Hi Shanece! Where are you from originally and how long have you lived in town?
I am originally from Los Angeles, California, and have made New Jersey my home since 2013.
Do you have any children?
I have one son. His name is Odell Strong Santana. His first name and middle names come from his grandfathers. Odell is 21 months old.
What are your favorite things to do with Odell?
Odell is an on-the-go type of guy. He’s an advert traveler and explorer. Odell has visited the Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Mexico. He plans to go to visit Argentina and Bolivia next as he is a lover of nature, hiking, and exploring. My favorite thing to do with Odell is to embark and bask in cultural awareness and awareness of all living things, even those living in the great outdoors.
Are you involved in a business venture? Please share!
I co-own a Black and Latina Women-Owned Business in the heart of Rutherfords, NJ’s Downtown area called Fond & Faye.
I am the Faye of Fond & Faye, and we are a Facial & Body Bar specializing in results-driven experiences. Our name, Fond & Faye, means Kindness & Confidence, which we wish to provide our clients with every interaction we have with them.
What a great meaning behind the name! Why is this so important?
Fond & Faye Facial & Body Bar is a Day Spa that aims to bring its clients results-driven experiences and a renewed sense of self-love and self-care. Self-love and self-care are important because without them, who are we truly? With self-love and self-care, we can pour more into the things, and people we love- our family, our friends, our children, our home, our careers, our goals; the list is never-ending. We must be the love; we must be the care.
So true! What sets you apart?
Fond & Faye isn’t your average Day Spa. We’ve traveled the world, creating a menu that encompasses results-driven experiences around the world. We’ve trained in specialized techniques in Japan, South Korea, Colombia, and as local as Nevada, Florida, and the East Coast. We truly bring different cultural beauty standards into our Day Spa as we look to transform the normative thinking of what standardized beauty treatments are in America.
If you could give one tip to fellow moms, what would it be?
Be okay with failure. But never be okay with giving up. With failure, you will grow. You will develop. You will get better. By giving up, you lose all chances of ever succeeding.
Succeeding should also never be confused with finishing something. Succeeding is the grunt; it is the fight; it is the bustle. It is not the confirmation of the end. It is not the plaque or the reward. It is every step you take to get to the end. Your success is in your fight!
What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
I’m a lover of the great outdoors. I’ve climbed some of the highest mountains in the world. I’ve also been deep sea diving in Thailand, Australia and plan to go Africa to dive in 2024. And last but not least I’m also an avid yogi and bird watcher.
How has this community been instrumental in getting you to where you are now?
New Jersey is the home of small businesses. It is so welcoming of entrepreneurs and women-owned businesses. It’s so comforting and motivating to know all the businesses surrounding us in the Rutherford Downtown area are small business owners. The town has warmly welcomed us by showing us so much love and advertising us to its public. We are endlessly thankful.
To learn more about Fond & Faye, visit the website and follow along on Instagram or Facebook.