Several years ago after the birth of her son, April Barkley started selling her homemade products to friends and family and eventually opened an e-commerce shop. After several successful years she partnered with a small sales team to help promote her products and earn commissions! The affiliate program continued to grow as April saw how great it was to be able to give others the opportunity to grow their own businesses through the affiliate program. As of the beginning of 2019 Sugar Shower Co. is proud to be partnered with over 5,000 affiliates and the program gets bigger every day!
Sugar Shower
Sugar Shower operates in Chicago, and is run by a small local team consisting of April, her brother Derek, and a couple of part-time assistants. Sugar Shower also never test on animals! Life should never be boring, and that definitely includes bath time! Sugar Shower loves selling fun, creative and unique bath and skincare items that cater to women, children and even men! If a man wants to bathe with a donut soap, nothing should stop him!
Sugar Shower Co. sells bath products, skincare items, and cosmetics inspired by your favorite desserts, sugary candy, and other foodie favorites! Sugar Shower Co. also offers high-quality non-foodie items to appeal to all ages! Not only does Sugar Shower love bringing magic to their customer’s daily skincare routine but their affiliate program was born because they love helping women build their own business, provide for their family, and help them chase their dream. Sugar Shower is here to PROVE that a woman can be independent, financially stable, a provider, a mother, a business owner and rule this freakin’ world!
What inspired you to start Sugar Shower LLC?
It had always been a hobby. Near the end of my stay with my previous employer, my boss and I had some issues, not seeing eye to eye on a lot, I sometimes felt under appreciated in my position and dealt with poor treatment at work. When I left for maternity leave, I enjoyed my 3 months of being a mom but needed to go back to work, I was the breadwinner but my boss wouldn’t let me come back and hired someone else while I was gone. Without getting too much into it, I was hurt, I was devastated. I was left as a new mom with no income. Thankfully I had family to help me but I was so disgusted with the whole thing, it was at that moment I knew I never wanted to work for anyone ever again and wanted to start my own business and wanted to give women a chance to be the driver seat of their own future. And that’s what I did.
What fulfillment does being a business owner give you?
I have the chance to be in charge of my own future. I’m the type of person that would rather work 80 hours for myself, than 40 hours for someone else. My company is structured as a direct sales company. We have 5,000+ sales reps across the U.S. and Canada and mostly women, who sell our products and earn commission on their sales. When I hear stories about women joining Sugar Shower LLC and how it’s given them hope, and a chance to build their own future to make their own hours, sell how they want, make money for their family or kids, that’s what fulfills me. Our affiliate program was born because we love helping women build their own business, provide for their family, and help them chase their dreams. We are here to PROVE that a woman can be independent, financially stable, a provider, a mother, a business owner and rule this freakin’ world!
What do you have to keep in mind BEFORE getting into entrepreneurship?
You have to keep in mind that nothing will happen overnight. Nothing will be successful right away and to get to that point, you have to put in a lot of work and make some sacrifices. And you may need to live on peanut butter and jelly for a while haha. But don’t let it frustrate you. The best things come to those who wait and put in the work. If you want something, you can get it!
Being a mompreneur, what are the cons and pros?
Pros: I am available to my child at any point during the day. My son is in preschool but before he was in school, I was home with him all day. Though I work all day and night, I am still able to be there for him and to watch him grow. I never missed any of his firsts. Cons: Balance. You have to cook dinner and bathe your child and get him ready for bed but you also have orders to ship. How do you balance it all? What comes first? My son is 3 and I still haven’t found a perfect formula.
What sacrifices have you had to make during life as an entrepreneur?
I started my business at the same time that I became a mom, pretty much. So I had sacrifices to make in both areas. When you’re an entrepreneur, your work doesn’t end at 5PM. It’s not 9-5. It doesn’t end. You also don’t have days off. So you have to sacrifice a lot of your free time. Starting a business is almost like raising a child. You have to dedicate all your time, patience and money to help it grow. You have to nurture it. I’ve sacrificed nights out with friends, sleep, sanity. But I promise you, it’s all worth it.
What steps do you take when you want to get through a less of a good business day?
You have to remove yourself from that stress. It’s taken me a long time to realize this. If work is stressing me out, I remove myself, even if it’s just 15 minutes. Go somewhere quiet, close my eyes, meditate, recharge. If it’s nice out, go outside for fresh air. But you can’t force yourself to work through what’s stressing you out. You need to take care of yourself first and remove yourself from that stress.
Have you always been entrepreneurial?
I’ve always been around entrepreneurs. My dad and uncle are entrepreneurs and own a printing company. I worked there as a teen, during college, and even after and was always fascinated with the business and being your own boss. I guess it’s in my blood!
Do you believe in destiny or do you think you can control your fate?
I like to think there’s a healthy balance of both in life, work and in love. I like the idea of the universes’ plans unfolding for me as they are meant to but I also love the idea that as a strong, independent woman, I am able to control my own destiny. I’ve never felt more in control of my life than I do now, at 29 years old.
What advice would you want to give women who are starting a new business besides their own business?
Be scared, and know that it’s okay to be scared. And that fear, will drive you. I can say I’ve been scared AND confident in my years as a small business owner but nothing has driven me more and made me work harder than those fearful times. Fear about the business not taking off, not succeeding. It only makes you stronger so embrace the fear.
How do you want to improve yourself in the next year?
Sugar Shower LLC continues to impress me, continues to surprise me. Our sales reps continue to impress me. We recently moved to our new office location and I’m looking forward to the coming months of getting a bit more settled in there so we can really take the company to the next level now that we have a bigger location. But with each new year, comes new challenges, new products, new sales reps, new exciting things. This year has been a big year for me personally too, not just with business, so I look forward to seeing how myself, the company, and my employees, continue to grow. There’s nothing more exciting than being a boss babe and watching yourself grow AND glow!
![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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