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Life & Work with Courtnie Gordon

Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtnie Gordon.

Hi Courtnie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I went to SIUE to get my bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and prelaw. I was one of those “broke college kids” living on campus. I literally would come home every single weekend to work at a pizza restaurant and my check would be about $60.00/week. I’ve always been attracted to beauty and aesthetics so when eyelash extensions started emerging I was super interested. I started watching YouTube and knew that I wanted to learn how to apply them, but initially, I only wanted to learn so that I could apply them on myself (so I could look cute on campus lol).

I ordered the kit and found out that applying them on myself was nearly impossible, so I started practicing on my mom and my cousin, just for fun. It wasn’t until people started offering to pay me for services, that I realized I could really grow a business and make money from something that I would consider a hobby. I remember getting my first paying client, outside of a family member, and 5 years later she is still my client! I started doing lashes in my mom’s living room and I have some clients that still patronize my business from 2016 when I started. All of my clients are special to me but those ladies are my family! They literally watched me grow and supported me from day 1.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being an entrepreneur is never a smooth road, but those curves and potholes will create a character. I learn from EVERYTHING, and even knowing to take things as a learning opportunity was a process for me. I am one of those people who work best with pressure so while running my business I have a million other things going on in my life. Finishing school while running my business was one of my biggest struggles throughout these past 5 years. Anybody who knows me, knows that I’m super determined. If I say I’m going to do something, its happening! There would be times when I had clients but I also had homework or studying to complete before the night was over. Those moments taught me how important it was to communicate with clients. Also, moments like that is when I built relationships with my clients, outside of a service exchange. So every challenge or struggle that I had with this business, as I think about it, something beautiful came from it.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an eyelash extension specialist. I transitioned from calling myself a “lash tech” to a Lash Specialist once I realized my worth. I offer eyelash extension training, eyebrow wax and eyebrow tint services as well. The work that I do is very tedious, yet rewarding. All of my clients love their look after they sit up from my lash bed, which is what makes me happy. My energy thrives off satisfying my clients. I customize an eyelash or eyebrow look for each client’s facial structure. With eyelash extensions, I adhere 1 lash to each natural lash, with particular selection of the length, curl, and thickness of the lash extension. I was 19 when I started my business and now at 24 I can say that I have grown up in beauty.

I’ve watched other beauty experts in and out of STL, and used it as inspiration to elevate. I always look back and thank God for my development in beauty. Being a feminine woman in a women dominate industry is so much fun! I have made friends, built partnerships, and met some of the most beautiful women on the planet here in St. Louis. If I ever wanted to quit lashing, the business relationships that I have built alone would stop me from quitting. Doing eyelash extensions is therapy for me! Sometimes if I’m having a bad day, I can see a client, turn our music on, have girl talk while enhancing her beauty, and I forget all about my problems. Humbly speaking, I think that’s what makes me top tier. I really get so much more out of seeing clients than financial revenue.

What’s next?
A lot of big changes are coming VERY soon. My clients are luxurious, so I have to constantly fulfill my own and their desires. I am planning to offer more beauty enhancement services in the near future. I would like to work with a team that have common beauty interests as myself, so I am working on putting something together. I am also eager to learn more about my craft because the more that I know, the better I can satisfy my clients. I love being confident in my work so I’m pretty sure I will be taking more eyelash/eyebrow training courses to stay consistent with mastering my abilities.

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2 Comments

  1. Angela Gordon

    October 15, 2021 at 4:35 pm

    Beautiful 🤗🤗🤗🤗so Proud of you Baby Girl, They Sky is the Limit continue to Achieve greatness. Love you forever Mom❤🥰

  2. Jasmine

    November 19, 2021 at 1:48 pm

    I love my lashes every time I book it’s always a clean, safe, friendly, and positive environment. Courtnie is the only one I will have doing my lashes and tinting my eyebrows.

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