Conquering the Cannabis Industry Through Beauty, An Interview with Courtney Shepatin

I crossed paths with Courtney Shepatin as many people do in the emerging cannabis industry, being suggested the connection through a mutual friend. Our initial conversation was one of our shared passion for creativity and interest in entrepreneurship. Courtney quickly earned my regards as a businesswoman whose experiences could teach me, and our readers, a lot, so I asked her if she'd mind if we sat down again for a proper interview for our blog. Courtney is a bit of a night owl, so we had the pleasure of sitting down together pretty late tonight.

Courtney Shepatin is a self-taught entrepreneur and chemist who has been successful in the skincare industry the last couple of decades. Courtney is no stranger to working hard and never giving up on her big ideas. She is the founder of Courtney Joy Skincare and Shepatin Cosmetics, lines of organic skincare products infused with CBD, and will be launching with TCH oils once legal.

Alanna- So tell us a little bit more about yourself and your brand.

Courtney- Interested in organic and wild-crafted skincare industry since childhood, she grew up in the woods of northern New Hampshire, White Mountains area. She grew up in a magical fairy woods environment, where it became a collaborative effort, as these outside sources definitely guided her creativity working with plants.

This led her to study earth-based religions, herbology and piqued her interest further into the natural sciences. She currently holds certification as a Medical Esthetician, and has worked for big beauty companies like Bobby Brown, Estée Lauder, and Fresh, and has owned her own company, Shamanuti. 

Currently, Courtney is working on a new line of skincare products and even an erotic joy cream infused with CBD, and THC oils that are great for our skin and the perfect carriers on a molecular level for body care products. "It just makes sense to use this plant for beauty products. It is an antioxidant beyond many others in the natural world, and it's a weed, so it's sustainably manufacturable."

What made you decide to get into this kind of business in the first place?

She started in the beauty industry as a makeup artist and felt there was a lacking of affordable organic products to use.  She found a blending of these two worlds- fashion/beauty and the natural world provided by the woods- gave her a desire to create these types of skincare and beauty products. Courtney found herself drawn to this industry through a desire to escape into the fantasy world of beauty, but wanted to highlight the natural beauty around her.

How do you define success for yourself?

Courtney has already felt the success of fame with her products being featured in major magazines, so now her idea of success would be more about the impact her products can have on a more community basis. She still believes good press is nice for marketing and for the ego, but she wants to really make a difference in people's lives. So, success today would be helping her partners and employees have a fulfilling life being a part of a more family-style company that's full of creativity and playfulness. 

What has been the role of luck, if any, in your success?

"In general I feel I'm a lucky lady because I tell myself that all the time. If you think you're lucky, you're lucky, and even if you're not, you get lucky some of the time."

So many people believe you need luck and money to start a business these days. Any advice to people who don't feel opportunities are available to them; or who are letting their fears get the better of them?

Courtney says there really is just so much available to you for free with a good internet search these days, that it feels even more possible to find success with just $5000 and a dream. Opportunities are there, but you have to look for it. It is a world market, so utilizing all those resources is what will separate those who become entrepreneurs from those who don't. "Don't let having money hold you back. You can start small." 

It takes a lot to get a successful business going. If you had to credit any one person/event/thing that helped get you to where you are today, what would it be?

Getting a full expose on her past company, Shamanuti, into every Vogue magazine on literally every continent was the big moment that highlighted her successful product and catapulted her branding. Courtney is even more excited about her new line, as it has matured and gained a healing elegance to it. 

Entrepreneurs also like to think it can be a "one-man job," but in reality, broadly-speaking, what does it take to get an idea into production?

Courtney has found a 3-person team works best for her production process. Someone to handle the business and accounting side of things, another to help as a creative soundboard, and her doing the actual product creation and business strategy. This is her ideal basis, but she has had to be the only one for many of her past ventures. "It's too much work for one person to undertake. It can also get lonely."

How can an entrepreneur protect themselves and their ideas when setting up alliances/partnerships?

"It's really important to have a good attorney to write up contracts. This is one area where money is well spent. Don't leave room for gray areas or rely on gentlemen agreements. If you feel uneasy about signing those papers, trust your instincts and reassess." 

How has entering a "sin" market affected your business or your business relationships?

"Personally, it sometimes makes me blush. Then I think, this is a market that can be healing and it's fun, as well as being a great alternative to petroleum-based products." 

Do you find a stigma from the business community working/ breaking into this industry?

"No, it's the exact opposite. Big money wants to give you money. Big businesses have shown a huge amount of interest. This industry is very small local family-based style right now, and the big guys want in on it."

What markets do you sell within, plan to sell to, or cannot sell?

Courtney is in the process of selling her CBD-based products to all 48 states where it is legal, and then once licensing is finalized, she plans on selling both CBD and THC infused products wherever legal. 

Any competition worries on your mind currently?

"I'm feeling a pressure to get to market quickly because I feel that the race is on due to the legalization and all of its medical values."

Any supply chain issues, due to the mixed legality of the industry?

She says this has been a huge challenge. It's hard to find legal local suppliers for CBD oil, which raises the cost of manufacturing. There is a limited supply and a much bigger demand, but with the laws changing, this will become easier.

Have you decided on channels of commerce?

Available to start online and at The Cauldron Black in Salem, MA. She is also currently in discussion with other local chain retailers.

Does your marketing strategy include social media much?

"Personally I've seen success through word-of-mouth, and social media is a way for that to happen these days."

What are your future goals for expansion?

Courtney would like to do all her own original line of skincare products, but now as a hybrid with the CBD and other natural updates like maca and blue lotus. "It's fun playing with these magical ingredients."

How do you see the cannabis industry growing?

"There is so much versatility and medicinal purposes that it will be growing into all the other industries. Right now is the time to get creative." She hopes cannabis goes into mainstream America because it is a healthy plant that creates so much healing light, which we agreed is really needed in this world right now. 

Courtney Joy Shepatin can be reached through email at courtneyshepatin@hotmail.com.