In this inspiring interview for Women On Topp magazine, we sit down with Liza Dedaj, a trailblazer in the beauty industry and a passionate advocate for women in business. Liza’s journey from a young hairstylist and makeup artist in Manhattan to becoming a highly respected product educator for the prestigious EPRES™️ Beauty is a testament to her resilience, dedication, and unwavering support for other women in her community.
From her early days working on 66th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, surrounded by world-famous celebrities and artists, to her role as General Manager for multiple family investments, Liza has continuously pushed the boundaries of professional growth. Today, she not only thrives in the beauty industry but also provides a platform for women entrepreneurs through her livestream networking program. In this interview, Liza shares her unique career trajectory, the challenges she’s overcome, and her commitment to supporting women in both personal and professional spheres.
Can you tell us about what initially inspired you to pursue a career as a hairstylist and makeup artist in New York City?
The idea of working in the city wasn’t planned, I got married to my husband who lived in NYC. He supported me and helped me get an advanced salon job.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when you first started working on 66th St. & Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan?
I was young in age. Everything I did was a first for me, and it was intimidating to be around world-famous celebrities or artists.
How did your role as a General Manager for multiple family investments shape your approach to business and leadership?
Long story short, I recognized my capabilities that highlighted my leadership skills.
What motivates you to stay involved with women-centric nonprofit organizations like the Albanian American Business Women Organization?
My biggest inspiration has always been women my whole life—from real life, TV, and social media. Their dedication to their professional lifestyle while managing their personal life has always amazed me. As a married woman with 3 children, I know that’s not easy. I want women to know I’ll always be rooting for them if no one else is.
Can you describe a specific moment in your career that you’re particularly proud of or that helped you grow personally?
Definitely when real established businesswomen ask me for advice. That just grows me a lot. I thank them for their trust.
What inspired you to move from salon work to becoming a product educator or Specialist, and what has that transition been like for you?
I began my journey with the beauty industry when I was 17 years old, the day I graduated from Cosmetology. In my head, I saw myself working as an educator and specializing in a niche for this industry. I just knew, but I didn’t know how to start at the time.
How has your background in beauty and management influenced your approach to the livestream networking platform you created?
I love working with women in general. Live-streaming started to honor women for International Women’s Day, and it went so well I just continued beyond that. The beauty industry is definitely a female-dominated industry, as was my previous position as general manager. What I’m doing now is what I wanted done for me—to be seen and supported.
Who has been your biggest mentor or influence in your career journey, and what have they taught you?
There are a lot to mention. I’m surrounded by people who have worked hard to get where they are.
With such a busy schedule, how do you balance your personal and professional life?
The only way to describe this is every single thing I do comes naturally to me because I’m happy with how everything turned out. Yes, to evolve, there is always room for improvement.
If you could go back to the beginning of your career, what advice would you give your younger self?
To actually not stop what I love doing by being consistent. When you’re happy, you don’t need new choices, just improve in what you’re doing.
How has being a REDKEN Certified Specialist and EPRES Specialist impacted your career and approach to professional growth?
I love this part of the beauty industry. It creates so much trust between educators/Specialists like I am and the stylists without the sales pressure. EPRES and REDKEN color/shades etc. work so well together because EPRES Bonder repairs at the same time the color is depositing.
What role does product education play in the beauty industry, and why do you think it’s important for stylists to be knowledgeable about the products they use?
Education is one of the most important aspects to achieve success. Stylists get all the new products first before anyone else. They implement and educate their guests based on their needs, and they become a returning guest without a doubt.
As a team member of the Albanian American Business Women Organization, what are some of your goals for supporting and promoting businesses?
My goal is to create a transparent resource for connecting and bonding the organization with all the members and attendees. By going live on social media, it will expand both the awareness of the organization and business members.
How do you leverage social media to engage and promote women’s business success stories through your livestream networking platform?
Social media is so powerful, and for that, I started to take full advantage of it. I want businesswomen to take advantage of my livestream service to promote their businesses. Doing so will help me support new business owners who need it most.
What skills and experiences from your role as a General Manager have helped you in your current position as a Product Specialist for EPRES Beauty?
My previous experience prepared my confidence for sure. I also learned to take each inquiry very seriously for both big business accounts and small business accounts.
What have been some of your most rewarding experiences or feedback as a product specialist with EPRES Beauty?
It’s a really rewarding experience to work for EPRES. I’m so respected by other professionals in the industry. I had no idea until now how much the industry is eager for new product innovation. Let’s acknowledge that EPRES is new in the market, but behind the brand is the most advanced and seasoned team in the industry. EPRES™ founder Eric Pressly has created the future of high-performance haircare—the most advanced bonding product created to date. The feedback has been extraordinarily positive.
What unique challenges have you faced as a promoter and educator, and how have you overcome them?
I love this question! Getting rejected is a big downer, for sure. Every time I get rejected, I move on immediately and end up with a double-the-value offer each time. It feels amazing.
Can you walk us through the process of educating salon teams on EPRES products, and what you believe makes your approach effective?
Creating trust is what makes my approach effective. Also, I’m highly skilled in communication, which results in booking these educational sessions nonstop. The majority seem open-minded about new hair product innovations, which makes things easier to work on.
How do you measure the success of your work with the Albanian American Business Women Organization, and what impact are you hoping to make?
I feel really proud when I create these livestream interviews to support and promote the women who are part of the organization. I want to create a space for businesswomen members and the AABW organization to expand through my social media platforms.
What would you say to other women looking to start their own businesses, based on your own experience and observations as an educator and community advocate?
Omg, it’s tough, but if you really mean it, then do it! We’re all human, we all have our own unique luck—trust your judgment.
Find out more about Liza Dedaj by following her social channels:
![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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