Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business:
I'm a fragrance and beauty product development consultant. I launched Emilie Consulting to help companies develop fragrances, candles, and skin care products including product strategy, sourcing, formula and packaging development, testing, vendors relationship, negotiations, production support, and everything until release on the market.
What excites you about being an Entreprenista League member?
Having access to an amazing community of successful women and getting support to grow my business.
What made you take the leap to start your own business?
I wanted to work closely with startups and founders to leverage my fragrance and beauty experience in both small and large corporations. I was also looking for flexibility in my schedule to get to spend more time with my 3 - year - old son.
What was your background prior to starting your own business?
I worked for 15 years in the beauty industry including 10 years as Head of Product Development for Le Labo and experiences at L'Oréal, Estee Lauder, and Coty.
Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?
I've always wanted to launch my own business. However, I was always postponing and making excuses until I realized that there would never be perfect timing. I needed to trust that things would work out, one way or another.
Take us back to when you first launched your business, what was your marketing strategy to get the word out and did it go as planned?
It is still fairly new, my business is less than a year old. Most of my clients are coming from my professional network and past work experiences.
What is the biggest challenge you have encountered along the way and what did you learn from it?
Writing my first business proposal and figuring out my consulting rate. I definitely undercharged my first clients but their trust and support in the early stage meant the world and gave me the confidence to keep going!
What is the accomplishment you are the most proud of to date?
Developing and launching a full line of skin care products in an insanely tight timing.
Do you believe in work/life balance? What are some of your best tips?
I do, but I'm still figuring out how to make it happen. I've been blocking time in my calendar which has helped a lot.
What's a piece of advice you can share that you wish you'd known when you first started your Entreprenista journey?
I'm new to the Entreprenista journey, so I will have to come back to this one!
What have you achieved recently that you'd like to celebrate with our community?
I've just done a branding photoshoot, which is very symbolic for me as it's a commitment and investment in my business.
What's next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?
I'm looking to grow my client list and build a team in the next few years
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About the Author
Entreprenista Team
