Shantay Brown on Trusting Your Journey & Refusing to Shrink

By the time most people are figuring out their first serious job, Shantay Brown had already become a mother, left home and taken on more responsibility than many adults twice her age. Today, at 32, she’s the opening general manager of Playbook Commons, a chic, sports-forward Italian steakhouse at Toronto’s Hotel X. Before that, she raced through the ranks at Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), leading teams at Real Sports and E11even—often as the youngest person, and one of the only Black women on the leadership team.

On paper, it looks like a perfectly plotted career. In reality, it started with survival. “Being a young mother—that’s kind of what led me into the industry,” she says. “Providing for my family at the time was something that I needed to do.” While going to university, she picked

up shifts in a tiny family restaurant where, “it was only one person working, and that person did it all.” Learning every task—from greeting guests to closing at night—gave her an early, unfiltered view of what real leadership on the floor looked like.

When she later walked into a restaurant in Toronto’s financial district and got hired on the spot, she was still green—but not for long. “I started there as a host, a couple months later I went into serving,” she recalls. “That quickly progressed into a leadership role because, as a mother, I wanted that kind of job security. I also loved just being in hospitality. I’m a big foodie… I love creating moments and experiences for people.”

That mix of urgency and passion pushed her into bigger and bigger venues—from neighbourhood spots to packed sports bars, from working in quick service at Scotiabank Arena during the Raptors’ historic finals run to overseeing an $18-million operation doing 900 covers a night. Each step demanded more: longer hours, higher stakes, thicker skin. And at every turn, Brown had to prove that a young Black woman not only belonged in those spaces—but could run them.

In 2024, Brown made Kostuch Media’s “Top 30 Under 30 in Hospitality list—an honour she shares, emotionally, with her family. “When I got 30 under 30, it was a moment for my whole family,” she says. “Not just me. It’s like, we did this.”

The recognition put her on the radar of other operators, and after seven years with MLSE and six roles in six years, she was ready to see what she could do outside the organization where she’d essentially grown up.

In March 2024, Harlo Entertainment approached her with an offer: open Playbook Commons at Hotel X as general manager. “It’s my first GM role,” she says. “I joined in March; we opened at the end of May. I’ve kind of been a lone wolf—having some help from my directors—but running the restaurant from the ground up has been a really great experience. The learnings have been continuous throughout, which I love. It’s been a gift to learn that I can do things I never thought I could do.”

Playbook Commons, a unique concept built for guests who want a polished, grown-up room where a steak dinner and the game carry equal weight, feels like the sum of everything she’s learned so far. “I would say it’s our perfect addition to Hotel X,” she says. “It’s a really chic, refined Italian steakhouse in the hotel, but it’s still approachable with a really great family-style menu and incredible wine selection. We have a sports theatre, and yet there are times we’re also showing artwork on our screen. So, we can flip from a classy restaurant into a sports theatre style where people can still have great food, dine with us and have a great viewing experience.”

Underneath that polished CV, Brown is clear-eyed about how improbable her path can feel. Talking about becoming a mother at 17 and leaving home young, her voice catches. “I really shouldn’t be here,” she says. “Sometimes I feel that way.” She doesn’t mean she hasn’t earned her place—she’s deeply proud of what she’s built—but she’s acutely aware of the odds stacked against her. “Having a lot of responsibility and just being on my own from a really young age has really taught me responsibility and how to really show up for myself and never count myself out even when other people think that it might be over for me or that I’m not capable.”

 “I remember being the first Black AGM at Real Sports, and then at E11even,” she says. “There weren’t many Black leaders, let alone female leaders, in my workspace at the time.” Despite being a seasoned foodservice leader, a lack of representation meant that her age, appearance, and family status were often misread as liabilities. “My appearance—being a woman of colour who presents herself aesthetically well—people thought I was just a pretty face. Those are some of the main challenges I faced as a woman, and particularly as a woman of colour, in a male-dominant environment. I take care to show up as the best version of myself, but I have proven I’m a smart, resourceful person, and my looks are just a bonus. I’ve managed to let that shine through.”

Brown also points out the persistent judgment around young motherhood. “When I tell people, ‘Oh, I’m 32, I have a 14-year-old and a 4-year-old,’ they’re like, ‘Whoa,’” she says. “People kind of judged me based on that, especially when I was younger. But that’s been my secret weapon this whole time: my kids are my drive. Being a teen mother gave me a sense of purpose and pushed me to show my kids that they can be anything and deserve to be in spaces of influence and success.”

Her family has been central to that journey. “We really are like a one-of-a-kind pair,” she says of her partner. “Not too many people can go through what we’ve been through and still grow together and learn that hard lesson that we did when we were really young. He’s been my rock through this. He’s really pushed me and made me believe in myself at times when I didn’t and allowed me to take every opportunity that came my way. He’s always been my number one supporter.”

Those experiences shape the way she leads. Brown describes herself as a hands-on, empathetic manager who expects a lot and gives a lot. “I can be tough,” she admits, “but I’m also very human. I know you’re a human too. We all have things that we’re going through, and that’s a big part of hospitality.” She makes a point of being physically present on the floor. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do in terms of showing up for my staff and the restaurant,” she says. “I’m helping clear tables with my staff and I’m still on the front lines as well. No role’s ever too small for me.”

That respect flows both ways. “It’s important to treat people how you want to be treated and to approach them as individuals, as responsible grown-ups,” she says. “I’ve led teams with people of all ages and backgrounds, and I’ve always been able to garner respect because I’ve approached them the same way.” Having felt small in previous workplaces, she’s determined not to recreate that dynamic wherever she has the chance to lead by example. “Being someone who has felt small at times has helped me be more emotionally intelligent with my staff because I wouldn’t want them to feel that way.”

Years of service have sharpened Brown’s ability to read body language, anticipate needs and build relationships that last. She remembers what people enjoyed on previous visits and checks in about their lives. “Showing staff and guests that you genuinely care about them, that you genuinely respect them, really does create value and a great hospitality environment,” she says.

Balancing that environment with a busy family life is an ongoing challenge, and she and her partner operate with what she calls a “can’t fail” attitude. “I’ve had so many different roles and shifts and hours; it’s really not been easy,” Brown admits. “My family has given me grace. We balance a busy household and schedule. You have to be organized, you have to be disciplined, and you have to be driven to make it happen. You can have everything. You can have a family, and you can be a mom and have a career. You don’t have to choose.”

Protecting her sense of self is part of that. “I don’t want to lose my ‘Shantay’ in my motherhood,” she says. “It’s important to have your own career, your own autonomy—to have that thing that is yours and that you’ve crafted for yourself.”

Because she never had a formal mentor, Brown is passionate about changing that for others. At MLSE, she helped lead an Employee Inclusion Group, planning Black History Month events and marketplace-style activations where staff could showcase their cultures and talents in addition to helping develop community and mentorship opportunities. “It was all about bringing people together, trying to uplift each other, create access and ways to support each other,” she says. Without that kind of network, she believes, it’s easy to get “lost in the cadence of the whole hierarchy and politics” of corporate life—especially as a person of colour. “You do have to have thick skin,” she says. “But having someone that can guide you is so important.”

She sees enormous potential in building more spaces where Black women in hospitality can connect, share experiences and identify opportunities. “I would love to be a part of more opportunities to be able to educate people on my journey,” she says. “There’s so much you can get from having conversations and opening up and having that network and community. It all comes down to that solidarity. Continuing to build spaces where we are being supportive of one another is the key.”

Looking ahead, she’s still climbing in corporate hospitality—eyeing an F&B director role—while nurturing a long-term dream rooted in her culture. “Down the line, I’d love to open my own restaurant,” she shares. “I love to cook. A passion of mine is making Jamaican food. Watching these other restaurants blow up… it does make you feel like, ‘Wow, it’s possible.’ That’s my end goal, but I want to build my experience through all these different levels of leadership first.”

Shantay’s Advice

1. Love the work—and play the long game.

Pour yourself into work you genuinely love, and trust that with time, consistency, and relationships, that passion will carry you exactly where you want to go.

2. Move with grace but always advocate for yourself.

Carry yourself with professionalism and kindness, while still speaking up clearly for what you need and deserve.

3. Don’t lose yourself in anyone else’s idea of you.

Let your own values and ambitions define who you are, not other people’s expectations or ideas of who you should be.