Eastridge #WomenWhoLead Series
Shan
Founder of Shades by Shan
Can you tell us a bit about your journey?
I began working with 99.7now 10 years ago. I began as an intern for the Fernando and Greg Morning show, went on to become their assistant producer, then on to Middays for my own show, and now I juggle Middays as well as being the Executive Producer for the morning show. I started Shades by Shan this past summer with my sister, Erika, my business partner. We wanted Shades by Shan to have a purpose so we created a makeup line to help single parents in need. Being raised by a single mother, we saw first hand the struggles we went through and we wanted to make a difference. We started our own nonprofit organization in honor of our mother to help other single parents in need, called the “MamaBerries Nonprofit Foundation”. To date we have helped several struggling parents and launched Shades By Shan Cosmetics in 18 stores across California.
What is your favorite thing about working with 99.7Now and Shades by Shan?
My favorite thing about working with 99.7now is being able to have a voice for the community, being able to connect with my listeners, and be surrounded by the music I love. My favorite thing about Shades By Shan is hearing and knowing that my customers genuinely love our products. I love seeing them wear our products day after day knowing in the process we are helping the community through our nonprofit organization. People feel good wearing Shades by Shan knowing they’re making a difference.
Is there anything from Shades by Shan we should be looking out for in 2019?
We are super excited to be launching our new makeup collection on March 24th, my Dirty 30 collection. We are adding new lip kit shades, eyeshadow palettes and our first ever blush palette. It will be available at sbscosmetics.com on March 24th at 9am.
What inspired you to begin Shades by Shan?
I was inspired to start Shades by Shan because my fans were asking me to put out merchandise. I didn’t want to just put out ordinary stuff like hats or hoodies; I wanted it to be meaningful to me. I’ve always had a passion for makeup and saw many influencers teaming up with makeup companies, collab’ing on palettes and I thought, “if they could do it, why can’t I.” Instead of collaborating with other companies, I decided to start my own. It is super important to me to be an impact driven company in order to continue to help the community and also be a cruelty free makeup company.
What gives you motivation to keep grinding?
My mother is my biggest motivation to keep going. Growing up and being raised by a single mother, she never gave up. It was never an option. She taught us that if we start something we have to finish it. I want to show her how big my dreams are for my company and my determination to make Shades By Shan a global brand and be a household name all over the world.
CONNECT with Shan & Shades by Shan on Instagram @ShanBerries + @ShadesbyShan
