Vanessa Garcia: The Hollywood Hustle, Mom Mode & Mastering It All

From a young age, Courtney Claghorn always felt her best with a tan. Ironically, she was the only Italian family member who didn’t tan easily! While she used to find this frustrating, she later realized it was a blessing not to have spent her younger years baking in the sun. For her, a faux glow was the way to go.

Before opening the OG Santa Monica salon, Courtney attended the University of Colorado at Boulder, where she met now husband and Co-Founder, Sam Offit. Shortly after graduation, they landed in Santa Monica. When Courtney found herself overpaying for spray tans at underwhelming locations, Sam encouraged her to find a better solution — and S+B was born! Word spread quickly. The growing client base encouraged Courtney to spread her wings from her short-lived corporate life and refocus her energy toward growing her business full-time. She soon became a 4th generation female entrepreneur, so perhaps her Italian half gave her good genes after all!

So why sugaring and bronzing? Concocting the perfect recipe for her business, Courtney, a longtime skincare fanatic, decided to add a little sugar to her sunless tanning idea. While sugaring has ancient Egyptian roots, it felt relevant to the modern world as a natural, eco-friendly way to remove hair. While developing her business, Courtney quickly realized that sugaring was not only the new waxing but also the perfect complement to a spray tan. Both services were often relegated to the bottom of long spa menus when in actuality, both techniques deserved finesse and attention for clients to receive consistent and optimal results.

Courtney's vision brought the two popular services side by side. SUGARED + BRONZED quickly became a uniquely synergetic space for those seeking a little extra pep in their step. No matter the occasion, S+B promises that you’ll leave with immaculately smooth skin and a natural faux glow.

Courtney's entrepreneurial journey @ 0:00

Courtney discusses her early days starting the Sugared + Bronzed business with her now-husband. She describes the pivotal moments when it started to feel like a "real" business, such as taking on investors and buying their first house. Courtney shares that the business grew rapidly, with 34 locations now across multiple states.

Balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship @ 7:12

Courtney reflects on the challenges of starting a family while running a growing business. She shares that she struggled with the physical and emotional aspects of pregnancy, and found it difficult to take time off work. Courtney discusses how she and her husband divided responsibilities to make it work, including hiring a night nurse and au pair.

Courtney's creative writing project @ 46:30

Courtney reveals that she has written a pilot script for a single-camera comedy inspired by her "mommy and me" class experiences. She shares that the writing process was surprisingly enjoyable for her, and that the script features characters based on people in her life. Courtney is hesitant to share the script widely, but is open to getting feedback from trusted sources.

Recap and well-wishes @ 1:00:46

Emily congratulates Courtney on the success of Sugared + Bronzed and her entrepreneurial journey. Courtney expresses gratitude for the team that has helped grow the business. Emily offers to read Courtney's pilot script and they discuss plans to stay in touch.