Life & Work with Courtney Curtis

Almost immediately after those Scrunchies were sent out, I started product revisions because I felt like if this was going to be a thing, I wanted it to be something that I was proud of. So I changed the elastic within the scrunchies themselves because I found that thinner elastics were more stretchy, which worked way better for curly hair, especially if it’s thick, I made business cards and designed a logo, and I bought purple bubble mailers, which is my favorite color (hence why my website theme is purple).

After I launched, I probably released 2-3 more scrunchie collections, but I didn’t have any more sales until probably October.

My parents and my sister have always been involved in the expansion of my business so they suggested I make satin pillow cases. Again I sat down and got to patterning, figuring out how I wanted the pillowcase to be designed and what would create the least waste. Then, in February 2021, I released satin pillowcases in white, black and light gray. A few months later, in June, I released satin bonnets in three different sizes, which are based on hair length and how you prefer to wear your hair to bed. That same month I decided to add a custom bonnet option for people who wanted specific colors or styles of satin bonnets and a Custom Curl Kit option, which included a satin bonnet, pillowcase, and scrunchie. I actually decided to do the curl kits because my sister was starting college, she really wanted a set that matched and I thought to myself, “How cool would it be for people to have sets that matched their dorm or room themes”.

Since then, I have released satin eye masks and satin scarves.

Outside of my business, I am a biomedical engineering and pre-med student and a student employee at Georgia Institute of Technology. I am beyond proud of everything I have been able to accomplish as a student, as well as with my small business. However it is no small feat, it is really difficult balancing the two, but somehow I manage to do it. I save my weekdays for studying and completing school assignments and on the weekends, I sew and ship my orders if I have any.

I manage a lot of consumer outreach on my Instagram and TikTok (both @itzscrunchies.court) and there is nothing I love more than seeing videos and feedback from people who really do enjoy my products. It makes my day knowing that the things I create bring joy to other people.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I wish I could say things have always been smooth sailing. I’ve never had issues developing new products, but I have struggled with support primarily from friends. My family has always been super supportive of me, but for whatever reason getting support from my friends was and is still really hard. You start a business and you’re excited about it and the first people you tell are typically your friends and you expect them to be supportive and congratulate you and maybe be one of your first customers, but that was not the case. I felt like I was getting a lot of negativity from people I considered my friends at the time. We would be having a casual conversation and they would just bring up my small business to say “Oh you know, I would buy a scrunchie from you, but I just don’t wear scrunchies and I don’t really know anyone that wears scrunchies”. At the time, it was really disheartening and I began to realize that when you do things that are big for you, the true colors of those around you start to show. I was hurt by it at first, but I’m not hurt by it anymore because the lack of support of a few people is greatly outnumbered by the support and love I get from my family and the customers I get to interact with online. Long story short, haters gonna hate, but you just have to push through and do what makes you happy.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I think I’m mainly known for making bonnets, of any product I have ever released, my satin bonnets definitely get the most love. I also think that my bonnets are probably the most diverse product I have because they are available in multiple sizes, which are not only based on hair length but also how you style your hair for bed or what style you currently have. I have small bonnets, which is the bonnet size that I personally use, for people who have shorter hair or who just like to braid their hair and tuck it up before bed. I have medium sized bonnets, which are great for thick or medium length hair, wearing pineapples or buns to bed, or even if you have in braids. My sister uses a medium sized bonnet and she also wears braids on occasion and medium satin bonnets work great for her. I also have large bonnets, which are actually huge, they go down half of my back, and they’re great for really thick and long hair, and especially for braids. And I charge the same amount no matter what size bonnet you get if it is one of my personal, featured bonnet styles.

I know I mainly make hair products, but the one thing I have made that I am most proud of is my sisters prom dress. It took me a few days to make and I had to pick up some new skills, but that dress…I am so beyond proud of that dress. It’s a silver satin dress with a partially transparent lace up, corset bodice and a leg slit.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I don’t really have a mentor. I am part of a few entrepreneurial Facebook groups, but I am not very active in them. I mostly do things by myself. I built my own website, I set up my own pay system, I completed my own product evaluations, I created my own products. Having full control over what I do has worked well for me because I’m driven to be introspective and I manage my time well and I’m very organized. I also take feedback from my customers very seriously. If I’m thinking about releasing a new product, I will create a poll and go to them first.