From Cradle Cap to Global Impact: How Courtney Smith Built Cristina’s Curls with Passion and Purpose
In a warehouse located in North Georgia, Courtney Smith, the CEO of Cristina’s Curls, an organic international hair/skincare brand for kids of all ages sits in her office. Her international haircare line has achieved an impressive over 3 million in sales to date. This warehouse space is a stark contrast to the humble beginnings Courtney experienced when she first started her product line in her kitchen back in 2020. Courtney created Cristina’s Curls not only to benefit her daughter, who was born with cradle cap and eczema, but also to help other families facing similar challenges.
“I’ve set up my little office where I’m able to do my podcast, my interviews, and just brainstorm,” she tells me. It is a chilly Friday fall morning; however, Courtney’s voice is full of enthusiasm.
Often and honorably referenced as a modern-day Madam C.J. Walker, Courtney is a seasoned beauty entrepreneur with over eight years of experience as an esthetician. She learned early on the innate value of hard work, perseverance, and the art of bootstrapping one’s way to success. “Part of that stems from growing up in a single-mother home as an only child, where independence was necessary, and part is from having a deep entrepreneurial spirit.” With this foundation, Courtney began to follow her passion for beauty, becoming a licensed esthetician, certified in formulation, and eventually opening a synergetic spa.
“I was a licensed esthetician for years, and then my husband and I decided, once we got married, that we wanted to grow our family. So, I put aesthetics and beauty aside, closed down my spa, and took on the role of being a wife and a stay-at-home mom.”
In 2020, Courtney and her family were blessed with their latest addition, Cristina, a little girl. Cristina was born just three weeks before the COVID-19 shutdown. “It was such a crazy time; my husband was at home all the time. My son was six, and we also had a 16-year-old. We had a full house, but it turned out to be a blessing because we got to spend time together as a family and really enjoyed the new baby.”
However, while the Smiths were enjoying their new baby, she was grappling with her own battle. “Cristina had cradle cap and eczema very badly. I had taken her to a few doctors, including a dermatologist who actually prescribed a steroid. I thought, ‘I don’t think this is appropriate for a six-week-old baby.'” Courtney became frustrated with the lack of effective results.
“One day, my husband and I were having lunch together when he said, ‘Why don’t you just make her something?’ At that moment, a light bulb went off.” She continues, “It was puzzling that this thought hadn’t come to mind before he said it because that was my area of expertise. I had certification in formulation when I operated my day spa and had my product line, but it was all for adults. So, focusing on children and babies was out of my comfort zone.”
Creating her own formula for baby Cristina, Courtney utilized social media to post before and after pictures showcasing her results. “Every couple of days, Cristina’s legs, arms, and scalp were getting better and better. I thought, okay, I’m on to something.” Courtney discovered that other moms were dealing with the same issues. “Mothers following my story on social media started reaching out to me, so I began making products for random people and a few friends.” Cristina Curls started with two products: a hair and scalp oil designed to help with cradle cap and eczema, and a body wash.
As Courtney’s business began to grow, she faced the challenge of balancing both a baby and a rapidly growing business. “I wanted to be present with Cristina while also pouring into my business because now it was my passion—something I enjoyed doing—and there was a need. I was helping my baby, but I was also helping other mothers. However, I initially experienced a lot of mom guilt for taking time away from the baby to focus on the business. My biggest hurdles were finding my balance, discovering my flow as a mom and a business owner, and learning how to delegate.”
Courtney had to establish firm boundaries and work hours. Both Courtney and I agree that finding boundaries is something many entrepreneurs struggle with in the beginning. “With a new business, you want to make everybody happy. A customer would email us at 11 o’clock their time, which could be one or two o’clock my time, and I would find myself answering emails.” Hearing this took me back to the many times I had done the exact same thing. “I had to really get firm with my boundaries and my work hours, which I set from nine to five. I don’t care if 50 emails come through; I will not be opening them until the next morning,” she asserts.
Eventually, Courtney and I found ourselves discussing the topic of burnout. She shared that she has experienced burnout and realized it when she found herself feeling on edge, snappy, unmotivated, and dreading going into the warehouse despite the business’s growth. “I felt so defeated. The business was doing well; we were thriving with 20, 30, and even 40 percent growth month after month, but I was not where I wanted to be mentally. It was a mental burnout. I didn’t want to create any new products; I was doing just enough.” Upon recognizing her burnout, Courtney decided to take a few weeks off while her team managed things in her absence. “I really had to take some time to step back and remember my ‘why,’ which was to serve a need. Once I regained my passion for my purpose, it helped alleviate the burnout.”
Faith has played a significant role in Courtney’s journey. When I asked her how has faith influenced her path, she responded without hesitation, “I believe that to be an entrepreneur, you must have a high level of faith because challenges will arise that are out of your control. It can either make you or break you.”
Courtney recalls a particular situation when her company was preparing for a big event. “I think it was our three-year sale, and our shipment was delayed—I’m not talking about one or two days. They informed us it would take two or three weeks, and we already had pre-orders.” She continues, “It was just crazy, and I thought, ‘Oh my God, what am I going to do? What are we going to do?’ All I could do was pray about it; there was nothing physically I could do. It was out of our control. I prayed and gave it to God, saying, ‘You’ve gotten me this far, through all the other obstacles that have come up. It’s going to work out.’ And it did. I won’t say it was perfect, because sometimes things don’t work out exactly how we want them to, but we anticipated a two-week delay, and it ended up being only a two-day delay. We received it two days after we expected, and I was happy with that.”
Now, Cristina’s Curls has 22 products across three collections. “The first collection is the Nourishing Baby Collection, designed for newborns and up. Then we have the Nourishing Grow Collection, suitable for six months and up, and we also offer a Curl Enhancing Collection for the same age group.”
As a Christian woman in business, Courtney believes in the importance of putting God first, tithing, and giving back to where she is spiritually nourished. “Day after day, week after week, I know that everything I have is from God. My business has achieved goals I didn’t even envision,” she states. “So, I strongly encourage putting God first, giving back to where you’re spiritually fed, and staying focused on your ‘why.’ As I do that—being faithful in tithing, giving of my time, and helping those in need—I see God bless me a hundredfold.”
Courtney wants women to know that they can indeed have it all. “You can be a great wife, a great mother, and a great employer or employee—whatever it is you want to do. You just have to have faith, be disciplined, and keep your end goal in sight, knowing that each day is a step toward what you’re working for.”
