Photographed by Wanthy Dimaren
If there’s one thing you can expect from [Shantel Jackson](https://www.instagram.com/missjackson/?hl=en), it’s the fact that she’s always going to fly and decked out in the most stylish outfit when you see her. A true jack of all trades, the Miami native continues to grace the limelight with her breathtaking beauty both inside and out, paired with a down-to-earth personality that fans can’t get enough of.
Shantel states, “Anybody that knows me: if I get a bad vibe, bad energy, you will not see me again. I do not want to hang around you, because it transfers and I don’t need that. I’m on the up and up, that’s what I need and that’s what I want around me.”
Whether she’s modeling, acting, or simply creating fun videos on TikTok, [Shantel Jackson](https://missjackson.com/) is a proud entrepreneur with multiple thriving businesses. For one, she is the proud founder of ShoeGummi, the world’s first and only outer sole pad to alleviate the pain and discomfort caused by wearing high heels. Additionally, she has [FanciGoods](https://fancigoods.com/) selling magnetic lashes, makeup tools and accessories, as well as [Chic Beaute](https://mychicbeaute.com/) which is an exfoliation regimen.
_Flaunt_ caught up with Shantel via Instagram Live, who was in high spirits posted inside her Los Angeles home. Read below as we discuss her role as an entrepreneur, her three businesses, how she got into modeling, getting on TikTok, ideal date night, fashion sense, upcoming movie roles, and more!
**I love talking to female entrepreneurs because it’s very inspiring.**
I’m excited to let everybody know that yes I’m an entrepreneur, but I bring a lot more to the table. Honestly being an entrepreneur is a lot, especially when you start out doing it on your own. Now, I’m in the space of finding the right people to build a team around me because I can’t continue to do it on my own. I need that team to help push me to the next level where I know I want to be and need to be, branding-wise and personally with my business.
**How big is your team?**
I just started with a young lady who helps me with ShoeGummi. She’s revamped my page, answering the DMs, staying on top of photoshoots and all that other stuff. When that weight is lifted off me, I have so much more space to be creative with everything else.
**I’d imagine those DMs are lit too, everyone wants a** [**ShoeGummi**](https://www.instagram.com/ShoeGummi/) **on their heels!**
Yes! Oh my gosh. I’ve always been obsessed with shoes since I can remember. Wearing them and going out in them, I had to find a way to make them more comfortable. For those of you who don’t know what ShoeGummi is, it goes on the bottom, outside of the shoes. Trying to make your high heels more comfortable, there’s always been inserts. Inserts don’t really do justice for me, or they make your shoes even tighter.
Putting them on the outside gave me room to make the high heel tilt back slightly, it takes a lot of pressure off the balls of your feet. Personally, I want to be out and have fun. Whether it’s a date night or a girls night out, enjoying myself, I don't want to worry about my feet. With me inventing this product, I eventually started to think that this could be something for all women, not just me.
**You see girls so often at the end of the night barefoot!**
Barefoot, walking with the knees, the “my feet hurt” walk. I get so many great reviews of women looking at their heels in the closet, they just bought them and cannot wear them out again. I get reviews with them like “I was able to wear my high heels again.” A lot of women who have feet and ankle problems, they weren’t able to wear heels before. Now, they can wear heels from trying out ShoeGummi.
**How does it feel to have such amazing positive feedback? Did you anticipate it’d become what it is now when you first started?**
I know what I had personally. To get the feedback, it helps drive me even more because I know I have something and it’s working. Women are loving it so it’s a boost of confidence. Having any type of business, honestly that’s needed. You want to keep driving forward along with that reassurance. We want that reassurance, just with anything. That’s what’s been coming in and I’m so grateful.
**Is ShoeGummi one style for all high heels and boots?**
We have the round style for the rounded toe or square toe. I just dropped a pointed style. Now we have small, medium and large for pointed and round. We have sizing charts and a print to size page where you can print out an actual size Gummi and size it on the bottom of your shoe. You have all the information you need to buy the right size.
**Let’s talk about FanciGoods too!**
Yes, I got that too. Today I used my two-in-one liner, which is a liner and adhesive all in one. For those ladies who have an absolute terrible time putting on lashes, you draw on the liner. You can use any type of lash band. If you want to use different types of brands, a drug store brand or you like FanciGoods, you can do that as well. You draw on your liner like usual, wait a few seconds, then stick your lash right on top of where you drew the liner. It’s that easy. If you don’t know, I love cosmetic headbands. Whether I’m in the shower or I want to keep my edges product free or dry, or when I’m putting on makeup, I end up with so much makeup dust or powder in my hairline that this honestly eliminates that.
**Why did you name it FanciGoods?**
Like high heels, I’ve been obsessed with lashes for just as long. I was stagnant at a point in time with ShoeGummi and said “I need to be doing something now. You know what, I’m going to take some money and flip it. I’ma do lashes and see what happens.” I didn’t want to be stuck with a fancy lash or lash tag on it. You know what, Fanci something. FanciGoods. Now I can have all these different items under the company, it’s not stuck to one name.
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**How did you get into modeling?**
From a very young age, I’ve always loved the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, modeling, acting, all that in a nutshell. I started off doing commercials when I was younger. I did go to a modeling class or school back in Miami. I’m not tall, so it was more for beauty and that aesthetic. I got into music videos, then got out of it.
**How was that experience?**
It was really fun. I had a good time, I was young. I started at 17. My mom was dropping me off on set, signing waivers until I turned 18. I did music videos for a few years, I’m not going to say which. \[laughs\] I had a great time, great experience. I was in college. I was trying to balance school, being on set, doing all that good stuff. I figured “you know what, I’ma start doing online.” I honestly finished my two years, got my AA degree and went about my business.
**As a young girl coming up in Miami, did you think you’d be here now?**
I always felt or knew something, it was just a matter of time. Honestly I can’t tell you I’d have businesses or be an entrepreneur before everything else. I was so into acting, wanting to do that or the modeling. At a certain point, I said “I’m going to give this a break. I want to put 100% into ShoeGummi and see where that takes me.” Putting that extra time and effort into my business or what I was doing really navigated me to where I am.
**I know you acted in _Freelancers_ back in 2012?**
Oh yes, 50 said “here, we have this little role for you. It’s not much but you can do it.” I said “oh I’ll take it. I’ll do it.” It was something to do and I’m definitely grateful he gave it to me. I had fun on set. I dropped acting for the longest time, I wasn’t into it anymore. When COVID hit, I started getting into TikToks. It honestly gave me the acting bug again, so I do have two roles I booked this year. I can’t really say much, they haven’t started filming yet. It’s supposed to be at the end of the year so fingers crossed for that to still be in the works, but I am open to more movie roles and seeing where that takes me.
**How was it on The Platinum Life?**
Going into that, I kept such a good relationship with all of the girls except for one. Lola, Alycia, Asiah, even if we don’t talk for a few weeks or don’t see each other—when we do, it’s like we haven’t missed a step and I love that. You can’t speak to everybody every day. Everyone has their own things going on or people are going through things. Once we link up, we always have a good vibes.
**Would you do reality television again?**
We actually met up the other day. Saturday, I had a cabana at the SLS, so it was me, Lola, Alycia, Asiah, some other friends. We were talking about what if we redo the black lives stuff?
**What do you do for self-care? How do you take care of your mental state?**
In general, mental health is important. To keep myself centered, I definitely have to make time for the things that I like to do versus what I have to do. Now when I say have to do: of course working a job, keeping the lights on, all that stuff has to be done business-wise. What keeps me centered are the things I want to do. I enjoy the beach. I enjoy watching a good show, a good movie. Whether it’s a big box office or an independent film, I take time out to do. Even sitting down enjoying a good meal by myself or a drink — whatever you like to do, you need to take that time out to do it. Period.
**How have you been liking TikTok?**
I love TikTok, it gave me the push and creative mindset to get everything rolling into one. I can do a funny lash video, I can do something funny wearing a headband or using my cosmetic sponges and it rolls over to those pages as well. It’s constant content, content, content. To me, it’s nothing better than to laugh as well. To make people laugh, to be funny or to be unexpected. That’s the thing: people thought “oh my gosh, she has a personality or she speaks. She does this or she does that.” I don’t look at it as a bad thing, I look at it as another door opening. Or new people seeing me for the first time, and this is who I am.
**Laughter is the best medicine.**
It is, oh my gosh. Laughter and good music for sure.
**What artists are you listening to?**
I’m such an old school R&B girl. It doesn’t matter if I’m playing it throughout the whole day, it’d be like I heard the song the first time when I was 8 years old. I’ll be so into it. I can be in a bad mood, putting on that music sets my mood differently and helps me get through the day. It’s like someone saying “your record helped me get through this breakup.”
**What is your ideal date night?**
I love Nobu in Malibu. You definitely have to make the effort to go. Even if you’re not enjoying the food, which is still amazing, it’s the ambience of being by the water. I love to be by the beach and water, I’m from Miami. I love Crossroads, I’m a vegetarian. Crossroads has really good vegan options. I like Nice Guy, I love the vibe. Delilah, I love their food and the ambiance as well.
**What about after dinner?**
I haven’t really been in the whole dating thing. It’s been a long time so I can’t really tell you. Dinner and a movie, or great conversation. I don’t want somebody on their phone. Put the phones down, let me get to know you. What’re you doing? Ask me questions, let’s see what’s going on. That’s really important, you need to know a person just in general. How’s this person reacting? What’re they doing? Or in this situation, what’s going to happen? People jump into situations so fast that they don’t really know a person. Things can end fast or they go through a situation like “damn, I didn’t even know this person.” In the lust phase, then things hit them like “this person chews on their toenails, when did that happen?” \[laughs\]
**Do you do your own makeup?**
I did my makeup today.
**Talk about your** [**Chic Beaute**](https://mychicbeaute.com/) **brand as well.**
That’s another company I’ve been working on. With everything I have, it’s a lifestyle. I love having flawless, texture-free skin and one of the ways I stick with it is exfoliating. These are my exfoliating sponges. We have soft sponges and we have firm, if you have sensitive or not sensitive skin. A lot of people have asked me about my skin. Honestly, it can start with exfoliating. If you’re not getting that dead layer of skin off, then all those beauty products that you’re putting on are on this top surface of your skin in general. I live by exfoliating, not because this is my product. Before I developed this, I was looking into other ways. What’s the best way to exfoliate? This is gentle yet effective, and not harsh. It won’t scratch up the surface of your skin.
**How often do you need to exfoliate?**
I exfoliate two to three times a week. Depending on what your skin tone is or how sensitive it is, you might base it off that. Some people can exfoliate every day, others two to three times a week. Also I base it off of how much makeup I’m wearing that week because it can clog the pores and dry out the skin as well.
**How would you describe your fashion sense?**
Sexy. Because even if I’m dressed down, I can throw on a sweatsuit and a pump, a killer ass bag and my hair’s done, it’s still dressed down but it’s still casual sexy. Even if I have cutoff shorts and some thigh-high boots and a baggy tee: okay it’s thrown together, but it’s sexy. Or if you’re going for that short dress vibe, it’s sexy. I love being a woman, I love that feeling of sexy. It exudes confidence. Bam, I’m here.
**Have you ever thought about starting your own clothing line?**
Not exactly a clothing line, but I have wanted to do shoes. Maybe that might be a thing in the future, or hats. I’m really into hats. I love hats so that’s come into question and play as well. Stay tuned.
**What else are you excited for?**
I’m excited for these roles I’ve landed and what they’re going to bring me, just with being on set and seeing what that fulfillment is. Seeing where the acting will take me. Am I going to want to do it? Maybe it’s not for me, or maybe it is? It’s going to lead to even bigger things, I’m ready for it. I’m in a space: bring everything on, I’m ready.
**As long as it makes you happy…**
Right! If I’m not happy, I don’t want it. Don’t bring it over here at all.
**How often do you hear the Outkast “Ms. Jackson” song** ?
When that song came out, I was 14 or 15 in the 10th grade. For the rest of my life, I’ll always hear that song forever and ever. Even the teachers would be in on it with the students. If they’re calling roll, they’d say “Ms. Jackson“ and the students would be like “Ooh!” I couldn’t help but love it. It was an iconic part in my life, and continues to be. I have so many DMs to sift through of people who want to say “I’m sorry Ms. Jackson” or the “ooh.” I can’t say I absolutely don’t love it, but it’s funny.
**Everyone in this Live is saying!**
Always, oh my gosh I love it. I do, I’m not going to lie.
**Anything else you want to let us know?**
I like to always end things with giving people advice. Whatever you’re doing, don’t be afraid to fail. So many people are afraid to fail because they think it’s the end all be all. I’ve personally failed so many times at building my company with ShoeGummi, having to start back over from the drawing board. My research failing, finding new material. But I didn’t stop there, I kept moving forward. Just because you fail, doesn’t mean that you can’t bounce back and keep moving forward. Sometimes, the failure leads you to the success. A lot of people don’t know that.
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