Alexa Carrington’s dream has always been to be her own boss. Owning her own bar one day was a goal of hers but that costs a lot of money. Carrington’s husband, Rob asked her one day if she ever heard of these “mobile bars” which she had. That was the turning point and she knew she had to start this, two years later, here they are with a thriving business and they’re already expanding with more trailers.
Parked Prosecco is a vintage mobile wine bar, with a picture-perfect design and food truck-esque movability, it’s also a dream for local parties, weddings, and festivals. Because who doesn’t want a glass of prosecco from what just may be the most photogenic trailer we’ve ever seen?
Who or what got you into bartending when you were younger? What is your favorite part about your job?
I moved back to NY at 19 -there was a popular bar/restaurant my aunt worked at and they needed an extra bartender so I kinda got thrown into it. I have SO many favorite parts about this job!! From seeing clients face light up when we pull up with Tilly, (the name of the trailer), showing people our before and after pictures, but mostly how we made their wedding day extra special.
In your own words, what do you do?
Parked Prosecco is a mobile wine bar, we cater to Weddings, Bridal Showers and Private events! What do I not do?! I’m a first-time mom to a 5-month-old so I’m trying to learn work & life balance. Haha, but owning your own business is awesome but that means you are solely responsible for everything and everything falls back on you! Checking emails, Responding to inquiries, making contracts is just half of it. Our entire garage is where we keep all of our inventory. Events take weeks to prepare for!
Since launches, what has worked to attract new customers?
For anyone starting out, keep up with your social media platforms. Clients notice this. Social media is a job in itself, Instagram is a great tool to attract new customers and it’s free! I love that there is an ask questions option in the Instagram stories and I use that often to learn what everyone wants to see more content of.
What do you advise people who are looking for someone to help them start a business?
Do it. Yes, it’s scary and you’re going to hear so many opinions to NOT do it. You have to surround yourself with people who are going to support you and uplift you. Don’t surround yourself with negativity.
At what point did you know you it was the right time to work for yourself?
I was working in Luxury retail for about 6 years and while the money was there, I wasn’t happy. I tried going to school for Dental Hygiene and soon realized that was not for me… Bartending was always a side job, I knew I was good at it and talking to people is a great skill I have. A friend of mine told me I needed to pursue bartending as a career but somehow make it my own. 3 years and a whole lot of knowledge later my dream bar is complete. During this time, I met my now-husband Rob and we welcomed our baby girl Meadow, last August. Everything happened at the right time.
What is a skill you think all women should learn and why?
Basic carpentry is a must! I learned SO much from my stepfather and husband that now I can take these skills with me forever. I wanted to be apart of the build as much as I could, from the beginning I learned that patience is everything and great things don’t happen overnight. Our trailer took a year to build, during that time I learned how to install a subway tile backsplash, how to paint (the proper way, you can’t paint in winter is what I know now haha) Getting down and dirty (literally) replacing the floors & sanding the entire trailer.
Where do you get your inspiration from daily?
Pinterest for the win!! I love decorating so I’m constantly saving new ideas. Most mobile bars have the same concept but put their own spin on it and I love seeing how creative fellow bar owners are. Coming up with the design for Tilly was SO hard. In the mobile bar world, there are so many different kinds of trailers used..When Rob and I decided to make it with a camper the rest of the design came pretty easy us.
What sacrifices have you had to make during life?
Giving up our weekends/vacations/family time to pursue this career is definitely number one. My husband has a full-time job in construction that he commutes to NYC every day and then comes home to help me with whatever it is we need to get done for our next event. Rob is my number 1 supporter and I wouldn’t have this business if I didn’t feel like we were a team.
Tell us about your proudest achievement?
Finishing the trailer, honestly. I cried the day we finished it! We had Tilly’s debut for my baby shower so that could have been the hormones, who knows?!?! Also, two brides booked me pretty much the day I announced the start of this journey back in 2018 – That was pretty cool and I really felt like this is exactly where I need to be.
![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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