Building a 7-figure fashion eCommerce brand in the Netflix hours with Cents of Style CEO Courtney Brown

Creative Counsel with Brittany Ratelle

Courtney Brown is the CEO and founder of Cents of Style and Be Fulfilled, two multimillion-dollar Utah-based eCommerce companies. Cents of Style aims to bring the latest in clothing and accessories in an accessible and affordable way while Be Fulfilled aims to help influencers develop, source, ship, and service their own product lines.

In this episode of Creative Counsel, Courtney shares her 15-year journey in building her companies from the ground up, including some giant pivots and bringing her husband into the businesses full-time. She also geeks out with me about how we’ve had a front-row seat to the changing shape of eCommerce, especially with brands grown through influencer and affiliate marketing. Courtney also shares how to create business boundaries, especially when working with friends, how to handle the inevitable curveballs that come with physical product, her best tips on hiring and managing team members, and how to approach the constant problem-solving that is part of the entrepreneurial journey.

In this episode:

• what to do when what you're working hard but not making any money
• why affiliate marketing is a win-win
• how to work with your spouse in your business
• hiring on skillset vs. mindset
• what to do if you have problems with your physical product
• should you source overseas if you're worried about copycats
• what the "netflix" hours are and how you can be using them to your advantage
• why not everyone will start or success in business
• Courtney's favorite business books
• what you should be doing to check in your vision every year

Courtney Brown's Quotes:

"If you're passionate about something, don't let that deter you.There will always be something standing in the way. There will always be a challenge. That's where the opportunity lies. If you can figure out how to solve the problem that others say is impossible. That's the largest opportunity if you can figure it out."

"If it were easy, everyone would do it. But your willingness to find solutions to the problems and move beyond them to shift, to change. And to keep going -- that is the number one predictor of success."

"Let's not forget the market is enormous. You don't need the whole pie. I don't want the whole pie. I just want a little piece of it. I want to create enough value that people see the value and want to participate in it. You can take up a little bit of the pie and live a very beautiful life and help and bless a lot of people."

Links:

Krazy Coupon Lady

Hip2Save

Essentialism by Greg McKeown

Good to Great by Jim Collins

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

Other podcast interviews with Courtney:

Fight Like a Mother: Raising Kids with Mental Illness

Dr. Julie Hanks: Healing Aspirational Shame

Nitty Gritty: Courtney and John Brown

Connect with Courtney

Courtney's Instagram

Cents of Style

Be Fulfilled

Contract Templates for eCommerce Companies:

1. Website BUNDLE

2. Client Service Agreement

3. Operating Agreement
4. Independent Contractor Agreement
5. Affiliate Agreement
6. Pop-up Shop Retail Agreement
7. Wholesale Retail Agreement
8. Giveaway/promotions bundle
9. Model Release

Brand Protection:

Interested in securing and protecting your own brand name? Chat with Brittany about whether you are ready for a federal trademark registration to protect your brand assets.

Ready to get your business legally legit?

Download my free legally legit workbook HERE and get access to my newsletter with tips and tricks for YOUR growing creative business.

Like to listen and learn?

Listen and subscribe to Creative Counsel on iTunes, Overcast, Stitcher, Spotify & iHeartRadio

Let's Connect

Interested in working with Brittany for one-on-one legal services? Sign up for a 15-min phone consult at brittanyratelle.com/services.

Want an attorney-drafted, industry-tested legal template for your business? Take a free quiz and find out exactly what you need for your creative business at creativecontracts.co.

Or, browse through my quick tips and tricks by connecting on Instagram.