Mary Harcourt – Wild Business Growth Podcast #211: Bright Inventor, Founder of CosmoGlo

Cocktail napkin sketches. They really can start businesses! That’s the story of this week’s Wild Business Growth Podcast guest, Mary Harcourt. Mary is the Founder and CEO of CosmoGlo. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and your other favorite podcast platforms.

• Episode Summary & Player
• Full Transcript
• Show Notes
• Wild Business Growth Podcast Summary

Episode 211: Mary Harcourt – Bright Inventor, Founder of CosmoGlo

Mary Harcourt, the Founder and CEO of CosmoGlo, joins the show to share her journey from running a salon to inventing the shadowless arc light that’s brightening several industries. Hear how she came up with the idea on a cocktail napkin, how to go from prototyping to shipping, adjust from a service business to a product business, stay profitable, and the craziest things she saw on safari. This episode covers everything from arc lights to animals. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• What entrepreneurship tips can you learn from running a salon
• Where did Mary learn the financial side of business
• How long did it take from prototype to shipping
• What has been the biggest driver to CosmoGlo’s sales growth
• Has Mary ever done a vacation focused around animals
• What does she think of my character
• How do you be and stay creative
• Where’s the best BBQ in Austin

Connect with Mary at TheCosmoGlo.com and Instagram @TheCosmoGloLight and @MaryHarcourt_.

Enjoy the shoooooow! Check out the show notes below for much more detail. You can also find the full transcript here.

Show Notes

• Intro & Owning a Salon
  • [0:30] Email me at to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool
  • [0:39] Connect with Mary at TheCosmoGlo.com and Instagram @TheCosmoGloLight and @MaryHarcourt_
  • [2:51] Shoutout, Dana!
  • [3:01] What entrepreneurship tips can you learn from running a salon
  • [4:25] Finances
  • [4:33] Client, Overhead, Rent, Employees
  • [4:45] Cash Flow
  • [4:57] Where did Mary learn the financial side of business
  • [5:36] Social Media, Google, Yelp
  • [6:53] P&L (Profit & Loss Statement)
  • [7:31] How do you keep your business profitable
  • [7:51] Licensing, Insurance, Excel
  • [8:49] Advertising
  • [9:38] Break-Even Point (BEP)
  • [10:18] Income

• The CosmoGlo Story
  • [11:46] Duh
  • [12:00] Where did Mary come up with the idea for CosmoGlo
  • [12:24] Patents
  • [14:10] Torture!
  • [14:22] Spa Industry, Esthetician, Dermatologists
  • [17:04] CAD (Computer-Aided Design)
  • [17:19] Prototype
  • [17:30] Yesssssssssss
  • [18:18] PIVOT!
  • [18:20] Ready.Set.Glo!
  • [18:41] Where did the cocktail napkin drawing happen
  • [19:29] Southwest Airlines Cocktail Napkin
  • [19:38] So close, Mary! Dallas, Houston, San Antonio
  • [19:54] “Write It Down to Get It Done!“
  • [20:28] How long did it take from prototype to shipping
  • [21:23] MRI Machine
  • [22:53] Checkbook, Payroll
  • [24:03] Savings
  • [25:01] Manufacturer
  • [25:46] Geeeeez
  • [25:53] Sales
  • [26:02] Lol
  • [26:06] What has been the biggest driver to CosmoGlo’s sales growth
  • [28:01] Tattoos & Cadavers
  • [28:17] How’s the adjustment from service business to product business
  • [29:55] Supply Chain
  • [29:59] Wild
  • [30:06] What would Mary do differently if she was starting CosmoGlo today
  • [31:49] Jason Feifer – Wild Business Growth Podcast #207: Editor in Chief, Entrepreneur Magazine
  • [32:57] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool. Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity
• Inspiration & Creativity: People, Hobbies, and Resources
  • [34:24] How do you be and stay creative
  • [36:22] Has Mary ever done a vacation focused around animals
  • [38:32] Figure it Out

• The Unusual: Pet Peeves, Quirks, and Weird Talents
  • [39:14] What’s a pet peeve Mary has
  • [39:52] Shoutout, Duct Tape
  • [40:51] Quacks me up
  • [40:57] What’s a weird talent Mary has
  • [41:11] What does she think of my character
  • [41:17] Pun Flavor
  • [42:27] Keep Austin Weird
• Rapid-Fire Q&A
  • [42:40] My Bachelor Party
  • [43:17] Cooper’s, Franklin, Terry Black’s
  • [43:52] Shoutout, Andrew!
  • [44:12] What would be Mary’s dream business to see CosmoGlo in one day
  • [45:55] Matthew McConaughey
  • [46:33] What’s the coolest thing Mary saw on safari
  • [48:06] What animal would she want to be reincarnated as
  • [48:47] Connect with Mary at TheCosmoGlo.com and Instagram @TheCosmoGloLight and @MaryHarcourt_
  • [49:12] What are Mary’s Final Thoughts
  • [50:43] Follow the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about the podcast. And 5 stars on Apple Podcasts & Spotify if you’re feeling super nice
  • [50:58] Check out the Wild Business Growth Podcast on Goodpods, where you can see what your favorite people are listening to
  • [51:00] Connect with me on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn @MaxBranstetter
  • [51:04] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool
  • [51:08] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity
  • Theme music: Freestyle Percussion Magik – “Jungle Tribe” – provided by Jamendo

What is the Wild Business Growth Podcast?

Wild ideas. Wild growth. Every Wednesday morning a new entrepreneur joins the Wild Business Growth Podcast to share the wildly creative and unusual ways they grew their business – and teaches you how to do it, too. Hear the minds behind WordPress, Stacy’s Pita Chips, Drybar, the voice of Bart Simpson, and more wild stories. Hosted by Max Branstetter (that’s me), Founder and Podcast Producer at MaxPodcasting.

How do you start a podcast?

Interested in starting a professional-sounding podcast for your brand, but don’t want to deal with the time commitment of all those behind-the-scenes details? I’ve got you covered. Email me at to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool.

Thanks for listening to Mary Harcourt on the Wild Business Growth Podcast. To hear more Wild stories like this one every Wednesday morning, follow the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about it. And go try Cooper’s BBQ with them in Austin. Until next time, Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!