Lira Galore Isn’t Ashamed Of Her Past Or Worried About Her Future
You may know Lira Galore from her sexy Instagram photos, or from being talked about on gossip sites, or from her ex-fiancé Rick Ross.
At first look, it’s easy to judge Lira and assume she’s just another Instagram baddie, but if you talk to her one on one like we got a chance to, you’ll realize there’s more to her.
In fact, if you want to know the real Lira, and what she thinks about the gossip surrounding her right now, read on. You’ll realize she’s just another hustler trying to make it, and that she’s actually down to earth af.
Can you describe what you do for a living in your own words?
I would def say model and socialite because I have to be social, go to events, represent brands, influence people to buy products, etc. I’m a jack of all trades.
What were you doing before and how did you get to where you are now?
I was dancing, and went by the name “Philly” in the strip club. I wasn’t always in character, I had to transition into “Philly” and work all night. I joined the shake-life at 18, fresh out of high school and I did it because working retail for two years and making $300 every two weeks wasn’t enough to support myself. My friends were in the club and seeing all the money they made had me like, “I’m bad, I can do this shit too,” so they were like, “Just try it.”
Girl, I put on my little dance clothes and I was so shook when I got on stage, I didn’t even know I couldn’t dance until I got on stage. My first night I made $1,200 and fresh out of school I was like, “damn, I can get used to this.” I hid it from my mom and one day she came in my room and saw me counting a bunch of 1’s. She sat me down and told me to not get sucked into it because [there are] women 37 [years old and] still dancing. She told me to make a plan and stack my money and go, and that’s what I did.
Do people claim you’re only famous because of your ex-fiancé Rick Ross and if so, how do you respond to that?
People always try to downplay why you’re popping and have their own opinion as to why you are. Yeah, I get that all the time, “Ross made you this,” and that’s a lie cause I had over 2 million supporters on social media prior to dating him. I don’t even pay attention to negative stuff, because I’m so used to it and it’s like, “Okay, here’s another hater with an opinion.” People always bring his name up and I don’t like it because it’s not how I became known. I always get the gold digger name too, when I was still working, traveling etc.
READ ALSO: Men Complain About Gold Diggers But Use Their Jobs to Get Laid
Why did you two end your engagement and how has being single helped with your personal brand?
It was a lot of things that led up to us breaking up. I can’t really go into detail because I’m not comfortable about it, but I still have love for him. Me being single helps me focus more and put my energy into what I really want to do. When you’re in a relationship you cut your personal time in half, and now its all about me because I can work and focus and create more ideas.
Why did you go on the show “Iyanla: Fix My Life”? Do you think it helped you heal and grow?
I wanted to go on her show because I’ve watched it and seen how she really digs out what’s the problem with the person, not to say I felt something was wrong with me, but I felt like I needed to know more about myself. Not like I needed therapy, but being so young I really wanted to help myself more. She’s amazing because she helped me bring out feelings I never knew I had.
I got to the root of the issue which is my father not being in my life. Just going through life thinking I don’t need him and realizing these underlying emotions of pain and abandonment was the cause for my relationships failing. So that’s why I went on her show and I definitely feel like it was beneficial.
How did your up-bringing shape you into the young women you are today and what advice do you have for girls struggling to not let their past determine their future?
I would never promote the shake-life or for anyone to follow my footsteps. Coming from the strip club taught me a lot, like how some people are bullshit, and it grew me up. It gave me street smarts and taught me that I could get played. Because of those experiences I went through, I’m quicker on my feet. My advice to girls is that regardless of your situation, if you work on your craft you can make it out. If you have a dream and are passionate you can make it out, just don’t let anyone play you. Nothing can hold you back and if you honestly wanna change your situation, you can. Don’t let it keep you stagnate. I could have kept dancing and that could have been it. My mom always told me that the decisions you make now will shape your life forever. That’s why I get on social media a lot and interact with my followers because people think I’m bougie and weird lol.
Being a public figure, you deal with just as much hate as you do love, how do you handle this and how long has it taken you to adjust to this lifestyle?
I don’t pay attention to the negative shit because I don’t be needing that energy in my life. What used to happen is people would say mean stuff and it would ruin my day and make me feel sad and honestly it took Ross to tell me look whose page are they on, like, they really love you they just don’t know how to show it. It took a few times of hearing that for me to be like, “Yeah, you’re right.”So now I acknowledge the positive comments by liking it or saying thank you.
It probably happened last year when I realized who I was to people. My mom used to be like, “I don’t think you understand the level you’re at, you’re bigger than a lot of things.” Like arguing with people online, she would be like, “You’re bigger than that.” I’m just getting used to this life and there are still times when I’m like, “Damn I can’t even have privacy for real.”
A few weeks ago your personal sex-tape leaked and you handled it publicly very well, how do you deal with things like this happening and what did this situation teach you?
I can’t say much about it because it’s an open case, but what I will say is that I couldn’t let it get to me because of what was happening in the video. It wasn’t intentionally leaked and it was my man at the time. Everyone had boyfriends and the fact that it was so normal, regardless of what I was doing, it’s still like a everyday thing. Since I work and travel so much, sometimes you gotta keep shit spicy and send him things to remind him don’t forget what you got! I’m sure people have stuff in their phones as well, so it’s like, “come on.” It also comes from not letting how other people feel about my life dictate my reaction to things. I wasn’t going to let everyone else make me feel bad about it.
Tell us about your upcoming Beauty Brunch Tour. What sparked the inspiration for it, what exactly is it, and what are some cities you’re visiting?
What inspired it is me being on Iyanla’s show and being in a house with other women and hearing their stories. It was only supposed to be a tea party theme and invite women and close friends, but the more I brainstormed, the bigger it grew. I’m going to have a poet come give an empowerment poem, but I also added women who have created their own brands and female entrepreneurs to be a part of this event. The people attending my brunch can get inspired and network because we are the fastest growing entrepreneurs in the world, so why not come together? At first I was going to do it in LA, but then I realized a lot of cities need uplifting, so I was like let me do Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, etc. I wanted to create an experience where woman can sit and get to know me, something very intimate for my girls. I’m calling it the Galore Girls Brunch.
As you transition into a businesswomen and entrepreneur, what plans do you have for yourself?
The brunch of course, Galore Cosmetics and Laid By Lira [hair products]. I want my makeup in Sephora and my haircare line in drug stores. I overall want to be wealthy and successful with my businesses. That’s it for me, thats what I’m really aiming for in life.
How do you plan on using your platform to uplift women, specifically women of color?
That’s where the brunch comes in and making that a big thing for women, especially women of color. Making woman feel like they have something uplifting to look forward to every year. Getting inspired and being around young women with businesses like Angel Brinks and Blac Chyna. Like Chyna came from the same situation as me, and look at her now. Young girls being able to see that is inspiring.
What do you want our readers to learn from this interview?
I just want everyone to really understand and grasp the fact that I’m just like y’all. I get sad, I dream, and don’t let what you’ve heard or seen on Instagram alter your perception of who I am. Who I am is who you just read about. I care about women and inspiring them and letting them know that don’t let where you came from make you feel like you can’t get anywhere better than that.
