Do you sometimes dream of achieving great things, going far beyond the limits and achieving great success? Well, Wana Miri is one of the few women who were able to fulfill this dream. She is one of the few women who were able to break boundaries and realize their vision. This is, however, not the only time that Wana Miri has proven to be an exceptional person. With her charisma and perseverance, Wana Miri began an online platform with the goal of inspiring entrepreneurial women and helping them push past their fear of pursuing their aspirations. The platform reaches now over millions of readers. Meet Wana Miri, Founder & Owner of Women On Topp.
So you must be wondering, who is Wana Miri, and what does Women On Topp entail? These few paragraphs should give you a hint.
Meet Wana Miri, Founder & Owner of Women On Topp
Her story began 20 years ago when she came to the Netherlands as an Afghan refugee (Currently living in London, UK). She fled with her family to Europe. Although it was a devastating experience for her, she had the perception that this was only a temporary setback and found the courage to strive on. That is probably the very reason she is ever grateful to her parents and the country of the Netherlands for giving her a hopeful future.
So how did Wana Miri become such a successful person?
Simple, sheer determination. When she arrived in Holland, she had no choice but to start over and build a new life. At that time, there weren’t many well-known female models who she could learn from, but that didn’t serve as a hindrance as she was ever determined on achieving her goals. Wana Miri was entirely convinced that she was destined to be an entrepreneur when she was nine years old.
How did this happen? Her older sister and brother had a paper delivery job at the time. One day she sees them with the yellow pages, so she thought to herself, why one would give the yellow pages away for free when they could sell them. It sounds awkward right? But of course, she never knew it was illegal back then. Anyway, she took the yellow pages without anyone noticing, went over to a friend’s house and handed them over to her and strictly told her to go door-to-door and sell the yellow pages. She carefully stood and watched as her friend went around the neighborhood. Eventually, her friend sold every single yellow page Wana gave to her. Since then, Wana Miri always knew she would one day start her own business.
A dream of working for herself grew stronger
Her story doesn’t end here. Still harboring a dream of working for herself while studying, her urge grew stronger. Wana Miri was so exceptional that she was able to take on different jobs throughout her life. Before she graduated from the prestigious University of Rotterdam, she was able to secure plenty of jobs in retail as a sales representative. After her graduation, she worked as a financial business controller at an American Medicine wholesaler.
Nevertheless, everywhere she worked, she had the feeling that the world had more in stock for her. We can say, she was too ambitious for the jobs she had. She always had a better and different view to things, she was not still considered the best employee, and she quickly discovered she could not work somewhere or with someone who didn’t appreciate her ideas and creativity.
So, an important question to ask is, how did Wana Miri start Women On Topp?
In a world dominated by men, you sometimes wonder how a woman can assume a leadership position. This very reason is what makes Wana interested in career driven people. She sincerely thinks entrepreneurs are the most inspiring people on the planet. To that effect, she researched thoroughly through articles, blogs, news, and any other piece of information that she could lay her hands. What she discovered from this research was, it all centralized around men and for her to become exceptional, she had to focus her attention on women. And so, she started an online magazine that is dedicated to women and written by women. From the onset, she saw a significant growth potential and knew there were a lot of women who like her, needed this breakthrough. This was her ultimate goal!
Women On Topp
Today Wana Miri is the sole founder and CEO of the outstanding Women On Topp, a specialized online magazine dedicated to the ambitious woman. It is designed to inspire, encourage, and elevate women in their career, business, their lives, and beyond. This excellent company provides sources where business women can learn about business research, trends and whatever information they need to achieve a specific position in management or entrepreneurship.
Since launching Women On Topp (WOT), Miri has featured in workshops designed for people who want to generate revenue from their entrepreneurial efforts. Geared for the professional woman, the magazine provides content that can assist anyone seeking advice on how to push past the glass ceiling. She specializes in vital components like target marketing, social and network engagement, and branding.
Currently living and residing in London, UK, Wana says “I want to inspire, and I want to be inspired. Everyone who has a dream should follow it. That’s my biggest purpose.”
The life of Wana Miri teaches us to follow our dreams with conviction, no matter how great, and we will achieve them. Follow her on INSTAGRAM @WANAMIRI
![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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