It Girl | COURTNEY HILL
I am blessed enough to know this beauty in real life. Courtney is one of the most genuine souls I have ever met. I am so honored to share her journey with you all. I also invite you to support her skincare today Cyber Monday see her deals here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CIM1pEVnODN/ but honestly sale or not, support this black-owned business.
Name: Courtney Hill
Age: 29
Pronouns: She/Her
Job Title/Company: CEO/Founder of Embellish Skin Care
Education Background: Master of Business and Administration from University of Texas, Dallas and a Bachelor of Art in Psychology (Minor: Biblical Studies) from Mercer University
1. Tell us a little about who you are.
I am Courtney D. Hill, the CEO and Founder of Embellish Skin Care, a skincare company that specializes in nature-inspired skin care products that are designed to help our customers achieve powerful rejuvenating body skincare results such that it promotes unwavering self-esteem and empowerment to achieve immeasurable success through their personal brand.
2. What sparked your interest in starting your business(es)?
It was the Christmas holiday, and I wanted to get presents for my female cousins. However, because I was still in college, I was balling on a budget. I knew they would enjoy skin care products because they were big fans of Bath and Body Works products. So, I decided to make scrubs for everyone. I threw all the ingredients together into a bowl like a mad scientist and was extremely proud of my creation. Not only was it natural, but it smelled good. I made certain to pour extra essential oil so that the smell would reach you as soon as you opened the jar. I was excited to hear back from my cousins because I believed they would have a great experience with the scrub I created. However, they told me that they had broken out into rashes. I wondered, in disbelief, how something so natural could be harmful. I went to my friend Google and researched—turns out that some essential oils can be harsh, especially on sensitive skin. I also learned that many popular skin care products contain harmful ingredients such as parabens, formaldehyde, mineral oil, and synthetic fragrances.
With this new knowledge in hand, I was determined to recreate the scrub from the previous year. However, this time, I made certain to complete research and to carefully pick each of the ingredients. Each year, I began to perfect my craft, improving the formula, and eventually transforming the scrub into a body polish. It was not until my last year in college when I believed enough in my prototype to develop a product line and open a business. I established my first business under the name Skin Deep Body Solutions in 2014. In 2017, I dismantled Skin Deep Body Solutions and I am now operating under Embellish Skin Care.
3. If applicable, tell us about your full-time job and/or any side hustles you might have.
I am a Senior Financial Analyst for a private equity firm in which I manage the corporate financials to help senior-level management make well-informed business decisions. Some of my responsibilities include financial reporting, completing in-depth analysis, supporting end of the month close processes, as well as budgeting and forecasting.
Additionally, as the CEO and Founder of Embellish Skin Care, I handcraft nature-inspired skin care products that include a daily moisturizing cream and body polish in various scents.
“The journey is more enjoyable when you grant yourself grace.”
4. Who are you most influenced by?
I am most influenced by others that have inspirational stories. More specifically, I am inspired by game changers that failed many times on the way to a victory.
5. What was your first job and how long did you hold that position?
I served as a barista at a Starbucks kiosk located inside Kroger, working at various Starbucks locations for three years.
6. What were your initial goals with your work? How have they evolved?
My initial goal was to successfully work myself up the corporate ladder. My goals have since changed—to build a reputable skin care company that is recognized for its quality skin care products and to influence self-care through clean beauty lifestyle education.
7. What do you think is the most important life skill you learned through your work?
Learning to lead and operate in ambiguity. Entrepreneurship is not always cookie-cutter, and neither is life. Although ambiguity brings along challenges, it also brings along opportunity. With launching a startup skincare company, I can definitely say that I mostly operate in the unknown. Also, everything will not go as expected, but that’s okay. Learning to pivot in uncertainty is key in progressing forward.
8. Where do you hope to be in five years?
I hope to be running a multi-million dollar skincare company after having launched successful product lines while leveraging the Internet of Things (IoT) to change how we do skincare today.
9. What is a typical day like for you?
On most days, I wake up before my alarm clock, which is set at 7 AM. I lay in bed for a little while and think of all the goals I want or need to accomplish for the day or week. I then read my devotional and meditate on the word. I read and respond to my emails, stroll through my social media pages, and view any orders that may have come in overnight. Afterward, I come up with content for Embellish. After posting content (3-4 days a week), it’s time to clock in for my 9-5 job. During lunch breaks, I typically try to respond to Embellish emails, social media comments, etc. Once I am off the clock, I work to fulfill any outstanding orders and rush to ship them off. While I have dinner, I use this time to wind down and reflect on the day. After dinner, I either call it a night depending on my workload from my 9-5 or I keep working towards my business objectives.
10. What was the biggest obstacle you’ve faced so far in the process of pursuing your goals?
The biggest obstacle I have faced so far in the process of pursuing my goals would be funding. The skincare industry alone is an incredibly competitive one and it requires a lot of capital to grow. I have spoken with many lenders who believe that the risk of funding a startup skin care business is too high for various reasons. Given the current COVID pandemic and the unfavorable economic climate, funding may be a little bit more difficult to secure. However, it will be an obstacle that I will overcome. The journey may be a little slower than desired, but I will not stop.
11. What is the best piece of advice you have received?
Grant yourself grace. This piece of advice is so important to me because I have been told that I am my worst critic. In granting myself grace, I’ve found that our God given gifts don’t require perfection, but excellence. In granting myself grace, I leave room for errors/mistakes, which is a part of growth. The journey is more enjoyable when you grant yourself grace.
12. When do you get your best ideas?
I get my best ideas when I am in creator mode, which occurs randomly. I also get some of my best ideas when I am winding down. I believe that during this time I am free to explore and anything goes.
13. Can you share with us one time that you failed and what you learned from that failure?
I am thankful for my failures. That is a hard one. A time that I failed was when I felt like I needed to hurry and get more products out. I stayed up until the wee hours trying to complete the label so I could send the artwork over to my screen-printing vendor. I told them that I needed a quick turnaround. I ordered 250 units to be printed only to find out one of the ingredients was incorrect on the ingredients list. Before I had time to correct the error, the 250 units had already been printed. YIKES!
I learned so many lessons from this failure. Here are two:
1. Slow down. Not only did I lose money, but I also lost time by having to rework my error.
2. Know when to shut it down. Sometimes I don’t respect my own limits. Everyone needs downtime to rest.
14. How do you unwind?
I unwind in various ways: I watch TV/Netflix, exercise, spend time with friends and family, bake, or have a glass of wine.
“Learning to lead and operate in ambiguity. Entrepreneurship is not always cookie-cutter, and neither is life. Although ambiguity brings along challenges, it also brings along opportunity.”
15. Can you share a sacrifice you have made to pursue your dream?
I have sacrificed spending money on myself for personal reasons. For example, the last time I bought myself a purse was over three years ago. I have also sacrificed sleep. Pursuing my dream comes with many early mornings and late nights.
16. What would you tell someone else who is interested in entering your field?
I would say know the “why” behind your purpose. I look at the why as the value you bring to the table. Understanding your ‘why’ makes you more effective in all that you are trying to accomplish. Remembering your why is especially important when the going gets tough. Your why is much bigger than just making a sale–it is how you influence the lives on the other side of your creations.
17. What do you hope people take away from your story?
Growing up I was insecure about my skin. I had acne and dry skin. The irony is that the very thing that was insecurity is what God would use to create a passion. I thought I had been making those scrubs for my friends and family; however, they were really a part of my journey as well. I pride myself on creating products that are hand-made, rich, and plant-based. But most importantly, I love the repeated results the products provide. Like my skin journey, I’d love for others to fall in love with their skin.
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