We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Crystal Yang and Courtney Delgado, founders of Perky, a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Crystal and Courtney, thanks for joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
Starting a new business is always risky; especially a new idea in a niche market. We both literally gave up our stable income and invested our own money into creating Perky, an inviting space for all affected by breast cancer. We each wear many hats and learned new skills we thought we’d never have to. One of our main services is nipple restorative tattooing for breast cancer survivors after having to remove their breast due to cancer. This is an incredibly important service for breast cancer survivors, and we wanted to make sure it wasn’t an “after thought” as it is in many doctor’s offices. We continue to hustle, learn to stretch the dollar and always improve upon our skills for this community that deserves nothing but the best.
Crystal and Courtney, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
We are Perky, the new art of healing for breast cancer survivors… It was the middle of the pandemic and we had time to reflect on many things. While chatting with family at the dinner table, the idea for Perky came to be. (Crystal’s mom, aunt, and grandmother all went through a breast cancer diagnosis.) With the help of many along the way and endless Google Meet chats, Perky was created. We really wanted to create a safe space, fully catered to the breast cancer community, where all offered services can help provide restoration and improved confidence with self image. Perky launched in June 2021 and we are a nurse duo offering medical micropigmentation to all affected by breast cancer, with services including: 3D nipple restoration, scar camouflage, radiation marker camouflage, eyebrow micropigmentation (pre and post chemotherapy) and scalp restorative micropigmentation. We can even camouflage unwanted stretch marks or areola scars from cosmetic breast surgery.
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
Heart. At Perky, our services are catered to the breast cancer community. Every breast cancer diagnosis is different and each person will experience different successes and setbacks during their unique journey. We appreciate being able to hear their stories, build relationships with our clients and let them into our hearts. We become part of their team with the ultimate goal of restoring what was lost to breast cancer. We have to be able to empathize and have heart with each client that we serve. We intentionally take time to understand each client’s goals, so we can effectively help restore their confidence and quality of life post breast cancer.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
As nurses, we are expected to take orders and execute (and try not to ask too many questions in the process). The politics of healthcare can be brutal. We had to unlearn the system and learn our value as strong women on a mission to truly impact the lives of those affected by breast cancer. We recall many moments of being told our ideas weren’t good enough or that they would never work out. We are very proud to say that we didn’t listen to the naysayers and learned to trust our instincts.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://helloperky.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weareperky/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weareperky
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/weareperky/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdf4SgIqvw8QE63gPuitjZg
Image Credits
Perky