We recently connected with Shannon Slack and have shared our conversation below.

Shannon, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I always say that my idea for Luna Selene was cultivated years before I realized it.

Having worked in the corporate sector for years, I spent hours on my feet and discovered that only certain styles allowed me to walk around confidently all day.

I absolutely love high heels, but found myself opting for a shorter heel with every new purchase.

Still, every time I would walk into a meeting, people would exclaim, “How do you even WALK in those shoes?!” If they only knew that my closet was still filled with 5 inch stilettos!

The truth was, they had a point, though I still refused to throw in the towel on high heels. They made me feel powerful and sexy, making me feel like I was able to match men by being “up there” with the boys.

I remember one day thinking how nice it would be to have a pair of heels that I could feel powerful in, while still looking sexy and sophisticated.

Around this time, I became all entranced with mid-century, classic fashion. I would binge-watch old television shows and could not get enough of the style. The clean lines and elegant fashion spoke to me and I found that wearing “classic styles,” made getting ready for work much easier.

Years later, during the Pandemic Lockdown in 2020, I was struggling emotionally (like the rest of the world).

I had listened to a career podcast a year before in which the host mentioned she wanted to eventually start her own career fashion line. Applying my makeup in the mirror, I mulled over how cool that would be and how some day I would like to do the same.

That day in June, I was searching for inspirational quotes to post on my Instagram page, when I stumbled upon a quote that I loved from Phil Knight, the founder of Nike. I went down the rabbit hole of Google, learning his story.
Suddenly, it hit me like a lightening bolt.

I thought- “I am going to start a shoe company for professional women!”

It didn’t matter to me that ¾ of the workforce was currently virtual. One day people were going to start trickling back to work and I wanted to be there to help them.

I went back to my classic tv shows and started working. I wanted my shoes to be sexy and retro, and I wanted them to take women back in time, while moving them forward in today’s modern world.

To this day, I believe a woman can do unstoppable things if she looks and feels her best, which is what inspired me to start Luna Selene. I want to create a true community where women can come together, while honing their feminine energy, bringing out all that is still beautiful in life.

I love the journey I am on and hope to show women that anything is possible.

Shannon, 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?

I am Shannon Slack, the founder of Luna Selene, a brand of classic, handcrafted footwear.

I spent over a decade in the corporate world, struggling to find the perfect pair of shoes that were timeless and would hold up while I marched around the office all day. A believer that a woman’s confidence is elevated while wearing high heels, I refused to throw in the towel on them. As a result, Luna Selene was born.

My vision is for Luna Selene to be a brand that empowers all women, giving them the confidence to hone their femininity, allowing them to achieve their wildest dreams. .

My designs are classic shoes, for the modern woman, Today, women have more roles than ever before. We juggle career, family, friends, and need shoes that will keep up with all the “hats” we wear each day.

For this reason, Luna Selene heels are no higher than approximately 3 inches. Usually, I also opt for a block heel for comfort and offer an array of styles that fit each customer’s personality and taste.

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

I had to learn resilience very quickly as a business owner. Starting a shoe company while the whole world was shut down, was NOT easy. I was told by many people in my life that it was a horrible time to do this. While it might have been crazy at that time, I knew people were going to eventually start leaving their houses.

When I launched my first collection, society was experiencing six months of intermittent lock downs. I had many buyers who were uninterested in my product because they were just trying to hang on to their businesses, amidst the chaos.

I remember hosting a pop-up event where hardly anyone came and no one bought my shoes.

It was brutal. There were many nights that I would come home devastated and want to quit.

As much as I thought about quitting in the moment, the next day I would get up with a fresh perspective.

I am glad I pushed forward because this journey has taught me so much. Now I have customers who buy every style I put out; sometimes in multiple colors because they love the shoes so much.

That means the world to me and makes me glad I didn’t give up in the early days.

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

The biggest lesson I had to unlearn was dealing with rejection. Prior to starting Luna Selene, I used to take it so personally. It’s my personality to want everyone to like me, so rejection would hurt terribly.

Being an entrepreneur, you will hear “no” way more than “yes.” It’s important to learn that “no” isn’t a bad thing. It just means it’s not the right opportunity for your business and something better will come along.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shoplunaselene.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lunaseleneatelier/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LunaSeleneAtelier
• Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lunaseleneshoes/_created/

Image Credits
Image Credits: Runway 7 Fashion, Kelley Bedoloto