My early work experience
We are all told to pick a path in high school, one that is clear cut and pays the bills. I started off that way, wanting to follow the ‘normal’ 9-5 pm job in the telecommunications industry selling cell phones in a local shopping mall. It wasn’t a bad start looking back. I received invaluable experience in dealing with every personality under the sun. Whether you were rich, broke, happy, down in the dumps, had no job, or were the CEO of a big company, I knew in order to get a sale, I needed to be your best friend. I developed skills beginning at the age of sixteen for navigating through difficult situations.
”I was quick to shake off rejection and if someone treated me poorly (which happens in customer service industries across the board) I would use it as inner fuel to do that much better.”
I had amazing bosses and managers, but I also had horrible ones. The types who have that condescending undertone even when they say something positive about you, it still comes across as if they never want you to succeed. It is imperative you use this as fuel.
Don’t feel sparked up at work?
If you are currently in a situation at work where you don’t feel sparked up, I hope my story ignites you. Perhaps you work alongside a co-worker who is a terror (yes, I had my fair share of those). Perhaps your boss is an ego-maniac (I cringe, knowing all too well). My advice is – look past all of that and focus on your end goal. They don’t matter. And they definitely won’t matter later on when you are where you are meant to be. Think of the naysayers as a small blip in life, where you had to put in your time to soul search, build the proper skill sets, understand how companies work, how businesses are built, how employees interact. I realize I was like a little downloading machine of information during my past jobs because I knew I wouldn’t be there forever. I knew there was something bigger for me, I just didn’t know what it would be.
”Instead of wallowing in my mundane 9-5 pm job wasting precious time, I was a sponge and investigator of everyone I came in contact with.”
What makes them amazing at their job? What makes them terrible? Why is this customer treating me like garbage? Why is this lady waiting for hours just to speak to me and won’t let anyone else help her? If you want to be the best of the best, you must learn from the best or surround yourself with the best. And what happens if you don’t have those people in your life yet? BE A SPONGE. Because every human being on this planet has some good in them, find out where that is, why that is, and use it as fuel, my dear. And when you’ve soaked up enough of the good stuff, do not be afraid to fail. That will be the true death of your dreams if you step outside of your mundane job, try your passion or business, and then quit the minute it doesn’t work. Successful people don’t do that. They fail time and time again until it works. They learn, they research, they adjust, they prevail. Why do I know this? I am the definition of this.
Did I come from money?
I am a thirty-five-year-old entrepreneur and top real estate investor/advisor who owns over eight properties, three of which I bought before the age of thirty. I own and run a modular home company that is currently building a supercharged Air BnB recreational home for passive income. This model makes over $50,000 per year in passive income, which can help those in 9-5pm jobs get out FAST. Did I come from money? Not at all. Perhaps that is why I am borderline obsessed with creating passive income. I grew up in a low-income suburb and both my middle school and high school were just as much known for gangs and fights as they were for academics. I rented six different basement suites while working full time selling cell phones to put myself through University. It wasn’t easy. But when I saw a successful or wealthy person, it never made me feel inferior, it made me motivated. I just wanted to know how can I be like them? What makes them so special?
We’re now selling over $150,000,000
Last year, my business partner, Ally Ballam, and I made the TOP 100 real estate agents in Greater Vancouver out of over 13,000 agents and made the TOP 25 for Engel Volkers out of 8000 agents including Canada, US, and Mexico. This year, we are on pace to do the same, selling over $150,000,000 in real estate since January 2018. We are known as the ‘bossbabes’, and some joke that we are superhuman. I like to call us ‘energizer bunnies’.
What I have realized over the past ten years of growing from zero to the top 1% is why there is such a slim bunch of us at the top. The ‘rest’ let things consume them. The ‘rest’ don’t brush things off as quickly as they should. The ‘rest’ don’t wake up every day and ask “How do I make more, sell more, create more, be more”. It’s crucial to being a boss babe or boss man, I’ll tell you that much. If I let the people in my life who told me I couldn’t do something get to me, I wouldn’t be where I am now. And where is now, you ask?
I’m currently sitting at my marble oval table surrounded by candles in one of the wealthiest waterfront neighborhoods in Vancouver. I get to make my own hours, curate the best marketing and sales programs, teach and speak on real estate investing to lawyers, doctors, teachers, firefighters, police officers, and bankers. Ally and I are taking our two amazing team members to a luxury hotel and residences in Kauai in January for a goal planning and 2020 sales retreat. My mind is constantly firing on all cylinders, and for those who work alongside me, I am the queen of multi-tasking and micromanaging. My days are long, but I wouldn’t have it any other way because I’m doing what I absolutely love. Ally is an amazing business partner who has the same values and visions and that dire hunger to build something bigger than ourselves. Those visions include owning multiple properties in beautiful travel destinations, building a modular home empire, and teaching people to retire early or become financially free through creative real estate investing. I have a special someone in my life that doesn’t mind the long hours, or that I don’t cook or that I’m always on the go wheeling and dealing.
”I can’t stress enough how important it is to have people in your life that light you UP. Friendships, team members, life partners, it is possible to curate your life with the best of the best.”
As I sit here, my hope is that you trust yourself and your path. There is an inner boss babe inside of all of us. She might be buried right now, but if you search for her, spark her and let her out, there will be the best kind of passion, and the best kind of work-life waiting for you. I promise. Until then, may you sponge the most valuable knowledge from every co-worker, boss, business environment, meet up group, seminar, book, and more. Cheers to wealth building and being authentically you.
![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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