We were lucky to catch up with SHAIRA FRIAS recently and have shared our conversation below.

SHAIRA, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

The biggest risk I’ve taken was stepping up to become the CEO of my company, LUNA MAGIC in order to guide it into a positive direction. In 2023, after years of trying to find a solution, my family and business colleagues saw the writing on the wall and told me that I needed to take charge immediately in order to reset the culture, and to create an environment where the company—and the people within it—could thrive.

Before becoming a CEO, I was focused on sourcing, product development, and design—areas where I had deep expertise and a clear direction. Taking on the CEO role meant stepping into a space of complete responsibility from end to end. To prepare myself and to make sure that I had the proper tools to succeed, I enrolled myself into the UCLA Anderson School of Management Executive Program in the Spring of 2023. I complemented that certification by also graduating from the Latino Business Action Network Scaling Program at Stanford University.

I’ve learned that being a CEO isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about having the courage to find them, make difficult choices, and create lasting impact.

This journey has reinforced that real leadership is about adaptability, vision, and resilience. If I hadn’t taken the risk, I wouldn’t be in the position to shape the future of my company and of my small but mighty team—and that’s a responsibility I take seriously every single day.

Since I stepped up as CEO, my company has grown, landed new retail partnerships, and has built a brand that truly connects with our audience. It feels great when I go to networking events and the first thing that people comment is that they have notice all the great changes LUNA MAGIC has accomplished. Stepping out of my comfort zone, became the best decision of my career. Hearing my employees express how happy they are with the new structure, delights my heart. I myself am less stressed and now I can focus my time on becoming the leader and visionary of the business. I love that I have built a multi-million dollar business , but I am ready for the next tier of scale and profitability.

SHAIRA, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Shaira Frias, and I am living proof that your past doesn’t determine your future. I am the rose that grew from concrete and decided at a very young age that my environment would not interfere with my growth. When I was a child, I didn’t have the correct words to identify what I was feeling, but later on during my high school years everything made sense. While watching the Oprah Winfrey show, I heard about manifesting your destiny and I was captivated.

I knew that in order to “get out” of my environment I needed to at least graduate college so I could build my own destiny. At the moment I couldn’t’ decide if I wanted to be a New York City cop or Journalist so I got a criminal justice and a broadcast journalism degree. Upon graduation, I decided to be a journalist and after a while I knew I was not content. I decided to search within and ask myself, “What really makes you happy?’. That’s when I thought how happy I always felt whenever I put on some makeup to go to an event. I quickly decided to find a makeup school in New York City and signed up. In class we learned about formulation and techniques but my ears would always perk when the teacher would talk about the business side of cosmetics. Once I learned about the margins, storytelling, and the factory side of the cosmetics business, I used my criminal justice and journalism investigative skills and started to search for “How To Build A Cosmetics Brand”. To say that I was ecstatic researching every element, it’s an understatement. I knew I was on to something BIG.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

“The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers, carries powerful lessons that have directly influenced my entrepreneurial journey:

You’ve got to know when to hold ’em
Know when to fold ’em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run
You never count your money
When you’re sittin’ at the table
There’ll be time enough for countin’
When the dealin’s done
Every gambler knows
That the secret to survivin’
Is knowin’ what to throw away
And knowin’ what to keep
‘Cause every hand’s a winner
And every hand’s a loser
And the best that you can hope for
Is to die in your sleep”

In business—just like in poker—timing, strategy, and knowing when to pivot are everything. The lyrics remind me that success isn’t just about winning every hand but understanding which risks to take, when to push forward, and when to walk away from something that no longer serves you.

“Know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em” captures the most important quality of effective leaders: knowing when to make assertive decisions. There comes a time when you have to stay committed to your vision in the face of adversity, but equally as important is knowing when you need to pull back, restructure, and pivot from a particular strategy. Tough calls are part of the role like ending a partnership, discontinuing a product, or redirecting towards greener pastures.

I remember being approached by the most famous licensing company in the world to do a partnership with one of their major cinematic movies. I was excited, my team was excited, I had to invest well over $200k just for license and but as the time passed and we got more detailed with the numbers, my intuition was ringing the alarm very loudly. After months of back and forth , I pulled out last minute because I knew it was not a good move for my business. Months later, the verdict came in, the first movie flopped and the second production was completely cancelled without being released.

“You never count your money when you’re sittin’ at the table” goes to show that success is never immediate; this saying embodies a whole new philosophy that relates to patience and enduring silence. As an entrepreneur, avoiding short-term victories and defeats will allow you to see the grand scheme of things once the labor is complete.

And lastly, “Every hand’s a winner, and every hand’s a loser,” captures one of business’s hardest the simplest truths: failure and success often go hand in hand. There is something to learn in every challenge, and every setback has the possibility of leading to greater things. The fundamental

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The biggest lesson I’ve learned as an entrepreneur is that while a résumé is great, being a kind, honest person with integrity will take you much further. I prefer to do business with people who value integrity, empathy, and collaboration over competition, because there’s enough room for everyone to succeed.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lunamagic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shaira.frias/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shairafrias/

Image Credits

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