2018. At that time, I grew obsessed with learning about our sense of smell’s ability to influence our moods. I was also recently unemployed after being laid off from my “dream job” and heavily reliant on self-care to stay sane. It might sound silly, but I always felt way better after a long, meditative shower followed by a spritz or two of fragrance. I didn’t even have to get dressed or go anywhere special, the whiff of a familiar smell was often enough to remind me that I was worthy and deserving no matter what, and that eventually, I’d be alright.  Also, having grown frustrated with the industry’s lack of innovation and the disparity in mainstream attention towards Black-owned fragrance labels, it didn’t take much longer before I began work on launching my best ideas yet in October 2021: Moodeaux and Black In Fragrance [a grant initiative for Black fragrance entreprenuers]. I’ve been into fragrance for as long as I can remember, thanks to the two most important (and  best-smelling) women I know: my mom, Cynthia, and my late grandma, Minnie. From that time in my life to now, to where I’m designing fragrances for others, it’s surreal to reflect upon how my passion for perfume came full circle with the launch of Moodeaux. Especially given the fact I was never interested in becoming an entrepreneur. I thought I’d end my career as a journalist – a beauty editor, to be exact. But life has a funny way of getting you on the right track, regardless of where you started.  Looking back on my journey, although it’s been a wild one, to say the least, I wouldn’t change a thing.  IR: What have been the biggest highlights and setbacks you’ve experienced in building the business thus far?  BA: I feel very fortunate that Moodeaux has accomplished quite a lot in a relatively short span of time. I credit this to us being ahead of the curve on the latest fragrance trends, following my gut intuition, and working alongside a growing, talented team. Becoming the first Black-owned perfume brand to hit shelves at Credo Beauty was a major milestone, followed by Moodeaux joining Scentbird and partnering with Sephora in 2023 through the retailer’s renowned Accelerate Program. Expanding in these ways has increased our visibility tremendously, driving critical awareness and revenue growth. Other highlights include becoming a member of The Fragrance Foundation and winning seven prestigious beauty awards to date, all of which have bolstered Moodeaux’s credibility.  We’ve also won a host of grants, including one from Glossier as its first fragrance category investment. None of these successes have come without challenges, though! Supply chain disruptions, misprinted goods, and forecasting mishaps are all things we’ve navigated through as a young startup, even taking significant financial losses at times. But on the flip side, I’m grateful we experienced and learned from them too!  IR: Moodeaux was just granted a $100,000 prize by Black Ambition, a non-profit organization founded by musician and producer Pharrell Williams. How does it feel to be one of the prize winners and how do you plan to use the funding to expand your business?  BA: The super-wild part about us being awarded the Black Ambition Prize is that I had to muster up the courage to even apply! I don’t like referencing “impostor syndrome,” given it’s a direct byproduct of systemic oppression, but in a lot of ways and for a lot of reasons, even as a confident person, I struggled internally with feeling worthy. The irony isn’t lost upon me… However, this was my truth at the time.  Eventually, I submitted the initial application, leading to a nine-month process that concluded on Demo Day this past November. None of us prize winners knew our fate beforehand, so receiving a pledge for $100,000 came as a total surprise. It felt and still feels very affirming to have founder Pharrell Williams and CEO Felecia Hatcher’s support. Especially, because much of succeeding in business comes from having a robust network and ecosystem primed to help you go further and get more done – faster. Our check will equip Moodeaux to do exactly that, in particular: debuting newness, expanding our retail presence, and bringing on numerous key hires.  IR: What are your top areas of focus for the brand over the next 12 months?  BA: Much of Moodeaux’s early launches were to test whether or not we could convince our target audiences that shopping with us would not only alleviate their greatest product concerns – but also empower them to claim more autonomy over their self-care routines by “flaunting” how they feel. Further establishing product-market fit and rewriting outdated beauty narratives are still top priorities today, except I view the process a bit differently now. In particular, being that fragrance is highly subjective and moods/emotions evolve, we’re eager to provide a greater assortment of scents/ways to experience scent as well as receive/learn from the feedback regarding our next few drops. Expanding Moodeaux’s retail presence at mass and growing the team are two additional focus areas this year — in addition to partnering with other like-minded, value-driven brands.  IR: What is your approach to work/life balance?  BA: As I dive deeper into entrepreneurism, I’ve realized that balance is somewhat of a facade in the early stages. You must be willing to sacrifice short-term desires for long-term results. For me, this has meant my personal life has taken a backseat more times than I’d like to admit. But I’m okay with it and I try hard not to fight it because I’ve seen how a little extra discipline can yield major success. I’m also extremely blessed to have family and friends who support me.  This isn’t to say I don’t have fun anymore or take poor care of myself! I still take breaks, off days, and general time to reset mentally/physically/emotionally/spiritually by doing things I love – especially sleep. Oh, and indulging in good eats.  IR: What is a piece of advice that you wish you would have been able to give to yourself when you were at the beginning of your business journey?  BA: “You have what it takes. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise and don’t wait. There’s no better time to get started than right now.”