We Shine Brighter Together!

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in beauty and cosmetics but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Claudia Pena, founder of Lunautics LLC., located in Los Angeles, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Lunautics is a festival beauty brand. We hope to make fun and colorful make-up easy to use and accessible to everyone! We started out with just six glitter colors. Over the last five years, we have expanded our range to feature over 150 beauty and accessory products that aim to help our customers express their beautiful and colorful selves.

Tell us about yourself

I have always had a passion for trend spotting and started working in the fashion business early on; my first job in high school was as a window dresser at a local department store! In college, I had the opportunity to be a buyer for two different trendy boutiques. I changed my major to Merchandise Marketing so that I could later pursue a career in the fashion industry.

For years I got stuck in the world of corporate retail, which gave me my foundation in customer service and taught me how to run an omnipresent brand. When I started Lunautics, I had no idea how to do e-commerce, but I used my expertise as a digital native who loved Instagram to build buzz around the brand through early influencer marketing strategies and quickly picked up my key wholesale accounts that helped establish us, especially in the early years.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My favorite thing I have been able to do is to help other people grow and to give them opportunities! Along the way, I have been fortunate to work alongside some of my best friends, and I think that is one of the things I am the most proud of. I think that when you invest in your community, that comes back to you. The community we have built through Lunautics is what kept us alive during the pandemic, a time when our core demographic couldn't attend a music festival for nearly 18 months.

Without the community, we wouldn't have made it, so I am dedicated to continuing to grow opportunities in this space, whether through jobs with us as freelance hair or make-up artists, influencer campaigns, or mentoring other small business owners.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

The hardest thing about being a small business owner with no partner is making big decisions by yourself all the time. Decision fatigue is a real thing, and when you're the only one in charge, the success of the business relies solely on you.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

My three tips would be, firstly, to choose something you truly love because owning your own business is not easy, and you need to be passionate about what you do! My second tip would be to believe in yourself, even when the odds are against you- blind optimism will get you far! And lastly would be to build a team and a community around your brand because you are nothing if you are standing alone.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://lunautics.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lunautics/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lunautics/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lunautics_

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.