Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Desiree Rivers. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Desiree, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

The desire to provide women with a space to escape their daily stressors, spend time with family and friends, and create memories while sharing in a hands-on experience. A few years ago, my family and I visited a place where you could create your own scent for a variety of home & body products. We had such a great time that we returned on a number of occasions, but the location was far and there was something missing. So we decided to bring that experience with a little twist to our city. We wanted to not only enhance women’s social health (experiences and creating memories) but also their physical health (hand crafted products with only natural ingredients) as well. We were inspired to give women in the city of Philadelphia a space to feel welcomed, comfortable, to be in the moment as their most authentic selves.

I knew that this was worthwhile because there was nothing else like this in the city at the time and I knew that other people would enjoy the experience, just as we had. There seemed to had been a major shift in women indulging in self-care activities and I believed that Sistah Scents offered a unique experience where they could create their own self-care products while tapping into their creativity, which in itself is self-care.

What excited me most was the idea of the women having an opportunity to indulge in the scented experience. The every day hustle and bustle of balancing work, family, health (mental and physical) can be very stressful. When people are creating, they are in the moment, they aren’t thinking about any stressors. I beliee everyone deserves an opportunity to fill their lives with pockets of joy and Sistah Scents was created to provide pockets of joy for any and everyone.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I was born and raised in Philadelphia, I am the mother of a young, successful entrepreneur who was the inspiration behind starting my own business. I have always enjoyed group outings and activities with friends and family members, which was the main reason that I started Sistah Scents. A group of family and friends had visited a place that allowed us to create our own scent for a variety of home & body products. We had such a great time that I went back multiple times, but the location was about an hour away and I had recently transitioned to using all natural products, which they did not offer. So I decided to bring that experience, with a twist to our city. I wanted to not only enhance women’s social health (experiences and creating memories) but also their physical health (hand crafted products with only natural ingredients) as well. I was inspired to provide women in the city of Philadelphia with a safe space to leave all of heir cares behind and to be in the moment as their most authentic selves.

Customization, collaboration & community is what sets Sistah Scents Fragrance Bar apart from the others. We provide a hands-on custom scenting experience for guests to created name their own scents for our all-natural soy wax candles, body butters, exfoliants and hand sanitizers. I use all natural, high quality ingredients which has becomes increasingly significant as more people are becoming more and more intentional about the products that they put in and on their bodies.

I am most proud of the reputation that Sistah Scents has garnered over the years. Guests who have visited our fragrance bar and customers who have stopped by our vending table compliment our products as well as a welcoming feeling that they get in our spaces. Sistah Scents believes in making connections and helping people to find moments of joy.

Sistah Scents actively participates in a variety of community events. I have visited various schools as well as non-profit organizations to speak with students/youth about entrepreneurship/product development and self-care. I have also participated in community events where I was able to offer self-care tips and allowed guests to scent their own products. Sistah Scents has also donated funds to theUNCF, local college scholarships and charity organizations.

Sistah Scents is intentional about fostering a completely welcoming and inviting space for everyone. As a black woman, I know what it feels like to be treated as an “other” and I never want anyone, customer or otherwise to feel uncomfortable, unwelcome or unloved in any space that I am in or a part of. I have family and friends from all walks of life, so inclusivity is a part of my character.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

The whole brick & mortar came as the result of a pivot. When Sistah Scents first started, it was a mobile candle-making business. We would travel to peoples homes or events with all of the supplies and then have to drag everything back home after the event. Well in 2020 when Covid hit, I left my job and at the time, my daughter happened to be moving into a larger studio. She had suggested that I move into the studio and that was how the Sistah Scents Fragrance Bar came about. So when you talk about pivoting, we definitely had to pivot in order to remain in business and that pivot also provided us an opportunity to grow and make connections that we otherwise probably would not have been able to make had we not had that studio space.

Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?

Sistah Scents sells via our website, through Wix. A major pro for choosing to conduct business via a website was because it supported the various options that we offer. Having a website allows visitors to make purchases where they still have the option to create their own custom fragrance for their products. Having a website also allows visitors to book private candle making parties, leave reviews, promote workshops and even sell tickets. I don’t think w would have gotten this far without having the website.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sistahscents.com
• Instagram: Sistah Scents, LLC
• Facebook: Sistah Scents Fragrance Bar
• Youtube: Sistah Scents
• Yelp: Sistah Scents