This week on the show Karen is joined by Viola Levy, journalist, founder of branding agency ‘Smart, Beauty Creative” and host of the Smart Beauty podcast, a show for beauty business owners who are looking to hone their brand voice. Getting the story of your brand and your products right is essential, and can be the difference between success and failure. That’s why, in this interview, Viola and Karen cover all you need to know about transforming your business from a retailer to a storyteller.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Viola started her career as a journalist and found that a lot of the companies she was writing about were in the beauty sector. Whilst doing this work she noticed a gap in the market which, as she explains here, led her to set up her own company. Karen and Viola discuss the incredible rise of indie brands over the last decade, what this means for consumers, but also, how the bigger designer brands have reacted to this growth. As Karen often states, and Viola agrees, creating a story around your scents is the most important thing you can do in terms of marketing. Viola explains why this is a ‘non negotiable’ and gives her insights into how to make this effective. Historically, brands have put all of their time and effort into creating a fragrance and then launched into the marketplace. However, as Viola explains, there is so much more value in bringing your customers along on the journey from day one.   BEST MOMENTS  “There’s so much choice out there now, and that’s a great thing. People like to change their perfume as often as they change their clothes.” “Brands have to have an opinion and a voice, they need to show they’re passionate about more than just selling their products.” “AI is a great tool, but it shouldn’t be in the driving seat. You’ll always need a human touch.” EPISODE LINKS Smart Beauty Website Smart Beauty Podcast Smart Beauty Instagram Smart Beauty Linkedin Smart Beauty Email VALUABLE RESOURCES Getting Started Guide             Artisan Perfumery Mastermind   ABOUT THE GUEST Having worked in the beauty industry for over 15 years, Viola is an award-winning journalist, copywriter and brand consultant. As an established writer, Viola has contributed to all sectors of the beauty world, with articles appearing in Vogue, Glamour, The Evening Standard, and Refinery29. In addition she has written copy for several major beauty brands and retailers, including Aromatherapy Associates, 111SKIN, Cult Beauty, Boots, By Terry, and Superdrug, and in 2019, she won a Fragrance Foundation Jasmine Award for Best Short Piece and was shortlisted for Best Social Engagement. She has also written global trend reports for major forecasting agency WGSN, focusing on how consumer needs and habits have changed since the global pandemic. From her years of experience, Viola has seen the beauty world rapidly change over the past decade. The way brands speak to customers has evolved. It’s less about playing on women’s low self-esteem, inventing problems (and products to “solve” them) or peddling false promises and miracles in jars. It’s more about feeling better (not just by looking better), intelligent discussions and promoting inclusivity. Which is why she set up Smart Beauty Creative to create the next generation of forward-thinking, feminist brands, helping to pave the way for a new, diverse and more enlightened beauty industry. 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, r