There’s something powerful and deeply aspirational about Latina entrepreneurs who start from the ground up and turn limited resources, big dreams, and an unshakable work ethic into real success. Shan BerriesandErika K. Clark, the sister duo behind Shades By Shan, are exactly that kind of story. What began with just $1,500 each and a vision rooted in their upbringing has grown into a nationally recognized beauty brand now stocked in more than 600 JCPenney stores across the country.
These achievements aren’t just measured in retail locations or best-selling products; they’re defined by resilience, community, and the cultural pride woven into every decision they make. Raised by a single mother who instilled in them the importance of building something of their own, the sisters transformed early lessons about independence and perseverance into the foundation of their business.
Shan Berries and Erika K. Clark founders of Shades By Shan
At ¡HOLA!, we’re always inspired by Latinas who are not only creating space for themselves but also opening doors for others along the way. Shan and Erika are doing exactly that, bringing inclusivity to the beauty industry, redefining what it means to scale a business without traditional access to capital, and proving that hustle, heart, and cultural pride can coexist at the highest level.
“My mom always instilled in my sister and I, ‘Tiene que comenzar algo de ustedes propia.’ You have to start something of your own. The launch of Shades By Shan was fueled by her inspiration and support.”
Shan Berries
We had the opportunity to ask them both about the realities behind their rapid growth, from navigating financial challenges and breaking into retail, to balancing sisterhood with business, and staying grounded through it all.
Their story is a reminder that there’s no single path to success, and that sometimes, the most successful brands are born from the most personal beginnings. Read our full conversation with the founders below.
As Latina founders building a beauty brand in a highly competitive industry, how has your cultural identity influenced your approach to inclusivity, product development, and storytelling?
Shan: Being Latina influences how we develop shades that truly work across a wide spectrum of skin tones, how we name and position products, and how we tell our story authentically.
The name shades in Shades By Shan embodies diversity and inclusivity, reflecting the reality that as Latinas and as humans, we all come in a variety of shapes and sizes. It also showcases the wide spectrum of colors we offer, celebrating the diversity within our community.
Some of our product names pay homage to our family, like our highlighter palette with colors labeled "Dora," "Lucha”, "Irma," and "Marjorie," in honor of our "tias" or aunts who helped raise us.
That all said, we are a Latina brand, but our products are for everybody.
What were the biggest learning curves in building the brand from scratch, and how did you overcome them? And were there ever moments you felt like giving up?
Shan: I didn’t come from the beauty world, so I had to teach myself everything. From understanding the industry’s ins and outs, to figuring out how to get in the room with the right people – building those relationships, earning trust and proving that I belonged was a tough road.
I have my good and bad days but I’ve never felt like giving up. I celebrate my wins and have also gone through some losses. I put pride in everything I do and I have a dream just like the rest of us. I will continue chasing my dreams endlessly, and I hope anyone reading this, you do too.
Your products have built a loyal following, are there any bestsellers or hero formulas that really define Shades By Shan, and what makes them stand out in such a crowded beauty space?
Shan: Yes – our Foundation is something we are very proud of. We are the first Latina-owned indie brand to have launched a 40-shade foundation at a major retailer ever and our Foundation is the number one best selling foundation in JCPenney!
We went to Korea and formulated what we believe is the best foundation on the market. The product is infused with a 10-molecule hyaluronic acid complex, and ingredients like rosa canina, a fruit oil known for its moisturizing, anti-aging, and skin-conditioning properties.
The variety of shades we offer, combined with the performance of the product itself really sets it apart. We worked with local women in the Bay Area to test the Foundation across a range of skin tones, which helped us refine both the formula and the shade range to ensure it genuinely works for real people.
“A billionaire once told me, if you are not embarrassed by your first launch, you launched too late, and that always stuck with me.”
Erika K. Clark
You must be very proud to see your products in JCPenney (in over 600 stores nationwide)? Tell us about reaching that milestone.
Shan: It was an incredibly surreal experience. Once we were fully launched in all the stores, I really wanted to visit the teams on the ground in person to share more about the brand, give them products to try themselves, and personally thank them for their support.
We ended up visiting every single store, and it took us nearly nine months. From March through December 2023, we were constantly on the road. Staff told us that no brand had ever done that before and thanked us for making the trip. JCPenney took a chance on us, and this was our way of returning that support and showing our appreciation to the people who make the brand come to life in stores every day.
You launched the company together as sisters, what does that dynamic look like behind the scenes, and how do you balance family with business decisions? And has that changed your relationship?
Erika: There’s a built-in trust and understanding that you can’t replicate, but it also means emotions can run high, especially since we are so different personality-wise. We’ve had to learn how to communicate clearly, set boundaries, and respect each other’s strengths. It has definitely evolved our relationship and we’ve grown closer. We try to be intentional about separating business conversations from personal time but that’s easier said than done!
Let’s talk about money, what were those early financial decisions like when launching the brand? Did you rely on personal savings, credit cards, or outside funding, and what did you learn from that stage?
Erika: When we launched the business in 2018, my sister and I each contributed $1,500 and started the brand on Instagram, so our startup costs were very low.
In 2022, we received a call from JCPenney saying they wanted to bring Shades By Shan into more than 600 stores nationwide. While it was the opportunity of a lifetime, it also put us in a really difficult position as founders. We didn’t have the cash flow to support that level of expansion.
We went to every bank in the Bay Area but no one would loan us the money. Even with a purchase order, it wasn’t enough. We were told we hadn’t been in business long enough and didn’t have the collateral they required. It was incredibly discouraging, and honestly, our hearts were broken.
That’s when JCPenney stepped in and fronted the capital we needed to make the launch possible. By Q1 of 2023, we were able to roll out in stores across the country.
A big advantage for us was that we had strong financial foundations early on. Our mom added us as authorized users on her credit when we were young teenagers, so we built great credit early. That gave us access to higher limits and flexibility when we needed it most. She always told us, “losing your credit is like losing your virginity—you never get it back,” and that stuck with us. We’ve always treated our credit with that level of respect.
We also learned quickly that we didn’t have to figure it out alone. Talking to other founders opened our eyes to tools like PO financing to extend cash flow and business lines of credit to support growth.
What we learned is that constraints can actually be your superpower. Not having endless capital forced us to be disciplined, scrappy, and incredibly intentional—and that’s what built the foundation of our brand today.
That financial side of entrepreneurship can be intimidating—cash flow, credit cards, loans, budgeting…what would you tell them to help demystify it?
It can totally feel intimidating, but it becomes a lot less scary once you understand that it’s really about discipline and awareness. It’s not about being a finance expert, it’s about knowing your numbers and making intentional decisions.
The biggest thing we learned is simple: cash is king. You can have a warehouse full of products, but if you don’t have cash, you don’t have a business. For us, that was especially important because we’re also committed to giving back through our nonprofit, if we don’t manage our cash well, we can’t create the impact we set out to make.
We learned to plan ahead, stay lean, and not overspend just to look bigger than we were. And through conversations with other founders, we got smarter about tools, credit cards, lines of credit, PO financing, not as a crutch, but as strategic levers.
We also maximized everything, using credit card points and miles for travel and hotels so we could reinvest more back into the business.
If I could demystify it, I’d say: keep it simple, stay organized, ask questions, and respect your credit. The more you face your numbers head-on, the more confident and in control you become. We didn’t raise millions, we built millions in value by staying disciplined, intentional, and deeply connected to why we started.
“Our mom added us as authorized users on her credit when we were young teenagers, so we built great credit early. That gave us access to higher limits and flexibility when we needed it most. She always told us, ‘losing your credit is like losing your virginity, you never get it back,’ and that stuck with us. We’ve always treated our credit with that level of respect.”
Erika K. Clark
Entrepreneurship is often glamorized, what are the realities people don’t see, especially when it comes to burnout, pressure, or financial uncertainty? Also, what do you do to balance that, other outside passions or things that keep you grounded?
Shan: I am pretty open and honest on social media sharing the not so good times behind the life of a founder. Being on the road and away from my family can be a lot, especially during new campaign launches or events. I give myself grace and continue to put my own health first. I also have a partner that supports my dreams and ambitions and spending time with him and my two kids really grounds me and slows me down. Being their mom is my #1 priority.
Erika: Entrepreneurship is beautiful, but it’s also heavy in ways people don’t always see. There’s constant pressure, financially, emotionally, and mentally. You’re responsible not just for your vision, but for your team, your customers, and in our case, even the impact we’re making through our nonprofit. That weight doesn’t really turn off.
There are moments of burnout, moments of uncertainty, and moments where you’re questioning everything behind the scenes while still showing up strong on the outside. It’s not always glamorous, it’s late nights, tough decisions, and carrying risk that most people don’t see.
What makes it sustainable for me is that I’m not carrying it alone. I have my sister, which is everything, and we’ve built a phenomenal team of people we truly trust, friends and former coworkers we’ve known for 15+ years. There’s a real foundation there. We pull each other up, we step in when someone needs support, and that kind of trust makes all the difference.
On a personal level, becoming a mom has completely shifted my perspective. My daughter brings me back to what actually matters and keeps me grounded in a way nothing else can. I also really value the simple things, time with family, being present, and allowing myself to slow down when I need to.
At the end of the day, it’s not just about the success you build, it’s about how you feel while building it, that’s the real fulfillment. If you love what you do, it doesn’t feel like work. And yes, some days are harder than others, but it’s all part of the journey. You have to learn to love the process, even the crazy parts.
You grew up watching your mother navigate life as a single parent, how did that experience shape not only who you are today, but the mission behind Shades By Shan?
Shan: My mom, she always instilled in my sister and I, ‘Tiene que comenzar algo de ustedes propia.’ You have to start something of your own. You’re never going to make money working for somebody else. The launch of Shades By Shan was fueled by her inspiration and support.
Erika: Watching our mom do everything on her own instilled a deep sense of resilience in us. That experience shaped our mindset as founders and is a huge part of our mission and much of the reason we built The Mamberries Foundation, to give back to single parent families so they don't have to go without the things we did.
What advice would you give to Latina entrepreneurs who are hesitant to start, especially those who feel they don’t have the “perfect” resources or background?
Shan: We started in my moms basement and figured it out from there – if we can do it, anyone can do it!
Erika: I would say don’t wait until everything is perfect, because it never will be. Most of us don’t start with the right resources, the perfect plan, or a clear path. You figure it out by doing. A billionaire once told me, if you are not embarrassed by your first launch, you launched too late and that always stuck with me.
As Latina entrepreneurs, we’re naturally resourceful, resilient, and know how to make things happen with what we have and that is our superpower. You don’t need to have it all figured out, you just need to start.
It is also important not to let comparison hold you back. You might look at other brands or founders and think they had more, but you don’t always see the full story. Focus on your lane, your voice, and what makes you different because that is where the magic is.
And you have to get out there. Meet people, network, start opening those doors like you belong, because we do. So much of what we have built came from relationships, conversations, and putting ourselves in rooms where we were not always the obvious fit.
At the end of the day, no one is going to hand you the perfect moment. You create it. Start where you are, use what you have, and trust that you will build the rest along the way. JUST KNOW YOUR NUMBERS!
“Being Latina influences how we tell our story authentically and how we create products that truly reflect a wide spectrum of people.”
