Who is Courtney Claghorn?

Meet Courtney Claghorn, the founder at SUGARED + BRONZED!

About SUGARED + BRONZED

SUGARED + BRONZED is a global leader in the spaces of sunless tanning and sugaring hair removal. What began as a side project run out of Courtney’s apartment has developed into a constantly growing brand with locations in Texas, New York, California, Florida, and Pennsylvania.

Courtney’s Journey

SUGARED + BRONZED began in 2010, about a year and a half after Courtney graduated college, during a tough economic period. While working at a fintech company, Claghorn noticed the high cost of spray tans in Santa Monica compared to her college town of Boulder.

"I was like, ‘It’s not like the cost of living in Los Angeles is 5X, the price of Boulder,’" she explains.

After frequently complaining about the prices to her then-boyfriend (now husband), he suggested turning it into a business opportunity. Initially skeptical, Claghorn recalls, "I was kind of like, that's crazy. Like, I know nothing about how to spray tan somebody."

However, after some research, they each invested $500 to start the business out of their apartment. Her boyfriend kept his job but helped build the website and set up Google ads. Claghorn handled the spray tanning, noting humorously, "He couldn't spray tan naked women. That probably would have put us out of business immediately."

The business grew quickly. Claghorn would provide services during her lunch breaks and after work. Within three to four months, she left her corporate job to focus on the tanning business full-time. Soon after, they began looking for their first brick-and-mortar location.

A lot has happened since then. The company now has approximately 450 employees in total, spread across 30 stores, with a 31st location opening soon.The corporate team consists of about 30 people, primarily based in Southern California. Most are in Los Angeles, with some in Orange County.

Business Growth and Revenue Strategies

Courtney places a high value on brand recognition in new markets, particularly when dealing with real estate brokers.

"Whenever we go and look at potential leases for new stores in New York or L.A., if the real estate broker is someone who very much fits into our clientele demographic, they absolutely know who we are," Claghorn explains. This familiarity often leads to brokers being more enthusiastic about bringing the brand to their location.

However, in new cities where the brand isn't yet established, Claghorn notes that brokers may not be familiar with the company. She sees achieving widespread recognition as a key milestone: "We're really excited, like when we have that moment when we're going into a new city, that's not really connected to any of the current cities that we're in, that broker's like, oh my god, I'm so excited you're coming to our city and already knows us from buying products."

Claghorn views this level of recognition as an indicator of truly becoming a national brand. She's looking forward to the point where people know about the company not just from visiting their stores, but from their products and reputation across different markets.

SUGARED + BRONZED’s CX Philosophy

Courtney emphasizes the importance of customer service in her business, noting, "The customer is always right." She explains how her company has long admired Nordstrom's approach to customer service. This admiration led to a serendipitous hiring of a former Nordstrom executive with 13.5 years of experience, who is now their VP of operations.

Claghorn stresses the unique aspects of her business that require an even higher level of customer care: "People are getting naked in our stores. That's not happening in Nordstrom. So we have to have an additional level of people feeling super, super comfortable." She emphasizes the need for creating a judgment-free environment where clients feel at ease, whether they're getting a Brazilian wax or a full-body spray tan.

"We have to make sure people feel like it's a space where they can get that done and feel unjudged—like they're hanging out with a friend," Claghorn says. She adds that the goal is to make clients comfortable enough to casually chat about their lives, “They're just catching up, you know, about whatever. Their upcoming vacation. The fight with their boyfriend."

Innovation and Adaptability

Courtney did not immediately define her brand in terms of innovation. Initially, the focus was on bringing their service to the marketplace rather than creating something new. However, they prioritized a clean, user-friendly digital experience from the start. "Even though we're starting out of an apartment and humble beginnings, we want a clean and easy digital experience that's easy to understand and navigate," Claghorn says.

The Importance of Keeping Things Simple

She emphasizes the importance of simplicity in their approach: "We have always talked about simplicity. How do we achieve everything that we want to achieve in the simplest way possible?”

Claghorn also highlights the value of "first principles thinking" in fostering innovation. This approach involves breaking down complex problems into their most basic elements and rebuilding from there.

She believes this method is particularly effective when scaling or redefining aspects of the business: "The freedom to wipe things clean is really freeing for a lot of our team and I think a lot of the best innovation comes from there."

Ultimately, Courtney believes that business success hinges partially on a willingness to act. She advocates for swift action over prolonged planning, proposing a rule: the more time spent talking and planning, the less likely a business is to launch.

"How fast can you get to making that first dollar?" Claghorn challenges. She emphasizes the importance of market feedback in shaping a business, suggesting that extensive pre-launch planning may be misguided without real-world input.

"If you want to start a business you want to take that leap you have to dive into the unknown," she states.

While acknowledging the need for some fiscal responsibility, Claghorn advises against overplanning. She recommends a balanced approach: enough planning to avoid financial pitfalls, but not so much that it prevents action.