On July 27, 2023, Lance Growth had just finished speaking at a New York real estate mixer and met with friends for an after-party at the Record Room, a speakeasy-style, vinyl listening lounge in Long Island City, Queens. He was not looking to date, but noticed Shanae Stephanie Strachan right away.
“I was outside with friends, still riding the energy of the evening, and when I went to hug our mutual friend, I saw Shanae behind her,” Growth said.
“The first thing I remember hearing as I exited the cab was his laughter before I even saw him,” Strachan said. “When I stood in front of him, my first thought was: Is this my husband?”
Later in the evening, she noticed his African attire and asked where he was from. When he responded, Saint Lucia, she pulled up a photo of herself at the Pitons — two mountainous, volcanic spires and a landmark in Saint Lucia she visits frequently. Growth, who left the island at age 7 and rarely visited, was caught off guard. “She spoke about my country with genuine love,” he said. “It felt like we were meeting somewhere deeper than just a night out in New York.”
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On Aug. 8, Growth picked Strachan up from her apartment in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, for their first date. Over cocktails and light bites at the rooftop bar of the Moxy hotel in Williamsburg, they talked about their Caribbean roots and their journeys to New York City. “With her, I felt like I was being reintroduced to traditions and feelings I didn’t realize I had been missing,” he said. Before the night was over, they planned to go to a 50 Cent concert at the Barclays Center for their second date.
Strachan, 34, who grew up in Nassau, Bahamas, is a professional model and actress. She graduated from Monroe College with a bachelor of business administration degree, with a major in hospitality management.
Growth, 42, is the chief executive of Growth 1031, a real estate investment firm based in New York. He was born in Castries, Saint Lucia, and received an associate degree in criminal justice from Manchester Community College in Manchester, Conn., a bachelor’s degree in political science from Tougaloo College in Jackson, Miss., and a law degree from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego.
By Sept. 14, 2023, they became exclusive, and the next month, Strachan moved into Growth’s Williamsburg apartment. Around that time, Strachan suggested they spend some time in Saint Lucia. “She wanted me to get more in touch with my roots,” he said.
What was only supposed to be one month turned into a year, and after spending time there, they founded Connect Saint Lucia, a nonprofit organization supporting young entrepreneurs on the island. They continue to split their time between Brooklyn and Cap Estate, Saint Lucia.
In January 2024, the weight of years spent building a career alone in New York and the anxiety carried over from past traumatic relationships had unexpectedly caught up with Strachan. “The pressures of being a Black immigrant model in New York, I was always waiting for the shoe to drop, especially in the beginning of our relationship,” she said.
Growth said, “I could just tell people had taken advantage of her. She tried to run, but I wasn’t going anywhere.”
Over time, his consistency helped her let her guard down. “I was a person who lived in worry and fear,” she said. “With Lance, I’m able to live with faith and joy.”
On Sept. 3, 2025, Growth proposed to Strachan while on a trip in Rome. He arranged for photographers under the guise of a magazine photo shoot, sent her ahead in a private car, and followed her on a scooter through the cobblestone streets. At Piazza del Popolo, he proposed with an oval diamond ring.
They married on May 1, 2026, at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau. Jenny Mendez, a city clerk, officiated, with six guests inside and 15 more waiting outside. Twenty family members and close friends watched via a WhatsApp video call from the Bahamas and Saint Lucia. That evening, they celebrated with dinner and live music at La Boca by Francis Mallmann at the Faena hotel in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood.
“We left our homes, came here, and worked hard,” Growth said of emigrating from St. Lucia as a child. “My mom always said that all this hard work would come back to her kids as blessings. We found each other in this city, and we have this beautiful love. When the St. Lucians called on the video, I thought — this is what it’s all for.”
The next evening, they hosted a party for 40 guests at the Record Room, where they first met.