We recently connected with Christopher German and have shared our conversation below.

Christopher, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken began during one of the most uncertain chapters of my life.

Back in 2018, I lost my job as a Clinical Allergy Specialist. It was unexpected, humbling, and honestly, scary. I’d built my career on science, structure, and stability, and suddenly I was left wondering what came next. But in that empty space, a small idea resurfaced: What if I used this moment to do something for myself? Something I actually loved?

So I started mixing scents at home; Not for a business, not for anyone else, just for me.
It was therapeutic, creative, familiar, and practical. I originally formulated fragrances simply to save money on the ones I loved wearing.

But something shifted in 2020. Friends and family kept asking about the fragrances I was making. They wanted to buy and wear them. Eventually, several of them said the same thing, almost word for word:
“Chris, you need to turn this into something!”

That was the moment the real risk appeared: not in losing a job, but in deciding to bet on myself!

Starting Evodia Fragrances meant stepping completely outside my comfort zone. I invested everything I could into oils, supplies, bottles, labels, and equipment. I taught myself the parts of business nobody warns you about: branding, design, packaging, licensing, chemistry scaling, social media and the emotional vulnerability of putting a piece of yourself out into the world for people to judge.

But the risk paid off in ways I never imagined.

The “little side hobby” became a community, then a business, and finally a brand.
Evodia Fragrances is now a studio, a custom scent experience, a wholesale partner, a creative collaborator for sports teams and events, and a place where people come to build memories in a bottle. We’ve been featured on The Blox, in Marquis Who’s Who, and recognized through multiple Omaha Choice Awards. Guests are decorating their own fragrance bottles, creating wedding-day blends, gifting custom scents.

Looking back, losing my job wasn’t the failure I thought it was; it was the catalyst.

What felt like a risk, betting on myself, became the best decision I’ve ever made. It reconnected me to my creativity, rebuilt my confidence, and let me create something that helps people attach scent to moments that matter.

It turns out, sometimes the biggest risks reveal the truest version of who you’re meant to be.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Christopher German, and I’m the Owner, Founder, and Cosmetic Chemist behind Evodia Fragrances, a brand built around the idea that scent is one of the most powerful storytelling tools we have. My work combines emotion, memory, and science in a way that allows people to express themselves through fragrance.

My journey into the fragrance industry began unexpectedly. In 2018, I lost my job as an Account Manager, for an allergy company; where I was also formally a Clinical Allergy Specialist. This moment forced me to pause and ask what I truly wanted to do. With a background in science, including dual Master’s degrees in Forensic Science Biochemistry and Forensic Science Crime Scene Investigation, I’d always been fascinated by the way molecules behave, transform, and influence the human experience. So when I turned to fragrance blending as a creative outlet, it felt like coming home.

What started as mixing scents for myself, to save money and reconnect with a personal passion, quickly transformed into something more. By 2020, my friends and family insisted that what I was creating needed to become a business. Their encouragement is what lit the spark that became Evodia Fragrances.

Today, Evodia has grown from a kitchen-table hobby into a full-service fragrance studio and a custom scent bar.

What I Create & Offer

Evodia Fragrances specializes in handcrafted, small-batch, customized scent products and experiences, including:

Custom Fragrance Experiences – Create your own scent, design your bottle, and enjoy lifetime $25 refills.

Candle Wax Melts – Hand-poured, long-lasting, and uniquely scented.

Custom Air Fresheners – Including personalized photo designs for holidays, businesses, and events.

Roll-Ons & Fine Fragrance Bottles – Multiple sizes (10ml, 15ml, 30ml) for everyday or luxury use.

Licensing & Private Label Partnerships – Collaborations with athletes, teams, influencers, and brands.

Fundraising Programs – Helping organizations raise money through custom-scented merchandise.

Educational Workshops – Teaching middle and high school students the science, history, and psychology of scent.

Wedding & Event Scent Bars – Creating custom scents for groom & bridal parties, corporate retreats, or celebrations.

Every scent is personally formulated and hand-crafted by me.

The Problems I Help Solve

People often struggle to find a fragrance that truly reflects who they are, as well as a product that does not have a lot of additional chemicals. Many people also want to recapture a memory that a particular scent gave them. Corporate brands offer popular scents but they don’t offer personal meaning. Evodia does not use fragrance alcohol in any products and use high quality essential oils and Jojoba oil; which is an oil closely related to our natural skin oil. This helps the scent mix naturally with your body chemistry (pheromones), and creates a personalized euphoric scent – which won’t dry out your skin or cause allergies.

Evodia fills that gap by giving people:

Uniquely tailored fragrances that match their personality or story.

Scent experiences tied to weddings, anniversaries, milestones, or loved ones.

Custom gifts that feel deeply personal.

Creative fundraising solutions for teams and nonprofits.

Branding tools for businesses and athletes.

Science-backed education for youth and schools.

I solve the problem of “generic fragrance” by replacing it with personal, purposeful, memorable scent creation.

What Sets Me Apart

A few defining qualities make Evodia different:

1. Scientific Expertise + Artistic Craftsmanship

My background in forensic biochemistry and crime scene investigation gives me a rare, technical understanding of molecular structure, chemical behavior, and scent formulation, while my creative side shapes each fragrance around emotion, storytelling, and memory. With my experience as a Clinical Allergy Specialist, I have extensive background and knowledge in understanding how the body reacts to specific chemicals/allergens, and each product is tailored to be an all natural experience.

2. 100% Handcrafted, Small Batch Production

Every blend, candle wax melt, and air freshener is designed, produced, and quality-tested in-house. Nothing mass-produced. Nothing outsourced.

3. True Personalization

At Evodia, clients don’t just buy fragrance: they create it.
A scent becomes a memory, and the bottle becomes a keepsake.

4. Community Centered

My partnerships with sports teams, nonprofits, local schools, and community groups keep Evodia deeply rooted in Omaha and the surrounding region.

5. “Where Memories Make Scents”

Our philosophy is built on connecting scent to emotion, nostalgia, and storytelling. Everything comes back to memory.

What I’m Most Proud Of

I’m proud of the awards, recognition, and partnerships- but my deepest pride comes from the personal stories.

The newly engaged couple creating a wedding scent.
The customer blending a fragrance that reminds them of a loved one who passed.
The athlete bottling a scent for their fans.
The student discovering that chemistry can be creative, expressive, and fun.

Seeing people connect with scent in a meaningful way is the real reward.

What I Want Readers & Future Clients to Know

Evodia is authentic and deeply personal: every customer’s story matters here.

My scientific background ensures quality, safety, and precision in everything I create.

Custom doesn’t mean expensive: refills are always just $25.

Creativity thrives here: no idea is too wild or too sentimental.

This brand is built on community, inclusivity, and connection.

Evodia Fragrances is more than a business, it’s a place where science meets creativity, where memories are preserved through scent, and where people can create something uniquely their own.

If you’re looking for a fragrance that truly reflects you, your story, your moment, your memory, I’d be honored to help you create it.

Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?

Evodia Fragrances was built the way a lot of passion-driven businesses are built: slowly, intentionally, and entirely out of my own pocket. I didn’t start with investors, loans, grants, or a financial safety net. I started with determination, a strong work ethic, and the belief that if I wanted this dream badly enough, I had to be willing to invest in myself first.

When I began experimenting with scent blending in 2018, I didn’t see it as a business yet. It was a personal creative outlet during a difficult time after losing my job. I bought supplies in small increments; one bottle here, one fragrance oil there: using whatever I could spare from my personal budget. Nothing was wasted, and everything was purchased with intention.

By 2020, when friends and family encouraged me to turn my blends into a real business, I knew that if I wanted to bring Evodia to life, I would need to fund it myself. So I made a commitment: I would work full-time, and sometimes multiple jobs at once, to create the capital that Evodia needed.

There were many seasons where my life looked like this:

A full-time job during the day

A part-time job or acting work in the evenings

Fragrance blending, production, labeling, packaging, and customer orders late at night

Pop-ups, markets, and events on the weekends

Every paycheck, every overtime shift, every side job, every opportunity became a brick in the foundation of Evodia.

Instead of paying myself, I reinvested everything back into the business: equipment, bottles, labels, ingredients, packaging, tools, studio rent, and eventually, the custom fragrance bar. When I needed new materials or wanted to launch new products, I saved until I could pay for them in cash. Expansion happened only when it was financially responsible.

It took patience, sacrifice, and long nights of work but the reward is that Evodia has grown debt-free, authentic, and fully aligned with my vision.

Looking back, I’m proud that Evodia was built this way. It wasn’t luck, venture capital, or outside funding; it was grit, discipline, and passion. And because it was self-funded, every aspect of the brand feels personal. Every win feels earned. Every milestone is a reminder that starting small doesn’t limit you: it just teaches you how to build something with heart.

But the building did not happen alone. I have an amazing network of friends and family who have joined me on this journey. They have personally donated their time to help me at pop up events, large custom orders, or simply looking at the drawing board for the next idea we should implement. Without their hard work, ideas, and love, I would not be as far into the business as I am today. For them, I am forever grateful!

Evodia is a true labor of love, created one shift, one scent, and one investment at a time.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

At Evodia Fragrances, building loyalty isn’t just about repeat purchases: it’s about building a meaningful relationship with our customers, or as I call them, our Spritz Members. From the very beginning, I knew I wanted Evodia to feel personal, welcoming, and community-driven. So I created several systems that let customers stay connected, feel valued, and receive ongoing benefits long after their first purchase.

One of the biggest ways we foster loyalty is through our SPRITZ Rewards Program. Every customer earns Spritz points with every purchase, and those points can be redeemed for real savings; from free shipping to exclusive discounts to major rewards. It’s an easy, fun way for clients to feel appreciated every time they support the brand.

But loyalty goes far deeper than points. Spritz members also get something truly special:
insider access.
Our most loyal “Spritzers” receive early notifications about new scent launches, seasonal releases, workshops, events, limited-edition drops, and special promotions before the general public ever sees them. It makes them part of the Evodia inner circle, and that sense of belonging is incredibly important to me.

Another key pillar of our loyalty strategy is the offering that truly sets Evodia apart:

Every custom fragrance comes with $25 lifetime refills.

This is one of the most meaningful benefits we provide because it encourages customers to return again and again: not just for the savings, but because their signature scent becomes part of their lifestyle. Clients love knowing they can keep their custom blend forever, at a price that makes it accessible.

Beyond programs and perks, I maintain brand loyalty through consistent communication and genuine relationship-building:

Regular newsletters with behind-the-scenes updates, scent education, new products, and fun stories.

Social media engagement, featuring customers, events, and sneak peeks.

Personal thank-you messages, especially for custom blends or milestone orders.

Community involvement, partnering with local teams, events, nonprofits, and small businesses.

Educational workshops and in-studio experiences that turn customers into lifelong fragrance lovers.

Most importantly, I listen.
Customers tell me what scents remind them of what they’re celebrating, who they’re honoring, and what moments they want to preserve. Those conversations guide my products, my experiences, and the evolution of Evodia.

The heart of Evodia’s loyalty is simple:
I want every customer to feel seen, remembered, and appreciated.
When people walk through my doors, or shop online, they become part of our fragrance family. That connection, paired with the SPRITZ Program and lifetime refill promise, creates loyalty not through transactions, but through trust and shared memories.

That’s how I stay connected, and that’s how Evodia continues to grow: a memory at a time.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.evodiafragrances.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evodiafragrance
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/evodiafragrances/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-german-1228b8161
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@EvodiaFragrances/videos
• Other: Tik-Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@evodiafragrances
  Better Business Bureau: https://www.bbb.org/us/ne/omaha/profile/perfume/evodia-fragrances-0714-600001898