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

Courtney, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I love to travel and I love pampering products. Whenever I was somewhere new, I found myself stopping in boutiques and discovering skincare & candles made by small brands that I had never heard of. I’d fall in love with these products and then wasn’t able to find where to replenish them. So, I thought…I can fix that and create a one-stop online shop for Indie Beauty.

Around the same time, we had rescued a super sick cat (Lilly) that was a regular at our vet’s office and the after-hours emergency vet. So, the initial goal of starting Lilly’s Bathcarry was simple; curate products I love and hopefully make a little money to help cover our vet costs.

It was because of Lilly’s ailments, that I started looking into product ingredients and changed what we used in our home. From skincare, candles, scented plug-ins, cleaning products, etc. I tried to rid our home of anything that might exacerbate her symptoms and went forth to curate products for Lilly’s Bathcarry with the same intention.

I absolutely love what I do! Being able to help people pamper themselves with amazing products is really a dream come true!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Lilly’s Bathcarry is an online cruelty-free beauty boutique that features Indie Beauty Brands that specializes in Natural & Organic Makeup, Skincare, Body Care, Hair Care, Deodorant & Aromatherapy. Named after Miss Lilly Stinkbottom, rescue cat extraordinaire, Lilly’s Bathcarry has the best pampering products on the market. When you pamper your body, you pamper your soul.

I love the indie beauty brands that make up Lilly’s Bathcarry. Indie beauty brands are the pioneers of the industry. They have their fingers on the pulse of what is new and exciting. They dream up a product, possibly something that’s missing from the market or something they can make better. They’re on the front lines from concept to market with their hands on every step in the process. That takes intense passion and dedication. They’re reshaping the landscape with better ingredients, transparency, amazing retail support, and more. It’s extremely exciting to work with companies where I can talk to the owner, understand their philosophy, give feedback to, brainstorm with and respect their process. These brands are their babies and it’s so amazing to be able to watch and help them grow.

I want everyone who shops at Lilly’s Bathcarry to feel like family. I want our customers to feel comfortable asking questions about our products (I’ve tried everything we carry).I want them to love their skin and the rituals that surround skincare. I want their houses to smell like a spa and be a place of relaxation and rejuvenation. I want you to enjoy taking care of you!

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

When I started Lilly’s Bathcarry I used a little bit of savings to get the website going and invest in products. I worked full time elsewhere and worked on Lilly’s Bathcarry nights and weekends. I didn’t have budget for advertising, and relied on word of mouth to get customers. Over the course of 2 years I kept reinvesting the profits back into the business. Over that timeframe I was able to add more brands and upgrade our website. At about the 2 year mark I finally made the leap to quit my full-time job and solely focus on Lilly’s Bathcarry.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Communication has been a key in building Lilly’s Bathcarry’s reputation in this market. It’s just me at the helm and I spend a huge part of my day talking with brand owners & customers. I trial all the products we offer and discuss at length with the brand owners about their process, ingredients, and the rituals for using their products. I’m also very customer centric. I love chit chatting with customers about their skincare goals, routines & scent preferences. I truly love what I do and I think that resonates with our partners & customers.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lillysbathcarry.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lillysbathcarry/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lillysbathcarry/