Welcome to Fragrance Friday x Flashback Friday! As you likely saw on Instagram or in marketing emails, yesterday was National Fragrance Day. As I reflected on this occasion, it brought me back to a very pivotal moment in my former career, where fragrance, innovation, and sheer determination converged to shape my journey ahead. It all began with a scent – Flowerbomb by Viktor and Rolf to be exact. This fragrance, with its intoxicating blend of floral notes and sensuality, not only became my all-time personal favorite fragrance but also sparked a vision for something greater. Ok y’all, story time…

As many of you know, I was previously a professional event planner and designer for a decade before retiring to lean more fully into Shalyce Tyson Enterprises and to have more bandwidth as a mom of 4. I started my former business, Sensational Soirees in 2012. Almost 5 years in, despite my skills and visionary ideas, I found myself stuck on what I call the first floor and yearning for more ideal clients and the opportunity to showcase my talents more consistently. But I discovered, success isn't handed to you; you must seize it with unwavering resolve.

Enter Ajax, a new event venue in DC, offering a chance to win a free venue rental through a styled shoot concept contest in 2017. I felt like this was my moment, my opportunity to shine. With Flowerbomb as my muse, I crafted a styled shoot vision that encapsulated elegance, sophistication, and the essence of this iconic fragrance. And let me tell you, the concept was BOMB! Pun intended. Against all odds, like this being my first pitch and styled shoot proposal, my pitch resonated, and I emerged victorious. The win not only bolstered my confidence but also ignited a fire within me to bring this vision to life, no matter the challenges that lay ahead.

Now, planning a styled shoot is no small feat. It requires meticulous planning, coordination, and a significant financial investment. But I was undeterred. I believed in myself and knew that this idea had to come to life. I reached out to various vendors, from photographers to florists to makeup artists, and to my delight, almost everyone said yes. One of the most unexpected yeses came from the Viktor and Rolf team themselves. You see, I fell in love with the Flowerbomb gown and knew it needed to be a part of this shoot to bring it all together. Despite my status as a relatively small-time planner and my geographical distance from New York, I took a chance and reached out to them, and made sure I gave that email pitch my all. But I just knew they were going to tell me no. I was pleasantly surprised when I got an email to set up a call to discuss the shoot. I talked with a decision-maker and pitched my concept and my goals for the shoot. She loved it and agreed to ship the gown and veil to me. When the dress came, I cried. It was like I won right at that moment, even before the shoot. To this day, I will literally pitch anyone because of this yes.

Now, with more than 15 vendors on board, each contributing their expertise and passion, the styled shoot transformed into a collaborative masterpiece. Many vendors offered their services or rentals in-kind, for which I'm grateful. However, I still had a four-figure investment to make myself. I needed this investment to pay off, and I ensured that it would, not just for me but for everyone involved. And guess what? It did pay off! The shoot was amazing; it was published in print and online, the photos became marketing materials on my website, and it landed me so many clients. So, here's what I learned from this experience:

Lesson 1: Seize Your Destiny

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but no one will hand you success on a silver platter. I repeat, no one is coming to save you! Save yourself friends! You must be proactive, assertive, and willing to pursue your dreams with unwavering determination. When it’s meant to be, your helpers will be waiting and ready when you call like they were for me in this case.

Lesson 2: Give Your Best Effort

I poured my heart and soul into every aspect of the shoot, from thoughtfully developing an innovative concept to meticulously crafting emails, to executing a seamless planning process. Lesson learned: excellence is not optional; it's a prerequisite for success. I ensured that each pitch clearly showed ROI for each vendor, and I was thorough with all vision boards, details, day of agenda and more. I proved to myself that even though I may not have had the stacked client roster I wanted, I was more than capable of delivering when the floodgates opened.

Lesson 3: Find Inspiration Everywhere

Who would have thought that a simple fragrance could serve as the catalyst for one of my most ambitious endeavors? Inspiration knows no bounds y’all; it can be found in the most unexpected places. So instead of thinking Instagram has to be the end all be all for your inspiration, look around outside, go to a museum, think about your muses, and then I bet you will find a new wave of inspiration. My concept was unique and had never been done and it was so true to me. That’s how I knew this was something special. Let’s stop rushing the creative process (I’m guilty too) and give good ideas a chance to flourish.

Lesson 4: Bet on Yourself

Reaching out to the Viktor and Rolf team at that stage in my career was a leap of faith and a bold gamble. Despite my apprehensions, I crafted a compelling pitch, poured my heart into it, and took the chance. To my astonishment, they said yes! It was a surreal moment, a validation of my belief in myself and my ability to conceptualize something beyond that first floor I was on. As I said, to this day, I will pitch anyone because of this experience. It taught me to always believe in myself, and to not fear being told no.

Lesson 5: ALIGN WITH ALLIES

Collaborating with talented vendors who had great energy and a willingness to take a chance on my idea was instrumental in the success of the shoot. So lesson five is to align yourself with like-minded individuals who share your vision and values, and together, you can achieve greatness. Maybe this is an accountability partner or good friends or more, but having the right people around is a game changer.

Lesson 6: Expect Good Results

Setting ambitious goals and expecting positive outcomes was key to manifesting success. We have to envision success, prepare diligently, and trust that our hard work will pay off. Now while I had my moments of doubt, overall having an optimistic mindset was game changing from the start.

Lesson 7: Preparation is Key

A solid concept and meticulous planning were the cornerstones of our success on this project. Thorough preparation lays the foundation for excellence and ensures that your vision is brought to fruition. From mapping out every detail, to proofreading emails, to having a checklist, I couldn’t skip the preparation needed ahead of the shoot, which yielded the success of the shoot. Preparation included being thoughtful and strategic to incorporate all aspects of a wedding. We had everything from an invitation suite to a reception tablescape to a ceremony setup, and more. Again, by preparing I ensured we had a good return on the investment of our time, hard work and resources.

Lesson 8: Embrace Your Inner Winner

From winning an Instagram contest to orchestrating a dream collaboration, this experience reaffirmed my belief in my own capabilities. Never underestimate the power of self-belief and resilience; you are a winner, capable of achieving extraordinary feats.

As I reflect on the pivotal project in my former career, I am reminded of the profound impact that preparation, passion and perseverance can have on our lives. May this story serve as inspiration to all dreamers, creators, innovators, and trailblazers – seize your destiny, believe in yourself, and do great things!

Although I’m retired, definitely check out the amazing vendors who partnered with me on this:

Now of course I can’t end this post without encouraging you grab my favorite fragrance! Shop with my link below.

Shop flowerbomb fragrance

Share in the comments what you think about this styled shoot.

Keep glowing,

Shalyce