Chanel Fortier is a Life Coach, Executive/CEO business coach, financial expert, keynote speaker and published author. She was part-owner in a finance firm for almost a decade. She is founder and CEO of Fortier Therapy Group. She has a Master’s of Science in Business Management, and is currently in school pursing her second Master’s, which will allow her to pursue her passion in talk-therapy.
Transitions and major changes in our life are never easy. This falls in line with the saying, ‘no pain, no gain.” My main motivator and theme throughout my entire life is to truly help other people. It started with my first career choice of wanting to go into the legal field. I thought I wanted to be an attorney, but after being in that space for half a decade, I realized that I wanted to help people in a different capacity.
Transitioning into finance from the legal field was one of the most challenging career transitions I could’ve ever imagined. Finance to this day is still male dominated, and good advisors use their own skills to do the technical aspects of the job. It is a very demanding and constant high-stress career. While I thought I was going to go into finance and truly help others, I realized that to continue to be successful I had to continually be in a sales type of role, bringing in millions and millions of additional assets continually to stay relevant. I wanted to help others and not just make wealthy people – wealthier. While I was really good at my career, my heart just wasn’t in it anymore.
One constant that I always enjoyed was the relationships and trust I built with my clients. They had full faith in my capabilities when they trust me with their entire life savings and/or corporate finances.
Because I am a total nerd, I enjoyed counseling my clients and helping give more personal advice through transitions in their life, such as business endeavors, divorce, death in the family, loss, and so on… I would joke about it being better to have gotten a Master’s in counseling/therapy/psychology as opposed to my Master’s of Science in Business Management.
Don’t look back…. You aren’t going that direction….
Leaving the safe confines of the finance field for close to a decade was such a challenging and painstaking decision to make. The more I think about it, the words “terrifying “and “anxiety-fueled state” would be a better descriptor of what I felt. Transitioning to what my heart was pulling me to do was so scary – being a single mom with no family support or help. Solely on my own I raised an amazing son, killed it in finance, making six-figures, getting national recognition and awards, and having so much of my identity attached to being in finance. I was faced with staying in a space where I broke through every barrier and excelled, to take a risk to start another company in a new field. Literally starting over!
I had some people close to me in my life that were in shock that I’d even consider leaving finance because of the level I was at, and how hard I had worked to get there. I have realized over the years that one must not ask travel advice from those who have never left home. I also have learned that not everyone is truly in your corner and happy for you. There will always be naysayers and to be successful you have to drown out any unproductive noise. Have you ever met a naysayer doing better than you? Me neither. Set your intentions and pursue your dreams and don’t let anyone or anything get in your way!
My WHY
My son has always been my #1 WHY in my life alongside helping others. Being a young single mother with no help, child-support or family support, I had to buckle down and do everything in my power to succeed to provide an amazing life for my son. With him getting ready to graduate high school (sad face/tears), it was time for me to focus on shifting my “why.”
Money & Finance
I have an interesting take on money and finance. After having worked with hundreds of amazing clients over the years, I witnessed all sorts of financial motivations and scenarios. Sadly, many of these situations were geared more towards an ego state. From my experience in these types of situations, it’s never enough. Some people have an insatiable desire for money, riches and fame, but I have found that is a very empty existence and that void never truly gets filled no matter how much you obtain – it’s never enough. Some people have the mentality, “if only… (fill in the blank), then I will be or have _________. These people don’t realize that happiness is internal, and no external force is going to give you sustainable happiness. It may give you a temporary “high” but it doesn’t last.
Money truly can’t buy happiness when it’s being used to fill voids.
I always wanted to be successful and have money but for one reason and one reason ONLY! My financial “why” or reason is for FREEDOM. To me, money equals freedom. The more financially stable you are, the more freedom and flexibility you have in life.
Leaving a lucrative business to START OVER…
I started Fortier Therapy Group deep from my heart and soul. I knew I wanted to be a therapist one day but figured it was something I would do later in life when I “retired” to keep me busy and help as many people as possible. The universe kept nudging me in that direction all along and finally I knew with the utmost certainty that Therapy and Life Coaching is my purpose.
I have started Fortier Therapy Group with Life Coaching and Executive/CEO business coaching, Corporate Wellness services. I am in school at the University of Kansas for my second Master’s, and will expand to do talk-therapy as soon as I complete the requirements. My plan is to do talk-therapy mainly for adults and/or older teens. In my therapy practice, I plan on specializing in Trauma & PTSD, Anxiety, Mood Disorders, Relationship Issues and Narcissist/Sociopath/Psychopath Abuse, but my practice will not be limited to these issues alone.
As far as Life Coaching goes – everyone could use a Life Coach!
Life coaching is an umbrella term that encompasses coaching for a litany of areas from relationships to business endeavors, all the way to healthy lifestyle habits.
My clients range from high-powered CEOs for business and personal issues, to stay-at-home moms that want an accountability coach to help them develop steps to improve their lives in some fashion, and even male clients that hire me to get a female perspective on their relationships. The possibilities are endless.
There are life coaches out there for every age group, life stage, level of ambition, personal struggle or issue, and goals imaginable.
In life, if you feel stuck or scared – take a deep breath and take the leap toward what you truly desire! Our days here on Earth are numbered and we spend more time working, than the workweek allows for family, friends and hobbies.
I am thankful I took the leap to pursue my dream. I am helping so many people from all walks of life, and loving every minute of it. I wake up energized and cannot wait to get my day started now.
Just remember you are one decision away from an entirely new life!
– Chanel Fortier, MSM
Visit New Life Coaching
Visit Chanel page Instagram
Visit Fortier Therapy
![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)
One thought on “Founder and CEO of Fortier Therapy Group”