open Letter To My Ex which was about the way in which I had grown into a woman from my long-term relationship with my high school sweetheart. With three sold-out shows in under 24 hours, this gave me the confidence to bring my writing and producing on camera, leading me to produce short films, poetry shorts, events and more. In 2018, I heard God tell me to move to LA and so I did. My first year, I booked my first TV role on the show Boomerang on BET. I’ve won multiple poetry slams, and somehow during the pandemic, God led me into the Voiceover world giving me the opportunity to be the voice of an international Adidas Commercial. I’ve been the voice for brands such as Dick Sports Goods, Klarna, Bumble, Milk, and more. From in front of the camera to behind, my journey has led me into many rooms and God continues to show me I’m just getting started.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

That’s a great question. Within the last year I’ve learned that I’m not entitled to my success at the time I want it. The lesson I had to unlearn was that I’m entitled to my success at the time I want it. Often times when you’re actively working toward your dreams you expect it to happen on your time. As if you are owed something by God, like “Hey look at all this work I’m doing, I should be successful by now!”. That’s honestly the worst way to go about working toward your goals. I had to learn the value of God’s timing and patience. Two of the most precious gifts. As I reflect on my career, if I got everything I wanted when I wanted it, I wouldn’t have the character, knowledge, or team, to keep it. I didn’t even have a strong relationship with my faith early on in my career, and the last thing you want to do is move into any industry without God. Now, I move with intention, for every project. Whether I’m producing it or acting in it- even performing poetry. I won’t say yes to perform on just anybody’s stage. If It doesn’t align with me, I won’t be apart of it. And that might mean months without booking, and I’m okay with that. I’d rather longevity than short term success. I’d rather God’s will than mine.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I think everyone is creative. I believe some people access their creativity more than others. Some people have suppressed their creativity, but all of us create. For those who are not seeking anything from the arts, I’d say understand the high’s and lows of an artist. We deal with a lot of rejection, a lot of daydreaming, a lot of “almost”. Some people struggle to understand that. So yes when we book something we are excited and filled with joy, but we need your emotional support in the in between time just as much as you give it to us when we have our win’s.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shani.ashley_/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AllThingsEmpress

Image Credits
Royal Binion Joey Cheng Guido Venitucci Jordan Guidry