Karen has just returned from a trip to Bulgaria where she attended the Rose Retreat by Rose Overdose. In this week’s episode, she is here to give you a debrief on the whole experience. From visiting rose fields to witnessing the distillation process and even stopping off at a local winery to sample the vino, Karen enjoyed the complete Rose Retreat experience. So, if you’ve ever wanted to attend, but don’t know what to expect, sit back and enjoy this episode as Karen takes you on an all encompassing tour of the Rose Retreat.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Karen’s first stop on her trip was the rose fields where she was lucky enough to see the roses in full bloom. She shares the interesting facts she learned about the rose family and the harvesting process.
• Karen then visited a number of distilleries where she could see first hand the distillation process and how rose oil is extracted from the flowers.
• Despite popular belief, rose oils are not always of a single origin. Karen shares what she learned about the oil creation process and the makeup of the final product.
• Karen was also able to deliver one of her workshops during the retreat. She discusses the differences and similarities of delivering a workshop in this way.

BEST MOMENTS

“Naturals are reliant on weather, so they change year on year.”

“Roses come from the same botanical family as raspberries.”

“Roses are collected in plastic sacks as the plastic helps accelerate the fermentation process.”

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 Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

This week Karen is joined by Fiona Humberstone, also known as ‘The Brand Stylist’. Fiona has worked with clients ranging from tiny artisan brands to large country estates, as well as being a published author and course facilitator. With a lifetime of experience, it’s safe to say that what Fiona doesn’t know about branding isn’t worth knowing. In this interview with Karen, Fiona gives an insightful crash course on everything from what to consider when creating your branding to how to separate your personal tastes from the needs of your brand.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• When creating a branding how do you merge the marketing and the authentic self? Fiona discusses the importance of being true to your values so that your product or company does not just become a soulless product of marketing.
• Most people think branding is picking a colour scheme and nice font, but this couldn’t be further from reality. From mood boards to understating your why, Fiona breaks down what really goes into creating a brand.
• What are the key considerations you must account for whilst creating branding specifically for a perfume business? Using the example of a recent client, Fiona talks you through them step by step.
• The perfume industry has seen a huge shift post Covid with the phenomenal rise in the number of indie and artisan brands. However, these brands often don’t have the money to spend on fancy branding and marketing campaigns. Karen and Fiona discuss how to make the most of your budget, but also why you need to be realistic.

BEST MOMENTS

“Understanding what you do that is unique is really going to help you to create branding that holds your space.”

“It’s your business, but you are not your brand. So don’t think about choosing a brand you like, think about choosing a brand that works.”

“Do it once, do it properly and it will last you for a decade.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Getting Started Guide

Artisan Perfumery Mastermind

EPISODE LINKS

Free Branding course

Free Branding Tools

Branding Agency

The Brand Stylist Instagram

Branding Agency 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

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

When Karen started this podcast, she expected to do no more than 20 episodes that would address the most common questions she receives. However, things took a turn and here we are at episode 100. To celebrate this landmark, Karen isn’t going to do the usual and look back at the show’s highlights, instead she is beginning a brand new mini-series based on things that still hold true after 100 shows.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• With so many tutorials, tiktok accounts and influencers out there, “How do I know if I’m doing this right?” is still a question that Karen gets weekly. Karen explains how to silence all the noise and follow your own path.
• Many people try to get to the end right at the start. But, developing your style is a process, sometimes that can take years. Karen details how to enjoy this journey and gives some tips on how to get the most out of it.
• Something Karen still sees a lot of is people investing in materials, signing up to all the courses, making business plans and getting excited and then…nothing. So how do you get over that ‘all or nothing’ mindset to a place of consistency? Karen reveals all.
• What all of the above points share is permission. The ability to give yourself permission to work the way you want and create the fragrances you want will be crucial to your success. Karen explains how you can do this.

BEST MOMENTS

“If your method gets you making perfume, it’s working.”

“Your signature style is going to reveal itself when you stop trying to invent it.”

“There is no one right rhythm. Just the one that keeps you connected to yourself and your work.”

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 Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

This week Karen is addressing a question she is asked all the time on social media and through email - “I’m obsessed with perfume and I want to start my own brand, but I don't have the money to invest…can you help me for free?” Well, the answer is yes and no. In this episode, Karen breaks down the hard truths of starting a perfume brand, and whilst you can’t do it for free, it doesn't have to cost the world. Covering what you can start with, what you can do for free and where you need to be realistic Karen is here to share all her years of experience so you can get started on your dream project without breaking the bank.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Whilst you can learn for free, it does cost money to start a perfume brand, however, it might not be the amount you are thinking of. Karen discusses the importance of creating a budget and what are the non-negotiables.
• Starting a new venture can be very exciting and most people have a tendency to do the fun parts first, but this can make you overlook the important parts. Karen explains the importance of setting out your process from the start and doing things in the right order.
• With so many products available to create in the fragrance category, why would you choose perfume first? Despite its cost, and the learning curve involved, as Karen explains, it is the ideal first product to create.
• You’ve got the fragrance, but now you need to sell it? From bottle sizes to packing designs, Karen gives her top tips on what that product launch should look like.

BEST MOMENTS

“If you’re selling to the public, your product has to be safe, stable, legal and professional.”

“Don’t confuse activity with progress.”

“Guessing can get very expensive, very quickly.”

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 Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

This week on the show, Karen is joined by Thomas Dunckley AKA The Candy Perfume Boy, 6 time Jasmine award winner, writer, trainer and industry consultant. After taking a step away from the industry Thomas has returned with a new mission and a new branding - ‘Making Scents Make Sense’. Thomas’ mission is to cut through the snobbery and gatekeeping traditionally associated with the perfume industry in an attempt to make it more accessible to more people. In this interview with Karen, Thomas breaks down his mission, his manifesto and how, piece by piece, the influencers and bloggers are making the fragrance industry accessible.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Despite most people's familiarity with blogging, in the grand scheme, it is still a relatively new medium. Karen and Thomas discuss how blogging was first perceived when it was adopted by the perfume industry and how it helped change the industry for the better.
• Blogging opened the door to the influencers and influencer culture. Thomas discusses how influencers on TikTok and YouTube have helped transform the perfume industry without the need for all the knowledge that was being held by gatekeepers for so many years.
• After suffering from burnout from having so many projects, Thomas took a step away from the perfume industry and his alter ego of The Candy Perfume Boy. However, when inspiration struck he made a comeback. He explains to Karen why he decided to come back and how he was determined to do it on his own terms.
• “If you smell it, it’s there” - This is a phrase that Thomas wholeheartedly believes in. He explains to Karen the meaning he takes from it and how that meaning extends to other avenues of the fragrance industry, and, how it helps open the doors of the industry to anyone.

BEST MOMENTS

“The rise of influencer culture has stripped away most of the snobbery from the big brands.”

“Perfume marketing is gender specific, but fragrance doesn’t have gender.”

“In the past, the industry didn’t know what was happening outside the industry, but with the advent of influencers, that has changed.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Getting Started Guide

Artisan Perfumery Mastermind

EPISODE LINKS

Making Scents Make Sense

Thomas Dunckley Website

The Candy Perfume Boy Blog

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 Karen is joined by Artisan Perfumery Mastermind alumni Gabrielle Durand, the founder of natural fragrance brand ‘On the Nose’ perfumes. After a long career in the corporate world of HR, Gabrielle decided to take a leap of faith and follow her lifelong dream of being a perfumer. Changing your career late in life can be a very daunting prospect, but Gabrielle was determined to succeed. In this inspirational interview with Karen, Gabrielle takes us, step by step, on her journey from day job to dream job.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Gabrielle had a long and successful career in HR, however the bug to be a perfumer was one that hadn’t left her since childhood. She recounts to Karen how a chance encounter with online learning led her into her dream career at the tender age of 50.
• Gabrielle started making perfumes as a test. Confident that she could make it into a business, it wasn’t until her friend and family started asking for refills that she realised other people were taking it seriously too. She explains to Karen how this spurred her on to take the leap into full time perfumery.
• The lessons Gabrielle learned in the corporate world served her well when she launched her new perfume business. She details how she used her learnings to make sure her brand was ready to launch and how it allowed her to communicate her style and vision effectively.
• A lot of people carry around the misconception that it’s too late to try something new. Gabrielle, who came to perfumery in her 50’s, explains to listeners why it’s never too late to make a change.

BEST MOMENTS

“It's not just about getting your product to a customer, it’s about making that experience valuable and memorable.”

“In a year, you’re going to be a year older and you’re still going to be questioning if you should make a change. So do it now.”

“It’s not just about getting the perfume right, it’s also about getting the packaging and design right.

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Perfume Business Launch Plan

Bespoke Perfumery Masterclass

Artisan Perfumery Mastermind

Getting Started Guide

EPISODE LINKS

On The Nose Perfumes

On The Nose Perfumes Instagram

Sniffing Out The Details blog

ABOUT THE GUEST

Gabrielle Durand is the founder of On The Nose Perfumes, a natural luxury brand for those who believe natural shouldn’t mean simple. A self-professed maximalist at heart, she creates complex, high-impact fragrances using only pure, natural materials - no shortcuts, no synthetics.
Her work blends craftsmanship, creativity, and a deep respect for nature to offer a new vision of what luxury perfumery can be.

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 Karen is joined by Kate Beavis, a social media strategist and content expert. Kate has been working with Karen since 2018 on her social media presence to make her brand feel authentic and not overwhelming. And, after Karen’s initial reluctance to use social media, Kate has shown her the many benefits that can come from embracing your online presence. In this interview, Kate spills the many secrets, tips and tricks she has learned over the years, from which social media platform you should use to how to drive engagement with your posts, so that you can grow your online presence and, ultimately, your brand.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• When Kate started working with Karen they both agreed that Karen’s social media profile was well below average, because she was making some of the most common mistakes. Kate breaks down what those mistakes are and how to avoid them.
• With so many social media platforms these days it’s hard to know which ones to join. Do you pick one or join multiple? Kate explains her method for discovering which is the best platform for you.
• For all its advantages, social media can be a difficult tool if you are looking to create direct sales of your product. Kate discusses how to overcome this hurdle and use the tools available to you to your advantage.
• The idea of creating a new post every day for your social media feeds can be exhausting. However, repurposing old posts can be an invaluable solution to this problem. Kate shares how to repurpose your content and the benefits that can come from this.

BEST MOMENTS

“Most people only show up on social media when they have something to sell or have something personal to say. The trick is to get a mix of both.”

“Don’t chase perfectionism. Building a community is infinitely more important than having a perfect feed.”

“The aim of every post is to get your audience and other people to interact.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Getting Started Guide

Artisan Perfumery Mastermind

EPISODE LINKS

The Indie Practice

Bossing Midlife

Kate's 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

The world of indie perfumes has become extremely crowded, leading people to wonder if there is space for their product in a marketplace full to the brim. And, that is the question Karen is here to address this week. Entering any marketplace as a beginner can feel daunting, but facing one that is over-saturated and full of high end brands posing as independent can easily be enough to give you second thoughts. However, in this week's episode, Karen is here to tell you that you have nothing to fear and, there is space for you, as long as you find your niche…

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Gatekeeping will tell you there is only one way to become a perfumer and if you don’t follow that path, you’re doomed to fail. However, Karen does not buy into this theory and explains how there are in fact many routes into the perfume industry.
• A lot of people reverse engineer their product by looking for something that doesn’t exist in the marketplace and then creating a product to fit that space. But, as Karen explains, the real niche is already inside of you, you just have to find it.
• But, how do you find that niche? Karen shares her personal journey on how she discovered hers and gives you some guidance on how you might find yours.
• To help you find your place in the perfume world, Karen has created a set of journal prompts and an accompanying audio guide. She explains how they work and what you will achieve by using them.

BEST MOMENTS

“It’s not always the flashiest branding or fanciest bottle that creates lasting impact. What really cuts through the noise is the work that feels intentional.”

“What the world doesn’t need is more generic.”

“The thing that feels the most ‘you’ is often the thing that you have been dismissing as too weird or too impractical.”

EPISODE LINKS:

Free Journal Prompts + Audio Guide

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