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“I didn’t see myself in the fragrance industry,” says Brianna Arps, founder and CEO MOODEAUX, about why she decided to start out building her business in 2017. “I remember commercials with half-naked men running on beaches and other advertising gimmicks that didn’t always make sense.”
Arps began her profession as an investigative journalist covering beauty, fashion and lifestyle. In 2018, she came upon she was fired when she opened her company laptop and discovered that her email access had been revoked. “The pressure of making a name for myself in this industry consumed me for years,” Arps says. “I didn’t realize my self-esteem was closely tied to my career until it was too late.”
He remembers the panicked train ride to his apartment on the day he was released. Panic turned into depression, which worsened as she remained unemployed. She credits her self-care rituals—finding solace and healing through scents—with helping her through this difficult time and also being the moment MOODEAUX was born.
“The layoff redirected me to what I needed to do next, which was building MOODEAUX,” says Arps. “And of course I had doubts along the way. What qualifies me to build and run a business? I had to silence that inner critic and say, ‘I’m going to qualify to do this and build that.'”
For Arps, buying and wearing fragrances has always been an affirming act that brings joy, excitement and comfort with every spritz. MOODEAUX places an emphasis on consumer education and creating fragrances that help you “show off how you feel.” Arps remembers that as a child she would try every scent her mother and grandmother had on their dressers. “I have always been interested in fragrances thanks to the most important and best-smelling women I know: my mother Cynthia and my late grandmother Minnie. They took great pride in creating routines that focused on their overall well-being.”
As you proceed to grow and scale your small business, here’s the advice Arps must share with other aspiring entrepreneurs.
Photo credit: Risa Dexter
1. Understand that small mistakes can result in big failures in the future
“MOODEAUX was not all the time the name of our company. It was once called “Moode Beaute” until my previous trademark lawyer shared some bad news,” Arps says. “When we filed for registration in late 2019, she discovered that another entity with a similar spelling had beaten us just a few days. I cried like a baby – mostly because by that point I had spent thousands of dollars on branding that we could never use.”
Arps continued to spend more time brainstorming and working with her trademark attorney before finally settling on the name MOODEAUX. This was an vital reminder for her to not neglect the legal issues surrounding your small business. It reminds founders to make sure they’ll pursue trademark rights by filing a timely application and hiring a trademark attorney with expertise chances are you’ll not have. “Small mistakes or oversights, such as not registering your name at an early stage, can lead to major setbacks and challenges in the future if you are not careful.”
2. Become comfortable with getting a lot of “no”s, “yes” will come
“Be prepared to hear more nos than the yeses you are waiting for,” says Arps. “Out of hundreds of conversations, meetings and applications on the way to obtaining further funding for MOODEAUX, I received about 10 ‘yes’. Arps encourages founders to build their inner fortitude, rely on patience and perseverance, and prepare for the potentially long road ahead. She also acknowledges that most women of color have to work harder than their peers to gain approval. Every “no” helped her reflect and redirect her energy towards reaching individuals who would imagine in her, have fun her and support her vision for MOODEAUX.
“I would meet with venture capitalists who would say no for now and say, ‘Come back to us when you’re up and running with this retailer, and then we’ll invest,’” Arps says. “Then we might enter the offer with that seller and they’d say, ‘OK, come back again when you hit your sales goal.’ The goal they put up was consistently changing, consistently changing. I felt like I’d never be ok for them and I needed to work hard to not internalize that.
3. Broaden your considering when it involves financing
Arps reminds founders that there are many other ways to finance and scale a company. While traditional enterprise capital funds were impressed by MOODEAUX’s trajectory, some weren’t convinced. “I was tired of feeling like I was on a hamster wheel and had to think about different ways to finance the company,” Arps says. “I didn’t need that flashy press release saying we were working with some big fund, I needed cash to scale my business. I needed money in the bank.”
Arps focused on raising funds in an unconventional way: through accelerators and competitions in which grants are distributed. “Accelerators are also a great way to gain knowledge and help improve your business,” says Arps. “Not only do you get a cash injection, but you also learn. When you’re done, you’ll be undeniable.” He also encourages founders to contemplate taking out a small bank loan and to not be embarrassed or afraid to ask friends and family to take a position in your organization.
“I don’t feel like chasing that fancy headline and spotlight,” Arps says. “I will always go where I am praised, where people share Black ambition and understand the trajectory of MOODEAUX, as well as our ability to drive positive change in the fragrance industry.”