From Banker to Scent Maker! Kickoff Pumkin Spice Season with Fragrance Bar Owner Christina Julian
Ep. 42 ✨Ever wonder what it takes to pivot from a corporate career to owning and operating an experiential retail business? Meet Christina Julian, the visionary behind Rochester’s unique fragrance bar, Scents by Design. 🚀 From navigating the highs and lows of entrepreneurship during a global pandemic to hosting Taylor Swift album release parties, Christina’s journey is nothing short of inspiring.
Tune in to hear how she turned her passion into a thriving business, embracing creativity, community, and collaboration along the way. 🎧 #GettingRealWithBossy #ScentsByDesign #EntrepreneurLife #BossMoves
Key Takeaways:
- Experiential retail is a marketing strategy that focuses on creating engaging and memorable shopping experiences that go beyond the traditional purchase. The goal is to connect with customers on an emotional level and immerse them in the brand's narrative.
- The Significance of a Business Plan: How a well-thought-out business plan helped Christina navigate initial challenges and continues to be a living document guiding her journey.
- Community and Collaboration: The vital role of community over competition and collaborations with local businesses in fostering growth and creating memorable customer experiences.
- Innovative Customer Engagement: Unique events like Taylor Swift album release parties and themed fragrance-making sessions as a way to attract and engage customers.
- Strategic Expansion: Christina's thoughts on potential business expansion and her approach to balancing growth with maintaining her core values and customer experience quality.
Notable Quotes:
- "Creating a custom scent is not something you can do online; it's a unique, in-person experience that people crave."
- "We create spaces for memorable life events, from girls' nights to engagement proposals, which makes everything worthwhile."
- "The idea of expanding is appealing, but I don't want to lose the personal touch and creative joy that comes with being hands-on in my current space."
Resources:
- Scents by Design Website: scentsbydesign.com
- Scents by Design Social Media:
- Instagram: @scentsbydesigncandlebar
- Facebook: Scents by Design Candle Bar
Subscribe to Getting Real with Bossy Podcast and join Kelly Bush and Kelly Metras every other Monday as they uncover the inspiring stories behind small business owners in Rochester, NY and beyond.
Title Sponsor: Salena’s Mexican Restaurant
Episode sponsors: Marshall Street, Union Tavern
Hosted by Kelly Bush + Kelly Metras founders of www.BossyRoc.com
Music: Do it by Infraction, Mellow Bop by Prigida & You are the best by Cutesy Chamber Ensemble
Produced by JazzCast Pros
About the Guest:
Christina Julian, the owner and founder of Scents by Design, was born and raised in Rochester, New York. Christina earned a Bachelor of Science in Communication Management and Design at Ithaca College before beginning a career in Commercial Banking. In 2019, Christina left the corporate world to pursue entrepreneurship. She opened Scents by Design, a pour-your-own candle and custom fragrance bar, in the Neighborhood of the Arts in November of 2020.
Chapters:
0:00 Welcome from Kelly Metras + Kelly Bush
3:56 Introducing Christina Julian
4:49 From Banking to Custom Candles: A Pandemic Pivot
7:37 Creating Custom Candles and Fragrances for Unique Experiences
11:42 Navigating Business Trends and Consumer Behavior in a Unique Market
14:27 Creating Custom Scents for Emotional and Branding Purposes
18:25 Balancing Ambition and Personal Fulfillment in Business Expansion
21:39 Creative Events and Taylor Swift Album Release Parties
26:43 Balancing Creative Passion and Administrative Tasks in Business
30:40 A Journey of Transformation
35:32 Business Expansion Challenges
41:23 The Importance of Community and Collaboration in Small Business
44:56 Manifesting a Taylor Swift Collaboration with Scents by Design
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