This week on the show Karen answers a question that not many people ask themselves… “Should you make your own perfume or should you hire a perfumer?” When entering into perfume making the answer to this might seem obvious, but have you really considered all the pros and cons of each option? Karen breaks down the advantages and disadvantages of going solo so that you can make a more informed decision.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Karen discusses the importance of knowing what you want to focus on when starting your own brand. Is it the business side or is it the creative side, and how knowing this can help you delegate the correct jobs to the correct people. 
• Karen talks about some of the positives of hiring a professional perfumer such as their experience, knowledge, their understanding of the market and the process. 
• There are also negatives to hiring a professional perfumer, such as the cost, whether or not the perfumer understands your vision and your removal from the creative process.
• Karen talks about the pros and cons of creating a fragrance yourself, such as having full creative control, but also, the steep learning curve that comes with that. 

BEST MOMENTS 
“Sometimes we think we don’t know enough or we’re not good enough and that can stop us moving forward.”

“There is a lot of personal growth that comes with following your own creative endeavors, this is something you could lose if you’re not in control.”

“The more experience you have the more you can offer to your clients.”

EPISODE LINKS
Helida Dodd Interview  
The Scent Design Challenge  

VALUABLE RESOURCES
Getting Started Guide
Artisan Perfumery Mastermind  

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
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