Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica “Jase” Smith-Martinez.
Hi Jessica “Jase”, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’m a Texas-wide girl all around—born in West Texas, bred in North Texas, now rooted in Central Texas, and I love visiting the South. Different parts of this state have shaped different parts of me.
Creativity found me early. I started with poetry and multimedia art in middle school, explored photography, sang in school choir, danced in college, and eventually went from poet to singer-songwriter. Along the way, I won awards for my writing and artwork.
As a young adult and young single mom, I continued singing in church. That’s where a lot of my musical soul lives. I’ve always been drawn to soulful music, and to me, worship music is at the very root of soul—music that comes from somewhere deeper than simply sounding good.
Having been a creative myself gave me a genuine respect for artists and what it takes to turn something inside of you into something other people can see, hear and feel.
And I’ll keep it real—I didn’t necessarily not want the spotlight; I learned I couldn’t handle everything that came with it. Being seen can be beautiful, but being constantly seen also means carrying expectations, criticism and scrutiny while still somehow finding the freedom to create.
Turns out, I make a pretty good King’s Hand. 😂 I discovered that I could take everything I understood about being an artist and use it from just outside the spotlight—connecting the dots, opening doors and helping the person with the gift get where they’re meant to go.
That realization became the heart of S.H.I.N.E Agency—Spotlighting, Honoring, Inspiring, Nurturing and Elevating. Today, I work in artist promotion, booking, development, marketing and event production, and my work with Texas Music Cafe in Waco gives me another way to pour that passion into artists, music and community.
I’m a connector by nature. Give me talent, an idea or someone with potential, and my brain immediately asks: Who needs to see this? Where does it belong? How do we make it grow?
I’ve learned to make things happen with a prayer, a plan and a questionable lack of sleep—I don’t need caffeine when the motivation runs this deep. 😂
I’ve been the poet, the performer and the artist. Those experiences taught me to respect the person standing in the spotlight—and helped me realize my place was just outside of it.
A little faith, a little grit, a whole lot of grace—life still comes with ups and downs, but I’ve learned to ride them like waves.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Has it been a smooth road? Well…define smooth. I’ve had some beautiful stretches, a few potholes and plenty of unexpected turns. Truth is, I didn’t have a map—I was drawing one as I went.
One of my biggest lessons has been realizing that talent and hard work are only part of the equation. Especially in entertainment, relationships, timing, resources and simply being seen by the right person can change everything. Learning to navigate that world made me better at helping others navigate it.
I’ve also learned the difference between helping people and enabling people. I’m naturally a fixer and a connector—I see potential and immediately start thinking about opportunity. But I’ve learned I can show them the door; they have to earn the invite.
As for hearing “no,” I’ve always believed a no just means it’s not somewhere I was supposed to be anyway. Sometimes the closed door is the direction.
Building something of my own has meant learning as I go, making mistakes, adjusting the plan and becoming comfortable with a good pivot. Changing course doesn’t mean I’m lost.
So, smooth? Not exactly. But every bump taught me something, every turn gave me perspective, and somehow the road kept leading me where I needed to go.
I may not control the tide, but I’ve gotten pretty good at riding the waves—and occasionally making a splash.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Professionally, I wear a lot of hats—and somehow I’ve gotten pretty good at keeping them all on my head.
Through S.H.I.N.E Agency, I work across promotion, publicity, booking, artist development, marketing, design and event production. I also work in community partnerships with Texas Music Cafe, which lets me combine entertainment with something equally important to me: community.
My specialty is seeing the bigger picture without missing the little things. I don’t believe every artist needs the same strategy, every event needs the same audience, or every opportunity fits every goal.
What sets S.H.I.N.E apart is that we believe representation should amplify authenticity. I look for what already makes an artist worth noticing, then build the right strategy around it. Polish the presentation, preserve the personality, and let authenticity lead the way.
What I’m most proud of is building a reputation around people, not just projects. Relationships matter to me. So do integrity, communication and creating opportunities that make sense for everyone involved.
I’m creative enough to think outside the box and business-minded enough to ask, why did we need a box in the first place?
I don’t just promote what people do—I look for where it belongs, who needs to see it, and how to help it S.H.I.N.E.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
What I love most about Dallas is the possibility. It’s big enough to dream big, diverse enough to stay interesting, and there’s always something happening—music, art, food, business, culture, or somebody somewhere creating something new.
Born in the West, bred in the North—Dallas will always be home.
What do I like least? The traffic and the distance between absolutely everything. Dallas has a very special way of making something “20 minutes away” become a small road trip. 😂
I’d love to see even more collaboration across the creative community. There is so much talent here, and when the right people, resources and opportunities find each other, Dallas really does shine.
I love Dallas for what it is—and probably even more for what I know it can be.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shineagencyreps.pro/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/official_shineagency?stkn=OGo1djhiajllYXZy&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/14qmJj3iQf3/?mibextid=wwXIfr
