Meet Courtney Housner | Hair Stylist/ Makeup Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Courtney Housner and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Courtney, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I view risk as something new that you’re willing to try, knowing that there’s a potential for failure. And that’s exactly how I started my career. I left a career, a clientele, and a life that I had already built in another state just to move to CA and start at the bottom again. But risk doesn’t end at the beginning of the build, right? In entertainment there’s risk in every corner. It’s knowing what’s going to better your career in comparison to remaining comfortable/stagnant. I once hopped off of a paying job to take a free job, knowing it was a risk, because I saw more potential in that free job – and it paid off tenfold.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
So I do hair, makeup, and grooming. I also cut most of my male clients hair, as well as cut and color a handful of my female clients hair that I also do hair and makeup for.

As for the start of my career, it was a bit of a rocky one! Before starting my career in entertainment, I worked for a salon in the midwest. And when I left that salon, they said ‘Good luck. You’ll never be successful without us’. Nothing like starting your new career adventure off on a positive note, am I right? But I digress…

I think the biggest lesson(s) that i’ve learned is to allow yourself to build organically. You do not have to go out and network. You do not have to convince anyone to work with you. If it’s meant to happen, it WILL happen. And also befriend other hair and makeup people! They are your best connections. I love my hair and makeup circle and I am always looking to expand it because when I’m not available for a client of mine, which you can’t always be, I pass off my work to the people I know and trust. That way I know my client will be taken care of and I don’t ever have to worry. And lastly, learn to set boundaries! I know people always talk about it but let me tell you, entertainment has no schedule, it has no boundaries, and the only person that can help that, is you! And it’s tough! It really is so tough because you want to be available for everything and for everyone. But i’ve learned time and time again that if you don’t make time for yourself, no one else will. (Trust me. I’m still learning this).

I think one thing that i’ve heard my whole life is that i’m incredibly honest, and to a fault, no less. But I’m very honest with my clients and I think that is one thing that they value because I’ve never been in the business of selling bullshit, if that makes sense. I will only ever suggest products or things that I myself fully believe in. You will not find me posting about products that I personally haven’t tried. To me it just doesn’t make sense to sell people on things that they don’t need. And I know that that’s not the general consensus, and that’s totally fine! I just think that that’s one thing that sets me apart.

Alright, so let’s jump right in! The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there a person, group, organization, book, etc. that you want to dedicate your shoutout to? Who else deserves a little credit and recognition in your story?  
There’s a lot of contributing factors, but I attribute my success to my mom and dad. I truly couldn’t have done it without them.

Website: www.courtneyhousner.com

Instagram: @chousner

Image Credits
Gabrielle Ryan- Makeup by Diana Shin Madison Bailey – Makeup by Camille Thompson