Local StoriesAugust 25, 2025

Meet Shanequa Taylor, MS, MHOE of Chicago, IL

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shanequa Taylor, MS, MHOE.

Hi Shanequa, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in St. Louis, and it will always be my heart and home. It’s where my family and friends are, and no matter where life takes me, it’s the community I’ll always uplift, support, and give back to.

My journey really started with a love for fitness that grew into something so much bigger. I studied Exercise Science for my bachelor’s and later earned a master’s in Kinesiology, and from there I dove into just about every part of the fitness world. I’ve taught at St. Louis Community College, worked one-on-one as a personal trainer, and led group classes like cardio burn, bootcamps, trampoline, and cycling. For me, it was never just about the workouts—it was about helping people feel strong, confident, and connected. Fitness became my way of building community and creating spaces where everyone feels included.

That same entrepreneurial drive eventually pushed me into real estate. I bought my first townhome in 2019, and what started as a dream to one day become a landlord became a reality in 2023 when I moved to Chicago for work and was able to rent it out. That was a proud milestone for me. Just like fitness, I see real estate as another way to build community—creating stability, opportunity, and growth for the long term.

When I look back, the common thread in both paths is clear: turning passion into purpose. Whether I’m leading a high-energy class, managing property, or coming back home to teach in St. Louis, my goal is the same—to make an impact, inspire others, and create spaces where people can truly thrive.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Honestly, after graduating, I thought the path would be clear, but it wasn’t at all. I had a lot of bumps and failures before I found my rhythm. For example, I tried to become a personal trainer at Club Fitness early on, and it just didn’t work out. It took almost eight years before I finally achieved that goal.

Then in 2020, I got certified to teach at Cyclebar Mid Rivers, which was so exciting… until we had to shut down just a week after opening because of the pandemic. That was tough. People’s comfort levels with being in public spaces shifted overnight, so we had to get creative—spacing out bikes, enforcing strict cleaning, and even taking workouts outdoors. It was a big challenge, but it forced me to think outside the box and find new ways to keep people moving.

With real estate, the challenges have looked different but just as important. You really do learn from every tenant interaction—how to set firm boundaries, put solid policies in place, and sometimes rely on property management or platforms to help keep things running smoothly.

At the end of the day, the hard parts made me better. Every setback taught me something, and those lessons are helping me grow into what’s next—like teaching at The Aux Wellness Collective here in Evanston, searching for my next property, and still popping back home to St. Louis whenever I can to teach a class and stay connected.

The road hasn’t been easy, but it’s been worth it—because each challenge shaped me into the entrepreneur, leader, and community-builder I am today.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
In my professional life, I serve as a Quality and Care Transformation Program Manager on the Health and Social Impact team at Endeavor Health, which includes 9 hospitals and over 300 medical group offices. In this role, I work across teams—clinicians, IT, and leadership—to make sure that equity is applied to every initiative. My focus is on closing disparity gaps for our most vulnerable patients and building lasting trust between them and their healthcare providers.

What I’m most known for is bringing my passion for serving communities into the work of project management. A great example of that is helping to align and expand our Community Health Worker team. I also helped design and launch a workflow for our ambulatory offices so that doctors and staff could directly connect patients to Community Health Workers for support with social drivers of health—things like housing, utilities, food, transportation, and interpersonal safety needs. Before, doctors often knew their patients were struggling outside the clinic walls, but they didn’t have a way to fully address those issues. Now, with this program in place, patients can get connected to real resources and their doctors feel supported in caring for the “whole person.”

I think what sets me apart is my ability to communicate across different stakeholders, build relationships, and design solutions that are sustainable long term. I also bring my personal understanding that some communities face unique struggles and need a more personalized approach to healthcare. For me, it’s about making sure equity isn’t just a word we use, but something patients can actually feel when they walk through our doors.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
I’ve been really fortunate to have so many people pour into me along the way—mentors, family, friends, and even clients who believed in me before I fully believed in myself.

One of my greatest mentors is Terry Wilson. I met him back in middle school through Freedom School, first as a scholar and later as an intern in college. He’s been a constant presence in my life ever since—writing every letter of recommendation for me, guiding me through big decisions, and even becoming one of my most successful personal training clients, losing over 50 pounds and building his own confidence and fitness plan. He’s been both a professional and life mentor to me.

Professionally, Karen Morrison made a huge impact when I transitioned to the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team at BJC Healthcare—my very first role after earning my master’s. She taught me so much about project management, leadership, and relationship-building. She really showed me how to cultivate relationships that grow into meaningful connections across the St. Louis community.

In fitness, I’ve had mentors who truly saw something in me. Arthur Shivers at G3 Fitness first knew me as a client, but he pushed me to step into instructing and even bodybuilding. From him, I learned how to build programs, develop clients, and grow a business inside of a community. And then there’s Lorenzo Boyd, the owner of Cyclebar Mid Rivers, who knew I had the passion and background for fitness and encouraged me to audition as one of the very first instructors when his studio opened. He gave me the opportunity to deepen my passion for cycling and connect with an entirely new community.

And of course, I can’t leave out my family—my husband Brandon, my mom Sandra, my dad David, and my sister Carol—who’ve been my biggest cheerleaders through every up and down. My friends, my sorors, my classmates, and my clients have also played a huge role. Clients especially inspire me, because so many came to me after seeing my success with training and bodybuilding and wanted to start their own journeys. Their trust has pushed me to keep growing and showing up.

I definitely didn’t get here on my own—it’s taken a village, and I’m so grateful for every single person who’s been part of my story.

Contact Info:

Suggest a Story: VoyageSTL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.