We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Carolyn Dunne Repp. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Carolyn Dunne below.

Carolyn Dunne, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

My clients come to me with a variety of reasons  for wanting a custom signature fragrance, each with special meaning. I was particularly honored by a woman who wanted to make the perfume her to-be-born grandson would remember her by. But the project that resonates the most with me was designing a custom scent with a woman who was going through a divorce from the person who had always chosen her perfume for her. She was entering a new, unexpected, somewhat scary phase in her life and figuring out who she was and what made her happy.

Having built my identity in early years around who I was in relationship, and then finding myself on my own, I understand the realization of losing oneself along the way and what a tremendous act of self-love it is to declare to the world who  you are and celebrate that daily—even with each spritz of perfume.

The joy I felt at the end of our appointment when she exclaimed, “It’s just—ME!” was almost as great as hers.

Carolyn Dunne, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Absolutely! I’m the founder of and Scent Artist for Escentuelle, based in Annapolis, MD.

I offer one-to-one custom perfume creation experiences in-person and remotely (with curated ingredient testers sent via mail and the evaluation/composition experience via Zoom); small celebrations for friends, coworkers, and families; and larger events for businesses, social organizations, and nonprofit fundraising.

Using safety-tested, top-quality essences from the oldest perfumery in France, I’ve been guiding my clients since 2015 in selecting and combining ingredients that express who they are, what they love, and what they aspire to in their lives.

My professional background was in scholarly publishing, but my heart was always in creative arts. I taught myself as much as I could about aromatherapy and natural perfumery in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and expanded my knowledge in later years in Grasse, France (the world capital of perfume) working with  master perfumers (“noses”). I’m a graduate of and mentor for the Natural Perfume Academy.

Creating fully customized, beautiful scents that perfectly express each of my unique clients, help them step forward in confidence, and make an unforgettable impression on everyone they meet is my passion.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

We spend so much of our lives—especially as women—putting others first and doing what’s expected of us: by our parents, by society, and then (internalized from others’ messages) by ourselves. Many of us come to the realization, usually in the second half of life, that not only do we not really know who we are beyond those expectations, we often can’t even answer the question, “What do I want?”

There are a few different journeys we can take to “find ourselves” and figure out what we want. I happen to believe creative expression is the fastest route to our true selves, specifically engaging all of our senses in artistic activity without judgment of the outcome.

Getting out of our heads and creating through our senses is a fast track to hearing that quiet inner voice that’s been shouted over by our intellect for too many years. It’s also an incredible way to amplify the intentions we set for an authentic, heart-centered path forward.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Being a part of two programs has had the most profound effect on my entrepreneurial life: The Unstoppable Woman mastermind by Amira Alvarez and Flourish & Thrive Academy by Tracy Matthews.

As for books, these have been invaluable to me:
The Desired Brand Effect by Tracy Matthews
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra
Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller
Built Through Courage by Dave Hollis
Working with the Law by Raymond Holliwell
The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.escentuelle.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/escentuellebycarolyndunne
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/escentuellebycarolyndunne