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[00:00:32.320 --> 00:00:41.280] So there was kind of a challenge for me because here I am and I know my talents and I know my skill set.
[00:00:41.280 --> 00:00:45.680] I know that, you know, God put me on this earth to do amazing things.
[00:00:45.680 --> 00:00:50.880] So why isn't corporate America acknowledging all of this greatness, right?
[00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:55.840] That was kind of the question that I pondered over for so long.
[00:00:56.480 --> 00:01:05.200] You're listening to Side Hustle Pro, the podcast that teaches you to build and grow your side hustle from passion project to profitable business.
[00:01:05.200 --> 00:01:08.080] And I'm your host, Nikayla Matthews Okome.
[00:01:08.080 --> 00:01:09.840] So let's get started.
[00:01:13.360 --> 00:01:14.560] Hey, hey, friends, welcome.
[00:01:14.560 --> 00:01:16.240] Welcome back to the show.
[00:01:16.240 --> 00:01:18.880] Today I am joined by Kimberly Waters.
[00:01:18.880 --> 00:01:24.640] Kimberly is the founder and owner of Modern Urban Sensory Experiences, or Muse.
[00:01:24.640 --> 00:01:29.520] Muse is a luxury boutique fragrance house based in Harlem, New York.
[00:01:29.520 --> 00:01:37.120] In 2017, Kimberly founded Muse on the parlor floor of a friend's brownstone on Convent Avenue in Harlem.
[00:01:37.120 --> 00:01:41.840] What started as a humble beginning has evolved tremendously.
[00:01:41.840 --> 00:01:53.920] Today, Muse has been featured in numerous media outlets, partnered with global brands, and has become a sought-after destination for emerging brands, especially those seeking to enter the U.S.
[00:01:53.920 --> 00:01:57.280] market or establish themselves in diverse communities.
[00:01:57.280 --> 00:02:00.600] And can you believe Kimberly did this all while side hustling?
[00:02:00.920 --> 00:02:19.240] In fact, she's still a side hustler, and it's so much fun to be joined by someone who is at that pivot point where they have a plan, they have a timeline, and they're working towards bringing the leap from side hustle to full-time entrepreneur into fruition.
[00:02:19.240 --> 00:02:21.880] So, I really enjoyed our conversation.
[00:02:21.880 --> 00:02:28.440] I loved hearing what inspired her to initially pull the plug and start working on Muse for Real.
[00:02:28.440 --> 00:02:30.600] You'll be surprised to hear what it is.
[00:02:30.600 --> 00:02:33.960] And I really enjoyed just having her in the guest chair.
[00:02:33.960 --> 00:02:36.040] So, let's jump right into it.
[00:02:38.920 --> 00:02:41.880] Welcome, welcome, Kimberly, to the guest chair.
[00:02:41.880 --> 00:02:44.120] Thank you.
[00:02:44.440 --> 00:02:46.520] Thank you for being here.
[00:02:46.840 --> 00:02:56.360] All right, Kimberly, I am so intrigued by what you have created with Muse, the modern urban sensory experience.
[00:02:56.360 --> 00:02:59.480] Now, what does it all entail?
[00:02:59.800 --> 00:03:14.360] So, Muse is a perfume destination here in Harlem, and I have been in business officially since 2017.
[00:03:14.360 --> 00:03:16.040] Business in Harlem?
[00:03:16.040 --> 00:03:18.040] Business in Harlem, yep.
[00:03:18.040 --> 00:03:23.480] And I've been in the fragrance space probably almost a decade now.
[00:03:23.480 --> 00:03:31.080] So, if not a little bit longer, I don't want to age or date myself, but I've been doing this for a minute.
[00:03:31.080 --> 00:03:47.760] But, yeah, so 2017, I launched Muse because I wanted a place in my neighborhood, in my community, where folks like myself could shop for perfumes and fragrances.
[00:03:48.080 --> 00:03:52.640] And at that time, there wasn't anything that exists uptown.
[00:03:52.640 --> 00:04:04.080] Most people, when they shop for fragrance, they would have to go, you know, downtown, jump on a train, you know, jump an Uber, whichever way you get around, and they would have to go elsewhere to shop.
[00:04:04.080 --> 00:04:22.320] So my vision at the time, trust me, it was a humble beginning, was just to create a safe space for us to be ourselves, for us to explore fragrance in a way that probably hadn't existed at the time, and also to be a partner.
[00:04:22.320 --> 00:04:31.760] You know, I think we are such, we're consumers when it comes to beauty and fragrance, but oftentimes we're not a part of the process.
[00:04:31.760 --> 00:04:34.160] So I wanted to kind of change that.
[00:04:34.160 --> 00:04:40.000] And that's why I created Muse, Modern Urban Sensory Experiences.
[00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:43.440] So many of you already know what a muse is.
[00:04:43.440 --> 00:04:49.360] And a muse is a person who, you know, who serves as inspiration for an artist.
[00:04:49.360 --> 00:04:55.040] And I wanted to serve as an inspiration for others when it came to fragrance.
[00:04:55.040 --> 00:04:58.720] So that's kind of how I started, what my why is.
[00:04:59.360 --> 00:05:09.280] And fast forward to 2024, I'm still in Harlem and I'm still, you know, introducing people to luxury and niche fragrances in my neighborhood.
[00:05:09.280 --> 00:05:15.200] So tell us more about how you got your expertise in fragrances.
[00:05:15.440 --> 00:05:20.720] Where did you work or intern to really hone your skills?
[00:05:20.720 --> 00:05:21.600] Absolutely.
[00:05:21.600 --> 00:05:22.880] Great question.
[00:05:23.200 --> 00:05:32.280] So, you know, the whole purpose of, you know, side hustle is, you know, I didn't do this just automatically.
[00:05:32.600 --> 00:05:43.480] You know, it was something that came about because I had a career, which I still do, and I wasn't getting promoted.
[00:05:43.480 --> 00:05:46.840] or it was hard for me to elevate in my career.
[00:05:46.840 --> 00:06:02.760] And I thought at the time that if I just do the work, if I perform, if I raise my hand, if I'm a leader, all of these amazing characteristics and behaviors that we display, then I would be seen and I would be seen.
[00:06:02.760 --> 00:06:07.160] And then therefore I would be chosen to elevate in my career.
[00:06:07.160 --> 00:06:09.560] And that wasn't the case.
[00:06:10.200 --> 00:06:11.560] That wasn't the case.
[00:06:11.560 --> 00:06:21.720] And I, you know, it wasn't easy, you know, and not that elevation in one's career should be easy, but again, I was just, I thought that I was doing the work.
[00:06:21.720 --> 00:06:25.800] So there was kind of a challenge for me because here I am.
[00:06:26.040 --> 00:06:30.600] I know my talents and I know my skill set.
[00:06:30.600 --> 00:06:35.080] I know that, you know, God put me on this earth to do amazing things.
[00:06:35.080 --> 00:06:40.200] So why isn't corporate America acknowledging all of this greatness, right?
[00:06:40.200 --> 00:06:44.760] That was kind of that question that I pondered over for so long.
[00:06:44.760 --> 00:06:49.080] So many of us who are listening understand having those moments, of course.
[00:06:49.400 --> 00:06:49.960] Yep.
[00:06:49.960 --> 00:06:58.120] So those moments turned into kind of like this kind of search, this kind of internal personal search.
[00:06:58.120 --> 00:07:05.640] And I like to say that I went through like a quarter life crisis in my mid-20s to latter part of my 20s.
[00:07:05.880 --> 00:07:07.240] I didn't know.
[00:07:07.640 --> 00:07:09.960] I was searching and I just didn't know.
[00:07:09.960 --> 00:07:14.360] You know, you ask yourself a lot of questions at that time, like, what's my purpose?
[00:07:14.360 --> 00:07:16.400] You know, what my future is going to be.
[00:07:14.440 --> 00:07:20.640] And, you know, you have this vision of what you want your life to be.
[00:07:20.640 --> 00:07:22.880] And sometimes that doesn't flow, right?
[00:07:22.880 --> 00:07:24.160] It's not a flow.
[00:07:24.400 --> 00:07:26.560] So I started to question a lot of things.
[00:07:26.560 --> 00:07:35.280] And in the midst of questioning stuff, I said, God, you know, I know you instilled in me talents.
[00:07:35.280 --> 00:07:40.960] And I know that I am talented because I'm a child of God.
[00:07:40.960 --> 00:07:44.320] So please help me figure this out.
[00:07:45.600 --> 00:07:49.840] And I will tell you, I, you know, I was reading books, honey.
[00:07:49.840 --> 00:07:51.760] I was everything was self-help.
[00:07:51.760 --> 00:07:54.320] I was trying to find inspiration.
[00:07:54.800 --> 00:08:01.920] And then I started to see certain aspects of my life kind of amplify my lifestyle.
[00:08:01.920 --> 00:08:06.320] You know, you put it out there, you tell God what you want, and you ask for discernment.
[00:08:06.320 --> 00:08:08.320] And that's essentially what I did.
[00:08:08.320 --> 00:08:12.800] And I've always been a lover of fragrances, period.
[00:08:12.800 --> 00:08:22.080] Like, whether it was body sprays in high school, the Victoria Secrets body sprays, the lotions, the fast and body works.
[00:08:22.080 --> 00:08:27.680] You know, I grew up implementing scent into my life.
[00:08:27.680 --> 00:08:40.240] You know, we all seen, you know, our aunts and our uncles and our dads and our moms, you know, provide this kind of, you know, creative expression through scent in some capacity.
[00:08:40.240 --> 00:08:41.200] And I did too.
[00:08:41.200 --> 00:08:44.080] You know, my mom had her favorite fragrances, my grandmother.
[00:08:44.080 --> 00:08:48.400] So I kind of grew up around scent, you know, in a lot of ways.
[00:08:48.400 --> 00:08:51.440] And I incorporated fragrance into my life.
[00:08:51.440 --> 00:09:01.720] And then, you know, I started saying to myself, okay, there's something here, you know, that amplification, that light was coming on, but I just didn't know where it was going to take me.
[00:08:59.840 --> 00:09:05.720] And then I kind of started exploring this fragrance journey.
[00:09:05.960 --> 00:09:16.280] And it started off with me still working my full-time career and then also freelancing for different companies like Cody.
[00:09:16.280 --> 00:09:22.120] And then I was that woman that when you come into the department stores, I was like, look, smell.
[00:09:22.120 --> 00:09:23.080] I got a new fragrance.
[00:09:23.080 --> 00:09:23.880] Smell, smell, snow.
[00:09:23.960 --> 00:09:24.680] I was that woman.
[00:09:25.000 --> 00:09:26.360] You were one of those women.
[00:09:26.360 --> 00:09:27.080] I was one of those.
[00:09:28.120 --> 00:09:29.160] Because I had to learn.
[00:09:29.160 --> 00:09:34.440] You know, I knew there was something there, but I kind of had to submerse myself, right?
[00:09:34.440 --> 00:09:43.160] So that's kind of where the submersion, the submersion happened, which is kind of learning that kind of fine fragrance retail component.
[00:09:43.160 --> 00:09:47.400] And then I started blogging because we didn't have Instagram.
[00:09:47.560 --> 00:09:52.440] Maybe Instagram was on the cusp of coming out, but I started blogging and writing.
[00:09:52.440 --> 00:10:02.120] And I just really wanted to take people along this journey that I did not know where I was going, but I knew that there was a spark, there was something there.
[00:10:02.120 --> 00:10:11.560] And if I can take people along for the journey, then maybe in that time, I'm inspired and then they're inspired too.
[00:10:11.560 --> 00:10:28.120] So that kind of mindset took me, you know, not only, you know, working for Cody, but it took me traveling in the name of fragrance, working for a French perfume company called Bikillion at Sachs Fifth Avenue and also the meat packing district.
[00:10:28.200 --> 00:10:29.320] I put in the work.
[00:10:29.320 --> 00:10:30.760] So it was a long journey.
[00:10:30.760 --> 00:10:32.040] I kicked it today.
[00:10:33.960 --> 00:10:50.160] Hey, friend, there's a reason why Michelle Obama launched a podcast after the White House, why LeBron James started one as he built his empire beyond basketball, and why so many are turning to podcasting at pivotal moments in their lives.
[00:10:50.480 --> 00:10:53.600] Because podcasting does something most platforms don't.
[00:10:53.600 --> 00:11:04.240] It gives you space to process out loud, to tell your own story, to explore what's next in real time, in your voice, on your own terms.
[00:11:04.240 --> 00:11:07.120] Because clarity comes through conversation.
[00:11:07.120 --> 00:11:13.840] And podcasting, with its intimate, unfiltered nature, has become a tool for purpose.
[00:11:13.840 --> 00:11:19.120] So if they're using podcasting to navigate their next act, why not you?
[00:11:19.120 --> 00:11:30.640] If you're at a transition point in your career, your identity, or your business, and you feel the pull to speak, create, or grow into something new, I want to tell you this.
[00:11:30.640 --> 00:11:33.760] Your podcast isn't an end game.
[00:11:33.760 --> 00:11:36.240] It's the beginning of something bigger.
[00:11:36.240 --> 00:11:40.560] You are the bridge between inspiration and action for someone else.
[00:11:40.560 --> 00:11:43.760] And Shift is here to help you walk that bridge.
[00:11:43.760 --> 00:11:48.640] This isn't a sprint or a strategy download that you forget by next week.
[00:11:48.640 --> 00:11:59.600] Shift is a six-month private coaching experience with me for podcasters who are ready to align their message, own their next chapter, and own their voice.
[00:11:59.600 --> 00:12:04.880] If that's you, apply over at sidehustlepro.co/slash shift.
[00:12:04.880 --> 00:12:08.880] This is the only shift cohort I'll be offering this year.
[00:12:08.880 --> 00:12:12.480] And if your gut is nudging you, now is the time to listen.
[00:12:12.480 --> 00:12:17.280] If you've been wondering, this is where your next act begins.
[00:12:17.280 --> 00:12:22.640] The one that's not defined by titles, but by your perspective and your purpose.
[00:12:22.640 --> 00:12:28.240] It's time to create a platform that fits who you are now and who you're becoming.
[00:12:28.240 --> 00:12:33.640] Apply to ShiftNow at sidehustlepro.co/slash shift.
[00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:37.160] So, you mentioned you were working in corporate.
[00:12:37.320 --> 00:12:41.160] Um, what was your original career path outside of fragrance?
[00:12:41.480 --> 00:13:01.320] So, outside of fragrance, I was in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, and my career path, or so I thought at the time, I was in sales and I wanted to kind of be somebody's, you know, VP, you know, maybe kind of have a marketing role, you know, kind of this global marketing role.
[00:13:01.320 --> 00:13:07.400] And, you know, so that was kind of like my vision that I thought for myself.
[00:13:07.400 --> 00:13:15.240] And I kind of obviously didn't happen, but you know, I kind of created my own scenario in the midst.
[00:13:15.240 --> 00:13:24.360] Now, I want to break down a little bit what it looks like to start a company on the parlor floor of a friend's brownstone.
[00:13:24.920 --> 00:13:28.120] First of all, when did you come up with the idea for it?
[00:13:28.120 --> 00:13:34.760] When did you say I need to open a physical space and it's going to be this?
[00:13:35.960 --> 00:13:46.920] So, let me tell you, in 2017, I knew I still had my career and I knew that I wasn't ready for traditional brick and mortar.
[00:13:46.920 --> 00:13:51.000] I knew that I had to learn business.
[00:13:51.000 --> 00:13:59.800] Although I knew it from a perspective working in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, I didn't know it for real.
[00:13:59.800 --> 00:14:01.080] You know what I mean?
[00:14:01.080 --> 00:14:05.800] So, I didn't take the leap into traditional brick and mortar.
[00:14:06.120 --> 00:14:17.680] And I had a good friend, family friend, I like to call them my sisters, who own a family brownstone in Harlem on Convent Avenue.
[00:14:14.680 --> 00:14:21.280] It's been in their family at the time well over 85 years.
[00:14:22.000 --> 00:14:27.760] And their grandmother purchased that 1.3 brownstones in Harlem.
[00:14:27.760 --> 00:14:32.720] So she had this kind of entrepreneurial spirit way back when.
[00:14:33.040 --> 00:14:38.320] And I was trying to funnel and channel my entrepreneurial goals.
[00:14:38.640 --> 00:14:45.840] And my friend at the time, Gil, she said, you know, why not try to create news here?
[00:14:46.160 --> 00:14:48.080] And I was just kind of like, wow.
[00:14:48.080 --> 00:14:50.480] So your friend said, why don't you start it here?
[00:14:50.480 --> 00:14:52.160] And what did you say?
[00:14:52.160 --> 00:15:00.960] I said, absolutely, because her home, you know, represented a place for me.
[00:15:00.960 --> 00:15:03.440] So I'll give you a quick kind of little insight about this.
[00:15:03.600 --> 00:15:15.200] Not only was her grandmother an entrepreneur and I was trying to challenge my entrepreneurial desires, but she and her sister were instrumental in my upbringing.
[00:15:15.200 --> 00:15:18.880] Her sister was my fourth grade teacher.
[00:15:18.880 --> 00:15:23.360] And I grew up coming to Harlem from upstate.
[00:15:23.360 --> 00:15:26.000] Yeah, from upstate New York, because that's where I was raised.
[00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:28.720] I was born in New York City, but I was raised in upstate.
[00:15:28.720 --> 00:15:38.720] And I would come down to the city and visit this house, you know, because her sister was like my big sister, my mentor, and also former teacher.
[00:15:38.720 --> 00:15:44.640] And she, you know, was like my big sister from like fourth grade all the way up until today.
[00:15:44.640 --> 00:15:45.920] She's still in my life.
[00:15:46.080 --> 00:15:47.840] Both of them are still in my life.
[00:15:47.840 --> 00:15:53.760] So, I grew up coming to this house on Convent Avenue, right down a block from City College.
[00:15:53.760 --> 00:15:57.280] This amazing home, this massive home.
[00:15:57.280 --> 00:16:10.200] So, it meant something to me because I grew up watching these two women who I wanted to emulate, you know, and they lived in this fabulous house in Harlem, you know, Sugar Hill.
[00:16:10.440 --> 00:16:11.800] It was like their thing.
[00:16:11.800 --> 00:16:13.720] And I grew up around that energy.
[00:16:13.720 --> 00:16:27.800] So, for me, it was a full circle moment when she said I could use her parlor because I remember going in there and looking out the window and you know, hanging out when I was a teenager.
[00:16:27.800 --> 00:16:33.560] So, I took full advantage of that opportunity when it was presented to me.
[00:16:33.560 --> 00:16:35.000] I love that.
[00:16:35.320 --> 00:16:37.080] And how did you start it out?
[00:16:37.080 --> 00:16:41.960] Were you buying and then merchandising the perfumes?
[00:16:41.960 --> 00:16:48.360] Were you just doing like a small table, or did you like fully build it out as a full storefront?
[00:16:48.360 --> 00:16:52.600] No, so this was very incremental.
[00:16:52.600 --> 00:16:59.800] Um, in the perfumery space, you know, this was like some years ago, so things have changed.
[00:16:59.800 --> 00:17:03.880] The community has grown nowadays.
[00:17:03.880 --> 00:17:13.800] But when I started, first of all, there were few black women in perfume in this capacity, so that was kind of a starting point.
[00:17:14.120 --> 00:17:32.120] And then, you know, prior to 2017, I probably spent five or six years building rapport, you know, establishing my name, establishing my brand, traveling, connecting, because fragrances is different from skincare and beauty.
[00:17:32.120 --> 00:17:41.160] You know, I'm trying to retail, I'm trying to introduce a different level, a higher level of perfumery to a unique community.
[00:17:41.160 --> 00:17:49.680] And oftentimes, people, if they don't know who you are, they're not going to just give you their creation, right?
[00:17:49.680 --> 00:17:57.920] They're not going to just hand over their creation to someone who they don't know or they may not have a connection with.
[00:17:58.560 --> 00:18:09.520] So I started with probably four brands, you know, of people who saw me evolve in this space over time and believed in what I was doing.
[00:18:09.520 --> 00:18:14.240] They gave me some fragrances to jumpstart Muse.
[00:18:14.720 --> 00:18:20.000] So it wasn't like I had a full-fledged, you know, storefront in the beginning.
[00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:24.080] I kind of had to start from really kind of humble beginnings.
[00:18:24.480 --> 00:18:28.480] And that was like maybe four, four to five different brands.
[00:18:28.800 --> 00:18:30.720] And that's kind of how it started.
[00:18:30.720 --> 00:18:34.400] Just me saying, okay, you know me, I know you.
[00:18:34.400 --> 00:18:37.440] You know, we've established this connection.
[00:18:38.240 --> 00:18:43.360] I want to start this space here in New York and Harlem particularly.
[00:18:43.360 --> 00:18:45.440] This is my vision and my goal.
[00:18:45.440 --> 00:18:51.120] I know, you know, there's a little bit of risk for you, but trust me and believe I'm committed.
[00:18:51.120 --> 00:18:57.200] And so can you let me, you know, put your brand and your collection into Muse?
[00:18:57.200 --> 00:18:59.440] And that's really how it started.
[00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:09.040] Had you ever seen an example of a perfume parlor before?
[00:19:09.040 --> 00:19:10.400] So I did.
[00:19:10.400 --> 00:19:18.160] So I used to work for a French perfume house at the time, and it's still called to this day by Killian.
[00:19:18.160 --> 00:19:29.480] And Killian was probably one of the first luxury niche brands that really kind of had a cult following early on.
[00:19:29.280 --> 00:19:35.960] And I worked for freelance for him, you know, at Saks Fifth Avenue first.
[00:19:36.280 --> 00:19:46.920] And then when he decided to open up his freestanding boutique in the meat packing district, I left Saks and I went over to the boutique setting.
[00:19:46.920 --> 00:20:01.400] And having that experience and that exposure for me made me feel like this is what I want to do, you know, but uptown in Harlem in a really kind of unique setting.
[00:20:01.400 --> 00:20:12.280] And that experience and setting and environment really inspired me to start Muse and not do it in the way where it's a traditional brick and mortar.
[00:20:12.280 --> 00:20:15.000] So yeah, that was my early inspiration first.
[00:20:15.320 --> 00:20:23.320] A lot of us know the Baikillion brand because it was rumored to be like Rihanna's signature scent, one of their love, don't be shy.
[00:20:23.640 --> 00:20:25.000] Yep, that's right.
[00:20:25.000 --> 00:20:25.880] That's right.
[00:20:25.880 --> 00:20:33.080] It's so interesting, the power of a signature scent and the power of really understanding this space.
[00:20:33.080 --> 00:20:40.120] And that's why I was so fascinated by what you do because I think fragrances nowadays it's become a bit more popular.
[00:20:40.120 --> 00:20:47.480] I see YouTubers doing like perfume hauls and talking about signature scents and layering and all of that.
[00:20:47.480 --> 00:20:49.480] And I feel like this didn't used to be a thing.
[00:20:49.480 --> 00:20:50.760] What are you finding?
[00:20:51.800 --> 00:20:53.080] I agree.
[00:20:53.080 --> 00:20:55.160] You know, I agree in a couple of ways.
[00:20:55.160 --> 00:21:01.320] I agree that this community has grown over the years.
[00:21:01.960 --> 00:21:12.040] I think we saw a big influx of interest and curiosity and expression during COVID.
[00:21:12.040 --> 00:21:18.880] I think that people probably tapped in to themselves and their interest and their passion during COVID.
[00:21:19.520 --> 00:21:26.400] And because prior to COVID, there was a community, you know, but there wasn't such a robust community that we see.
[00:21:26.400 --> 00:21:27.120] And I'm happy.
[00:21:27.120 --> 00:21:34.960] I'm happy because beauty is oftentimes like everything is kind of grouped in to beauty, right?
[00:21:34.960 --> 00:21:36.640] You know, everything is grouped in.
[00:21:36.640 --> 00:21:42.320] And fragrance has never had its own independent, you know, category per se.
[00:21:42.640 --> 00:21:58.400] So I'm glad that, you know, there's an amplification of this space because when I started, you know, it was very few women of color, whether you were an influencer, a blogger, you know, TikTok wasn't there.
[00:21:58.400 --> 00:22:00.480] You know, it just wasn't.
[00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:02.400] So things have definitely changed.
[00:22:02.400 --> 00:22:14.560] And I think COVID really, you know, allowed people to tap into themselves and express themselves in a way that they just maybe never paid attention to prior before then.
[00:22:21.280 --> 00:22:30.800] Once you started the business, when did you start to think about growth and like, okay, this is something I can really scale?
[00:22:30.800 --> 00:22:36.880] It's something that I think about every single day, whether it's 2017 or 2024.
[00:22:36.880 --> 00:22:40.880] It's a thought that continues to evolve.
[00:22:40.880 --> 00:22:50.560] And I started Musa in 2017 with five brands, not really much of brand recognition, just kind of had a vision.
[00:22:50.560 --> 00:22:56.000] And I had some people who believed in me, you know, I had a couple of followers, we call, you know, you know.
[00:22:56.040 --> 00:23:04.040] Um, so I know to this day, I still know people who started with me in the beginning, you know, they have followed my journey.
[00:23:04.360 --> 00:23:17.080] Um, and I think about 2024 now, and it's just like I'm no longer on Convent Avenue, I'm still in Harlem, I'm on Edgecombe Avenue, still in the parlor space.
[00:23:17.080 --> 00:23:33.320] But the vision, you know, in 2017 and to see it now, I'm like in awe because I'm like, yo, the power that you have to just envision something that you want.
[00:23:33.320 --> 00:23:41.640] You may not have all of the tools, you may not have all of the resources, you may not have everything in alignment.
[00:23:41.640 --> 00:23:51.880] But I tell you, to see Muse today, to see me today as you know, the head muse, it's been a true evolution.
[00:23:51.880 --> 00:23:59.720] And, you know, now I have a community, you know, has some great features and different media outlets.
[00:23:59.960 --> 00:24:06.040] I have recognition, I have respect, I have a perspective that's valued.
[00:24:06.040 --> 00:24:13.560] Sometimes I have to remind myself of how far I've come because I don't think we do that very often as entrepreneurs.
[00:24:13.720 --> 00:24:16.760] You know, we're kind of focused on what's next, what's next.
[00:24:17.640 --> 00:24:20.360] But I have to give ourselves flowers.
[00:24:20.360 --> 00:24:21.160] Exactly.
[00:24:21.160 --> 00:24:25.560] And give ourselves flowers and give ourselves grace because it's not overnight.
[00:24:25.560 --> 00:24:27.720] It's definitely not overnight.
[00:24:27.720 --> 00:24:30.200] This is years in the making.
[00:24:30.200 --> 00:24:34.920] And I think about you know Muse and scaling Muse.
[00:24:34.920 --> 00:24:39.160] And this is kind of where things become a little bit of a challenge, right?
[00:24:39.160 --> 00:24:43.640] For me, for me because I'm a solopreneur.
[00:24:43.640 --> 00:24:54.240] And from time to time, I have amazing people that you know come into my life to help continue to push me along this journey.
[00:24:54.240 --> 00:25:07.680] Um, at times, I may have an intern or two to help with the logistics and the operational needs, but I really am a person who's still juggling, you know, the business aspect of Muse.
[00:25:07.680 --> 00:25:15.600] And, you know, right now, there are some questions that I have that I'm trying to seek answers to, so it never stops.
[00:25:15.600 --> 00:25:20.000] Like, even if you arrive at a certain position, like it never stops.
[00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:20.800] Nope.
[00:25:20.800 --> 00:25:24.880] And as you said that, I'm like, well, of course, you have questions that you're seeking answers to.
[00:25:24.880 --> 00:25:32.640] I feel like we're always, as entrepreneurs, seeking answers to something, trying to figure out something in our business, get better at something.
[00:25:32.960 --> 00:25:38.000] And speaking of that, let's talk about the aspect of what it actually took to start this, right?
[00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:43.280] So your initial investment, given that this was like a friend's place and all of that.
[00:25:43.280 --> 00:25:46.240] So I'd love to know more about the financial aspect.
[00:25:46.640 --> 00:25:52.800] You know, I try to be as candid and open as possible with that with our guests.
[00:25:52.800 --> 00:26:04.320] And I'd love to know more about what it took for you to start, you know, investment-wise, and then how you earn money, given it's such a niche and boutique business.
[00:26:04.640 --> 00:26:06.800] Yes, good question.
[00:26:06.800 --> 00:26:09.760] When I first started Muse, I had a career.
[00:26:09.760 --> 00:26:27.120] So oftentimes, and still to this day, how I fund Muse is because I have this career that has been allowing me to build my vision and hopefully my legacy simultaneously.
[00:26:27.120 --> 00:26:32.760] So, any money, any resources, it comes from my career.
[00:26:29.440 --> 00:26:35.640] So, I'm self-funded, if that's the terminology.
[00:26:35.960 --> 00:26:42.440] When I first started off with Muse, you know, I had to buy a product, you know, so again, self-funded.
[00:26:42.440 --> 00:26:45.960] You know, I had to buy the stock to kind of have a Muse.
[00:26:46.120 --> 00:27:00.600] I have really good friends in my life, so thankfully, Gil, the owner of the home, one of the co-owners of the home, she charged me kind of a small amount, you know, a couple of hundred dollars or so a weekend.
[00:27:00.920 --> 00:27:05.080] So, it really wasn't a huge risk for me.
[00:27:05.080 --> 00:27:06.360] And I thank God for that.
[00:27:06.360 --> 00:27:20.600] And that's one of the reasons why I didn't jump into traditional, like, you know, brick and mortar, because again, I had to take the time to learn what it's like to generate revenue, what's required to generate revenue.
[00:27:20.600 --> 00:27:24.520] And I just wasn't in that space to take such a significant risk.
[00:27:24.520 --> 00:27:33.080] So, a couple of hundred dollars a weekend when Muse was open on Convent Avenue, some investment when it came to stock.
[00:27:33.080 --> 00:27:34.920] You know, I was fortunate.
[00:27:34.920 --> 00:27:38.440] It wasn't a significant amount of money at the time.
[00:27:38.440 --> 00:27:45.400] So, fast forward now, you know, when I have an intern that comes in, you know, so I have to pay the intern.
[00:27:45.400 --> 00:27:50.040] I've got to, you know, more things when it comes to like taxes and accounting.
[00:27:50.040 --> 00:27:51.960] You know, I got to pay for that.
[00:27:51.960 --> 00:27:55.320] I got to pay for stock, you know, or inventory.
[00:27:55.320 --> 00:27:57.720] I got to pay for different marketing things.
[00:27:57.720 --> 00:28:02.280] So, my expenses over the years have, you know, increased.
[00:28:02.280 --> 00:28:04.040] I'm still self-funded.
[00:28:04.040 --> 00:28:17.680] I have been fortunate to receive some grants over the years from different, you know, organizations committed to supporting women-owned businesses, black-owned, women-owned businesses, some good partnerships.
[00:28:18.240 --> 00:28:24.400] So I'm at the point where I am knocking on doors.
[00:28:24.400 --> 00:28:28.080] No angel investing yet, no venture capital.
[00:28:28.080 --> 00:28:34.000] That's something that I aspire to have, you know, in the immediate future.
[00:28:34.160 --> 00:28:35.680] Because I do have big goals.
[00:28:35.680 --> 00:28:37.760] I have big dreams for me.
[00:28:37.840 --> 00:28:42.720] Right now, everything is pretty manageable, but I do have big goals.
[00:28:42.720 --> 00:28:46.800] So I'm going to need some big funding.
[00:28:46.800 --> 00:28:48.240] I hear that.
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[00:31:40.200 --> 00:31:42.920] So, what is the experience at Muse?
[00:31:42.920 --> 00:31:45.040] I understand it's by appointment only.
[00:31:45.040 --> 00:31:46.240] Why is that?
[00:31:44.680 --> 00:31:51.040] The experience is focused on some key areas.
[00:31:51.280 --> 00:31:56.320] Education, community, and culture.
[00:31:56.320 --> 00:31:59.280] So when people come into Muse, and I'll give you an example.
[00:32:00.000 --> 00:32:06.080] crew from Fort Worth, Texas that just came to Muse.
[00:32:06.080 --> 00:32:11.520] And prior to coming, my client Googled black-owned businesses in Harlem.
[00:32:11.520 --> 00:32:15.760] They were very, very intentional about how they wanted to spend their time.
[00:32:15.760 --> 00:32:23.840] So Kimberly or Muse kind of popped up and they saw a fragrance and they said, okay, well, it's four of us.
[00:32:23.840 --> 00:32:25.440] This can be kind of a different experience.
[00:32:25.440 --> 00:32:29.040] This was their first time in New York City.
[00:32:29.040 --> 00:32:32.880] It was their first time ever in New York City.
[00:32:32.880 --> 00:32:35.200] And they saw Muse out.
[00:32:35.200 --> 00:32:44.720] So that, to me, is significant because it shows me that I'm offering something that people want and they want a localized experience.
[00:32:44.880 --> 00:32:54.240] They want something that is different than going to traditional fragrance boutiques or locations looking for or discovering a new fragrance.
[00:32:54.240 --> 00:32:56.800] So that was something that happened recently.
[00:32:56.800 --> 00:32:59.600] So when they came, we had a good time.
[00:32:59.600 --> 00:33:05.360] You know, before we jump into the experience, it's all about, you know, who are you?
[00:33:05.360 --> 00:33:06.400] Where are you from?
[00:33:06.400 --> 00:33:09.040] You know, let's have a conversation.
[00:33:09.040 --> 00:33:12.560] Let's kind of, you know, learn from each other and get to know each other.
[00:33:12.560 --> 00:33:14.560] So it's like building camaraderie.
[00:33:14.560 --> 00:33:19.440] And then I have like a mini questionnaire that they fill out.
[00:33:19.440 --> 00:33:31.000] And it's so funny to kind of watch my clients fill out this questionnaire because, yes, everything is digital now, but I'm old school to a degree and I want people to write out their responses.
[00:33:31.320 --> 00:33:31.880] I am.
[00:33:28.640 --> 00:33:33.160] I sit there and I watch them write out their response.
[00:33:34.280 --> 00:33:39.480] They pull out their phone and try to, you know, figure out, you know, what fragrances did they last buy?
[00:33:39.480 --> 00:33:40.360] What's the name of it?
[00:33:40.360 --> 00:33:59.640] You know, so it's kind of interesting to see people kind of pause, think, reflect, and then converse, you know, about their connection to fragrance or what fragrances that they recently purchased or how do they want to wear their fragrances?
[00:33:59.640 --> 00:34:04.120] Do you want it to be noticeable or soft or what's your dream vacation?
[00:34:04.120 --> 00:34:13.080] Like all of these questions inform me and create a conversation around the experience.
[00:34:13.080 --> 00:34:30.120] And then from what they share, I'm able to connect them with some brands or you know collections that I carry that maybe align to their interests, how they want to wear their fragrance, how many compliments they want.
[00:34:30.120 --> 00:34:45.320] So it's all about introducing people to fragrances that they may not be familiar with in a setting that really reflects intention and community and just allowing people to breathe themselves.
[00:34:45.320 --> 00:34:56.760] You know, that's huge because if you go to a traditional department store and you have no clue what you're looking for, you know that you want something different.
[00:34:56.760 --> 00:35:00.960] You know, you've been wearing Clinique Abbey for like, years.
[00:35:02.080 --> 00:35:06.760] Again, like, I want something different, but I don't know what I want.
[00:35:06.760 --> 00:35:17.200] And it's hard to have those conversations, those vulnerable conversations, those kind of conversations with people in a traditional department store setting.
[00:35:17.200 --> 00:35:20.720] You know, so I allow people just to be themselves.
[00:35:20.720 --> 00:35:25.280] Even the home, like when you walk in, you feel like you're in your friend's house.
[00:35:25.280 --> 00:35:27.360] You feel like you're visiting a friend.
[00:35:27.360 --> 00:35:30.720] It's a very relaxing environment.
[00:35:30.720 --> 00:35:34.640] And people walk away feeling empowered.
[00:35:34.640 --> 00:35:37.040] They feel a little bit more educated.
[00:35:37.040 --> 00:35:41.520] And I had some people recently put something on my social media.
[00:35:41.520 --> 00:35:51.040] And one of the women who came with the Texas crew, she said, you know, thank you for teaching me about, you know, aspects of perfumery that I didn't know.
[00:35:51.040 --> 00:35:54.560] And they can take that information and they can go back to Texas.
[00:35:54.560 --> 00:36:05.360] They can take their new fragrances that may not be available in Texas and they can put people on, you know, so it's a really communal destination for fragrance.
[00:36:05.920 --> 00:36:06.560] Right.
[00:36:06.880 --> 00:36:12.400] And I don't know if this part is a secret, but I mean, it was a New York Times article on you, right?
[00:36:12.400 --> 00:36:16.160] Like, so this is actually, so the parlor.
[00:36:16.160 --> 00:36:26.240] And if you don't know Harlem Brownstones, I'll let you explain it a little further, but like this parlor division, that is the boutique, is actually in your home, right?
[00:36:26.240 --> 00:36:26.640] Yes.
[00:36:26.640 --> 00:36:27.840] You own the Brownstone now.
[00:36:27.920 --> 00:36:28.160] Yep.
[00:36:28.160 --> 00:36:37.840] I live here and I'm able to welcome people into my home, into my perfume parlor.
[00:36:37.840 --> 00:36:40.720] And, you know, it's always nerve-wracking, right?
[00:36:40.720 --> 00:36:47.120] Because you're welcoming strangers into your space.
[00:36:47.120 --> 00:36:49.040] And it's something that I'm very conscious of.
[00:36:50.160 --> 00:36:51.760] Yeah, it's very unique.
[00:36:51.920 --> 00:36:56.080] It's a big house, thank God, but it's unique.
[00:36:57.360 --> 00:36:59.120] And it's not something that I forget.
[00:36:59.120 --> 00:37:02.440] Like, again, I operate from a place of intention.
[00:37:02.440 --> 00:37:26.360] And if my intention is to put out good into the world, if my intention is to connect to other human beings in a way that they may not, you know, do so on a daily basis, if I'm coming from a good source, it is my hope that the people who I welcome into my home, first and foremost, are bringing that same energy and respect.
[00:37:26.840 --> 00:37:28.840] And I have never had any problems.
[00:37:28.840 --> 00:37:29.800] I will say that.
[00:37:29.800 --> 00:37:37.160] People are truly amazed when they walk into my home because it's aesthetically, it's beautiful.
[00:37:37.160 --> 00:37:42.600] And I've never had any issues, negative issues, you know, being the fact that I do live here.
[00:37:42.600 --> 00:37:48.920] And like you mentioned, you know, parlor floors of townhomes in Harlem, they play a significant role.
[00:37:48.920 --> 00:37:53.080] You know, they play a role for culture and community.
[00:37:53.080 --> 00:37:57.720] It's where, you know, the Harlem Renaissance, you know, kind of started.
[00:37:57.720 --> 00:38:02.120] People didn't have many places that accepted them, right?
[00:38:02.120 --> 00:38:11.640] So they had to create spaces in their communities, in their homes, in their apartments that they could kind of be themselves and express themselves.
[00:38:11.880 --> 00:38:14.440] So that was super important to me.
[00:38:14.440 --> 00:38:16.600] And that's why I wanted to stay in Harlem.
[00:38:16.600 --> 00:38:37.000] I wanted to stay in the brownstone setting because I wanted to kind of redefine or kind of modernize the parlor floor and make it about fragrance and community and culture because that hasn't historically been a part of the conversation before.
[00:38:37.320 --> 00:38:45.000] So it's kind of like putting a more modern spin on a role that parlor floors play in our community.
[00:38:51.440 --> 00:38:55.520] With these experiences, so you're providing, it is a true experience.
[00:38:55.520 --> 00:38:58.720] Like you have cocktails, you have snacks.
[00:38:58.720 --> 00:39:06.880] Do you also charge for the experience itself, or is the revenue solely from when people make a purchase?
[00:39:06.880 --> 00:39:11.280] There's a couple of revenue streams that I have.
[00:39:11.280 --> 00:39:18.480] So I have a full-fledged website that people can shop, explore, discover.
[00:39:19.120 --> 00:39:24.880] So there is a good chunk of my revenue that comes from online sales.
[00:39:25.200 --> 00:39:35.360] If you are coming to Harlem or coming to the city, you live in an area and you want to smell things firsthand, you can come here.
[00:39:35.360 --> 00:39:41.280] It's by appointment only because I kind of like, you know, again, this is my home.
[00:39:41.680 --> 00:39:43.600] So I have to kind of keep that in mind.
[00:39:43.600 --> 00:39:50.400] But I kind of like this kind of speakeasy, if you know, you know, type of vibe.
[00:39:50.800 --> 00:39:55.360] Describe Muse as like the fragrant speakeasy of Harlem.
[00:39:55.360 --> 00:39:58.560] And I was just kind of like, oh, I like that, you know?
[00:39:59.360 --> 00:40:10.080] You know, there's a level of discretion and there's a level of, you know, people wanting to feel like they are part of something that's truly unique, you know.
[00:40:10.080 --> 00:40:12.720] So you can come by appointment.
[00:40:12.720 --> 00:40:18.720] You could come in, you know, the appointments, depending on what type of appointment, I have three types of appointments.
[00:40:18.720 --> 00:40:21.680] You could just book an appointment for browsing.
[00:40:21.680 --> 00:40:23.680] It's very much like an art gallery.
[00:40:23.680 --> 00:40:28.800] You know, you come in, you look, and you smell, oh, you know, and there's no obligation.
[00:40:28.800 --> 00:40:43.960] Two, you could have a one-on-one experience with me where I actually, you know, guide you through a curated collection so that it's much more intentional, it's much more hands-on, and it's much more educational.
[00:40:43.960 --> 00:40:45.320] That's an option.
[00:40:45.320 --> 00:40:53.320] And then the third option, which seems to be like lately the most popular version, is groups, like small groups.
[00:40:53.320 --> 00:41:00.840] So people who want to bring their friends and their significant others and their children or what have you.
[00:41:00.840 --> 00:41:03.240] I create that experience for you too.
[00:41:03.240 --> 00:41:05.080] So it's three options.
[00:41:05.320 --> 00:41:08.200] You can learn more of that on the website.
[00:41:08.200 --> 00:41:11.080] But let me just make something clear to you.
[00:41:11.080 --> 00:41:14.680] It's never any obligation, right?
[00:41:15.000 --> 00:41:21.400] What I mean by that is this is not a very transactional experience.
[00:41:21.720 --> 00:41:28.760] It's all about just really connecting to the experience and connecting to a fragrance that you may enjoy.
[00:41:28.760 --> 00:41:33.320] So it's never the pressure of you having to buy something.
[00:41:33.320 --> 00:41:41.480] You know, my goal when you leave Muse is to feel like you learned something.
[00:41:41.480 --> 00:41:57.240] So that if you leave Muse and you go downtown or you go to a department store or you traveling around the world and you see a perfume boutique, you're able to confidently go in and explore and speak the language.
[00:41:57.240 --> 00:41:59.240] You know, it's a part of this industry.
[00:41:59.240 --> 00:42:01.240] So that's first and foremost.
[00:42:01.240 --> 00:42:09.960] I want you to discover a fragrance or a scent or a smell that you may not be used to or you may not have initially connected to.
[00:42:09.960 --> 00:42:18.480] I want you to kind of feel like you have an open nose when you come here to kind of receive open nose, right?
[00:42:18.480 --> 00:42:19.760] Open mind, open nose.
[00:42:14.600 --> 00:42:24.720] To kind of just receive what you're being introduced to, you know.
[00:42:24.720 --> 00:42:29.120] And if you happen to find something that's awesome.
[00:42:29.600 --> 00:42:33.600] If not, and you say, you know what, Kim, let me get some samples of this or that.
[00:42:33.600 --> 00:42:44.560] I gladly provide samples so that you can take it with you and discover it on your own time, in your own environment, under your own circumstances.
[00:42:44.560 --> 00:42:52.560] Depending on whatever mood you're in, you kind of have your own time with the fragrance that you're exploring.
[00:42:52.560 --> 00:42:58.400] So never any pressure, and you do have options when it comes to visiting use.
[00:42:58.400 --> 00:43:01.680] So I'm curious who your ideal customer is.
[00:43:01.680 --> 00:43:03.680] Like who is your target market?
[00:43:03.680 --> 00:43:27.920] I started Muse with consumers who look like me, who have similar aspirations as me, whether it's men or women who appreciate originality and access, who work hard for their money, you know, and they're intentional about how they spend it.
[00:43:27.920 --> 00:43:38.320] I created Muse for people of color who have aspirations, who appreciate originality through scent.
[00:43:38.320 --> 00:43:44.880] At the time, you know, and I still stick to this motto: is to inspire a lifestyle of scent.
[00:43:44.880 --> 00:43:48.240] And I wanted to do that for the community.
[00:43:48.240 --> 00:43:50.160] Yes, Inspire lifestyle of scent.
[00:43:50.160 --> 00:43:57.520] And I live by that from a Muse perspective because at one point we weren't a part of this community.
[00:43:57.520 --> 00:43:58.320] We weren't.
[00:43:58.320 --> 00:44:05.880] You know, fragrance was always kind of like this kind of distant thing, but yet we consume so much of it.
[00:44:06.200 --> 00:44:07.720] So I wanted to change that.
[00:44:07.720 --> 00:44:09.720] And that's why I created Muse.
[00:44:09.720 --> 00:44:13.080] And to this day, you know, my consumer still stays the same.
[00:44:13.080 --> 00:44:16.120] You know, I live in Harlem, although Harlem is changing.
[00:44:16.520 --> 00:44:17.640] I embrace change.
[00:44:18.840 --> 00:44:28.360] But my clients, you know, are people who have similar experiences, have cultural connections, and who look like me in various capacities.
[00:44:28.360 --> 00:44:30.840] So, yep, anybody can come.
[00:44:30.840 --> 00:44:37.720] But, you know, my why was more for people of color in the community that I live in and I serve.
[00:44:42.520 --> 00:44:47.320] And how do you go about marketing Muse these days?
[00:44:47.960 --> 00:44:51.080] It ain't easy.
[00:44:51.400 --> 00:44:53.080] It's not easy.
[00:44:53.720 --> 00:44:55.000] It's so unique.
[00:44:55.000 --> 00:44:57.640] Again, I keep referencing God by the grace of God.
[00:44:59.080 --> 00:45:14.600] My success has been, up until this point, has just been just through authenticity, you know, allowing my brand and my journey to speak for itself.
[00:45:14.600 --> 00:45:25.160] I have a five-star rating on Google, so that makes me feel like people appreciate what Muse is offering to the world.
[00:45:25.160 --> 00:45:37.640] The articles that I've been featured in, or Muse has been featured in, or the partnerships that I've acquired has just been through word of mouth and just doing good work, right?
[00:45:37.640 --> 00:45:59.920] Like, just not trying to be like another company in the same space, not trying to pivot away from my why to kind of keep up with, you know, the change that's happening and the evolution that's happening in this fragrance community or in this space.
[00:46:00.160 --> 00:46:10.000] Just kind of sticking to my core and making sure that I ask for help when it's necessary.
[00:46:10.000 --> 00:46:20.960] I remain true to my brand and to myself, and relying on the people who have experienced Muse to share that with their friends and their family.
[00:46:20.960 --> 00:46:40.560] Because word of mouth, I will tell you, like the value of word of mouth and still that kind of human interaction is still remains paramount for people and businesses like Muse because that's invaluable.
[00:46:40.560 --> 00:46:43.600] So, what is your goal for Muse?
[00:46:43.600 --> 00:46:46.640] So, right now, you know, because it is a side hustle, right?
[00:46:46.640 --> 00:46:47.760] It's a side hustle.
[00:46:47.760 --> 00:46:51.120] You're still working, you have a full-time career.
[00:46:51.120 --> 00:46:55.840] Do you feel that it's something that you have aggressive business goals for?
[00:46:55.920 --> 00:47:06.400] It's something that is kind of a passion project that earns money, but it's like it's not something you want to grow, grow.
[00:47:06.400 --> 00:47:10.720] I'm trying to get the vibe of where you want with Muse.
[00:47:10.720 --> 00:47:12.640] Like, what kind of business is it?
[00:47:12.640 --> 00:47:13.200] You know?
[00:47:14.640 --> 00:47:22.080] So, I am shining and smiling bright right now because I love this question.
[00:47:23.040 --> 00:47:34.200] This question allows me just to kind of go inward and just dream and really conceptualize, you know, Muse down the line.
[00:47:34.520 --> 00:47:45.400] You know, one thing I want to tell people is I started out, Muse started out as a passion project, right?
[00:47:45.400 --> 00:47:51.720] And I think it's important to say this because all ideas come from somewhere.
[00:47:51.720 --> 00:47:55.480] So mine started out as a passion project.
[00:47:55.800 --> 00:48:11.400] And when you start paying taxes and you get that LLC and there's certain requirements that you have to remember and be responsible for, and you know, you got, it's a business now.
[00:48:11.880 --> 00:48:15.080] It goes from passion project to business.
[00:48:15.400 --> 00:48:17.000] It is incorporated.
[00:48:17.000 --> 00:48:18.040] It's LLC.
[00:48:18.040 --> 00:48:19.400] I pay taxes.
[00:48:19.400 --> 00:48:28.280] You know, I am running all of the intricacies, maybe at a smaller scale, that a full traditional business will do.
[00:48:28.280 --> 00:48:32.200] And I honor that because I've seen the growth over the years.
[00:48:32.520 --> 00:48:40.280] So I do have aspirations to transition fully to Muse.
[00:48:40.520 --> 00:48:51.720] I do not want to leave this earth not fully realizing my potential with what I started.
[00:48:52.040 --> 00:48:55.960] I would be so disappointed in myself.
[00:48:56.200 --> 00:49:04.840] And I don't want to get emotional now because I feel like this is what's going to be the next step for me.
[00:49:05.120 --> 00:49:11.800] Um, I do have goals, however, that I need to make sure I meet and are in place.
[00:49:11.800 --> 00:49:14.480] And I'm being aggressive with that.
[00:49:14.480 --> 00:49:19.600] Um, and I'm not giving myself 10 years, you know, before I transition.
[00:49:13.880 --> 00:49:21.280] No, that's not going to happen.
[00:49:22.480 --> 00:49:32.320] I feel like I've proven to myself that this is worth leaping full-fledged with two feet.
[00:49:32.960 --> 00:49:43.760] I think the universe has proven to me that there's a need for this type of perspective, you know, this type of business.
[00:49:43.760 --> 00:49:47.440] You know, so I will transition.
[00:49:48.000 --> 00:49:50.240] There's no ifs, ands, or buts about that.
[00:49:50.240 --> 00:49:52.880] I do have a timeline in my head.
[00:49:52.880 --> 00:50:00.160] I would love to see Muses in different parts of the country, you know.
[00:50:00.880 --> 00:50:03.920] Yes, maybe different parts of the world.
[00:50:03.920 --> 00:50:15.920] I see Muse evolving, not only in New York City, but in other communities where they can welcome a space like this.
[00:50:15.920 --> 00:50:18.560] I don't have all the answers.
[00:50:18.560 --> 00:50:22.960] I do put out my desires and my dreams and my thoughts to the universe.
[00:50:22.960 --> 00:50:34.720] And I hope that, you know, as time goes on, I meet someone or encounter someone that could help strategize around my future.
[00:50:35.440 --> 00:50:38.720] Because, you know, everybody can't play every role, right?
[00:50:39.200 --> 00:50:41.280] Any of us have all the answers.
[00:50:41.280 --> 00:50:42.160] Yes.
[00:50:43.280 --> 00:50:44.640] We can't grow that way.
[00:50:44.640 --> 00:50:49.120] We can certainly get to a certain level doing a little bit of this, a little bit of that.
[00:50:49.120 --> 00:50:56.720] Obviously, to grow beyond that, we do need to do something different and whatever different looks like for you.
[00:50:56.720 --> 00:51:08.520] But I appreciate you sharing that with us because sometimes people don't like to talk about the future, what they're planning, what they got in there up their sleeve until it's done.
[00:51:08.520 --> 00:51:25.400] And it's always nice to hear the refreshing perspective of a current side hustler who's building like a really viable business, thriving, beautiful, unique concept, amazing experience that guests love and rave about.
[00:51:25.400 --> 00:51:28.840] There's this exclusivity aspect of it that I love as well.
[00:51:28.840 --> 00:51:35.240] Like, not everyone, you can't just come up, you can't just roll up, you know, and you can just open up the door and hide.
[00:51:35.240 --> 00:51:36.120] Nope.
[00:51:36.760 --> 00:51:38.120] I welcome everybody.
[00:51:40.040 --> 00:51:45.400] But there's some, you know, there's some stipulations and some rules to this.
[00:51:45.560 --> 00:51:47.000] I love that concept.
[00:51:47.000 --> 00:51:48.760] It's so original.
[00:51:48.760 --> 00:51:50.280] And I wish you so much luck.
[00:51:50.280 --> 00:51:52.120] And I can't wait to see how it develops.
[00:51:52.120 --> 00:51:57.000] And I definitely have to get in there before it blows up, blows up, and I'm on my CTV with this.
[00:51:57.560 --> 00:51:58.600] No, no, no.
[00:51:58.600 --> 00:52:00.600] And can I just share with you?
[00:52:01.160 --> 00:52:09.080] And please forgive me if I'm having a moment, but I have been a fan of you and what you created.
[00:52:09.080 --> 00:52:17.720] And I believe that, I don't know if we did you follow or have a conversation with Mylik Teal way back when?
[00:52:17.720 --> 00:52:19.240] Yes, yes, I did.
[00:52:19.240 --> 00:52:19.640] I did.
[00:52:20.040 --> 00:52:20.520] Yes.
[00:52:20.840 --> 00:52:24.200] I believe that I was introduced to you.
[00:52:24.200 --> 00:52:27.160] And I don't know the year or I don't know the specifics.
[00:52:27.320 --> 00:52:30.760] I've been thinking about this ever since your team reached out to me.
[00:52:31.160 --> 00:52:33.960] Mylika and I spoke in 2016.
[00:52:34.280 --> 00:52:35.080] Yeah.
[00:52:36.280 --> 00:52:37.560] So that's where.
[00:52:37.560 --> 00:52:41.320] So that's where it started for me, right?
[00:52:41.320 --> 00:52:42.040] It started for me.
[00:52:42.040 --> 00:53:00.000] And I remember driving to Philly and listening to your podcast and just kind of listening and just to know that fast forward, I don't know how many years later, I'm having this conversation with you because Muse was a side hustle.
[00:53:00.000 --> 00:53:01.200] It was a passion project.
[00:53:01.200 --> 00:53:07.120] And that's why your podcast and your conversation with her kind of like resonated with me.
[00:53:07.120 --> 00:53:09.360] And this is a full-fledged moment for me.
[00:53:09.360 --> 00:53:14.400] And I thank you for seeing me and seeing you and just reaching out.
[00:53:16.400 --> 00:53:22.880] I want you on a podcast that I listened to driving to Philly one weekend.
[00:53:23.200 --> 00:53:24.720] I think I've made it through two.
[00:53:24.720 --> 00:53:28.960] I think I made it through two, two episodes on that journey.
[00:53:28.960 --> 00:53:31.760] And it's just, this makes me so, so happy.
[00:53:31.760 --> 00:53:32.800] It makes me so happy.
[00:53:32.800 --> 00:53:34.160] So thank you.
[00:53:34.800 --> 00:53:42.320] I have to shout out Carmen, who, you know, when I was putting out like, who should I interview next?
[00:53:42.320 --> 00:53:47.040] Carmen was like, oh, you have to, you know, I can make the intro if you haven't already.
[00:53:47.040 --> 00:53:48.560] So shout out to Carmen.
[00:53:48.560 --> 00:53:49.840] Let's stick passion.
[00:53:50.000 --> 00:53:52.400] You with me, you know, sharing news.
[00:53:52.560 --> 00:53:53.840] Yes, lipstick, passion.
[00:53:55.200 --> 00:53:57.440] Oh, she is my girl.
[00:53:57.440 --> 00:53:58.800] Oh, she's my girl.
[00:53:59.040 --> 00:54:01.120] She's just, she pours into me.
[00:54:01.120 --> 00:54:02.480] She pours into muse.
[00:54:02.480 --> 00:54:09.920] She's the person that, you know, one of the people that I tend to bounce ideas off of and just keep showing up for me and keep showing up for me.
[00:54:09.920 --> 00:54:11.760] So thank you, Carmen.
[00:54:12.320 --> 00:54:12.960] All right, that's it.
[00:54:13.120 --> 00:54:13.360] Sorry.
[00:54:13.600 --> 00:54:14.880] She's awesome.
[00:54:14.880 --> 00:54:16.320] Yes, thank you, Carmen.
[00:54:16.320 --> 00:54:23.040] And I love this because it's just, it's leading up to the lightning round where we're going to talk about more awesome black women.
[00:54:23.040 --> 00:54:27.440] But I just love hearing things like that because that's the whole reason.
[00:54:27.440 --> 00:54:30.680] And, you know, it makes me emotional because that's the whole reason I started this show.
[00:54:31.000 --> 00:54:41.640] And we all have moments where in the day-to-day of doing the work, you kind of forget or you just close to the why every single moment that you're working on your show.
[00:54:41.640 --> 00:54:49.720] So just to be reminded of that, and that wow, this really does impact people and it really is helping someone start their side hustle and grow it to a viable business.
[00:54:49.720 --> 00:54:50.680] It's just amazing.
[00:54:50.760 --> 00:54:51.800] I never take it for granted.
[00:54:51.800 --> 00:54:52.440] So thank you.
[00:54:52.440 --> 00:54:53.880] Thank you for that.
[00:54:55.800 --> 00:54:58.760] All right, now we're going to transition into the lightning round.
[00:54:58.840 --> 00:55:00.760] We just answered the first thing that comes to mind.
[00:55:00.760 --> 00:55:01.800] Are you ready?
[00:55:01.800 --> 00:55:03.160] I'm ready.
[00:55:04.120 --> 00:55:04.600] All right.
[00:55:04.600 --> 00:55:04.920] Okay.
[00:55:04.920 --> 00:55:05.160] Okay.
[00:55:05.720 --> 00:55:12.360] Number one: What is a resource that has helped you in your business that you can share with the Side Hustle Pro audience?
[00:55:12.360 --> 00:55:17.240] Spotify, because it's such a resource for podcasts.
[00:55:17.640 --> 00:55:24.200] It's where I go to spot for all my podcasts and just for information.
[00:55:24.440 --> 00:55:33.320] Number two, who is a non-celebrity black woman entrepreneur who you would want to switch places with for a day and why?
[00:55:33.640 --> 00:55:35.400] So I did mention Milee.
[00:55:35.560 --> 00:55:51.000] I know that she has transitioned to other things, but had she still been here at this moment running her business, I would want to switch places with her because she has been instrumental for me as an entrepreneur.
[00:55:51.000 --> 00:55:54.680] Like I will kind of want to be in the day in the life of my league teal.
[00:55:54.920 --> 00:55:56.280] Yep, that's one person.
[00:55:56.600 --> 00:55:57.320] All right.
[00:55:57.320 --> 00:56:03.080] Number three, what is a non-negotiable part of your day these days?
[00:56:03.080 --> 00:56:06.000] I have to eat something.
[00:56:06.000 --> 00:56:10.920] That is a non-negotiable, or you're going to get a hangry part of it.
[00:56:10.920 --> 00:56:11.640] Oh, yes.
[00:56:11.640 --> 00:56:12.600] Oh, yes.
[00:56:13.880 --> 00:56:21.040] Number four, what's a personality trait that you think has helped you be successful in business?
[00:56:21.040 --> 00:56:22.880] My tenacity.
[00:56:22.880 --> 00:56:39.040] You know, my tenacity to follow up with brands, my tenacity to, you know, see something that may not come to fruition yet, but know that it's on the verge.
[00:56:39.520 --> 00:56:49.120] I think you have to be a tenacious person to be an entrepreneur, especially knowing that there's really no overnight successes.
[00:56:49.120 --> 00:56:53.840] You have to kind of stay the course, and that takes tenacity.
[00:56:53.840 --> 00:57:07.600] And last but not least, what is your parting advice for fellow black women entrepreneurs who do want to bet on themselves and do that side hustle, but are worried about stepping away from a steady paycheck?
[00:57:07.600 --> 00:57:09.280] Do it at your time.
[00:57:09.600 --> 00:57:22.160] And what I mean by that is definitely commit to yourself that you see something bigger than your current role, your current responsibility.
[00:57:23.120 --> 00:57:27.280] So keep that perspective and that vision at the forefront.
[00:57:27.680 --> 00:57:36.960] But don't allow the nuances around you to kind of force you into doing something prematurely.
[00:57:37.920 --> 00:57:39.600] Be intentional.
[00:57:40.080 --> 00:57:46.080] You know, like I said earlier, like I do have an exit plan and some goals.
[00:57:46.080 --> 00:57:48.640] And that's the intentional part of it, right?
[00:57:48.640 --> 00:57:56.880] That keeps me kind of flowing and going along with Muse, knowing that there's something that I'm going to do that I committed to.
[00:57:57.200 --> 00:58:09.720] However, you have to kind of take these incremental steps, and you can't be forced to kind of do things trying to keep up with someone else's pace or journey.
[00:58:09.720 --> 00:58:12.680] So, acknowledge where you are right now.
[00:58:12.680 --> 00:58:18.280] Be mindful of where you want to go, set the steps so that you can get there.
[00:58:18.280 --> 00:58:24.840] And believe me, it all works out for you in the end.
[00:58:25.240 --> 00:58:41.240] I believe that and just enjoy the journey, enjoy the inspiration that comes with the universe conspiring to make your goals and your dreams and your vision come to reality.
[00:58:41.240 --> 00:58:42.280] Enjoy it.
[00:58:42.760 --> 00:58:44.680] That's the perfect note to end on.
[00:58:44.680 --> 00:58:49.240] So, where can people connect with you and Muse after this episode?
[00:58:49.240 --> 00:58:57.080] Go follow me on Instagram at Muse, M-U-S-E underscore experiences.
[00:58:57.080 --> 00:59:03.400] You can find me on my website, you know, www.museperiences.com.
[00:59:03.480 --> 00:59:05.320] I'm an email away.
[00:59:06.120 --> 00:59:08.200] I'm very approachable.
[00:59:08.200 --> 00:59:12.040] So, definitely don't hesitate to reach out to me with any questions.
[00:59:12.040 --> 00:59:13.640] All right, guys.
[00:59:13.960 --> 00:59:15.800] And there you have it.
[00:59:15.800 --> 00:59:17.000] We did it.
[00:59:17.000 --> 00:59:19.240] Thank you so much for being in the guest chair.
[00:59:19.240 --> 00:59:22.120] And, guys, I will talk to you next week.
[00:59:23.720 --> 00:59:26.760] Hey, guys, thanks for listening to Side Hustle Pro.
[00:59:26.760 --> 00:59:31.480] If you like the show, be sure to subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.
[00:59:31.480 --> 00:59:34.920] It helps other side hustlers just like you to find the show.
[00:59:35.240 --> 00:59:39.880] And if you want to hear more from me, you can follow me on Instagram at SideHustle Pro.
[00:59:39.880 --> 00:59:46.480] Plus, sign up for my six-foot Saturday newsletter at sidehustlepro.co slash newsletter.
[00:59:46.960 --> 00:59:54.320] When you sign up, you will receive weekly nuggets from me, including what I'm up to, personal lessons, and my business tip of the week.
[00:59:54.320 --> 00:59:59.040] Again, that's sidehustlepro.co/slash newsletter to sign up.
[00:59:59.040 --> 01:00:00.800] Talk to you soon.
[01:00:04.960 --> 01:00:15.280] From prying ice to improving defenses to peace of mind, take your company's cybersecurity to the next level.
[01:00:15.280 --> 01:00:19.280] Transform the everyday with Siemens.

Prompt 2: Key Takeaways

Now please extract the key takeaways from the transcript content I provided.

Extract the most important key takeaways from this part of the conversation. Use a single sentence statement (the key takeaway) rather than milquetoast descriptions like "the hosts discuss...". 

Limit the key takeaways to a maximum of 3. The key takeaways should be insightful and knowledge-additive. 

IMPORTANT: Return ONLY valid JSON, no explanations or markdown. Ensure:
- All strings are properly quoted and escaped
- No trailing commas
- All braces and brackets are balanced
Format: {"key_takeaways": ["takeaway 1", "takeaway 2"]}

Prompt 3: Segments

Now identify 2-4 distinct topical segments from this part of the conversation.

For each segment, identify:
- Descriptive title (3-6 words)  
- START timestamp when this topic begins (HH:MM:SS format)
- Double check that the timestamp is accurate - a timestamp will NEVER be greater than the total length of the audio
- Most important Key takeaway from that segment. Key takeaway must be specific and knowledge-additive.
- Brief summary of the discussion

IMPORTANT: The timestamp should mark when the topic/segment STARTS, not a range. Look for topic transitions and conversation shifts.

Return ONLY valid JSON. Ensure all strings are properly quoted, no trailing commas:
{
  "segments": [
    {
      "segment_title": "Topic Discussion", 
      "timestamp": "01:15:30",
      "key_takeaway": "main point from this segment",
      "segment_summary": "brief description of what was discussed"
    }
  ]
}

Timestamp format: HH:MM:SS (e.g., 00:05:30, 01:22:45) marking the START of each segment.

Prompt 4: Media Mentions

Now scan the transcript content I provided for ACTUAL mentions of specific media titles:

Find explicit mentions of:
- Books (with specific titles)
- Movies (with specific titles)  
- TV Shows (with specific titles)
- Music/Songs (with specific titles)

DO NOT include:
- Websites, URLs, or web services
- Other podcasts or podcast names

IMPORTANT: 
- Only include items explicitly mentioned by name. Do not invent titles.
- Valid categories are: "Book", "Movie", "TV Show", "Music"
- Include the exact phrase where each item was mentioned
- Find the nearest proximate timestamp where it appears in the conversation
- THE TIMESTAMP OF THE MEDIA MENTION IS IMPORTANT - DO NOT INVENT TIMESTAMPS AND DO NOT MISATTRIBUTE TIMESTAMPS
- Double check that the timestamp is accurate - a timestamp will NEVER be greater than the total length of the audio
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Full Transcript

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[00:00:32.320 --> 00:00:41.280] So there was kind of a challenge for me because here I am and I know my talents and I know my skill set.
[00:00:41.280 --> 00:00:45.680] I know that, you know, God put me on this earth to do amazing things.
[00:00:45.680 --> 00:00:50.880] So why isn't corporate America acknowledging all of this greatness, right?
[00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:55.840] That was kind of the question that I pondered over for so long.
[00:00:56.480 --> 00:01:05.200] You're listening to Side Hustle Pro, the podcast that teaches you to build and grow your side hustle from passion project to profitable business.
[00:01:05.200 --> 00:01:08.080] And I'm your host, Nikayla Matthews Okome.
[00:01:08.080 --> 00:01:09.840] So let's get started.
[00:01:13.360 --> 00:01:14.560] Hey, hey, friends, welcome.
[00:01:14.560 --> 00:01:16.240] Welcome back to the show.
[00:01:16.240 --> 00:01:18.880] Today I am joined by Kimberly Waters.
[00:01:18.880 --> 00:01:24.640] Kimberly is the founder and owner of Modern Urban Sensory Experiences, or Muse.
[00:01:24.640 --> 00:01:29.520] Muse is a luxury boutique fragrance house based in Harlem, New York.
[00:01:29.520 --> 00:01:37.120] In 2017, Kimberly founded Muse on the parlor floor of a friend's brownstone on Convent Avenue in Harlem.
[00:01:37.120 --> 00:01:41.840] What started as a humble beginning has evolved tremendously.
[00:01:41.840 --> 00:01:53.920] Today, Muse has been featured in numerous media outlets, partnered with global brands, and has become a sought-after destination for emerging brands, especially those seeking to enter the U.S.
[00:01:53.920 --> 00:01:57.280] market or establish themselves in diverse communities.
[00:01:57.280 --> 00:02:00.600] And can you believe Kimberly did this all while side hustling?
[00:02:00.920 --> 00:02:19.240] In fact, she's still a side hustler, and it's so much fun to be joined by someone who is at that pivot point where they have a plan, they have a timeline, and they're working towards bringing the leap from side hustle to full-time entrepreneur into fruition.
[00:02:19.240 --> 00:02:21.880] So, I really enjoyed our conversation.
[00:02:21.880 --> 00:02:28.440] I loved hearing what inspired her to initially pull the plug and start working on Muse for Real.
[00:02:28.440 --> 00:02:30.600] You'll be surprised to hear what it is.
[00:02:30.600 --> 00:02:33.960] And I really enjoyed just having her in the guest chair.
[00:02:33.960 --> 00:02:36.040] So, let's jump right into it.
[00:02:38.920 --> 00:02:41.880] Welcome, welcome, Kimberly, to the guest chair.
[00:02:41.880 --> 00:02:44.120] Thank you.
[00:02:44.440 --> 00:02:46.520] Thank you for being here.
[00:02:46.840 --> 00:02:56.360] All right, Kimberly, I am so intrigued by what you have created with Muse, the modern urban sensory experience.
[00:02:56.360 --> 00:02:59.480] Now, what does it all entail?
[00:02:59.800 --> 00:03:14.360] So, Muse is a perfume destination here in Harlem, and I have been in business officially since 2017.
[00:03:14.360 --> 00:03:16.040] Business in Harlem?
[00:03:16.040 --> 00:03:18.040] Business in Harlem, yep.
[00:03:18.040 --> 00:03:23.480] And I've been in the fragrance space probably almost a decade now.
[00:03:23.480 --> 00:03:31.080] So, if not a little bit longer, I don't want to age or date myself, but I've been doing this for a minute.
[00:03:31.080 --> 00:03:47.760] But, yeah, so 2017, I launched Muse because I wanted a place in my neighborhood, in my community, where folks like myself could shop for perfumes and fragrances.
[00:03:48.080 --> 00:03:52.640] And at that time, there wasn't anything that exists uptown.
[00:03:52.640 --> 00:04:04.080] Most people, when they shop for fragrance, they would have to go, you know, downtown, jump on a train, you know, jump an Uber, whichever way you get around, and they would have to go elsewhere to shop.
[00:04:04.080 --> 00:04:22.320] So my vision at the time, trust me, it was a humble beginning, was just to create a safe space for us to be ourselves, for us to explore fragrance in a way that probably hadn't existed at the time, and also to be a partner.
[00:04:22.320 --> 00:04:31.760] You know, I think we are such, we're consumers when it comes to beauty and fragrance, but oftentimes we're not a part of the process.
[00:04:31.760 --> 00:04:34.160] So I wanted to kind of change that.
[00:04:34.160 --> 00:04:40.000] And that's why I created Muse, Modern Urban Sensory Experiences.
[00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:43.440] So many of you already know what a muse is.
[00:04:43.440 --> 00:04:49.360] And a muse is a person who, you know, who serves as inspiration for an artist.
[00:04:49.360 --> 00:04:55.040] And I wanted to serve as an inspiration for others when it came to fragrance.
[00:04:55.040 --> 00:04:58.720] So that's kind of how I started, what my why is.
[00:04:59.360 --> 00:05:09.280] And fast forward to 2024, I'm still in Harlem and I'm still, you know, introducing people to luxury and niche fragrances in my neighborhood.
[00:05:09.280 --> 00:05:15.200] So tell us more about how you got your expertise in fragrances.
[00:05:15.440 --> 00:05:20.720] Where did you work or intern to really hone your skills?
[00:05:20.720 --> 00:05:21.600] Absolutely.
[00:05:21.600 --> 00:05:22.880] Great question.
[00:05:23.200 --> 00:05:32.280] So, you know, the whole purpose of, you know, side hustle is, you know, I didn't do this just automatically.
[00:05:32.600 --> 00:05:43.480] You know, it was something that came about because I had a career, which I still do, and I wasn't getting promoted.
[00:05:43.480 --> 00:05:46.840] or it was hard for me to elevate in my career.
[00:05:46.840 --> 00:06:02.760] And I thought at the time that if I just do the work, if I perform, if I raise my hand, if I'm a leader, all of these amazing characteristics and behaviors that we display, then I would be seen and I would be seen.
[00:06:02.760 --> 00:06:07.160] And then therefore I would be chosen to elevate in my career.
[00:06:07.160 --> 00:06:09.560] And that wasn't the case.
[00:06:10.200 --> 00:06:11.560] That wasn't the case.
[00:06:11.560 --> 00:06:21.720] And I, you know, it wasn't easy, you know, and not that elevation in one's career should be easy, but again, I was just, I thought that I was doing the work.
[00:06:21.720 --> 00:06:25.800] So there was kind of a challenge for me because here I am.
[00:06:26.040 --> 00:06:30.600] I know my talents and I know my skill set.
[00:06:30.600 --> 00:06:35.080] I know that, you know, God put me on this earth to do amazing things.
[00:06:35.080 --> 00:06:40.200] So why isn't corporate America acknowledging all of this greatness, right?
[00:06:40.200 --> 00:06:44.760] That was kind of that question that I pondered over for so long.
[00:06:44.760 --> 00:06:49.080] So many of us who are listening understand having those moments, of course.
[00:06:49.400 --> 00:06:49.960] Yep.
[00:06:49.960 --> 00:06:58.120] So those moments turned into kind of like this kind of search, this kind of internal personal search.
[00:06:58.120 --> 00:07:05.640] And I like to say that I went through like a quarter life crisis in my mid-20s to latter part of my 20s.
[00:07:05.880 --> 00:07:07.240] I didn't know.
[00:07:07.640 --> 00:07:09.960] I was searching and I just didn't know.
[00:07:09.960 --> 00:07:14.360] You know, you ask yourself a lot of questions at that time, like, what's my purpose?
[00:07:14.360 --> 00:07:16.400] You know, what my future is going to be.
[00:07:14.440 --> 00:07:20.640] And, you know, you have this vision of what you want your life to be.
[00:07:20.640 --> 00:07:22.880] And sometimes that doesn't flow, right?
[00:07:22.880 --> 00:07:24.160] It's not a flow.
[00:07:24.400 --> 00:07:26.560] So I started to question a lot of things.
[00:07:26.560 --> 00:07:35.280] And in the midst of questioning stuff, I said, God, you know, I know you instilled in me talents.
[00:07:35.280 --> 00:07:40.960] And I know that I am talented because I'm a child of God.
[00:07:40.960 --> 00:07:44.320] So please help me figure this out.
[00:07:45.600 --> 00:07:49.840] And I will tell you, I, you know, I was reading books, honey.
[00:07:49.840 --> 00:07:51.760] I was everything was self-help.
[00:07:51.760 --> 00:07:54.320] I was trying to find inspiration.
[00:07:54.800 --> 00:08:01.920] And then I started to see certain aspects of my life kind of amplify my lifestyle.
[00:08:01.920 --> 00:08:06.320] You know, you put it out there, you tell God what you want, and you ask for discernment.
[00:08:06.320 --> 00:08:08.320] And that's essentially what I did.
[00:08:08.320 --> 00:08:12.800] And I've always been a lover of fragrances, period.
[00:08:12.800 --> 00:08:22.080] Like, whether it was body sprays in high school, the Victoria Secrets body sprays, the lotions, the fast and body works.
[00:08:22.080 --> 00:08:27.680] You know, I grew up implementing scent into my life.
[00:08:27.680 --> 00:08:40.240] You know, we all seen, you know, our aunts and our uncles and our dads and our moms, you know, provide this kind of, you know, creative expression through scent in some capacity.
[00:08:40.240 --> 00:08:41.200] And I did too.
[00:08:41.200 --> 00:08:44.080] You know, my mom had her favorite fragrances, my grandmother.
[00:08:44.080 --> 00:08:48.400] So I kind of grew up around scent, you know, in a lot of ways.
[00:08:48.400 --> 00:08:51.440] And I incorporated fragrance into my life.
[00:08:51.440 --> 00:09:01.720] And then, you know, I started saying to myself, okay, there's something here, you know, that amplification, that light was coming on, but I just didn't know where it was going to take me.
[00:08:59.840 --> 00:09:05.720] And then I kind of started exploring this fragrance journey.
[00:09:05.960 --> 00:09:16.280] And it started off with me still working my full-time career and then also freelancing for different companies like Cody.
[00:09:16.280 --> 00:09:22.120] And then I was that woman that when you come into the department stores, I was like, look, smell.
[00:09:22.120 --> 00:09:23.080] I got a new fragrance.
[00:09:23.080 --> 00:09:23.880] Smell, smell, snow.
[00:09:23.960 --> 00:09:24.680] I was that woman.
[00:09:25.000 --> 00:09:26.360] You were one of those women.
[00:09:26.360 --> 00:09:27.080] I was one of those.
[00:09:28.120 --> 00:09:29.160] Because I had to learn.
[00:09:29.160 --> 00:09:34.440] You know, I knew there was something there, but I kind of had to submerse myself, right?
[00:09:34.440 --> 00:09:43.160] So that's kind of where the submersion, the submersion happened, which is kind of learning that kind of fine fragrance retail component.
[00:09:43.160 --> 00:09:47.400] And then I started blogging because we didn't have Instagram.
[00:09:47.560 --> 00:09:52.440] Maybe Instagram was on the cusp of coming out, but I started blogging and writing.
[00:09:52.440 --> 00:10:02.120] And I just really wanted to take people along this journey that I did not know where I was going, but I knew that there was a spark, there was something there.
[00:10:02.120 --> 00:10:11.560] And if I can take people along for the journey, then maybe in that time, I'm inspired and then they're inspired too.
[00:10:11.560 --> 00:10:28.120] So that kind of mindset took me, you know, not only, you know, working for Cody, but it took me traveling in the name of fragrance, working for a French perfume company called Bikillion at Sachs Fifth Avenue and also the meat packing district.
[00:10:28.200 --> 00:10:29.320] I put in the work.
[00:10:29.320 --> 00:10:30.760] So it was a long journey.
[00:10:30.760 --> 00:10:32.040] I kicked it today.
[00:10:33.960 --> 00:10:50.160] Hey, friend, there's a reason why Michelle Obama launched a podcast after the White House, why LeBron James started one as he built his empire beyond basketball, and why so many are turning to podcasting at pivotal moments in their lives.
[00:10:50.480 --> 00:10:53.600] Because podcasting does something most platforms don't.
[00:10:53.600 --> 00:11:04.240] It gives you space to process out loud, to tell your own story, to explore what's next in real time, in your voice, on your own terms.
[00:11:04.240 --> 00:11:07.120] Because clarity comes through conversation.
[00:11:07.120 --> 00:11:13.840] And podcasting, with its intimate, unfiltered nature, has become a tool for purpose.
[00:11:13.840 --> 00:11:19.120] So if they're using podcasting to navigate their next act, why not you?
[00:11:19.120 --> 00:11:30.640] If you're at a transition point in your career, your identity, or your business, and you feel the pull to speak, create, or grow into something new, I want to tell you this.
[00:11:30.640 --> 00:11:33.760] Your podcast isn't an end game.
[00:11:33.760 --> 00:11:36.240] It's the beginning of something bigger.
[00:11:36.240 --> 00:11:40.560] You are the bridge between inspiration and action for someone else.
[00:11:40.560 --> 00:11:43.760] And Shift is here to help you walk that bridge.
[00:11:43.760 --> 00:11:48.640] This isn't a sprint or a strategy download that you forget by next week.
[00:11:48.640 --> 00:11:59.600] Shift is a six-month private coaching experience with me for podcasters who are ready to align their message, own their next chapter, and own their voice.
[00:11:59.600 --> 00:12:04.880] If that's you, apply over at sidehustlepro.co/slash shift.
[00:12:04.880 --> 00:12:08.880] This is the only shift cohort I'll be offering this year.
[00:12:08.880 --> 00:12:12.480] And if your gut is nudging you, now is the time to listen.
[00:12:12.480 --> 00:12:17.280] If you've been wondering, this is where your next act begins.
[00:12:17.280 --> 00:12:22.640] The one that's not defined by titles, but by your perspective and your purpose.
[00:12:22.640 --> 00:12:28.240] It's time to create a platform that fits who you are now and who you're becoming.
[00:12:28.240 --> 00:12:33.640] Apply to ShiftNow at sidehustlepro.co/slash shift.
[00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:37.160] So, you mentioned you were working in corporate.
[00:12:37.320 --> 00:12:41.160] Um, what was your original career path outside of fragrance?
[00:12:41.480 --> 00:13:01.320] So, outside of fragrance, I was in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, and my career path, or so I thought at the time, I was in sales and I wanted to kind of be somebody's, you know, VP, you know, maybe kind of have a marketing role, you know, kind of this global marketing role.
[00:13:01.320 --> 00:13:07.400] And, you know, so that was kind of like my vision that I thought for myself.
[00:13:07.400 --> 00:13:15.240] And I kind of obviously didn't happen, but you know, I kind of created my own scenario in the midst.
[00:13:15.240 --> 00:13:24.360] Now, I want to break down a little bit what it looks like to start a company on the parlor floor of a friend's brownstone.
[00:13:24.920 --> 00:13:28.120] First of all, when did you come up with the idea for it?
[00:13:28.120 --> 00:13:34.760] When did you say I need to open a physical space and it's going to be this?
[00:13:35.960 --> 00:13:46.920] So, let me tell you, in 2017, I knew I still had my career and I knew that I wasn't ready for traditional brick and mortar.
[00:13:46.920 --> 00:13:51.000] I knew that I had to learn business.
[00:13:51.000 --> 00:13:59.800] Although I knew it from a perspective working in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, I didn't know it for real.
[00:13:59.800 --> 00:14:01.080] You know what I mean?
[00:14:01.080 --> 00:14:05.800] So, I didn't take the leap into traditional brick and mortar.
[00:14:06.120 --> 00:14:17.680] And I had a good friend, family friend, I like to call them my sisters, who own a family brownstone in Harlem on Convent Avenue.
[00:14:14.680 --> 00:14:21.280] It's been in their family at the time well over 85 years.
[00:14:22.000 --> 00:14:27.760] And their grandmother purchased that 1.3 brownstones in Harlem.
[00:14:27.760 --> 00:14:32.720] So she had this kind of entrepreneurial spirit way back when.
[00:14:33.040 --> 00:14:38.320] And I was trying to funnel and channel my entrepreneurial goals.
[00:14:38.640 --> 00:14:45.840] And my friend at the time, Gil, she said, you know, why not try to create news here?
[00:14:46.160 --> 00:14:48.080] And I was just kind of like, wow.
[00:14:48.080 --> 00:14:50.480] So your friend said, why don't you start it here?
[00:14:50.480 --> 00:14:52.160] And what did you say?
[00:14:52.160 --> 00:15:00.960] I said, absolutely, because her home, you know, represented a place for me.
[00:15:00.960 --> 00:15:03.440] So I'll give you a quick kind of little insight about this.
[00:15:03.600 --> 00:15:15.200] Not only was her grandmother an entrepreneur and I was trying to challenge my entrepreneurial desires, but she and her sister were instrumental in my upbringing.
[00:15:15.200 --> 00:15:18.880] Her sister was my fourth grade teacher.
[00:15:18.880 --> 00:15:23.360] And I grew up coming to Harlem from upstate.
[00:15:23.360 --> 00:15:26.000] Yeah, from upstate New York, because that's where I was raised.
[00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:28.720] I was born in New York City, but I was raised in upstate.
[00:15:28.720 --> 00:15:38.720] And I would come down to the city and visit this house, you know, because her sister was like my big sister, my mentor, and also former teacher.
[00:15:38.720 --> 00:15:44.640] And she, you know, was like my big sister from like fourth grade all the way up until today.
[00:15:44.640 --> 00:15:45.920] She's still in my life.
[00:15:46.080 --> 00:15:47.840] Both of them are still in my life.
[00:15:47.840 --> 00:15:53.760] So, I grew up coming to this house on Convent Avenue, right down a block from City College.
[00:15:53.760 --> 00:15:57.280] This amazing home, this massive home.
[00:15:57.280 --> 00:16:10.200] So, it meant something to me because I grew up watching these two women who I wanted to emulate, you know, and they lived in this fabulous house in Harlem, you know, Sugar Hill.
[00:16:10.440 --> 00:16:11.800] It was like their thing.
[00:16:11.800 --> 00:16:13.720] And I grew up around that energy.
[00:16:13.720 --> 00:16:27.800] So, for me, it was a full circle moment when she said I could use her parlor because I remember going in there and looking out the window and you know, hanging out when I was a teenager.
[00:16:27.800 --> 00:16:33.560] So, I took full advantage of that opportunity when it was presented to me.
[00:16:33.560 --> 00:16:35.000] I love that.
[00:16:35.320 --> 00:16:37.080] And how did you start it out?
[00:16:37.080 --> 00:16:41.960] Were you buying and then merchandising the perfumes?
[00:16:41.960 --> 00:16:48.360] Were you just doing like a small table, or did you like fully build it out as a full storefront?
[00:16:48.360 --> 00:16:52.600] No, so this was very incremental.
[00:16:52.600 --> 00:16:59.800] Um, in the perfumery space, you know, this was like some years ago, so things have changed.
[00:16:59.800 --> 00:17:03.880] The community has grown nowadays.
[00:17:03.880 --> 00:17:13.800] But when I started, first of all, there were few black women in perfume in this capacity, so that was kind of a starting point.
[00:17:14.120 --> 00:17:32.120] And then, you know, prior to 2017, I probably spent five or six years building rapport, you know, establishing my name, establishing my brand, traveling, connecting, because fragrances is different from skincare and beauty.
[00:17:32.120 --> 00:17:41.160] You know, I'm trying to retail, I'm trying to introduce a different level, a higher level of perfumery to a unique community.
[00:17:41.160 --> 00:17:49.680] And oftentimes, people, if they don't know who you are, they're not going to just give you their creation, right?
[00:17:49.680 --> 00:17:57.920] They're not going to just hand over their creation to someone who they don't know or they may not have a connection with.
[00:17:58.560 --> 00:18:09.520] So I started with probably four brands, you know, of people who saw me evolve in this space over time and believed in what I was doing.
[00:18:09.520 --> 00:18:14.240] They gave me some fragrances to jumpstart Muse.
[00:18:14.720 --> 00:18:20.000] So it wasn't like I had a full-fledged, you know, storefront in the beginning.
[00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:24.080] I kind of had to start from really kind of humble beginnings.
[00:18:24.480 --> 00:18:28.480] And that was like maybe four, four to five different brands.
[00:18:28.800 --> 00:18:30.720] And that's kind of how it started.
[00:18:30.720 --> 00:18:34.400] Just me saying, okay, you know me, I know you.
[00:18:34.400 --> 00:18:37.440] You know, we've established this connection.
[00:18:38.240 --> 00:18:43.360] I want to start this space here in New York and Harlem particularly.
[00:18:43.360 --> 00:18:45.440] This is my vision and my goal.
[00:18:45.440 --> 00:18:51.120] I know, you know, there's a little bit of risk for you, but trust me and believe I'm committed.
[00:18:51.120 --> 00:18:57.200] And so can you let me, you know, put your brand and your collection into Muse?
[00:18:57.200 --> 00:18:59.440] And that's really how it started.
[00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:09.040] Had you ever seen an example of a perfume parlor before?
[00:19:09.040 --> 00:19:10.400] So I did.
[00:19:10.400 --> 00:19:18.160] So I used to work for a French perfume house at the time, and it's still called to this day by Killian.
[00:19:18.160 --> 00:19:29.480] And Killian was probably one of the first luxury niche brands that really kind of had a cult following early on.
[00:19:29.280 --> 00:19:35.960] And I worked for freelance for him, you know, at Saks Fifth Avenue first.
[00:19:36.280 --> 00:19:46.920] And then when he decided to open up his freestanding boutique in the meat packing district, I left Saks and I went over to the boutique setting.
[00:19:46.920 --> 00:20:01.400] And having that experience and that exposure for me made me feel like this is what I want to do, you know, but uptown in Harlem in a really kind of unique setting.
[00:20:01.400 --> 00:20:12.280] And that experience and setting and environment really inspired me to start Muse and not do it in the way where it's a traditional brick and mortar.
[00:20:12.280 --> 00:20:15.000] So yeah, that was my early inspiration first.
[00:20:15.320 --> 00:20:23.320] A lot of us know the Baikillion brand because it was rumored to be like Rihanna's signature scent, one of their love, don't be shy.
[00:20:23.640 --> 00:20:25.000] Yep, that's right.
[00:20:25.000 --> 00:20:25.880] That's right.
[00:20:25.880 --> 00:20:33.080] It's so interesting, the power of a signature scent and the power of really understanding this space.
[00:20:33.080 --> 00:20:40.120] And that's why I was so fascinated by what you do because I think fragrances nowadays it's become a bit more popular.
[00:20:40.120 --> 00:20:47.480] I see YouTubers doing like perfume hauls and talking about signature scents and layering and all of that.
[00:20:47.480 --> 00:20:49.480] And I feel like this didn't used to be a thing.
[00:20:49.480 --> 00:20:50.760] What are you finding?
[00:20:51.800 --> 00:20:53.080] I agree.
[00:20:53.080 --> 00:20:55.160] You know, I agree in a couple of ways.
[00:20:55.160 --> 00:21:01.320] I agree that this community has grown over the years.
[00:21:01.960 --> 00:21:12.040] I think we saw a big influx of interest and curiosity and expression during COVID.
[00:21:12.040 --> 00:21:18.880] I think that people probably tapped in to themselves and their interest and their passion during COVID.
[00:21:19.520 --> 00:21:26.400] And because prior to COVID, there was a community, you know, but there wasn't such a robust community that we see.
[00:21:26.400 --> 00:21:27.120] And I'm happy.
[00:21:27.120 --> 00:21:34.960] I'm happy because beauty is oftentimes like everything is kind of grouped in to beauty, right?
[00:21:34.960 --> 00:21:36.640] You know, everything is grouped in.
[00:21:36.640 --> 00:21:42.320] And fragrance has never had its own independent, you know, category per se.
[00:21:42.640 --> 00:21:58.400] So I'm glad that, you know, there's an amplification of this space because when I started, you know, it was very few women of color, whether you were an influencer, a blogger, you know, TikTok wasn't there.
[00:21:58.400 --> 00:22:00.480] You know, it just wasn't.
[00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:02.400] So things have definitely changed.
[00:22:02.400 --> 00:22:14.560] And I think COVID really, you know, allowed people to tap into themselves and express themselves in a way that they just maybe never paid attention to prior before then.
[00:22:21.280 --> 00:22:30.800] Once you started the business, when did you start to think about growth and like, okay, this is something I can really scale?
[00:22:30.800 --> 00:22:36.880] It's something that I think about every single day, whether it's 2017 or 2024.
[00:22:36.880 --> 00:22:40.880] It's a thought that continues to evolve.
[00:22:40.880 --> 00:22:50.560] And I started Musa in 2017 with five brands, not really much of brand recognition, just kind of had a vision.
[00:22:50.560 --> 00:22:56.000] And I had some people who believed in me, you know, I had a couple of followers, we call, you know, you know.
[00:22:56.040 --> 00:23:04.040] Um, so I know to this day, I still know people who started with me in the beginning, you know, they have followed my journey.
[00:23:04.360 --> 00:23:17.080] Um, and I think about 2024 now, and it's just like I'm no longer on Convent Avenue, I'm still in Harlem, I'm on Edgecombe Avenue, still in the parlor space.
[00:23:17.080 --> 00:23:33.320] But the vision, you know, in 2017 and to see it now, I'm like in awe because I'm like, yo, the power that you have to just envision something that you want.
[00:23:33.320 --> 00:23:41.640] You may not have all of the tools, you may not have all of the resources, you may not have everything in alignment.
[00:23:41.640 --> 00:23:51.880] But I tell you, to see Muse today, to see me today as you know, the head muse, it's been a true evolution.
[00:23:51.880 --> 00:23:59.720] And, you know, now I have a community, you know, has some great features and different media outlets.
[00:23:59.960 --> 00:24:06.040] I have recognition, I have respect, I have a perspective that's valued.
[00:24:06.040 --> 00:24:13.560] Sometimes I have to remind myself of how far I've come because I don't think we do that very often as entrepreneurs.
[00:24:13.720 --> 00:24:16.760] You know, we're kind of focused on what's next, what's next.
[00:24:17.640 --> 00:24:20.360] But I have to give ourselves flowers.
[00:24:20.360 --> 00:24:21.160] Exactly.
[00:24:21.160 --> 00:24:25.560] And give ourselves flowers and give ourselves grace because it's not overnight.
[00:24:25.560 --> 00:24:27.720] It's definitely not overnight.
[00:24:27.720 --> 00:24:30.200] This is years in the making.
[00:24:30.200 --> 00:24:34.920] And I think about you know Muse and scaling Muse.
[00:24:34.920 --> 00:24:39.160] And this is kind of where things become a little bit of a challenge, right?
[00:24:39.160 --> 00:24:43.640] For me, for me because I'm a solopreneur.
[00:24:43.640 --> 00:24:54.240] And from time to time, I have amazing people that you know come into my life to help continue to push me along this journey.
[00:24:54.240 --> 00:25:07.680] Um, at times, I may have an intern or two to help with the logistics and the operational needs, but I really am a person who's still juggling, you know, the business aspect of Muse.
[00:25:07.680 --> 00:25:15.600] And, you know, right now, there are some questions that I have that I'm trying to seek answers to, so it never stops.
[00:25:15.600 --> 00:25:20.000] Like, even if you arrive at a certain position, like it never stops.
[00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:20.800] Nope.
[00:25:20.800 --> 00:25:24.880] And as you said that, I'm like, well, of course, you have questions that you're seeking answers to.
[00:25:24.880 --> 00:25:32.640] I feel like we're always, as entrepreneurs, seeking answers to something, trying to figure out something in our business, get better at something.
[00:25:32.960 --> 00:25:38.000] And speaking of that, let's talk about the aspect of what it actually took to start this, right?
[00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:43.280] So your initial investment, given that this was like a friend's place and all of that.
[00:25:43.280 --> 00:25:46.240] So I'd love to know more about the financial aspect.
[00:25:46.640 --> 00:25:52.800] You know, I try to be as candid and open as possible with that with our guests.
[00:25:52.800 --> 00:26:04.320] And I'd love to know more about what it took for you to start, you know, investment-wise, and then how you earn money, given it's such a niche and boutique business.
[00:26:04.640 --> 00:26:06.800] Yes, good question.
[00:26:06.800 --> 00:26:09.760] When I first started Muse, I had a career.
[00:26:09.760 --> 00:26:27.120] So oftentimes, and still to this day, how I fund Muse is because I have this career that has been allowing me to build my vision and hopefully my legacy simultaneously.
[00:26:27.120 --> 00:26:32.760] So, any money, any resources, it comes from my career.
[00:26:29.440 --> 00:26:35.640] So, I'm self-funded, if that's the terminology.
[00:26:35.960 --> 00:26:42.440] When I first started off with Muse, you know, I had to buy a product, you know, so again, self-funded.
[00:26:42.440 --> 00:26:45.960] You know, I had to buy the stock to kind of have a Muse.
[00:26:46.120 --> 00:27:00.600] I have really good friends in my life, so thankfully, Gil, the owner of the home, one of the co-owners of the home, she charged me kind of a small amount, you know, a couple of hundred dollars or so a weekend.
[00:27:00.920 --> 00:27:05.080] So, it really wasn't a huge risk for me.
[00:27:05.080 --> 00:27:06.360] And I thank God for that.
[00:27:06.360 --> 00:27:20.600] And that's one of the reasons why I didn't jump into traditional, like, you know, brick and mortar, because again, I had to take the time to learn what it's like to generate revenue, what's required to generate revenue.
[00:27:20.600 --> 00:27:24.520] And I just wasn't in that space to take such a significant risk.
[00:27:24.520 --> 00:27:33.080] So, a couple of hundred dollars a weekend when Muse was open on Convent Avenue, some investment when it came to stock.
[00:27:33.080 --> 00:27:34.920] You know, I was fortunate.
[00:27:34.920 --> 00:27:38.440] It wasn't a significant amount of money at the time.
[00:27:38.440 --> 00:27:45.400] So, fast forward now, you know, when I have an intern that comes in, you know, so I have to pay the intern.
[00:27:45.400 --> 00:27:50.040] I've got to, you know, more things when it comes to like taxes and accounting.
[00:27:50.040 --> 00:27:51.960] You know, I got to pay for that.
[00:27:51.960 --> 00:27:55.320] I got to pay for stock, you know, or inventory.
[00:27:55.320 --> 00:27:57.720] I got to pay for different marketing things.
[00:27:57.720 --> 00:28:02.280] So, my expenses over the years have, you know, increased.
[00:28:02.280 --> 00:28:04.040] I'm still self-funded.
[00:28:04.040 --> 00:28:17.680] I have been fortunate to receive some grants over the years from different, you know, organizations committed to supporting women-owned businesses, black-owned, women-owned businesses, some good partnerships.
[00:28:18.240 --> 00:28:24.400] So I'm at the point where I am knocking on doors.
[00:28:24.400 --> 00:28:28.080] No angel investing yet, no venture capital.
[00:28:28.080 --> 00:28:34.000] That's something that I aspire to have, you know, in the immediate future.
[00:28:34.160 --> 00:28:35.680] Because I do have big goals.
[00:28:35.680 --> 00:28:37.760] I have big dreams for me.
[00:28:37.840 --> 00:28:42.720] Right now, everything is pretty manageable, but I do have big goals.
[00:28:42.720 --> 00:28:46.800] So I'm going to need some big funding.
[00:28:46.800 --> 00:28:48.240] I hear that.
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[00:31:40.200 --> 00:31:42.920] So, what is the experience at Muse?
[00:31:42.920 --> 00:31:45.040] I understand it's by appointment only.
[00:31:45.040 --> 00:31:46.240] Why is that?
[00:31:44.680 --> 00:31:51.040] The experience is focused on some key areas.
[00:31:51.280 --> 00:31:56.320] Education, community, and culture.
[00:31:56.320 --> 00:31:59.280] So when people come into Muse, and I'll give you an example.
[00:32:00.000 --> 00:32:06.080] crew from Fort Worth, Texas that just came to Muse.
[00:32:06.080 --> 00:32:11.520] And prior to coming, my client Googled black-owned businesses in Harlem.
[00:32:11.520 --> 00:32:15.760] They were very, very intentional about how they wanted to spend their time.
[00:32:15.760 --> 00:32:23.840] So Kimberly or Muse kind of popped up and they saw a fragrance and they said, okay, well, it's four of us.
[00:32:23.840 --> 00:32:25.440] This can be kind of a different experience.
[00:32:25.440 --> 00:32:29.040] This was their first time in New York City.
[00:32:29.040 --> 00:32:32.880] It was their first time ever in New York City.
[00:32:32.880 --> 00:32:35.200] And they saw Muse out.
[00:32:35.200 --> 00:32:44.720] So that, to me, is significant because it shows me that I'm offering something that people want and they want a localized experience.
[00:32:44.880 --> 00:32:54.240] They want something that is different than going to traditional fragrance boutiques or locations looking for or discovering a new fragrance.
[00:32:54.240 --> 00:32:56.800] So that was something that happened recently.
[00:32:56.800 --> 00:32:59.600] So when they came, we had a good time.
[00:32:59.600 --> 00:33:05.360] You know, before we jump into the experience, it's all about, you know, who are you?
[00:33:05.360 --> 00:33:06.400] Where are you from?
[00:33:06.400 --> 00:33:09.040] You know, let's have a conversation.
[00:33:09.040 --> 00:33:12.560] Let's kind of, you know, learn from each other and get to know each other.
[00:33:12.560 --> 00:33:14.560] So it's like building camaraderie.
[00:33:14.560 --> 00:33:19.440] And then I have like a mini questionnaire that they fill out.
[00:33:19.440 --> 00:33:31.000] And it's so funny to kind of watch my clients fill out this questionnaire because, yes, everything is digital now, but I'm old school to a degree and I want people to write out their responses.
[00:33:31.320 --> 00:33:31.880] I am.
[00:33:28.640 --> 00:33:33.160] I sit there and I watch them write out their response.
[00:33:34.280 --> 00:33:39.480] They pull out their phone and try to, you know, figure out, you know, what fragrances did they last buy?
[00:33:39.480 --> 00:33:40.360] What's the name of it?
[00:33:40.360 --> 00:33:59.640] You know, so it's kind of interesting to see people kind of pause, think, reflect, and then converse, you know, about their connection to fragrance or what fragrances that they recently purchased or how do they want to wear their fragrances?
[00:33:59.640 --> 00:34:04.120] Do you want it to be noticeable or soft or what's your dream vacation?
[00:34:04.120 --> 00:34:13.080] Like all of these questions inform me and create a conversation around the experience.
[00:34:13.080 --> 00:34:30.120] And then from what they share, I'm able to connect them with some brands or you know collections that I carry that maybe align to their interests, how they want to wear their fragrance, how many compliments they want.
[00:34:30.120 --> 00:34:45.320] So it's all about introducing people to fragrances that they may not be familiar with in a setting that really reflects intention and community and just allowing people to breathe themselves.
[00:34:45.320 --> 00:34:56.760] You know, that's huge because if you go to a traditional department store and you have no clue what you're looking for, you know that you want something different.
[00:34:56.760 --> 00:35:00.960] You know, you've been wearing Clinique Abbey for like, years.
[00:35:02.080 --> 00:35:06.760] Again, like, I want something different, but I don't know what I want.
[00:35:06.760 --> 00:35:17.200] And it's hard to have those conversations, those vulnerable conversations, those kind of conversations with people in a traditional department store setting.
[00:35:17.200 --> 00:35:20.720] You know, so I allow people just to be themselves.
[00:35:20.720 --> 00:35:25.280] Even the home, like when you walk in, you feel like you're in your friend's house.
[00:35:25.280 --> 00:35:27.360] You feel like you're visiting a friend.
[00:35:27.360 --> 00:35:30.720] It's a very relaxing environment.
[00:35:30.720 --> 00:35:34.640] And people walk away feeling empowered.
[00:35:34.640 --> 00:35:37.040] They feel a little bit more educated.
[00:35:37.040 --> 00:35:41.520] And I had some people recently put something on my social media.
[00:35:41.520 --> 00:35:51.040] And one of the women who came with the Texas crew, she said, you know, thank you for teaching me about, you know, aspects of perfumery that I didn't know.
[00:35:51.040 --> 00:35:54.560] And they can take that information and they can go back to Texas.
[00:35:54.560 --> 00:36:05.360] They can take their new fragrances that may not be available in Texas and they can put people on, you know, so it's a really communal destination for fragrance.
[00:36:05.920 --> 00:36:06.560] Right.
[00:36:06.880 --> 00:36:12.400] And I don't know if this part is a secret, but I mean, it was a New York Times article on you, right?
[00:36:12.400 --> 00:36:16.160] Like, so this is actually, so the parlor.
[00:36:16.160 --> 00:36:26.240] And if you don't know Harlem Brownstones, I'll let you explain it a little further, but like this parlor division, that is the boutique, is actually in your home, right?
[00:36:26.240 --> 00:36:26.640] Yes.
[00:36:26.640 --> 00:36:27.840] You own the Brownstone now.
[00:36:27.920 --> 00:36:28.160] Yep.
[00:36:28.160 --> 00:36:37.840] I live here and I'm able to welcome people into my home, into my perfume parlor.
[00:36:37.840 --> 00:36:40.720] And, you know, it's always nerve-wracking, right?
[00:36:40.720 --> 00:36:47.120] Because you're welcoming strangers into your space.
[00:36:47.120 --> 00:36:49.040] And it's something that I'm very conscious of.
[00:36:50.160 --> 00:36:51.760] Yeah, it's very unique.
[00:36:51.920 --> 00:36:56.080] It's a big house, thank God, but it's unique.
[00:36:57.360 --> 00:36:59.120] And it's not something that I forget.
[00:36:59.120 --> 00:37:02.440] Like, again, I operate from a place of intention.
[00:37:02.440 --> 00:37:26.360] And if my intention is to put out good into the world, if my intention is to connect to other human beings in a way that they may not, you know, do so on a daily basis, if I'm coming from a good source, it is my hope that the people who I welcome into my home, first and foremost, are bringing that same energy and respect.
[00:37:26.840 --> 00:37:28.840] And I have never had any problems.
[00:37:28.840 --> 00:37:29.800] I will say that.
[00:37:29.800 --> 00:37:37.160] People are truly amazed when they walk into my home because it's aesthetically, it's beautiful.
[00:37:37.160 --> 00:37:42.600] And I've never had any issues, negative issues, you know, being the fact that I do live here.
[00:37:42.600 --> 00:37:48.920] And like you mentioned, you know, parlor floors of townhomes in Harlem, they play a significant role.
[00:37:48.920 --> 00:37:53.080] You know, they play a role for culture and community.
[00:37:53.080 --> 00:37:57.720] It's where, you know, the Harlem Renaissance, you know, kind of started.
[00:37:57.720 --> 00:38:02.120] People didn't have many places that accepted them, right?
[00:38:02.120 --> 00:38:11.640] So they had to create spaces in their communities, in their homes, in their apartments that they could kind of be themselves and express themselves.
[00:38:11.880 --> 00:38:14.440] So that was super important to me.
[00:38:14.440 --> 00:38:16.600] And that's why I wanted to stay in Harlem.
[00:38:16.600 --> 00:38:37.000] I wanted to stay in the brownstone setting because I wanted to kind of redefine or kind of modernize the parlor floor and make it about fragrance and community and culture because that hasn't historically been a part of the conversation before.
[00:38:37.320 --> 00:38:45.000] So it's kind of like putting a more modern spin on a role that parlor floors play in our community.
[00:38:51.440 --> 00:38:55.520] With these experiences, so you're providing, it is a true experience.
[00:38:55.520 --> 00:38:58.720] Like you have cocktails, you have snacks.
[00:38:58.720 --> 00:39:06.880] Do you also charge for the experience itself, or is the revenue solely from when people make a purchase?
[00:39:06.880 --> 00:39:11.280] There's a couple of revenue streams that I have.
[00:39:11.280 --> 00:39:18.480] So I have a full-fledged website that people can shop, explore, discover.
[00:39:19.120 --> 00:39:24.880] So there is a good chunk of my revenue that comes from online sales.
[00:39:25.200 --> 00:39:35.360] If you are coming to Harlem or coming to the city, you live in an area and you want to smell things firsthand, you can come here.
[00:39:35.360 --> 00:39:41.280] It's by appointment only because I kind of like, you know, again, this is my home.
[00:39:41.680 --> 00:39:43.600] So I have to kind of keep that in mind.
[00:39:43.600 --> 00:39:50.400] But I kind of like this kind of speakeasy, if you know, you know, type of vibe.
[00:39:50.800 --> 00:39:55.360] Describe Muse as like the fragrant speakeasy of Harlem.
[00:39:55.360 --> 00:39:58.560] And I was just kind of like, oh, I like that, you know?
[00:39:59.360 --> 00:40:10.080] You know, there's a level of discretion and there's a level of, you know, people wanting to feel like they are part of something that's truly unique, you know.
[00:40:10.080 --> 00:40:12.720] So you can come by appointment.
[00:40:12.720 --> 00:40:18.720] You could come in, you know, the appointments, depending on what type of appointment, I have three types of appointments.
[00:40:18.720 --> 00:40:21.680] You could just book an appointment for browsing.
[00:40:21.680 --> 00:40:23.680] It's very much like an art gallery.
[00:40:23.680 --> 00:40:28.800] You know, you come in, you look, and you smell, oh, you know, and there's no obligation.
[00:40:28.800 --> 00:40:43.960] Two, you could have a one-on-one experience with me where I actually, you know, guide you through a curated collection so that it's much more intentional, it's much more hands-on, and it's much more educational.
[00:40:43.960 --> 00:40:45.320] That's an option.
[00:40:45.320 --> 00:40:53.320] And then the third option, which seems to be like lately the most popular version, is groups, like small groups.
[00:40:53.320 --> 00:41:00.840] So people who want to bring their friends and their significant others and their children or what have you.
[00:41:00.840 --> 00:41:03.240] I create that experience for you too.
[00:41:03.240 --> 00:41:05.080] So it's three options.
[00:41:05.320 --> 00:41:08.200] You can learn more of that on the website.
[00:41:08.200 --> 00:41:11.080] But let me just make something clear to you.
[00:41:11.080 --> 00:41:14.680] It's never any obligation, right?
[00:41:15.000 --> 00:41:21.400] What I mean by that is this is not a very transactional experience.
[00:41:21.720 --> 00:41:28.760] It's all about just really connecting to the experience and connecting to a fragrance that you may enjoy.
[00:41:28.760 --> 00:41:33.320] So it's never the pressure of you having to buy something.
[00:41:33.320 --> 00:41:41.480] You know, my goal when you leave Muse is to feel like you learned something.
[00:41:41.480 --> 00:41:57.240] So that if you leave Muse and you go downtown or you go to a department store or you traveling around the world and you see a perfume boutique, you're able to confidently go in and explore and speak the language.
[00:41:57.240 --> 00:41:59.240] You know, it's a part of this industry.
[00:41:59.240 --> 00:42:01.240] So that's first and foremost.
[00:42:01.240 --> 00:42:09.960] I want you to discover a fragrance or a scent or a smell that you may not be used to or you may not have initially connected to.
[00:42:09.960 --> 00:42:18.480] I want you to kind of feel like you have an open nose when you come here to kind of receive open nose, right?
[00:42:18.480 --> 00:42:19.760] Open mind, open nose.
[00:42:14.600 --> 00:42:24.720] To kind of just receive what you're being introduced to, you know.
[00:42:24.720 --> 00:42:29.120] And if you happen to find something that's awesome.
[00:42:29.600 --> 00:42:33.600] If not, and you say, you know what, Kim, let me get some samples of this or that.
[00:42:33.600 --> 00:42:44.560] I gladly provide samples so that you can take it with you and discover it on your own time, in your own environment, under your own circumstances.
[00:42:44.560 --> 00:42:52.560] Depending on whatever mood you're in, you kind of have your own time with the fragrance that you're exploring.
[00:42:52.560 --> 00:42:58.400] So never any pressure, and you do have options when it comes to visiting use.
[00:42:58.400 --> 00:43:01.680] So I'm curious who your ideal customer is.
[00:43:01.680 --> 00:43:03.680] Like who is your target market?
[00:43:03.680 --> 00:43:27.920] I started Muse with consumers who look like me, who have similar aspirations as me, whether it's men or women who appreciate originality and access, who work hard for their money, you know, and they're intentional about how they spend it.
[00:43:27.920 --> 00:43:38.320] I created Muse for people of color who have aspirations, who appreciate originality through scent.
[00:43:38.320 --> 00:43:44.880] At the time, you know, and I still stick to this motto: is to inspire a lifestyle of scent.
[00:43:44.880 --> 00:43:48.240] And I wanted to do that for the community.
[00:43:48.240 --> 00:43:50.160] Yes, Inspire lifestyle of scent.
[00:43:50.160 --> 00:43:57.520] And I live by that from a Muse perspective because at one point we weren't a part of this community.
[00:43:57.520 --> 00:43:58.320] We weren't.
[00:43:58.320 --> 00:44:05.880] You know, fragrance was always kind of like this kind of distant thing, but yet we consume so much of it.
[00:44:06.200 --> 00:44:07.720] So I wanted to change that.
[00:44:07.720 --> 00:44:09.720] And that's why I created Muse.
[00:44:09.720 --> 00:44:13.080] And to this day, you know, my consumer still stays the same.
[00:44:13.080 --> 00:44:16.120] You know, I live in Harlem, although Harlem is changing.
[00:44:16.520 --> 00:44:17.640] I embrace change.
[00:44:18.840 --> 00:44:28.360] But my clients, you know, are people who have similar experiences, have cultural connections, and who look like me in various capacities.
[00:44:28.360 --> 00:44:30.840] So, yep, anybody can come.
[00:44:30.840 --> 00:44:37.720] But, you know, my why was more for people of color in the community that I live in and I serve.
[00:44:42.520 --> 00:44:47.320] And how do you go about marketing Muse these days?
[00:44:47.960 --> 00:44:51.080] It ain't easy.
[00:44:51.400 --> 00:44:53.080] It's not easy.
[00:44:53.720 --> 00:44:55.000] It's so unique.
[00:44:55.000 --> 00:44:57.640] Again, I keep referencing God by the grace of God.
[00:44:59.080 --> 00:45:14.600] My success has been, up until this point, has just been just through authenticity, you know, allowing my brand and my journey to speak for itself.
[00:45:14.600 --> 00:45:25.160] I have a five-star rating on Google, so that makes me feel like people appreciate what Muse is offering to the world.
[00:45:25.160 --> 00:45:37.640] The articles that I've been featured in, or Muse has been featured in, or the partnerships that I've acquired has just been through word of mouth and just doing good work, right?
[00:45:37.640 --> 00:45:59.920] Like, just not trying to be like another company in the same space, not trying to pivot away from my why to kind of keep up with, you know, the change that's happening and the evolution that's happening in this fragrance community or in this space.
[00:46:00.160 --> 00:46:10.000] Just kind of sticking to my core and making sure that I ask for help when it's necessary.
[00:46:10.000 --> 00:46:20.960] I remain true to my brand and to myself, and relying on the people who have experienced Muse to share that with their friends and their family.
[00:46:20.960 --> 00:46:40.560] Because word of mouth, I will tell you, like the value of word of mouth and still that kind of human interaction is still remains paramount for people and businesses like Muse because that's invaluable.
[00:46:40.560 --> 00:46:43.600] So, what is your goal for Muse?
[00:46:43.600 --> 00:46:46.640] So, right now, you know, because it is a side hustle, right?
[00:46:46.640 --> 00:46:47.760] It's a side hustle.
[00:46:47.760 --> 00:46:51.120] You're still working, you have a full-time career.
[00:46:51.120 --> 00:46:55.840] Do you feel that it's something that you have aggressive business goals for?
[00:46:55.920 --> 00:47:06.400] It's something that is kind of a passion project that earns money, but it's like it's not something you want to grow, grow.
[00:47:06.400 --> 00:47:10.720] I'm trying to get the vibe of where you want with Muse.
[00:47:10.720 --> 00:47:12.640] Like, what kind of business is it?
[00:47:12.640 --> 00:47:13.200] You know?
[00:47:14.640 --> 00:47:22.080] So, I am shining and smiling bright right now because I love this question.
[00:47:23.040 --> 00:47:34.200] This question allows me just to kind of go inward and just dream and really conceptualize, you know, Muse down the line.
[00:47:34.520 --> 00:47:45.400] You know, one thing I want to tell people is I started out, Muse started out as a passion project, right?
[00:47:45.400 --> 00:47:51.720] And I think it's important to say this because all ideas come from somewhere.
[00:47:51.720 --> 00:47:55.480] So mine started out as a passion project.
[00:47:55.800 --> 00:48:11.400] And when you start paying taxes and you get that LLC and there's certain requirements that you have to remember and be responsible for, and you know, you got, it's a business now.
[00:48:11.880 --> 00:48:15.080] It goes from passion project to business.
[00:48:15.400 --> 00:48:17.000] It is incorporated.
[00:48:17.000 --> 00:48:18.040] It's LLC.
[00:48:18.040 --> 00:48:19.400] I pay taxes.
[00:48:19.400 --> 00:48:28.280] You know, I am running all of the intricacies, maybe at a smaller scale, that a full traditional business will do.
[00:48:28.280 --> 00:48:32.200] And I honor that because I've seen the growth over the years.
[00:48:32.520 --> 00:48:40.280] So I do have aspirations to transition fully to Muse.
[00:48:40.520 --> 00:48:51.720] I do not want to leave this earth not fully realizing my potential with what I started.
[00:48:52.040 --> 00:48:55.960] I would be so disappointed in myself.
[00:48:56.200 --> 00:49:04.840] And I don't want to get emotional now because I feel like this is what's going to be the next step for me.
[00:49:05.120 --> 00:49:11.800] Um, I do have goals, however, that I need to make sure I meet and are in place.
[00:49:11.800 --> 00:49:14.480] And I'm being aggressive with that.
[00:49:14.480 --> 00:49:19.600] Um, and I'm not giving myself 10 years, you know, before I transition.
[00:49:13.880 --> 00:49:21.280] No, that's not going to happen.
[00:49:22.480 --> 00:49:32.320] I feel like I've proven to myself that this is worth leaping full-fledged with two feet.
[00:49:32.960 --> 00:49:43.760] I think the universe has proven to me that there's a need for this type of perspective, you know, this type of business.
[00:49:43.760 --> 00:49:47.440] You know, so I will transition.
[00:49:48.000 --> 00:49:50.240] There's no ifs, ands, or buts about that.
[00:49:50.240 --> 00:49:52.880] I do have a timeline in my head.
[00:49:52.880 --> 00:50:00.160] I would love to see Muses in different parts of the country, you know.
[00:50:00.880 --> 00:50:03.920] Yes, maybe different parts of the world.
[00:50:03.920 --> 00:50:15.920] I see Muse evolving, not only in New York City, but in other communities where they can welcome a space like this.
[00:50:15.920 --> 00:50:18.560] I don't have all the answers.
[00:50:18.560 --> 00:50:22.960] I do put out my desires and my dreams and my thoughts to the universe.
[00:50:22.960 --> 00:50:34.720] And I hope that, you know, as time goes on, I meet someone or encounter someone that could help strategize around my future.
[00:50:35.440 --> 00:50:38.720] Because, you know, everybody can't play every role, right?
[00:50:39.200 --> 00:50:41.280] Any of us have all the answers.
[00:50:41.280 --> 00:50:42.160] Yes.
[00:50:43.280 --> 00:50:44.640] We can't grow that way.
[00:50:44.640 --> 00:50:49.120] We can certainly get to a certain level doing a little bit of this, a little bit of that.
[00:50:49.120 --> 00:50:56.720] Obviously, to grow beyond that, we do need to do something different and whatever different looks like for you.
[00:50:56.720 --> 00:51:08.520] But I appreciate you sharing that with us because sometimes people don't like to talk about the future, what they're planning, what they got in there up their sleeve until it's done.
[00:51:08.520 --> 00:51:25.400] And it's always nice to hear the refreshing perspective of a current side hustler who's building like a really viable business, thriving, beautiful, unique concept, amazing experience that guests love and rave about.
[00:51:25.400 --> 00:51:28.840] There's this exclusivity aspect of it that I love as well.
[00:51:28.840 --> 00:51:35.240] Like, not everyone, you can't just come up, you can't just roll up, you know, and you can just open up the door and hide.
[00:51:35.240 --> 00:51:36.120] Nope.
[00:51:36.760 --> 00:51:38.120] I welcome everybody.
[00:51:40.040 --> 00:51:45.400] But there's some, you know, there's some stipulations and some rules to this.
[00:51:45.560 --> 00:51:47.000] I love that concept.
[00:51:47.000 --> 00:51:48.760] It's so original.
[00:51:48.760 --> 00:51:50.280] And I wish you so much luck.
[00:51:50.280 --> 00:51:52.120] And I can't wait to see how it develops.
[00:51:52.120 --> 00:51:57.000] And I definitely have to get in there before it blows up, blows up, and I'm on my CTV with this.
[00:51:57.560 --> 00:51:58.600] No, no, no.
[00:51:58.600 --> 00:52:00.600] And can I just share with you?
[00:52:01.160 --> 00:52:09.080] And please forgive me if I'm having a moment, but I have been a fan of you and what you created.
[00:52:09.080 --> 00:52:17.720] And I believe that, I don't know if we did you follow or have a conversation with Mylik Teal way back when?
[00:52:17.720 --> 00:52:19.240] Yes, yes, I did.
[00:52:19.240 --> 00:52:19.640] I did.
[00:52:20.040 --> 00:52:20.520] Yes.
[00:52:20.840 --> 00:52:24.200] I believe that I was introduced to you.
[00:52:24.200 --> 00:52:27.160] And I don't know the year or I don't know the specifics.
[00:52:27.320 --> 00:52:30.760] I've been thinking about this ever since your team reached out to me.
[00:52:31.160 --> 00:52:33.960] Mylika and I spoke in 2016.
[00:52:34.280 --> 00:52:35.080] Yeah.
[00:52:36.280 --> 00:52:37.560] So that's where.
[00:52:37.560 --> 00:52:41.320] So that's where it started for me, right?
[00:52:41.320 --> 00:52:42.040] It started for me.
[00:52:42.040 --> 00:53:00.000] And I remember driving to Philly and listening to your podcast and just kind of listening and just to know that fast forward, I don't know how many years later, I'm having this conversation with you because Muse was a side hustle.
[00:53:00.000 --> 00:53:01.200] It was a passion project.
[00:53:01.200 --> 00:53:07.120] And that's why your podcast and your conversation with her kind of like resonated with me.
[00:53:07.120 --> 00:53:09.360] And this is a full-fledged moment for me.
[00:53:09.360 --> 00:53:14.400] And I thank you for seeing me and seeing you and just reaching out.
[00:53:16.400 --> 00:53:22.880] I want you on a podcast that I listened to driving to Philly one weekend.
[00:53:23.200 --> 00:53:24.720] I think I've made it through two.
[00:53:24.720 --> 00:53:28.960] I think I made it through two, two episodes on that journey.
[00:53:28.960 --> 00:53:31.760] And it's just, this makes me so, so happy.
[00:53:31.760 --> 00:53:32.800] It makes me so happy.
[00:53:32.800 --> 00:53:34.160] So thank you.
[00:53:34.800 --> 00:53:42.320] I have to shout out Carmen, who, you know, when I was putting out like, who should I interview next?
[00:53:42.320 --> 00:53:47.040] Carmen was like, oh, you have to, you know, I can make the intro if you haven't already.
[00:53:47.040 --> 00:53:48.560] So shout out to Carmen.
[00:53:48.560 --> 00:53:49.840] Let's stick passion.
[00:53:50.000 --> 00:53:52.400] You with me, you know, sharing news.
[00:53:52.560 --> 00:53:53.840] Yes, lipstick, passion.
[00:53:55.200 --> 00:53:57.440] Oh, she is my girl.
[00:53:57.440 --> 00:53:58.800] Oh, she's my girl.
[00:53:59.040 --> 00:54:01.120] She's just, she pours into me.
[00:54:01.120 --> 00:54:02.480] She pours into muse.
[00:54:02.480 --> 00:54:09.920] She's the person that, you know, one of the people that I tend to bounce ideas off of and just keep showing up for me and keep showing up for me.
[00:54:09.920 --> 00:54:11.760] So thank you, Carmen.
[00:54:12.320 --> 00:54:12.960] All right, that's it.
[00:54:13.120 --> 00:54:13.360] Sorry.
[00:54:13.600 --> 00:54:14.880] She's awesome.
[00:54:14.880 --> 00:54:16.320] Yes, thank you, Carmen.
[00:54:16.320 --> 00:54:23.040] And I love this because it's just, it's leading up to the lightning round where we're going to talk about more awesome black women.
[00:54:23.040 --> 00:54:27.440] But I just love hearing things like that because that's the whole reason.
[00:54:27.440 --> 00:54:30.680] And, you know, it makes me emotional because that's the whole reason I started this show.
[00:54:31.000 --> 00:54:41.640] And we all have moments where in the day-to-day of doing the work, you kind of forget or you just close to the why every single moment that you're working on your show.
[00:54:41.640 --> 00:54:49.720] So just to be reminded of that, and that wow, this really does impact people and it really is helping someone start their side hustle and grow it to a viable business.
[00:54:49.720 --> 00:54:50.680] It's just amazing.
[00:54:50.760 --> 00:54:51.800] I never take it for granted.
[00:54:51.800 --> 00:54:52.440] So thank you.
[00:54:52.440 --> 00:54:53.880] Thank you for that.
[00:54:55.800 --> 00:54:58.760] All right, now we're going to transition into the lightning round.
[00:54:58.840 --> 00:55:00.760] We just answered the first thing that comes to mind.
[00:55:00.760 --> 00:55:01.800] Are you ready?
[00:55:01.800 --> 00:55:03.160] I'm ready.
[00:55:04.120 --> 00:55:04.600] All right.
[00:55:04.600 --> 00:55:04.920] Okay.
[00:55:04.920 --> 00:55:05.160] Okay.
[00:55:05.720 --> 00:55:12.360] Number one: What is a resource that has helped you in your business that you can share with the Side Hustle Pro audience?
[00:55:12.360 --> 00:55:17.240] Spotify, because it's such a resource for podcasts.
[00:55:17.640 --> 00:55:24.200] It's where I go to spot for all my podcasts and just for information.
[00:55:24.440 --> 00:55:33.320] Number two, who is a non-celebrity black woman entrepreneur who you would want to switch places with for a day and why?
[00:55:33.640 --> 00:55:35.400] So I did mention Milee.
[00:55:35.560 --> 00:55:51.000] I know that she has transitioned to other things, but had she still been here at this moment running her business, I would want to switch places with her because she has been instrumental for me as an entrepreneur.
[00:55:51.000 --> 00:55:54.680] Like I will kind of want to be in the day in the life of my league teal.
[00:55:54.920 --> 00:55:56.280] Yep, that's one person.
[00:55:56.600 --> 00:55:57.320] All right.
[00:55:57.320 --> 00:56:03.080] Number three, what is a non-negotiable part of your day these days?
[00:56:03.080 --> 00:56:06.000] I have to eat something.
[00:56:06.000 --> 00:56:10.920] That is a non-negotiable, or you're going to get a hangry part of it.
[00:56:10.920 --> 00:56:11.640] Oh, yes.
[00:56:11.640 --> 00:56:12.600] Oh, yes.
[00:56:13.880 --> 00:56:21.040] Number four, what's a personality trait that you think has helped you be successful in business?
[00:56:21.040 --> 00:56:22.880] My tenacity.
[00:56:22.880 --> 00:56:39.040] You know, my tenacity to follow up with brands, my tenacity to, you know, see something that may not come to fruition yet, but know that it's on the verge.
[00:56:39.520 --> 00:56:49.120] I think you have to be a tenacious person to be an entrepreneur, especially knowing that there's really no overnight successes.
[00:56:49.120 --> 00:56:53.840] You have to kind of stay the course, and that takes tenacity.
[00:56:53.840 --> 00:57:07.600] And last but not least, what is your parting advice for fellow black women entrepreneurs who do want to bet on themselves and do that side hustle, but are worried about stepping away from a steady paycheck?
[00:57:07.600 --> 00:57:09.280] Do it at your time.
[00:57:09.600 --> 00:57:22.160] And what I mean by that is definitely commit to yourself that you see something bigger than your current role, your current responsibility.
[00:57:23.120 --> 00:57:27.280] So keep that perspective and that vision at the forefront.
[00:57:27.680 --> 00:57:36.960] But don't allow the nuances around you to kind of force you into doing something prematurely.
[00:57:37.920 --> 00:57:39.600] Be intentional.
[00:57:40.080 --> 00:57:46.080] You know, like I said earlier, like I do have an exit plan and some goals.
[00:57:46.080 --> 00:57:48.640] And that's the intentional part of it, right?
[00:57:48.640 --> 00:57:56.880] That keeps me kind of flowing and going along with Muse, knowing that there's something that I'm going to do that I committed to.
[00:57:57.200 --> 00:58:09.720] However, you have to kind of take these incremental steps, and you can't be forced to kind of do things trying to keep up with someone else's pace or journey.
[00:58:09.720 --> 00:58:12.680] So, acknowledge where you are right now.
[00:58:12.680 --> 00:58:18.280] Be mindful of where you want to go, set the steps so that you can get there.
[00:58:18.280 --> 00:58:24.840] And believe me, it all works out for you in the end.
[00:58:25.240 --> 00:58:41.240] I believe that and just enjoy the journey, enjoy the inspiration that comes with the universe conspiring to make your goals and your dreams and your vision come to reality.
[00:58:41.240 --> 00:58:42.280] Enjoy it.
[00:58:42.760 --> 00:58:44.680] That's the perfect note to end on.
[00:58:44.680 --> 00:58:49.240] So, where can people connect with you and Muse after this episode?
[00:58:49.240 --> 00:58:57.080] Go follow me on Instagram at Muse, M-U-S-E underscore experiences.
[00:58:57.080 --> 00:59:03.400] You can find me on my website, you know, www.museperiences.com.
[00:59:03.480 --> 00:59:05.320] I'm an email away.
[00:59:06.120 --> 00:59:08.200] I'm very approachable.
[00:59:08.200 --> 00:59:12.040] So, definitely don't hesitate to reach out to me with any questions.
[00:59:12.040 --> 00:59:13.640] All right, guys.
[00:59:13.960 --> 00:59:15.800] And there you have it.
[00:59:15.800 --> 00:59:17.000] We did it.
[00:59:17.000 --> 00:59:19.240] Thank you so much for being in the guest chair.
[00:59:19.240 --> 00:59:22.120] And, guys, I will talk to you next week.
[00:59:23.720 --> 00:59:26.760] Hey, guys, thanks for listening to Side Hustle Pro.
[00:59:26.760 --> 00:59:31.480] If you like the show, be sure to subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.
[00:59:31.480 --> 00:59:34.920] It helps other side hustlers just like you to find the show.
[00:59:35.240 --> 00:59:39.880] And if you want to hear more from me, you can follow me on Instagram at SideHustle Pro.
[00:59:39.880 --> 00:59:46.480] Plus, sign up for my six-foot Saturday newsletter at sidehustlepro.co slash newsletter.
[00:59:46.960 --> 00:59:54.320] When you sign up, you will receive weekly nuggets from me, including what I'm up to, personal lessons, and my business tip of the week.
[00:59:54.320 --> 00:59:59.040] Again, that's sidehustlepro.co/slash newsletter to sign up.
[00:59:59.040 --> 01:00:00.800] Talk to you soon.
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