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In honor of Black Business Month, we’re so excited to announce our new mini advice column with Brianna Arps, the CEO and founder of award-winning fragrance brand MOODEAUX. Every Wednesday in August, Brianna will share her tips for building a business from the ground up.
Before launching MOODEAUX, Brianna spent 10+ years writing for major publications like Refinery29, ESSENCE, Us Weekly, INSIDER, and Elite Daily. After getting laid off in 2018, she became an “accidental entrepreneur,” and now she’s spilling her business secrets. 🤫
Next up: The time when I made a $15,000 mistake and almost quit my business—but didn’t.
I like to call myself an “accidental entrepreneur.” Truth is, I never-ever-EVER set out to build a fragrance company… But life had other plans.
After being laid off from my job as a beauty, fashion, and lifestyle editor, I put myself in the driver’s seat of my career, turning crisis into opportunity.
I’ve always loved perfume. But after years of dissecting brand stories, testing products, and watching the same stale campaigns cycle through again and again, I grew frustrated with the lack of inclusive, transparent, values-driven options in the space.
So, I rolled up my sleeves and got to work! I sketched out ideas, sourced materials, experimented with formulas, and poured every ounce of myself into what I thought would be the launch of my brand baby: ✨Moode Beauté. ✨
After about a year or so in stealth mode, everything was coming together beautifully—until it wasn’t. 🫠
Two weeks before I filed for a trademark, I found out someone else had already trademarked the name. Just like that, everything I’d worked on, invested in, and grown attached to felt like it was crumbling. I had already sunk thousands of dollars into a brand identity I could no longer use. I sulked and cried my little eyes out for a whole day.
And then, after 48 hours, I made myself a promise: If I was really about entrepreneurship, there was no way I could quit now.
Instead, I brainstormed my butt off and came up with something better: MOODEAUX. A made-up word merging “mood” with “eaux,” a wink to eau de parfum, created to reflect our vision of fragrances as a means to Flaunt How You Feel®. This time, I filed my trademark pronto! The rest, as they say, is history.
Looking back, that first major setback taught me three invaluable lessons:
- Failure isn’t final. That mistake cost me $15,000, but it also forced me to evolve from a creative with an idea into a businesswoman with a plan.
- Community matters. I learned quickly that I couldn’t do everything myself—I needed lawyers, mentors, and peers who had been where I was headed.
- Persistence pays off. Walking away would’ve been easier in theory, but choosing to keep going gave me a business and a purpose I’m proud of today.
I share all this because I know I’m not the only one who’s faced that “throw-in-the-towel” moment. If you’re in the thick of it right now, I hope this reminds you that a setback doesn’t have to be the end of your story. Sometimes, it’s just the plot twist that makes it 1000x better.
Also! I’d love to swap stories, or at the very least, remain a sounding board to help you navigate challenges. Let’s chat—hit me up on IG or LinkedIn.
xXBA
MORE ADVICE FROM BRIANNA
"How Can I Tell the Difference Between a Hustle, a Passion, and a Business?"
3 Hard Lessons I Learned in the First Year of Business
How to Start a Business (Without Breaking the Bank)
