”It’s about time mom’s have access to an all natural supplement that actually alleviates the symptoms we experience postpartum, and now we do!” Cheyenne Burnett
Meet Cheyenne Burnett the founder of supplement line specifically designed to address Postpartum Anxiety and Depression symptoms called My Mood Vitamins. My Mood Vitamins was developed over the last year after Cheyenne Burnett battled PPA and PPD herself and realized that she was not the only one. When women explained what they were experiencing to the doctors the only solutions offered to most of new moms are to either see a therapist or go on antidepressants.
Absolutely insane was Cheyenne’s first thought. This means you either relinquish all control of your feelings and mood over to medication or you have to continue to suffer through the excruciating moments of anxiety and severe sadness with the help of talk therapy.
Well no more! It’s about time mom’s have access to an all natural supplement that actually alleviates the symptoms they experience postpartum, and now they do!
How did you come up with MYMOOD® Vitamins?
If you had asked me five years ago what I thought I would be doing with my life today the answer wouldn’t have even come close to owning a successful postpartum supplement company.
Over the last few years my husband and business partner Brad, and I have built up a successful entrepreneur funding company and a marketing agency. Those two businesses were my focus.
That is at least, until we decided to have a baby.
Fast forward 9 months (42 weeks to be exact) and I was a first-time mom operating two businesses with a seriously confused look on her face.
As a new mom, more than once I felt totally blindsided by the entire postpartum period. I knew life after having my son would be different, but it was really hard for me, as a first-time mom, to wrap my head around just HOW different.
I thought, “This is an amazing, joyous time in my life, how could I possibly be THAT overwhelmed by all the changes that come with it?” But the reality is no conversation I had prepared me for the sleep-deprivation, the feeding struggles, the baby blues, wildly intrusive thoughts, or the postpartum anxiety and depression… not even conversations with my doctor.
It only took a few days after delivery for me to experience a shift in my mood so severe that it felt like all the joy in the world spilled out of me and when I called my doctor things only got worse for me because the solution I was offered was to meet with a therapist (when they could fit me in) and discuss antidepressants.
I was having a full-on breakdown, I needed something or someone to help me NOW, not at their next available appointment time, and I definitely didn’t want to have to take antidepressants if I didn’t have to because I had been prescribed them in the past and I hated how they made me feel.
I thought there had to be another way to overcome what I was feeling. I refused to accept that those were my only two options. So I started researching all-natural solutions for my postpartum anxiety and depression symptoms and after a year of some serious pushing (pun intended) MYMOOD® Vitamins www.mymoodvitamins.com was born! The first EVER all-natural supplement designed specifically to reduce the symptoms of both mild and moderate Postpartum Anxiety and Postpartum Depression.
Do you have any words of wisdom for women entrepreneurs specifically, based on your own experience?
The relationship you have with your customers is more important than anything else.
You need to know what they need.
You need to know what they want.
You need to know what will best serve them right now AND what will best serve them in the future.
But you also need to let them know you…
This can feel weird at first, but I promise it is worth it.
People don’t like a faceless brand, we like to feel seen and heard by a real person.
We like connection.
If you are willing to consistently share personal things about yourself that apply to your product and brand people will respond positively and you will get better results.
The entrepreneurs who are most successful are the ones who always show up, care for, and listen to their customers and provide applicable, authentic, and vulnerable real-life experiences.
What do you feel are the current trends in the healthcare/mental health supplements space?
Unfortunately, I am not the only mom who feels like when she asked for help with Postpartum Depression and Anxiety symptoms, antidepressants were really the only solution offered.
Countless moms all over the globe know what it feels like to make an appointment with their doctor only to be handed a questionnaire to fill out and then be told an antidepressant is the solution.
So to answer your question, in my experience, the current trend is for most doctors (not all of them) to throw you a prescription for Zoloft or another overprescribed pharmaceutical with a long list of side effects and tell you to call them in a few weeks if you’re not feeling better.
Now I want to be clear, I do NOT think there is anything wrong with taking medication if that is in fact what is in your best interest.
However, I don’t believe it should be the first option offered, and it certainly shouldn’t be the only one. Which is exactly why THE MISSION OF MYMOOD® Vitamins is to help moms who are experiencing Postpartum Anxiety and Depression take back control of their mood and actually enjoy the postpartum phase without the use of medication.
Postpartum is not the same for all of us which is why a “one size fits all” approach doesn’t work.
For some of us, working with a therapist to develop coping skills is a critical part of healing.
For others, medication is not only needed but life-saving.
But what about the moms like me who really don’t want to take medication… or whose symptoms aren’t considered severe enough to be medicated?
Should those moms just have to “deal with it” and continue to suffer?
I don’t think so…
Which is exactly why I made it my mission to provide those moms with another option. A natural option. One designed specifically for them by someone who has been there, and sometimes is there still.
What’s your favorite social network – Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter? Why?
Personally, I am a big fan of Instagram.
Today, instant gratification fuels our consumer-driven world, and buyers want visual content that validates that what they want is a good idea to buy.
How Instagram works actually helps brands and businesses leverage visuals to better promote their products and services. Not to mention, as the network has grown over the last few years people actually now count on Instagram to be a reliable source for information on products. That means your ideal customers if they are on Instagram, are already anticipating your content to show up in their feed. Not only do they expect it, but since Instagram has made their app so much more business-friendly the last few years it’s now easier than ever for both physical and digital product-based businesses to promote.
I want to point out though, I said “IF your ideal customers are on Instagram.”
As an entrepreneur, especially one just starting out, the best thing you can do when it comes to social media is figuring out what platform your ideal clients are using the most and focus your efforts there.
You can always expand into other platforms later. Instagram certainly isn’t the only good one.
YouTube, for example, is actually the second-highest used search engine in the world, second only to Google. So if your ideal client is more likely to search a video on YouTube than jump on Instagram and do the death scroll, then you need to know that and plan your marketing strategy accordingly.
Can you share some marketing tips on how to launch a new product?
No matter what social platform you decide to use to promote, consistency is the most critical component to your success.
I highly recommend having at least 30 days worth of highly valuable content curated and automated before you launch so that you can create consistency right off the bat, that your ideal clients can count on.
And remember the number one secret is take action and launch. I know too many stories of entrepreneurs with amazing ideas that get beat to market and then struggle or quit, because they are spending time trying to make their product perfect. Get a “good” product launched and improve from there.
What should future business owners be doing to progress in their careers?
For those of you who aspire to be an entrepreneur but just haven’t quite figured out what your niche is, my advice is this, document EVERYTHING!
I didn’t just wake up one day and think “you know what, today I am going to start a successful postpartum supplement company.”
There were years of groundwork before that.
When Brad and I decided to have our son I started documenting everything I experienced. At first, I didn’t have any idea what I would do with it but that didn’t matter, I just documented it.
Eventually, all of the things I experienced, the trials, the tears, and the incredible birth of my son Saverio found their way into my book called “A Fear Free Birth” www.afearfreebirth.com, which became my first product.
Then as I experienced life after birth those experiences shaped the next phase in my life and ultimately in our business.
In my experience, the most successful businesses start from entrepreneurs just like you who have a problem and figure out how to fix it for themselves and then go on to share how they fixed it with others.
So document everything, even if it’s unclear what you will do with it right now. It’s like Lego Batman said, “Always be recording.”
What have you learned most from entrepreneurship?
I would have to say that one of the biggest things I have learned from being an entrepreneur is that life is so much simpler when you stop explaining yourself to people and just do what works for you.
Not everyone is going to see your vision.
Not everyone is going to believe you can accomplish what you set out to.
And you know what, that’s okay.
Don’t waste time trying to convince people your idea is good enough. Surround yourself with the ones who already know it is.
How has covid-19 affected your own business so far?
Caring for babies and homes and jobs and relationships, and starting a new business is A LOT, but doing all of that for the first time during a global pandemic made it that much easier for me to only focus on the things I just listed and ignore my mental health until I was really suffering.
And I know I am not the only one.
A study published only 2 months ago showed the rates of birth trauma significantly spiked for those moms who gave birth during this pandemic which has also increased the number of moms experiencing difficulties with parent-infant bonding and breastfeeding all of which can increase the likelihood a mom will experience symptoms of postpartum anxiety and depression.
Not to mention the unexpected financial strain many families have felt over the last year.
So COVID-19 has impacted my business because now, maybe more than ever, more and more women are suffering from Postpartum Anxiety and Depression and need a natural solution to this problem and deserve someone in their corner to fight for them.
What is one of the biggest challenges you faced when starting your business?
Pregnancy and Postpartum are very emotionally driven topics and so is mental health these days. So as I entered into this market for the first time one of the biggest challenges I have faced with MYMOOD Vitamins is making sure my messaging doesn’t make it seem like mothers who are on medication are “wrong” for taking them.
I personally don’t think there is anything wrong with taking antidepressants if that is in fact what’s in your best interest. I also believe that there are many mothers who would choose differently if they had an all natural option.
That’s why my product is designed for moms like me, who really don’t want to be medicated if we don’t have to be. So figuring out how to tell my story and share why I developed my product without offending moms who do take medication has been a bigger challenge than I thought it would be when I started.
What is a skill you think all women should learn and why?
I honestly believe the best skill every single woman would benefit from mastering is the capability to control her self-talk.
You know what I’m talking about right?
That voice in the back of your head that whispers “you’ve got this.” Having a good relationship with that voice is the most critical component of success there is…in my opinion.
If you don’t have a good relationship with that voice, instead of it cheering you on you might hear judgment, doubt, or even belittling.
If that voice is allowed to quietly tear you down day after day, it will limit you, it will hurt you. It will rob you of your peace and, when left unchecked long enough, it will keep you from realizing greatness.
So if I could pick one skill for every single woman to master, that would be it. Master that voice and give yourself the gift of self-love.
Is there anything else you’d like to say to the women reading this article?
One of my favorite quotes is “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.” ― Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Of all the things I have felt on my journey as an entrepreneur, fear is probably the most frequent one. I have learned though, that if I am afraid, it means I am pushing myself outside my comfort zone and I’m on the right track.
Being an entrepreneur is a calling, not everyone is built for it.
But if you are, the sooner you learn to be okay with feeling afraid and doing it anyway, the better off you will be.
You deserve a life time of happiness so decide what success means to you and don’t stop until you reach it.
![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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