This week on the show Karen is joined by Natalie Napoleon, a world renowned visual branding strategist and product photographer with over 25 years of experience. An expert at creating strong, unique visuals for brands, Natalie is always asked by indie brands “How can I compete with the big companies?” Luckily, that’s where Natalie’s passion lies. In this interview with Karen, Natalie is going to reveal her deepest secrets so that you, and your brand, can stand out and stand tall next to the giants of the industry.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Most small companies don’t have the marketing budgets of the big hitters and this can create the perception that they can’t create impactful marketing campaigns. However, Natalie explains that money is not the boundary that people think it is and shares some tips on how you can create impactful images on a budget.
• Why is visual branding so important? Natalie shares her 7 key points on why it is so, including the ability to create brand recognition and an emotional connection with your audience.
• Creating a strong brand is so much more than just taking professional images. Natalie breaks down the elements that she delivers in her training course, such as how to build a consistent style, create a visual story and a repeatable system.
• The number one mistake people make is getting the product right and then thinking about branding. Natalie and Karen discuss the importance of making sure your branding is in place from day one, how to evolve it and how to engage your customers in that journey.

BEST MOMENTS

“Regardless of the size of your company or the strength of your product, it’s your visual branding that sets you apart.”

“75% of consumers make judgements on a company's credibility based on their visual assets.”

“Images have what the written word doesn't - the ability to communicate complex ideas quickly and effectively.”

The Shot Vault Coupon Code: Enter PERFUME500 at checkout for $500 off

Natalie’s Instagram

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Getting Started Guide

Artisan Perfumery Mastermind

ABOUT THE GUEST

Natalie Napoleon is an in-demand marketing, advertising, and celebrity photographer who (over the span of her nearly 25 year career) has worked with people like Prince Albert of Monaco, Leslie Odom Jr., and Arnold Schwarzenegger and brands like Microsoft, Google, and OstomySecrets.

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

This week on the show Karen is joined by Liz Moores, founder of Papillon Perfumery. When Liz started her brand she was taking a huge gamble. Self-taught, inexperienced and jumping into an already heavily populated marketplace, Liz’s view was “I’ve got nothing to lose.” If her venture didn’t work out, she was prepared to sell her initial batch of fragrances at a car boot sale to recoup her investment. However, after some early positive reviews, Liz found great success and her brand has grown from strength to strength. In this interview with Karen, Liz details her unique approach to business and perfume making, how to deal with rumours and gossip and inspires you to take a leap of faith.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Like most perfumers, Liz was drawn into setting up her own business through her love of fragrance. After some initial high-praising reviews from bloggers, she was approached by retailers who wanted her perfume. She talks about how this early success has influenced her overall approach to business.
• Setting up your own business can be daunting, but it can also give you incredible freedom. Liz talks about how she embraced that freedom with her marketing and creations and how ‘being naive’ enough to do this has led to her success.
• In agreement with Karen, Liz believes that it is essential to have a strong story behind any scent you are creating. She details her process in creating stories and why, sometimes, it is essential to take a step back and not rush the process.
• Karen and Liz discuss how the perfume industry has exploded over the last ten years as perfumery has turned from an artform to a consumer trend. How this has flooded the market with thousands of perfumes and how you can still stand out in the market if you have the right approach.

BEST MOMENTS

“Create fragrances that you love yourself, everything after that is a bonus.”

“If you don’t have a strong story all you’re doing is chucking materials together and there’s no guarantee that the process will work.”

“It is crucial, as an artisan perfumer, to forge strong relationships with your suppliers and customers. Your reputation is everything.”

EPISODE LINKS

Papillon Perfumery Website

Papillon Perfumery Instagram

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

Website

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube

Email

This week on the show Karen is giving a history lesson on the life and work of Jean Carles. Founder of the first ever perfumery school, today known as the Givaudan, and the father of the most influential method of perfume making, his influence is still felt far and wide in the perfume industry today. Jean Carles lived an incredible life, created some of the industries most iconic scents and influenced some of the great perfumes of all time. In this episode, Karen takes you through his life's work and gives you a valuable insight into the now legendary ‘Jean Carles Method.’

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Jean Carles had both a unique approach to creating perfumes and to teachings. He is the father of many iconic scents as well as the teacher of many prolific perfumeres. Karen details some of his greatest creations and influences.
• Jean Carles developed a revolutionary method for perfume creation based on a systematic approach to understanding raw materials. Karen breaks down his method step by step.
• His method for creating accords was also considered to be groundbreaking. Whilst complex, it is an incredible tool for you to understand. Karen gives an overview of his method and principles.
• The final part of Jean Carles’ method is that of constructing a fragrance, it is known as the pyramid method, which is creating a fragrance with base notes, heart notes and top notes. Karen gives examples of this method and how to implement it.

BEST MOMENTS

“The Jean Carles method of creating accords is a meticulous and structured approach that will provide a deep understanding of how different materials blend together.”

“Jean Carles’ systematic approach to perfumery and his innovative techniques remain influential in guiding both new and seasoned perfumers in their craft.”

“It’s recommended to learn the Jean Carles method but it is also essential for you to learn and adjust based on the materials that you are using and the type of fragrance you are creating.”

EPISODE LINKS

Material Mastery

William Kaufman Book

The Jean Carles Method

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

Website

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube

Email