The thought of taking your career in a direction of self-employment can be an exciting one, though leaving your well-paid corporate gig to start your own business can be a daunting proposition. It means not having a regular pay check and the very real possibility of burning through copious amounts of your saved-up cash before your business begins to generate an income – however, Kimberley Bueno took the risk anyway!
Starting The Cuddly Cottage was never part of any plan Kimberley had. While she was working in finance, she was already helping out a few neighbors who had horrible experiences with prior pet sitters. When Kimberley made the decision to leave her corporate job, she picked up a few more pet sitting jobs – and when she realized she could make it into a business, she did.
The day Kimberley decided to file an LLC and start a business, she felt incredibly motivated and suddenly inspired to build something new. But she also remember having some anxiety, self-doubt, and fear. She think it’s helpful at times to feel some fear when starting new projects, because it usually means you’ll learn something and grow as an individual.
While Kimberley was building her pet care business, she wanted to meet with other women entrepreneurs to get some more insight and advice on how to build a business from ground up.This sparked her idea of creating a non-profit organization, called Women Entrepreneurs of Hudson County (WE of Hudson County), specifically dedicated to providing resources to women entrepreneurs looking to grow their business and building a supportive community.
Did you start The Cuddly Cottage by yourself?
Technically speaking I did and although I may be the “face” of the Company, I’d give a lot of credit to my fiance, Tom, and say we started it together. Without his support and help throughout the process, The Cuddly Cottage wouldn’t exist.
What sacrifices have you had to make during life as an entrepreneur?
Most of my sacrifices in the beginning involved giving most of my time to my clients, and being more careful with money since my income is inconsistent. In the beginning stages of building a business, I found I didn’t have much time – to work on other priorities, hang out with my friends, or even to take care of errands. I think in my case, because of what I do, it requires me to constantly be on the move – so I may be a special case. This also kind of ties with money management. I really had to do whatever I could to make sure I was spending wisely and efficiently – making sure bills, rent were paid on time, etc, – even though I didn’t initially know how much the business would earn.
What advice would you want to give women who are starting a new business besides their own business?
I’d say – It’s important to surround yourself with people that truly and honestly support you. With the highs and lows of building a business, it’s incredibly helpful and critical to your well-being to have a good close knit group of people that support you.
What is your favorite aspect of becoming an entrepreneur?
What I enjoy most about being an entrepreneur is when a client provides feedback! I love knowing that a service I provided – on my own terms – is making people happy and making their lives less stressful! And I love talking to our customers to understand what they’re looking for, and to get feedback on how our service can be even better.
You reached out to a few local businesses for sponsorship, which helped with the success of the event [for WE of Hudson County]. Can you give our readers 3 tips on how to find sponsorship for an event to host?
I’ve found that businesses really do want to help and support, but it’s a matter of how you approach them. Businesses are trying to run their operation smoothly day-to-day and sometimes management doesn’t have time to respond to emails right away. It’s important to keep that in mind.
My approach when asking for sponsorship is:
- Get straight to the point of what I’m asking for, why, how it would benefit the business by participating, and what type of sponsorship I’m specifically looking for. It may take some time to hone in your approach and viewing my request from the perspective of the business helps.
- Following up. Sometimes businesses look at an email, mark it as important or highlight it but then forget it. Politely following up is always helpful and doesn’t hurt!
- Cast a wide net. You may be looking forward to working with a particular company, but they either didn’t respond or you received a rejection. Reach out to multiple businesses that you’d think would be a great collaboration. Don’t be stuck on just one. There are a ton of businesses out there that do want to connect and partner with you!
Have you always been entrepreneurial?
No! I never thought it was even a possibility for me.
How do you manage your work at The Cuddly Cottage, while managing WE of Hudson County?
Time management is important and when you are managing multiple projects, it’s critical to get a handle on your time. I have several physical calendars that I keep up-to-date, and of course my Google calendar. I make sure to double-check my schedules and ensure that I have sufficient time for everything. If I make a mistake, I immediately own up to it and find a solution.
How do you want to improve yourselves in the next year?
I am making more time for self-care, since I don’t have the usual weekends and holidays off from working. I’ve dedicated certain days where most of the day (if not all) is focused on relaxing and enjoying my day. I think starting a business and a non-profit had caused me to neglect self-care so in the new year, it is one of my priorities.
![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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