Staying the Course in 2015

Last week, I spent my days recovering from a stomach virus I caught during a business trip to Nashville. Over 200 employees from my company became ill while staying at a well-known hotel It caused  mild hysteria and panic for many, including myself. I was quarantined in my hotel room before making the trip back to New York City with an unsettled stomach. Needless to say, me, my stomach, and my spirits are back to normal!

The night of the Addictive State of Mind event

As I sit here at my desk, I cannot believe the end of January is approaching. We are almost a full month into 2015 already. So far, despite my illness, I'm satisfied with the way my days are unfolding. I've started to plan a MUSE event for March. Its kind of a big deal because my last event was in August in collaboration with ByKilian Luxury Perfume. I had a beautiful venue as my backdrop, the ByKilian Boutique in the Meat Packing District. The brand provided the perfume, support, and atmosphere; it was perfect. This time around, I will be creating and securing all that for myself. To elaborate a little, last year I hosted and organized the NYC boutique launch of By Kilian's, Addictive State of Mind fragrance collection. The night was FABULOUS and the turn out was nothing short of wonderful. I made a brief introduction of the collection, we sipped champagne, nibbled on light apps, listened to some music, and  absorbed the vibe as Bravo cameras filmed season 2 of their Blood, Sweat, and Heels reality show. Reflecting now, I had so much fun that night. I remember feeling more encouraged and optimistic than ever.

BRAVO cameras filming

Since then, I've initiated conversations and ideas with people who can take MUSE to another level. Back in October, I sat in a restaurant in Harlem with Len Burnett, COO at UPTOWN media and co founder of Uptown Magazine, to talk about our interests in luxury perfume and the industry as a whole. We brainstormed ideas of ways to collaborate. It was a great exchange and I left feeling supported as Len was someone who inspired me early on. I was thrilled. We had a follow-up conference call a few weeks after, and although I was still excited, I became overwhelmed at the potential of what we were planning to do. Doubt entered my mind. I wasn't sure if I was capable or ready to work with an established brand or person, after all, I was still trying to solidify MUSE. As life would have it, my full time career became very busy and I had to shift focus. I reached out to Len informing him I was busy with the my job and had to table our plans for right now. Although he understood and my explanation was partially true, I still felt I allowed fear and insecurity to get in the way (once again) and paralyze me from moving forward. I told myself I wasn't ready, start small, and trust timing. To this day, I'm not sure how to feel about that advice but I'm trusting it and staying the course.

Guests enjoying themselves

Despite not jumping into the arena full throttle, I'm still moving in the right direction and building confidence in myself and my brand. Thus far, I've inquired about a few spaces in Manhattan to host my next sensory experience. I'm working on a plan and putting some thought into what brand or retailer I would like to partner with.  I'm looking forward to bringing my vision of a boutique sensory experience to reality. Continue to read and watch my next event unfold.

Here are a few pictures from my first MUSE event.

Aaron and I with the ladies of Blood, Sweat, and Heels

 My girl Daisy of Blood, Sweat, and Heels