Courtney Jones, CEO of Sweat Cosmetics
Courtney Jones is part of a powerhouse team of women who are redefining beauty for the active woman on-the-go. As a former professional soccer player, Courtney refused to believe that she had to make a choice between breaking a sweat and rocking a red lip. Together with several teammates, she created a line of sweat-resistant, all-natural, cruelty-free cosmetics with SPF protection that can survive any bootcamp, spin class, or training run.
Courtney retired her cleats in 2015 to pursue Sweat Cosmetics and today she oversees the company’s operations as CEO. As our Millennial Maker, she talks about what inspired her to take the leap, the importance of community, and why she always trusts her gut.
What inspired the concept behind Sweat Cosmetics?
Our athletic background! All Sweat Founders played collegiate soccer, and 4 of the 5 went on the play professionally. Not only did we see a need for ourselves, but we saw a need for our teammates and the women we surrounded ourselves with. More and more women are striving to be active, and we wanted to create a product that would not only hold up in our professional soccer careers, but any active lifestyle.
How have millennial expectations around skincare ingredients and versatility influenced your product line?
Millennials are dictating the buying trends. Our generation decides what brands flourish and what brands sink. We look at ingredients differently, for instance - we always check if brands are cruelty free, non-comodogenic, vegan, etc. We CARE about what we are using on or in our bodies. Sweat has absolutely taken this in mind when creating our products. After all, we are millennials too! Millennials also want to feel a personal connection to a brand. They want intimacy and open communication with the products they are trusting. This is another portion of our company that we are always trying to improve. We want to be as authentic as possible, showing our customers that we are just like them!
Why did you decide to build a network of ambassadors for Sweat Cosmetics?
We believe creating a community around our brand and products is essential to our success. In order to do that, we wanted to show our customers other, more recognizable people who use our products, as well. Like I mentioned previously, Millennials want to feel a connection. If there is a mutual friend or acquaintance, they are more likely to trust our products and what we have to offer.
What lessons did you learn as a professional athlete that you have been able to apply to running a business?
It might be obvious, but we are competitive. We bring fire and fight into every meeting we go into. Some people in the beauty world aren't ready for such an intense group of women (ha!), but we stay true to who we are. This competitive fire has helped us get this far in the ever so crowded beauty market.
What advice would you give future Millennial Makers?
Stay true. You will always come in contact with people who will tell you how they would do it differently. You will get advice from every corner, and most of the time, its all conflicting. It gets frustrating, especially when you are new to the business environment and are just trying to learn - you don't know when to listen or when to trust your gut. All I have to stay is stay true to you, your morals, and always remember WHY you built this company. There is a reason why you have gotten this far!
Most memorable startup moment?
When our first round of product inventory arrived at our HQ.
Favorite productivity hack?
Probably not much of a hack, but I make a daily to-do list every night before I go to sleep.
Recent beauty product obsession?
Umbrian Clay Purifying Treatment Bar by Fresh.
Favorite Athleisure brand?
Lululemon.
