The most beautiful essence of feminine entrepreneurship is the ability of a woman to bring passion, empathy, and career into one powerful mission. Bianca Wise is one of those women who did just that. Born and raised in Baltimore City, Bianca Wise quickly built a name for herself through her leadership, caregiving, and dedication to service.
Starting her career as an administrative assistant for the FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., Bianca narrowed her vision by taking away the positives of her experience while also realizing she wanted more for her life. As this thought lingered in her mind, Bianca was put through one of the most challenging and scariest days of her young life—September 11, 2001. A day that stands out in the minds of many of us and has since unified our nation. Bianca took the heartache of this tragedy and used it to propel her passion forward. Within a month, she changed direction, leading her to become an EMT an in 2003 she was hired with the Baltimore County Fire Department. She became the first African American woman to achieve rank as Lieutenant within the history of her department.
She used her experiences, achievements, and expertise to follow her dream and open Home Helpers, a home care service offering personal care, companion care, and respite care services for the elderly, disabled, and those who need continual assistance in the home. Bianca instantly felt validated in her decision to open this impactful resource for her community. Her immense empathy for others and being able to help those in need made her mission truly shine and succeed.
Home Helpers
Serving Baltimore County and the surrounding Baltimore Metro areas, this home care service stands out amongst others because of the heart behind the service. The Home Helpers team prides themselves in being part of their client’s extended family and treats each client as such. Everything from small chores to personal connection, Home Helper employees go above and beyond in their field of practice. The professionals offer complimentary in-home consultations, comprehensive in-home care, affordable customized solutions, amongst other advantages, providing nothing but comfort, peace of mind, and love to those in need within their local community.
Below is a more in-depth interview we did with Bianca about her exceptional business and reasoning behind the start up!
Q: When deciding to start your own business, what inspired you to open Home Helpers Home Care?
A: “I worked in the Fire Service for 15 years and the environment led me to a point where I realized I was doing the right work but I was doing it for the wrong people. I reached a point where I absolutely did not like my job anymore. So I had a serious conversation with myself one day and said I can not do this for another 10+ years ( to reach retirement) so I woke up one day and quit.
As a 1st responder going to people’s homes I constantly saw a need for home care services for elderly and disabled people. As a 1st responder usually the only resource I could provide was a transport to a hospital where a lot of times the person didn’t require emergency services but because they were in vulnerable situations in the home, we would have to transport them. This contributes to a bigger issue with the health care industry as it pertains to overcrowding emergency rooms and hospital readmission rates. So when deciding what I would do with my life, providing Home Care services to help people stay happy and safe in their homes was the perfect alignment for me.”
Q: Have you always been entrepreneurial?
A: “In hindsight, yes. I’ve always had some sort of “side hustle” going on since I was 16. In 2012, I launched B. Foxy Fashion Jewelry and had so much fun with that which expanded my vision of one day becoming a FT Entrepreneur.”
Q: What makes Home Helpers Home Care different/unique?
A: “Aside from my emergency medical background and being an owner who really has compassion and a desire to make lives better; not just for my clients but my care team also. Home Helpers brings a comprehensive approach to home care that bridges the gaps that still may exist. So along with our trained, professional care givers, we also offer a nutrition service called Silver Cuisine that provides delicious, chef prepared meals that are delivered right to our client’s homes. We offer Personal Emergency Response devices with GPS tracking that gives our client’s one touch access to our call center that will help with any problems that may occur. We also can provide daily wellness checks that provide our clients medication reminders, wake up calls, or just a friendly conversation.”
Q: What are your goals currently? As in vision and mission?
A: “My mission is to grow Home Helpers to become the most trusted and respected provider of Home Care Services in the Baltimore/Metro area.
My vision is to become a business leader in my community and inspire and coach other women to step out to pursue their best lives.”
Q: Are you making sacrifices being an entrepreneur?
A: “Not that I can think of other than I cut down on buying shoes and traveling (for now). The timing is perfect for me as I have reached a level of maturity, self-awareness and discipline that are big contributing factors to being an entrepreneur.”
Q: Tell us about your proudest achievement?
A: “In February 2012, after 9 years of service in the Fire Department, I was promoted to Lieutenant and became the 1st black woman to attain that rank in the 180 year history.”
Q: What is your favorite aspect of being an entrepreneur?
A: “The freedom and excitement of deliberately co-creating my future. Watching myself getting better every day and overcoming barriers and pushing through challenges.”
Q: What are you Top 3 tips for financial freedom?
1.Personal development/Elevating your Mindset
2.Learn about & create ways to generate passive income
3.Investing more than you spend
![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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