Body piercer Courtney Avery never thought her fear of needles and blood would lead to a successful venture. or signup to continue reading The former beauty therapist opened her Lavington piercing studio, Sacral Body Design, two years ago. She said it was a gamble starting a business, but she "quickly fell in love with it".
Growing up, she had been an aspiring hair and beauty artist, but one thing led to another, and she was given the opportunity to start piercing. Given her fear of needles and blood, it was never something she foresaw. "But when I started, it was fun, creative, and wholesome, and I've never looked back," she said.
Ms Avery said she was surprised at how quickly she picked up the art. "When my instincts kicked in to nurture the other person in the room and care more about them than myself, I was able to overcome any nerves I was feeling about piercing," she said. Ms Avery said that because the industry is unregulated, the journey had not always been easy, but it is important to continue to learn and persist.
She said she pierces anything above the belt but is open to expanding as time goes on. "I'm always learning and always expanding my services and learning new techniques," she said. "With piercing, there is no one really looking over your shoulder to make sure that your knowledge is current and that your practices are safe.
"Even from the beginning, even from the training place, it is really up to the peers to make sure that they are the best they can be. "I definitely take pride in ensuring that that's what I do." She said her business represents creativity, self-expression, and connection.
"In a nutshell, it's definitely more than just body piercing," she said. "I want it to be a real safe place for everybody to be themselves and for everyone to feel really heard, understood, and represented when they're in my space. "Giving that to my clients is just as important as the piercings in my eyes.
" Recently, Ms Avery won a $10,000 business grant, which she is putting towards new equipment and future upgrades. The grant, known as SPARK Women in Business, "I came first out of 82 businesses that applied across Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore," she said. "I didn't realise that when I applied, there would be "I thought that only judges chose the winner, but it turns out that the $10,000 grant was people's choice.
"That was exciting because I have a big community of regular clients, friends, and family. "It was a cool realisation when I won because of the fantastic support I have." Ms Avery said it had been a surreal feeling, one that she is very grateful for.
"It was a fantastic experience and a cool opportunity," she said. "The support before winning and after was incredible." Advertisement Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date.
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