In this episode, Bora chats with Courtney Claghorn, co-founder of SUGARED + BRONZED, who reveals how she transformed a humble apartment-based spray tanning service into a thriving beauty empire with over 30 locations across multiple states. Starting with just $1,000 in initial capital ($500 each from her and her co-founder), Courtney shares the remarkable journey of bootstrapping a business while maintaining a full-time job in fintech.
What You'll Learn:
- The exact moment Courtney knew she had product-market fit and decided to quit her stable job
- How they acquired their first customers using creative marketing techniques and built a loyal client base through referrals
- Their strategic approach to location selection and expansion, from a small upstairs space to prime real estate in Union Square, NYC
- The power of intuition in real estate decisions, even in the age of data-driven algorithms
- Their journey from using third-party products to developing their own product line and the challenges of timing the launch during the pandemic
- Practical insights on pricing strategy, including how they identified and filled a market gap in premium beauty services
- Marketing evolution across different platforms, from pre-Facebook era to modern digital strategies
- Key lessons on scaling a service-based business while maintaining quality and brand consistency
Perfect for entrepreneurs who want to understand:
- How to validate a business idea while keeping your day job
- When and how to make the leap from side hustle to full-time business
- Strategic approaches to expanding from one location to multiple markets
- The balance between intuition and data in business decision-making
- The challenges and opportunities in transitioning from a pure service business to a hybrid service-product model
Whether you're just starting out or looking to scale your existing business, Courtney's journey from bootstrapped startup to beauty industry leader offers valuable insights for any entrepreneur's playbook.