Today we’d like to introduce you to Cortney H. Palmiero.
Hi Cortney H., can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started in the beauty industry when I was 15, so I really grew up inside of it long before I ever owned a business. Over the last 27 years, I’ve worked front desks answering phones, managed spa teams, worked alongside nail techs, massage therapists, and stylists, and worked as a hairstylist and aesthetician myself. I’ve seen the industry from just about every angle, and I’ve watched incredibly talented people get worn down by chaotic and unhealthy work environments.
When my husband and I opened Scissor + Comb 11 years ago, we were really clear on the kind of environment we wanted to create. My strength has always been people and customer experience, he’s great with numbers and logistics, and we’re both very operations-minded, so a lot of what we’ve built has come from paying attention to the details that make both employees and clients feel taken care of. We wanted to create a place where stylists could actually thrive instead of just survive the industry.
4 years later we opened Georgie’s Barber, a small 5 chair shop doors down from Scissor + Comb. My husband transitioned into barbering and really found his groove there, so opening the shop felt like a natural next step for us.
Opening the nail salon was not on my bingo card, but I’ve always loved getting my nails done and nail salons as a whole. From a young age, I loved the entire atmosphere: the dynamics, the smell of acrylic, the polish, all of it. As I got older and wiser, I learned how toxic many of the chemicals nail techs work with daily can be. I became close with a lot of nail techs over the years and kept hearing the same stories over and over: exhausting hours, no real days off, paying for their own supplies, working every weekend, and burnout being treated as normal. Some of the stories were much worse, like workers paying their bosses for promised nail tech licensing support or immigration sponsorship letters, only for those promises to never be followed through on. Opening Azalea City came from wanting to create the healthiest environment possible for employees.
So much of the beauty industry, particularly the nail industry, exists because of the labor, creativity, and cultural influence of Women of Color. I think about that a lot. For me, honoring that legacy shows up in how we run the businesses, how we treat employees, and the standards we set internally. I don’t think you can benefit from that history while ignoring how workers are treated in the present.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. At times it’s felt less like running a business and more like containing chaos. The first 5 or 6 years were especially brutal, and honestly it still can be at times. I think people romanticize owning a business as freedom or making your own hours, but the reality is that I eat, breathe, and sleep these businesses. I’m always checking schedules, answering emails after hours, thinking about employees, clients, systems, all of it. You really have to be on all the time. And on top of that, my husband and I built all of this while raising 3 kids and working together every single day, which brings its own challenges. It’s hard to separate marriage, parenting, and business when you’re building together and also trying to grow and evolve as individuals. There’s really no off switch. Even date nights somehow turn into business development meetings.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We’re really known for creating clean, highly operational, people-first businesses in industries that are often the opposite of that. I think what sets us apart is the amount of care and intention we put into both the client experience and the employee experience. I’m probably most proud of the teams we’ve built and the fact that we’ve had very little turnover in industries where high turnover is incredibly common.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I’m a huge homebody, but I love to travel. I just went on a week-long hiking trip in the PNW, but came home a day early because I missed my kids too much. My brain also never shuts off when I walk into other businesses — a restaurant, spa, retail store, wherever. I immediately notice the lighting, layout, HVAC, cleanliness systems, all of it. I think if I hadn’t gone into this industry, I probably would’ve ended up in interior design because i love creating spaces and moments.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.azaleacitynails.com + www.scissorandcombsalon.com + georgiesbarber.com
- Instagram: @azaleacitynails @scissorandcombsalon @georgiesbarber
