Growing Side Hustle to 45 Locations with Courtney Claghorn, President and Founder of Sugared + Bronzed
Dear FoundHer...Real Founder Stories for Women Small Business OwnersShow Notes
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This female founded business began as a side hustle in an apartment and grew into a 45-location, company-owned beauty brand by staying grounded in reality.
Courtney Claghorn, president and founder of Sugared + Bronzed, a natural sugaring and spray tan company shares how the company took shape while she still worked full-time, learned the service herself, and paid attention to what customers were actually willing to buy. Early decisions focused on cash flow, reinvestment, and keeping costs manageable. Profitability set the pace from the start and made it possible to scale without franchising or giving up ownership.
The conversation traces what changes when a side hustle demands more than spare time, how standards hold up as scale increases, and why systems replaced intuition as the business grew. Courtney also talks through choosing when to raise capital, adjusting during COVID, and building something that could keep growing without depending on her presence in every room.
Episode Breakdown: 00:00 From Side Hustle To Growth At Scale: The Sugared + Bronzed Story 03:10 Identifying A Market Gap In The Spray Tan Industry 06:00 Early Customer Acquisition Without Social Media 07:00 Leaving A Corporate Job When Demand Takes Over 08:10 Bootstrapping The First Store And Prioritizing Profitability 14:50 Scaling Without Franchising Or Losing Control 16:10 Raising Capital After Proving The Business Model 17:30 Surviving COVID Through Creative Pivots 23:00 Maintaining Quality And Culture At Scale 34:00 Founder Advice On Moving Fast And Avoiding Overplanning
Connect with Courtney Claghorn: Follow Courtney on Instagram Visit the Sugared + Bronzed Website Follow Sugared + Bronzed on Instagram
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