We recently connected with Shadi Absi and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Shadi, thanks for joining us today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you as a business owner?

Sometimes the best way to learn is to be thrown into the fire!

As humans, we tend to get comfortable with our way of life, which leads to a lack of desire to push our boundaries. But in order to achieve anything of real value, we have to continually push our limits as much and as often as we can. So sometimes it’s good to get into a project that far exceeds your comfort, knowledge, and skills! This will force you to reshape your views, refine your skills, and learn an insane amount very quickly!

At one point in one of my previous roles, I was put on a project that was supposed to last 3–6 weeks near Seattle, WA. I arrived the first morning thinking I’d be working as part of a team, with one of my coworkers filling me in on the project details. Quickly, I realized that I would be in charge of this portion of the project at this site—which ended up being close to a one-billion-dollar project that lasted three years. At first, I was overwhelmed, as you might imagine. But I persevered and became one of the only original project managers to stay on the project the entire time.

The experience I gained from that project led to me starting my own business the following year—and now having multiple!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m the founder of Moonlight & Honey Productions, a photo and video production company that was born out of a mix of creative passion and real-world business experience. Before diving full-time into this world, I worked in large-scale telecom infrastructure, managing multi-million dollar projects—often being thrown into the deep end, where I had to quickly adapt, lead, and deliver. That fast-paced, high-pressure environment taught me how to stay sharp, solve problems on the fly, and pay attention to the smallest details—which now shows up in the work I do for my clients.

Moonlight & Honey Productions offers professional videography and photography services, from weddings and brand shoots to commercial content, social media reels, interviews, and mini-documentaries. We also consult with businesses on how to use video to better market themselves, tell their story, and build stronger connections with their audience.

What sets us apart is our ability to blend creativity with strategy. We don’t just show up with a camera—we take the time to understand your goals, your audience, and what message will actually move the needle for your brand. That’s why our work doesn’t just look good—it performs.

I’m most proud of the trust our clients place in us. Whether we’re capturing one of the biggest days of someone’s life or helping a small business grow through thoughtful visual content, it’s an honor to be part of that journey.

What I want people to know is this: we’re not here to sell you trendy videos or generic content. We’re here to tell your story in a way that’s impactful, authentic, and memorable.

I am also a Private Pilot, Musician, and owner operator of one of the best ice cream shops in Las Vegas Frost N’ Roll!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Starting my rolled ice cream restaurant in Las Vegas was challenging and gave me many humbling moments that made me more resilient.

The first year in business was one of the most difficult years I’ve ever experienced. I learned a lot from the sleepless nights—panicking over whether we were going to make it, the debt we had taken on, and the fear of failure. What I realized is that the mind is incredibly powerful—and sometimes, you really can choose to switch those thoughts off completely. And many times, you should.

Your mind functions best when you’re relaxed, so I learned how to stay calm under pressure and how to have faith—believing that “what is supposed to happen, will happen,” especially when you’re doing all you can.

Can you open up about a time when you had a really close call with the business?

Towards the end of our first year in business with my restaurant, Frost N’ Roll—we had started in March and it was now December—we ran into a major challenge. As part of our lease agreement, the landlord had given us rent concessions to help with the build-out. But because we opened in March, the restaurant didn’t have much time to build momentum before winter hit, when business typically slows down due to the weather. By December, we had no money left to pay rent. Our payroll was also high, which made things even tougher.

Luckily, I was able to get a last-minute loan from an incredible family member, which carried us through the winter and gave us the breathing room we needed. That support helped us survive—and here we are, still in business 8 years later and going strong!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.moonlighandhoney.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/moonlightandhoneyproductions
• Other: www.frostnroll.com https://www.instagram.com/frostnroll https://www.facebook.com/frostnroll https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOA1PW69MC8Xuhl46BqfMPQ

Image Credits
Shadi Absi