This week on the show Karen is joined by one of her Artisan Perfumery Mastermind Alumni, Nicole Brannan. Nicole has had a lifelong passion for fragrance and perfume which started when she was gifted a perfume making kit as a child. After a life of working in other creative areas, her passion for perfume never died but, it was during covid, when she found herself at a crossroads, that she decided to attend Karen’s class, and her life changed forever. In this interview with Karen, Nicole gives a detailed account of her journey over the last 3 years and will inspire you to do what she did….follow your dream.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Nicole recounts her journey which started with her beloved childhood perfume making kit, and how, during covid, Karen’s course reignited those memories which ultimately led her to launching her own perfume business.  Nicole explains the theory behind her workshops and how they are designed to encourage mindfulness and harmony in the participants, as well as bringing people closer to scent.  Nicole finally took the step to launch her own perfume business once covid hit and she found herself to be desperately unhappy. She details her process to Karen, the challenges she faced and how she ultimately overcame them. Karen and Nicole discuss the importance of obtaining objective feedback on your work, where to get it from and how, if done correctly, it can help you to grow.  BEST MOMENTS  “Being creative is not only fun, but it releases positive endorphins which helps to reduce stress and make you feel better.” “If you’re thinking about doing something, just go for it. If you have time to put barriers up, you’ll find a reason not to do it.” “Start small, test your market, test your audience. That's the best way to grow anything.”   VALUABLE RESOURCES Getting Started Guide Artisan Perfumery Mastermind   EPISODE LINKS: Elix Fragrance Website Elix Fragrance Instagram ABOUT THE HOST Fragrance expert, author, teacher and speaker; Karen Gilbert runs courses in the UK and online which demystify the secretive world of perfumery in a fun and interactive way.  Karen has inspired thousands of students to explore their olfactory sense and create their own personalised fragrances. With extensive product development experience in both the commercial perfumery and the organic skincare industry, Karen is able to offer a unique insight into creating natural and mixed media fragrances for fine fragrance, room scents and skincare/bodycare products using commercial perfumery techniques. Karen is also a certified meditation teacher and has a passion for helping people to create daily rituals that integrate scent with other modalities to shift state and increase your sense of wellbeing. CONTACT DETAILS Website Instagram Facebook YouTube Email