Vicky Farrow
There is a popular saying, “what a man can do, a woman can do better”. I’ve never believed this to be true as men always had the upper hand in this modern society and women were always considered the lesser and weaker beings. However, this young and exceptional lady has proved that indeed a woman can become successful in the midst of men. Though Vicky Farrow is a woman, she has directed a team who has uplifted Quintessence Yachts making them known globally for their wonderful boats. Her rise to power didn’t just happen out of the blue, but it was a gradual one which unfolds in the following paragraphs. Vicky Farrow remains an experienced Sales Director with over 15 years’ experience in the marine industry working with some of the best-known luxury motorboat brands. However, as a child growing up on the water, she was a fun but yet reserved person who had a strong desire for adventure. She also possessed some wonderful features that made her stand out amongst her peers.
Some Of The Features She Possessed To Highlight A Few Are:
- Liveliness
- An eagerness to learn
- Good judgment
- An adventure seeker, wanting the see the world.
- The ability, knowledge and qualifications required to drive a boat
- Eloquence
- Great initiative
Vicky, being the exceptional lady she is started her career in a wonderful way. She was able to secure her first sales a job for Windy Boats at Berthon where she originally began working as a Dockmaster. There, thanks to the superb mentoring by Sue Grant at Berthon, it was clear to see her unmatchable sales skills, coupled with her competent skippering and boating experience so it didn’t take long before she was moved to work with another luxury motorboat company, Princess. Still exceeding expectations, she moved to work for Sunseeker and then onto Fairline.
Quintessence Yachts
Vicky’s passion for sales coupled with her love of boats made her succeed beyond great boundaries, making her limitless. She climbed higher and higher, working for different companies in countries like Dubai, Qatar, Montenegro, South of France, Spain, and the Seychelles to name but a few, where her luxury motorboat experience was further strengthened by selling Atlantis, Azimut, Benetti and Ferretti Yachts. She finally got employed by Quintessence Yachts who manufacture boats for one of the best known British brands, Aston Martin. Here things were more challenging as this company had great people working for them and Vicky knew she would have to buckle up if she wanted to succeed and achieve her dreams of utilizing her expertise to drive the business forward globally.
Her skills and expertise were constantly tested once she started to work at Quintessence Yachts. Vicky always wanted to be the best she could be where ever she was employed and as such, she faced her greatest test. She had to prove herself by sealing a sales deal that her company has always wanted with one of the top companies that were in the market to buy luxury motorboats. This was not an easy task, because of the male-dominated marine industry.
Sales Director at Aston Martin
Vicky is exceptional. She knew most of these companies believed more in what they see and not what they heard. To that effect, she made a practical demonstration of how profitable it would be if they purchased their boats instead of doing a theoretical one. She gave them a first-hand opportunity to see the wonders of the boats in stock at Quintessence Yachts. Using her practical knowledge and expertise as a master skipper, she awed them with her presentation and they were compelled to buy what
Quintessence Yachts offered. That marked the beginning of her new position in the company as the new Sales Director at Aston Martin. Quintessence Yachts prospered like never before, spreading its reach across the globe and to think this was only possible because of the efforts and leadership skills their now Managing Director, Vicky Farrow, possessed. With this, it is evident that there is a better chance of gender equality as Vicky Farrow has shown us that with diligence and commitment, anything is achievable no matter your gender.
Vicky Farrow Succeeded because:
- She played by the rules
- She is generous and kind
- She showed expertise, tenacity, and commitment to achieve her goals
- She’s willing to go the extra mile
- She didn’t ever allow mediocrity to limit her
With this, I hope this article, the inspirational story of Vicky Farrow, will not just serve as a story but as a motivation to women out there, who are bound by the chains of an inferiority complex, that there is light at the end of the tunnel and that with hard work you can succeed no matter what gender you are.
![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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