Registered Nurse, Cancer Survivor, Entrepreneur, and Mom of two, are just a few of the words that describe Bilinder McGrowder. She also describes herself as being kind, Caring and feels genuinely fulfilled in her role as a Registered Nurse, because she finds pleasure in helping others. Though she “absolutely loves” serving others in her career, Bilinder has always aspired to having her own business.
In March 2020, she was given the life-changing news, of a diagnosis of stage 4 Ovarian Cancer, that had started to spread to her lungs. Naturally, news as overwhelming and devastating as this, caused her to go through various emotions including sadness, helplessness and a sense of loss. After a few months of crying and allowing herself to experience all these emotions, Bilinder finally accepted what was happening to her, but made the decision to fight for her life!
Being the Granddaughter of a Pastor who was described as a true man of God, Bilinder has a very strong faith in God, so with prayers, a special diet, a great oncology team and the tremendous support of family and friends, her cancer was declared to be in remission…..only 8 months after her initial diagnosis.
Three weeks after her surgery in July 2020, Bilinder launched her e-commerce business, SIR NATHAN STORE, which she named in honor of her late, beloved Grandfather, Nathan. She currently sells HANDBAG ORGANIZERS and tools that cleans makeup brushes. However, She plans to expand her business in 1-2 years, to focus primarily on tools and accessories that will help anyone to get naturally, beautiful, glowing skin!
Despite being an introvert who is generally quiet and would always sit in the corner of the room ( at any social gathering) and observe, Bilinder decided to step out of her comfort-zone and launched her YouTube channel (SIR NATHAN STORE, RN, BSN) in April 2021. On her channel, she shares information on how to care for yourself physically and mentally (Skin-Care and Self Care).
At 49 years old, she has acne and wrinkle-free skin….she happily shares her skincare routines and other great tips on her channel as well! Please, show her love….. go ahead and subscribe to her channel, and don’t forget to hit the notification bell so you can see all her videos as soon as they upload!
In spite of everything she is going through, she’s still here, building her businesses, while fighting against the odds….I think it’s safe to say, we can add Resilience to the list of words that describes Bilinder McGrowder!
1 Who Was The Inspiration Behind SIR NATHAN STORE?
I named my business; SIR NATHAN, in honor of my Grandfather, Nathan.
Not only was he a Council-Man of our Neighbor back home in Jamaica, but he owned a Bakery and he sold breads, patties and other pastries to businesses in our Town. I admired him because he was
1- Honest
2- He treated everyone with the utmost respect
3- He was caring and kind
These characteristics are the foundations of my business as well, because these are the life-lessons he taught us.
Think about it; how can your business thrive if you are not honest to your customers or if you do not care about them?
2 How Did You Come Together To Create Your Brand?
I love watching and learning from YouTubes videos, especially makeup channels. One thing that I noticed quite often was, people did not have a specific way in which to wash and dry their makeup brushes. If makeup brushes are not washed and dried in a particular way, they can become damaged quite easily with the water that you use to wash them. The average makeup brush can cost up to $20 per brush; that’s a lot of money, so you want to clean and care for your brushes in ways that will preserve them…you want to protect your investments.
My brand was created because I realized that the proper tools to wash and dry makeup brushes were lacking in the beauty industry, so I came up with the perfect product that would do just that! My makeup brush Washing and Drying set, thoroughly cleans your makeup brushes to rid them of oils and dirt. Our drying racks holds the brushes in a position that allows the water to drain away from the glue that holds the brushes together….this is very effective in making your makeup brushes last for a very long time!
We all know, it is very important to wash our makeup brushes at least twice per month….clean brushes, equals beautiful skin!
3 What Are Your Best Sellers And Why?
Currently, my best sellers are my Handbag Organizers. My customers are raving about them! Everyone loves them because they help to keep your bags well organized. When you are looking for something in your big tote bag and you can find it exactly when you need it, it helps your days to go very smoothly, and everybody loves that!.
I have not decided as yet, but this item may be a limited edition item, as my store will focus on selling only makeup brush accessory/tools.
4 What Is Your Ultimate Dream For Your Business?
My ultimate dream for my business is to get into retail stores, nationwide. I think it would be absolutely great to walk into retail stores and see my products on the selves! I saw a young lady on Instagram, who went into a Target store and held up a product that she said was hers. I felt so much joy for her, that is very big accomplishment! I am working on reaching the same goals within 1-2 years!
5 What Is The Best Advice You Have Ever Received?
The best advice I have received is; “don’t reinvent the wheel”. There are many successful businesses that have been here long before I started my own business…follow their blueprint; do what they do so you can have similar results.
6 In What Areas Would You Like To Improve As An Entrepreneur?
My weakest area is by far, Marketing! I know a lot of businesses in the industry relies on influencers to market their products and I know this can be very profitable but I have had some very unpleasant experiences with a few influencers. I sent my products to them and after they received my products, the influencers stopped communicating with me.
This has lead to me being very reluctant to send anymore of my products to other influencers because I cannot afford to lose anymore of my inventory. I have addressed this issue with a few of them on their platforms, but I do not want to embarrass anyone. Ultimately, marketing is the one area in which I would love to improve; to find other cost-effective ways of getting my brand in front of more people.
7 What Has Been Your Favorite Moment In Your Business So Far?
I am getting into networking with other small businesses. I love this because I get tips, suggestions and exchanging of ideas from other businesses; some of whom are new to the industry as I am, and some who have been around a bit longer than I have, so I am slowly learning things that will help my business to grow.
8 What’s Your Favorite Social Networking Platform- Facebook, Instagram, Twitter?
My favorite networking platform is Instagram. I have met some great small business owners on there who have been looking out for me; they have shared resources of how to be more visible on the platform as well as other ideas.
9 If You Could Go Back By Ten Years, What Would Be One Top Tip You Would Give To Our Audience?
The number one tip that I would offer, is something I have heard a lot since I started my business; don’t wait, just start!
A lot of times we feel as if we are not ready, because we feel like we do not have enough information or resources to start our business, so we procrastinate, saying to ourselves, “I’ll start next month or next year, or I just want to learn some more”.
This used to be me! But I now realize that, I am learning new things as I go along. I am not always going get all the answers right away, but I am learning new things everyday, every week, every month.
DON’T WAIT…JUST START!
10 Share Three Advice For Female Entrepreneurs?
1) Connect with other female entrepreneurs
2) You may not see massive results right away; it takes time..don’t give up!
3) At first, you may not have a lot of confidence in your business—fake it ’till you make it- confidence is everything!
Website: www.sirnathanstore.com
YouTube: SIR NATHAN STORE, RN, BSN
Instagram: Sir NathanStore
FaceBook: Sir Nathan Store
![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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