Meet Kristina Baranowski, founder of Orchid and Ash who has been a small business owner since the age of 24, when she left corporate America to open a small bakery just outside of Washington DC. She ran, operated, grew, and eventually sold the bakery to move on to other ventures. Since selling her first successful business, she has been continuing to feed + explore the things that light her up while simultaneously working toward a greater purpose.
Orchid + Ash’s Signature Collection of 100% all-natural candles, which simply started as an at-home passion project, has transformed into something much bigger, quite literally taking on a new life form.
Orchid and Ash believes the power of small business is far underrated, and the women+ who run them are forces to be reckoned with. Kristina’s candle line supported her through the pandemic, and it was in a moment of appreciation she realized that she wanted to be a part of something bigger, something that helped put real money in the pockets of real women+, who were also finding a living inside their passions.
It was there and then, as she does, that Orchid + Ash was born. Orchids being the ultimate flower of femininity, and Ash a nod to the White Ash tree, one of the most sustainable woods in the country.
It is here that Kristina hand-curates sustainable, clean and eco-responsible home + lifestyle goods, made exclusively by small women+ owned businesses. While Orchid + Ash’s Signature Line of goods are all made in-house.
‘’We are here to support and lift each other up, and to truly showcase the beauty of what happens when like-minded individuals come together, as opposed to finding competition in one another. Our greatest hope is you too, find inspiration to fill your every day life from what we have created here at Orchid + Ash. Orchid + Ash truly is a special little corner of the internet, and we hope that you think so, too.’’
In your own words, what do you do?
I am working daily to create a network of insanely talented eco-conscious women+, that find power in collaboration over competition. I want to put as much money in the pockets of other women+ owned small businesses as I can, while also making and sourcing goods that I believe will bring inspiration to our customers’ every day lives. We deserve to be empowered AND inspired!
To do this, I founded Orchid + Ash, an online sustainable home + lifestyle goods boutique that sources everything directly from other women-led small businesses.
What inspired you to start Orchid + Ash?
It has really been years and years of build-up and a mixed bag of things gone right and things gone wrong. I sold my first business after five years of success in March of 2018, and I have been chasing joy and my next venture ever since, though, kind of always missing the mark for one reason or another.
The sale, which was agreed upon with a loan ended up in default, meaning the buyers stopped paying me, so for a few years I was forced to hold small jobs that really diminished my worth in order to pay lawyer fees and stay afloat while I was simultaneously fighting for what was mine. This kind of threw me into a rock bottom, and I knew in order to get out, I not only needed to work in a healthy environment, but one that I created for myself and for other people. My happiness really shines through when I am running my own business.
With the time that lockdown and the pandemic provided me, I was able to slow down for the first time in three years and really reflect on what the things were that truly lit me up. It came down to two things: I love creating, and I love working with other women. The work of others has always inspired me so, so much.
The actual concept of Orchid + Ash was a ping I had one day over coffee, I imagined growing a community of women+ by curating a space online to sell their incredible work, while also feeding my passion of making products by offering what I now called the “Signature Collection.”
It evolved as I began working through the details, and where it has landed fills my soul SO much, and I am so grateful this is the direction all of the hard stuff was pushing me in the entire time.
How do you choose what to put in your collection?
I honestly don’t add anything to the collection until I come across a product that I see and feel that “Oh my gosh, I need this!” feeling. It sounds so cliche, but that is really how I source! A lot of times I will come across a maker on Instagram with the most beautiful products, so I reach out to them directly and make a real connection. That is honestly half the fun of this business, getting to know the women+ behind the businesses that make up Orchid + Ash.
If it doesn’t inspire me, I simply won’t add it to the collection.
How did you sell your bakery business?
The idea first came to me as my lease was coming up for renewal, and I was in the thick of some serious burnout. I thought about just closing up shop, walking away, and cutting my losses. I was three years in to working seven days a week, some days being 16 hour days. As much as I loved my job, I knew I was at a crossroads and there was a lot more for me to experience in life that I could not do inside the walls of a bakery.
I started crunching some numbers, what kind of financial funds would I need to just close and walk away? I really began to evaluate the fact that my revenue had continued to grow at a rate of 35-45% a year, and this let me see that selling this business and making some real money off of it was a valid option.
I figured it would have been foolish of me to not even try.
So I renewed my lease, and continued to work and grow the business for two more years to see where I could get my revenue.
I was so lucky, when I was ready to sell, I hired a broker and almost immediately had three buyers lined up. I chose what seemed to be the best option at the time, which unfortunately turned to be the worst option, but the whole process was so necessary in my entrepreneurial journey, I am not sure I would actually change anything about the way it ended up playing out.
Please tell us how you are helping women?
Although we are just in our beginning stages, having launched in November of 2020, Orchid + Ash is my vision in action to help as many women as I can. Right now, we highlight over three dozen women-led small businesses, and being a small business ourselves, we know what a big deal every dollar is.
So there is the monetary aspect of helping these women, but then there is the connection, the community and the collaboration aspect, which I believe is priceless. So much confidence and empowerment is found within a community of cheerleaders, which is exactly what we are working on creating.
Down the road, I am also hoping to add a philanthropic aspect to the business, whether it is donating a portion of sales to women makers and artisans, or creating a grant program to help another female entrepreneur get off her feet. Starting out can be so scary and hard, and I would just love to be a part of someone being confident enough in themselves to chase their own dream.
What are your current areas of focus?
Right now I am still so focused on finding women with beautiful products that really inspire me. I really want Orchid + Ash to be a robust collection of all these pieces that not only inspire me, but everyone who shops with us.
Simultaneously, I am working every day on the Orchid + Ash Signature Collection, which is everything we make or design in-house. Candles, apparel, totes, and exploring some other options that will be a good fit for the line.
Keeping the inner workings of the business as strong as possible is top priority, the right customers will continue to find us and we will be able to keep growing. Growth is always a focus, but that has to come directly from the quality of what we offer.
To what do you attribute your success?
When I want something bad enough, I have an incredible work ethic. I will dive into learning as much as I can about whatever it is I want to do, and keep working at it until I get it right. I spend my free time researching, practicing and executing what I can.
I never went to culinary school, I went to NYU for Economics thinking I would end up on Wall St. But when I decided a bakery is what I wanted to do, I perfected new recipes, learned what makes or breaks a baked good (it sounds so silly, but it is so real!) How to find and lease a space, renovate it, write a business plan and eventually land a loan at 24. I didn’t know how to do any of that, but I figured it out, the process is so fun for me.
The same goes for Orchid + Ash, I never worked in a home decor or retail store, but I had this idea, so I worked and worked and worked to figure out the things I needed to. I am lucky enough that I have been running my own business in some capacity for the last ten years, so I have a lot of experience under my belt.
I start things and know I am going to stumble, but the real magic happens when you get back up, even though you know you will probably stumble again … and again.
I am still evolving, the business is still evolving, but when you have the desire and the work ethic, and you pair that with the willingness to learn, I think you can be unstoppable.
So for me that is really what my success comes down to, relentless grit.
If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?
If you are passionate about it, don’t overthink it. You have to start somewhere, and it is okay to change and evolve as you go, that is the fun part. Figuring out what works and what doesn’t and allowing your business to be fluid, but always stay true to why you started in the first place. That will get you further than anything else.
My favorite quote, and something I honestly live by is “if you aren’t embarrassed by the first version of your product, you shipped too late.” – Reid Hoffman.
Just start. It is okay to change, and inevitably improve on the way.
How do you think modern women can be more fulfilled in their lives?
I really believe there is so much to be said for not allowing the idea of social constructs or others’ expectations dictate your decision making. If your dream in this life is to get married and have kids and be a mom, that is amazing, do that because it fills up your soul, enjoy the hell out of it. If your dream is to travel solo, never get married and never have kids, do that. Enjoy the hell out of it.
We put so much weight on the things that we are ‘supposed’ to do, that we actually forget what we really want. So at the end of the day finding your fulfillment will come from sitting with yourself and being honest about what it is you want, not what the people around you think you should be doing.
Fulfillment is not found in one thing, and it isn’t the same thing we will all be chasing. That is what is so beautiful about it all. We all get filled up by such different things, and the world needs each of us doing those things in our own special ways.
What have been some of your failures, and what have you learned from them?
You know, I actually don’t believe in the concept of failure. I know that sounds a little strange, because we all know things crash and burn, but I more so have started to just look at these things as little stops and pivots along the greater journey.
That’s what things that don’t ‘work out’ are, things to learn from, lessons. It would be so easy to chalk what happened with the sale of my business up to a failure, but I can’t dwell on that, what’s done is done, and what can I change moving forward to avoid this from ever happening again?
Things don’t always work out, sure, but how detrimental would it be to look at everything that didn’t work as a failure? It didn’t work out, great, how can I make it better next time so it does work out?
But above all I have learned; stay true to yourself, protect yourself, don’t let people take advantage of you, know your worth and what you are capable of. Forever work in that energy and you will embark on some pretty incredible things.
![From Music to Perfume: How did your background as a music teacher influence your transition into perfumery, and how do you incorporate your musical sensibilities into creating fragrances? I’ve always thought in terms of metaphors, and music has many that can be related to perfumery! Beyond just thinking in terms of top, middle and base notes [soprano/alto/tenor in choir], I approach each fragrant idea as a composition. When documenting my ideas, song structures often come to mind. As the scent brief is visited, I meditate on what the fragrance should convey - do I want to create an accord or a “chord” of fragrance note combinations? Do I want an a capella soloist (a particular ingredient to stand out more than others?) Many of my thoughts regarding song composition transfers to my scent formulation process, with me treating each note as an intentional soliloquy at some point.
Brand Origin: What inspired you to start Pink MahogHany in 2005, and how has your vision for the brand evolved since its inception?
An avid lover of all things pleasantly scented (with slight modesty), looking back in retrospect, it’s no huge surprise that I’ve created an indie perfume house with just an idea to provide unique options for those who may be sensitive to unnecessary pungency. Initially, I just wanted to evaluate various blends to note their aroma profiles when “played” together…it wasn’t until I had friends and family asking if I knew of brands that catered to those who may be on the more olfactory sensitive side, that I really began to take my research more seriously. In the almost 20 years that Pink MahogHany has been in existence, our micro visions for the brand have evolved to larger territory. Where Pink MahogHany used to only be a personal brand, we are now also a bespoke formulation service provider to other indie brands seeking unique fragrance offerings for their products. These products range from (but are not limited to) perfumes, candles, body butters and lip balms. Ingredient Transparency: You emphasize transparency and the use of desirable ingredients in your products. How do you select your ingredients, and what challenges have you faced in maintaining this standard?
Being an indie brand often comes with a set of assumptions and misconceptions - one of them being more negative than positive as it relates to ingredients used. There is a lot of “fluff” in the industry with labeling falsification. Because fragrance formulas are a trade secret, not every molecular breakdown of a material has to be noted on the ingredient label (it would be incredibly long), but we at Pink MahogHany™️ adhere strongly to the IFRA [International Fragrance Regulatory Association] regulations that state for common and potential allergens to be listed on our ingredient label. We’ve taken this a step further to also include these ingredients listed on our website to promote further transparency, all while protecting our intellectual property. Unfortunately, we’ve had companies to unethically sell lesser expensive “dupes” of our artisan perfumes, so as a way to create a better authenticity stamp, we make it our duty to be honest about our claims. If our perfume says “Rose Bulgaria”, it is in fact just that and not a component of rose being passed off as the source material. Collaborations and Custom Scents: Can you share more about your work with private label clients? What excites you most about creating custom scent solutions for other indie brands? I could easily sum this up in one word and say “Funding.” True, there is money out there, but I’m always thinking outside the box. Having a program that has an “Each One Fund One” mentality doesn’t exist (that I’ve been made aware of). Bootstrapping can be quite the challenge, even when you’ve reached the 6-figure mark annually. Competition to be seen and set apart is extremely high, so having quality packaging and branding is a must. There are lots of factors to consider, though when desiring to make upgrades. If there were a unique, tier-geared funding operation available, it would help perfume brands offset packaging and bulk material costs in the beginning stages.
Industry Challenges: What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as an independent fragrance house, and how have you overcome them to grow your brand? As the brand continues on the path of organic growth, I would like to expand our reach into schools, offering perfumery as an arts elective for middle and high school. I’d love to partner with botanists, farmers and horticulturists directly to grow and source raw materials for the students to work with in the creation of tinctures. My passion is getting back to nature as best as possible, as nature was my first “scent experience” as a child. We would also love to witness our fragrance creations being used to scent model homes, our focus diffuser blends being used in automobile dealerships as well as partner with Air Bnb and boutique hotels that specialize in highlighting minority, indie brands. Personal Journey: How has your personal experience, particularly as a divorced mother and someone who has experienced the loss of a child, shaped your approach to life and your work in perfumery?
Because I homeschool my twin sons, we are together a lot more than most, so one thing we all do is have moments of sharing where a neutral “floor” is laid to converse about anything. Though they are quite communicative by nature, I realize that sometimes I can be in work mode so much that it spills over into what should be our quality time. My sons see the authentic me and learn how to communicate through seeing authenticity. I’ve learned not to feel as if I have to be the epitome of perfection but allow them to see my imperfections vulnerably but with discernment. Having had two traumatic experiences pretty close together has taught me how to truly slow down and enjoy the simplicities of life - igniting a spiritual aspect that I’ve always carried but never fully explored…until Kenji’s sudden passing (2018.) Grief has a way of catapulting us into a quest for more meaningfulness in both life and business. After Kenji’s passing and my processing through the initial stages of grief, I was able to incorporate our spiritual bond into Pink MahogHany by way of essential oil diffuser blends for both focus and sleep and most recently aromatic perfume elixirs. It’s been quite the process channeling the void of his physical presence, but I also have peace knowing he can be honored in a great way through scent. I noticed once I began to be more open and receptive to spiritual signs, synchs and “winks”, more ideas began to flow. It’s been this way since his transition. Emotional Expression: Fragrance is often tied to memories and emotions. How does your personal life influence the fragrances you create, and do you have a particular scent that holds special meaning to you? My creative process is much more alchemic now, and I include Kenji by talking out loud to him, believe it or not. I’m a firm believer that when our loved ones transition from the physical plane, they are still present - just in another form. I choose to keep his memory alive by not pretending he never existed (even if for a brief period of time). I am working (slowly) on a book and accompanying fragrance, but I know it will require me to revisit some memories I’m not quite ready for, so until then, his big brothers will launch their debut fragrance, The Peaceful Tiger (they chose the name.) I’ve learned that even in what we consider “small things”, our transitioned loved ones want to be recognized and acknowledged. When the twins and I designed their fragrance label (with a designer out of the country that didn’t know anything about me personally), we had issues with the graphic - so much so that the designer asked if they could rework the design. When they sent the proof for approval, the Tiger was not only younger but sleeping, with an uncanny, angelic resemblance to baby Kenji! Becoming more aware and being more sensitive to my intention for launching a fragrance has definitely made room for more divine situations like these to occur. Healing Through Scent: In what ways has creating fragrances been a form of healing or expression for you, especially after the loss of your son, Kenji Mwamba? I know my sons may not necessarily want to be perfumers, but they definitely have an entrepreneurial heart. My desire is that whatever they decide to pursue (acting, script-writing, music or architecture), they know that anything is possible with the right amount of determination, grit, belief and immersion. One reason I chose to homeschool is so they could enjoy learning without restraint and have ample time to devote to their own separate passions and it still be fun. They know Pink MahogHany is theirs if they want it (many, many years from now - lol), and we are already discussing business structures for whatever they choose their role to be once I retire. Work-Life Balance: How do you find balance between your professional responsibilities and personal well-being, and what self-care practices do you prioritize? I’m not just a perfumer; I’m also a consumer, and self-care is huge for me. I often take salt baths to reset my energy and clear my mind after being around large groups of people or free a long day. I’m a habitual perfume sampler, and I have so many to choose from to wear as my “nightcap.” Even if just for 10-15 minutes, I cherish each moment I’m able to have some “me-time.” When time and co-parenting schedules permit, I’m definitely on a flight somewhere to indulge in some delicious food and mouth-watering mocktails!](https://www.womenontopp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_3812-1200x720.jpeg)
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