We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Courtney Cope . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Courtney below.

Courtney, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea?

I’ve always been a visionary, hard worker and setting concrete steps to execute my future. Being in the beauty industry 25 years, and just life in general I have learned to ride the waves of change. I graduated from a local cosmetology institute six months after high school, at the young age of 18. I knew immediately this industry was meant for me. Shorty after my career started as a hair stylist, I was approached by a man named Jimmy Roy. A Paul Mitchell hair care scout looking for talent and he asked me to come work with their team. Traveling the country at 19 doing runway shows and conventions, our team promoted all the latest and greatest in hair design and products, we were also featured in Allure magazine amongst other great opportunities. I had the dream job! After many years of work ,travel, and a growing clientele, I decided it was time to plant roots and open my own hair studio. It was a big move and scary, but extremely exciting. I owned this studio for 15 years, during this time I had built a full clientele, in which I couldn’t take on any new customers. So I hired young fresh artist to work for me and to take on the new clients. Everything was great ,the business was successful, busy, and finances were stable, that’s the goal right ? So after many years went by, boom!! I was bored. My fire had burned out and the day to day repetition was killing me slowly. I seriously needed something to spark my creativity again. I have always loved makeup, another form of self expression and many of my clients had expressed to me their personal challenges with applying it to themselves. One night while relaxing at home with a glass of wine and my iPad in hand, I started researching and came across the world of permanent makeup. I immediately fell in love! Tattooing eyebrows, lips and eyeliner, It was new, fresh and exciting and the demand was definitely there. I could help my clients look and feel their best without the challenges. Permanently applying their makeup is literally life changing for some. I decided to took a course and get certified. At the time, I figured if I did a few clients a month that would be enough to keep me satisfied and fun side hustle. But my passion for this new industry only grew stronger and so did the demand, I felt so alive! Eventually I was doing more permanent makeup procedures than hair. After a few years working mostly inside a small 10 by 12 room in the back of my hair studio the walls started closing in. Juggling my staff, hair clients, permanent makeup clients and random people asking me to teach them the art, things started to become very difficult. I was stressed and needed to make a choice. During the 2020 pandemic, while on lockdown for a few months I had plenty of time to think and analyze my life. I was 40 years old, I should be happy and content with my current situation, but was I really going to keep doing this another 20 years? No way, life is to short and I needed balance! I loved and appreciated all of my clients. They were always supportive and loyal, but 4 months after returning to work I broke. I made the decision to close my studio, move on and do what made me happy. It was terrifying, but the best decision I could’ve ever made. The vision I had for my new venture was a large upscale studio with bright colors, unique artwork and a modern feel. When you walk into the studio it’s a luxury experience. I wanted to accommodate more clients, new artist and student training for others interested in learning and joining this amazing industry. I now have plenty of room to grow! In the summer of 2021 I opened Shero Beauty Permanent Makeup Academy. The inspiration for the business name was inspired by all of the strong women I’ve met, their stories and my own personal experiences throughout my 20+ years in the beauty industry. The word Shero simply means a woman admired or idealized for her courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. Shero’s don’t let age, differences or other boundaries stop them from reaching their goals. I could feel the word to my core! I had to use it, It represents everything me and my business stand for. Making life changes can be very scary, but we only have one life to live. We have to make the most of it and be happy. We’re not promised tomorrow, we’re not even promised the next hour. It doesn’t matter what age you are, always chase your dreams. It’s been over a year now and my new business is booming , I have an artist dream team and teaching new students monthly, local and from out of state. I’ve built online training courses, and ready to launch a new course 2023. Scaling up , and couldn’t be happier! Looking forward to this new chapter of my life and where it takes me. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hello my name is Courtney. I’m a visionary, dreamer, go getter, entrepreneur, full time single mom, artist and instructor. Yes, I’m a very busy woman. When I’m not working around the clock, I enjoy traveling, cooking, gardening and spending time with family and friends. I’m a social butterfly, always living life to the fullest, exploring and experiencing new things. If I hadn’t chosen my current career, I would’ve loved studying culinary arts. I’m very passionate and creative. I’m truly blessed to be able to make money doing what I love each and every day. My studio services include Microblading, Powder Brows, Lip Blushing and Eyeliner. Our Fine Line tattoo designs are a popular service as well. I offer online courses with full fundamental / in person hands on training. I created a custom curated curriculum for students to give them everything they need to know to start a career and succeed in the Pmu industry.

How did you build your audience on social media?

While building your social media platform, The most important starting point is to identify your ideal client. Who are they ? What is their lifestyle? How old are they? What are their wants and desires. It doesn’t matter how AMAZING you are, if nobody knows who you are? Awareness is everything!! They need to find out you exist. Utilize your social media platforms, a website, Google and referrals. My top 4 tips are Nurture- your content needs to educates, entertain and inspire them. Trust- nurture the relationship with your client, building trust is essential. Convert- ask for the sale and followup until you get a definitive yes or no. Take action! When I first started in the industry over 20 years ago, word of mouth and paper business cards were all we had to rely on. No cell phones and no internet. So there is no excuse for not marketing yourself and growing your business these days, it’s simple and it’s free. It’s literally in the palm of your hand. Just takes effort, hard work, consistency and dedication. Nothing is given, it’s earned.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

I saved for many years, when I decided to open my new business I used most of my personal money to pay for everything from equipment, inventory and remodel. I was also approved for a business line of credit which I could use if needed. I did not want to start this new business under a lot of debit. I learned many hard lessons from owning my previous business. You live, learn and grow

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sherobeautypro.com
• Instagram: @sherobeautypro
• Facebook: Shero Beauty Permanent Makeup Academy