Johanne Holman left the corporate life to launch her own business, wait, not just one but two! Her first goal is to a make her first million by 5th May 2019 (her birthday). And we are here to follow her journey!
It all started after a beautiful week away in Sunny Barbados, when Johanne Holman returned to work knowing that it was time, time for her to go alone, time to make ‘her’ a business. But on handing in her notice, her wonderful employer, not wanting her to leave, offered her the opportunity to withhold her salary, but on a four-day week, in order to give her some well-needed time with her family. To keep a long story short, Johanne, of course, accepted his offer, and continued to work for a further 9 months on this basis.
"If I’m honest with myself, had for many years dreamt to do, and so that was the day when I finally took control to change my life!"
Johanne Holman
It was when business needed to be changed, and her employer had to ask for the day he’d given her back, that she knew it was ‘now’, now was the time to make the change and to follow her heart and do what she actually wanted.
Johanne’s employer request was that final little nudge she needed, to make her take the action
"I’d really wanted to take for so many years, and for which I will now be forever thankful."
Johanne Holman
You are an entrepreneur of two soon-to-launch businesses, can you tell us what businesses you will launch?
Now this is a story I love to tell, as my business ‘Dumforter’ has been formed to bring a product that was invented through the innocent eyes of my Children to life. Nearly 9 years ago now my beautiful Son Harrison, questioned why his Sister Jessica, had to have that and that (a Dummy AND a Comforter), why couldn’t she just have one? So Harrison and I sat down, created a name, started the design process and the idea of ‘Dumforter’ was born. But, like so many good ideas, it sadly got placed on a shelf, until about 3 years ago, when I decided to pick it up once and for all, and make it my job to make it happen, and here we are just a week away now from launching the product at Kind und Jugend, one of the biggest International Tradeshows for Babies and Toddlers, I am literally so excited.
And my business ‘Inspiring Ladies’ has been created to inspire Ladies – Mums in particular, to create and live the life of their dreams. Having spent most of my Son’s 17 years and my Daughter’s 11 years at work, I dread do think how many precious moments I have potentially missed out on, and I’ve come to realise this year, that it actually doesn’t need to be that way. I’m making it my mission through my 7-steps to clarity coaching programme (where I have put my past 10 years of learning into 7 simple weeks of learning) in order to help Ladies realise their talent, create their vision and start to live a life they love, potentially the life of their dreams.
How can we follow your journey to launching the two businesses?
The best place to find me and follow me on my journey to launching these two business is on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/johanne_holman/ as it’s here I like to share my real stories, good and bad, on both me and my family, business and personal. I have always been a very open person, if somebody has something to ask, they can ask, and I’ll happily share my story. I truly believe that all that happens in our lives, happens for a reason, I believe that each challenge is an opportunity to get closer to our true potential and deliver our life purpose. I have actually written my first ever blog this week, which I have linked below. I’m not perfect, I’m real. Becoming a Business Owner twice over this year, is a dream come true to me, and one that could not have happened if I hadn’t taken that leap of faith to leave the Corporate World at the turn of the year.
Do you already have customers/clients? How did that go?
The principal answer to that question is I don’t. I know who they are and where to find them, but it’s just a few weeks too early to start reaching out. In fact, I have literally only just started sharing my story and highlighting that I have these businesses coming over the past few days, it’s such an exciting, yet nerve-racking time for me.
Finding Customers doesn’t scare me at all, I have spent my life (25+ years) in Sales and Marketing in the Hospitality Industry, finding and converting Clients, so this part is actually probably going to be one of the easiest parts of my business (naturally I have everything crossed whilst I’m typing this by the way! ).
I am not your typical sales person – never have been, never will be, my Customers will always be my friends, I’m not pushy, I’m just honest and I’m me, and fortunately, most people tend to buy into that. I managed to secure an appointment for Dumforter with the Lead Buyers of two separate major High Street Retailers, one of which I am actually meeting again next week, I didn’t have to push my way through the door, the doors very easily opened – How? Why? Sadly there was no rocket science involved, I genuinely believe it was my honest, gentle, creative nature, that helped make me stand out… I absolutely to do things differently, it’s important to be able to stand out!
You are building your own businesses, would you say that will free you from the 9-5 life? Would you say it will be much different than working in a corporate organisation?
I will absolutely be free from the 9-5, right at the very top of my vision board of all my big dreams and visions are my three core why’s in capital letters ‘FAMILY. FREEDOM. HAPPINESS’. I want to create a business for me, my family and all future employees that allows everyone to live these values. Corporate life can be so restrictive and damaging to people’s lives and well-being, that I wouldn’t want to be another employer that fits that mould. I love to be individual and creative, and I want my businesses to reflect that, so I will be doing everything I can to ensure my values are truly embedded deep into the core of the business for all to enjoy.
What are your goals currently? As in vision and mission?
My first goal is to a make my first million by 5th May 2019 (my birthday). Having led a very humble life, being raised by a very giving, hard-working, all-sacrificing single Mum, I want to be able to give back.
I want to be able to demonstrate to the world, that a small idea, can become a big dream, so anything and everything is worth following ‘say yes to everything, give it a shot, what have you got to lose?’.
I am also keen, through Dumforter, to volunteer with my two children, to help protect and raise awareness for each of the beautiful animals I have included in my first collection. The first collection is called ‘Dumforter in the wild’ so my first animals to support will be Pandas, Elephants, Giraffes, Tigers and Zebras… and I’ll probably, truth be known, be petrified of them all!
But what’s really important to me in all this, is to be able to demonstrate that with a clear vision, passion and a whole lot of determination, it actually doesn’t matter where you started, or what cards you’ve been dealt along the way, anything is possible! You can live a life you love!
We all have our good days and bad days. What is your typical bad day and typical good day look like? And how do you stay motivated all the time?
A bad day, is when I feel out of control. Integrity is a very important part of my being, to deliver what I say I’m going to deliver, and on-time, is paramount, but with working with different time zones and having the manufacturing operations of Dumforter in China, this really does prove to be a little challenging at times. My bad days, generally only happen, when I haven’t started them in the ‘good way’ that I generally like to do.
My good days are amazing, when I get my morning routine right. A good morning routine is so critical, and literally does set me up for the whole day. I like to get-up, do my work-out, write my gratitude journal, review the day’s business goals and objectives that I’d written the night before, shower, breakfast and then get started. If I get my morning routine right, the rest of the day just seems to flow, if I don’t … ‘grouchy’ comes to mind.
Tell us about your proudest achievement?
I have many moments of feeling proud, thanks to my dance school stage shows and exams throughout my early years, but I guess my proudest achievement to-date is winning Sales Newcomer of the Year Award when I was working in the Hospitality Industry, as I was up against hundreds of people, it was an industry-wide National Award, and so for me to have that moment on stage collecting the award, will stay with me for a very long time.
However, to make a success of Dumforter, and be inspiring ladies all over the world to follow their dreams, that will most definitely be my proudest achievement. Why? Because my beautiful Mum who has put so much of her life into the ensuring the success of her girls, my ‘making it’, will have made all her struggles worthwhile, so to make my Mum proud, will far exceed anything else I could ever possible have done or could do.
What have been some of your failures, and what have you learned from them?
If only my personal life was as simple as my work-life…
Unfortunately, most of my failures have primarily been in my personal life, somehow, I’ve always managed to get my work-life just right. I’ve unfortunately been married and divorced twice, which was always something I wasn’t proud of, but actually it’s probably the making of me. Being raised by a Single Mum, I always felt I needed a man, yet actually, what my Mum was here to teach me, I now believe, is that I actually didn’t. So having spent my entire life trying to please them, at the total detriment of my hearts desires, I now realise that actually, I was raised by my Mum to be a strong independent woman, and here she is, she’s just taken 46 years to arrive!
![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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