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This is to share the story of an amazing woman I’ve known for years but am now watching rise to new heights of achievement.
Many of us balance our work and careers with personal passions and pursuits. As a former corporate marketing & communications VP –– and now as a freelance writer –– I perform that balancing act all the time. I use “my friends, the words” to write speeches and more for execs while enjoying the pleasure of writing lyrics for singers like Shara Strand.
Music is how I met Shara, a successful makeup artist and esthetician.
But beyond recording and performing music, she’s a celebrity makeup artist and a licensed esthetician, proudly owning Shara Makeup Studio, an Upper East Side beauty destination specializing in cosmetics and skincare. She has an unwavering passion for the highest quality products, which is evident in her skincare line, Shara Skin, and her cosmetics line, Shara Cosmetics. https://www.sharacosmetics.com
Meanwhile, in the musical side of her life, I was fortunate, more than a decade ago, to have Shara record and perform two songs with my lyrics, both of which became Billboard-charted dance hits. (“I Will Carry You” and “RSVP”.) They now appear on her first album, “Love Forever,” released this summer to much acclaim.
I’ll be hearing her personally at The Green Room on November 9 in New York City but I didn’t want to wait till then to catch up with my friend, a rising star.
The Green Room 42
570 Tenth Avenue, New York, NY 10036
Phone: (646) 707-2990
Sunday, November 9 | 1 PM
Mike: You lead two truly different careers: one offering a beautiful appearance to your clients at Shara Makeup Studio, the other offering beautiful music to your listening fans. What is your experience like in going from one to the other? Challenging? Satisfying? Please explain how you feel?
Shara: For me, both careers are deeply connected — even though on the surface they seem so different. At Shara Makeup Studio, I help people see their own beauty reflected back at them; with my music, I help people feel their beauty and strength through story and song. Moving between the two doesn’t feel like switching hats as much as expressing different sides of the same purpose: to uplift, to empower, and to give people a moment where they feel more confident, understood, and alive.
Of course, balancing both worlds can be challenging, but it’s also incredibly satisfying because they feed each other. My studio work keeps me grounded in real, everyday human connection, while my music lets me soar creatively and share my truth on a larger stage. Both are extensions of who I am.
Mike: Can you name a few of the first songs that you enjoyed listening to as a child? What titles and artists?
Shara: I grew up in a big musical-theater house, so we were always listening to original Broadway cast albums like “Les Misérables” — especially “On My Own” and “Phantom of the Opera.” I was also touched by “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” from “Evita.” At the same time, I was captivated by powerhouse singers I heard at the movies and on the radio. Barbra Streisand, for example. Her songs like “Evergreen” and “The Way We Were” moved me deeply. With Celine Dion, it was “The Power of Love” and “My Heart Will Go On.”
There’s more. Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” and “Greatest Love of All” were everything to me. I also loved Neil Diamond classics like “Sweet Caroline” and “Coming to America.” Later on, Tori Amos with “Silent All These Years.” I used to light candles in my room, lie on my bed, and just let myself feel every emotion through their voices. That was really the start of my connection to music as something bigger than myself.
Mike: What’s your first memory of standing up in front of others and performing a song as they listened?
Shara: When I was eight, I had my very first voice recital at Center Stage Studio in Marlboro, New Jersey. Up until then, not even my parents had really heard me — I would practice privately in my room. Singing on that stage felt like the truest moment thus far in my life. It was the first time I realized how much pride and freedom comes from expressing myself artistically.
Mike: Do you remember any example when you, as a young girl, actually got and enjoyed praise from people who heard you sing?
Shara: I started singing at the age of eight, and right away people responded with so much kindness and encouragement. As a child, it meant the world to me — that people could light up inside because of my voice. It gave me such joy and also built my confidence to keep going.
Mike: I suffered prejudice as a child in South Carolina (“Dirty Jew Boy”) and, as a result, I’ve been a champion of equal opportunity for all. I’ve considered myself a “feminist” since I was old enough to be aware of Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem, Madonna, etc. Even now, with all the progress women have made towards full equality, it seems to me that in multiple ways you are a 21st century role model for girls and women. How conscious are you of your role as a successful achiever who’s a woman?
Shara: I’m very conscious of it, but I also try to live it authentically rather than carry it as a weight. Growing up, I didn’t always feel like I fit in — so to be able to stand in my truth today as a woman, a mother, an entrepreneur, and an artist is something I take pride in. I want my daughter, and all young women, to see that you don’t have to choose between being creative, business-minded, nurturing, or powerful — you can be all of it.
Being a woman in both the beauty and music industries has its challenges, but it also gives me a unique voice. I see myself as part of a long line of women who’ve fought to create space where our stories matter. If by showing up fully as myself I give another girl or woman permission to do the same, then I feel I’ve succeeded beyond the music or the makeup.
Mike: Back in 2016, you recorded “I Will Carry You” with my lyrics. It became a Top 25 hit on Billboard magazine’s Dance/Club chart and raised funds to help cure canine bone cancer. What did it mean to you, knowing that our song would be used to help rescue dogs from cancer and save their lives?
Shara: “I Will Carry You” was such a pivotal moment in my journey. You know I love your lyrics. And performing that song — especially knowing it raised awareness and funds with the American Humane Society — was profoundly meaningful. To know that my voice could literally help save the lives of animals gave me the sense that music can heal in so many ways. I’m excited to perform it again at Green Room 42.
Mike: With two Billboard Dance/Club chart hits, do you personally enjoy dancing?
Shara: Absolutely. I love dancing — it’s just another way to express myself and feel the music fully.
Mike: You have just launched your first complete album, “Love Forever,” which reviewers have called “triumphant” and “uplifting.” What does it mean to you — after so many years performing — to now be able to offer a complete album of your music, not just singles?
Shara: Creating my debut album, “Love Forever,” was a full-circle moment. To write an entire body of work, record it in the studio, release it, and now perform it live with incredible musicians feels like the truest reflection of who I am. I can finally share not just singles but a complete story — and the fact that it inspires people is everything to me.
Mike: As you look ahead to the rest of your life, what hopes and aspirations do you have for your music career?
Shara: Looking ahead, I want to keep creating music that uplifts people and reminds them of their strengths. My dream is to perform on big stages around the world, bring my songs to film and television, and continue blending my passions for beauty, music, and healing. Most of all, I want my career to have impact — to use my art to make people feel seen, empowered, and full of light.
