We were lucky to catch up with Gatsby Yeh recently and have shared our conversation below.

Gatsby, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. The first dollar your business earns is always special and we’d love to hear how your brand made its first dollar of revenue.

My first customer came from the very first pop-up event at the farmers market. Right after I finished setting up my table in the park, I began greeting passersby. I welcomed my first customer to the table and started introducing them to my work.

The couple fell in love with AURA Eau de Parfum, one of the original five scents I launched with the brand. To my surprise, they ended up purchasing a full-size bottle.

I was pleasantly surprised by their response. Before launching the business and sharing my work with others, I had probably a million doubts about every detail from how the product photos looked to the spacing between each line.

But in that moment, when I saw their happy faces after testing the fragrance on their skin and deciding to make a purchase, I felt wonderful. AURA, shortly after I launched the business, went on to win The Best Woody Fragrance Award.

And the story goes on…

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.

My name is Gatsby Yeh. I am a self-taught perfumer with a background in fine art, graphic design, and illustration. I enjoy watching films in the cinema, listening to the sound of vinyl records, and, of course smelling people and flowers.

Before launching my own business, I worked a variety of jobs: concept artist in the entertainment industry, freelance illustrator, graphic designer, and, the longest of them all, retail business management.

I’ve always been fascinated by perfumery. I’ve been creating fragrances as a hobbyist for over 14 years. In my last job working for others, I (along with my team) consistently ranked as the top seller of fragrance in the company. I began to feel there was a message in that—something nudging me toward a different path.

I love fragrance. I love connecting with the nose behind a scent,* reading the inspiration behind each creation, and diving into reviews. Naturally, I collect perfumes. Over the course of 20 years, I’ve gathered a meaningful collection.

I have a deep love for niche and indie perfumery. These creators dare to be more experimental, more emotional—more human—than most mainstream designer fragrances. By 2015, I had grown bored of the commercial market and began dreaming of building my own brand. Still, it took me eight more years to finally step out.

At Nose of Gatsby, we believe our fragrance is soulful and not boring. We believe perfume is a wearable piece of art, an invisible garment. It can transport you to another place, lift your mood, remind you of someone you miss, or even bring you to tears or make you smile.

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* “Nose” is a term used in the fragrance world to refer to the perfumer who creates the fragrance formulation.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

When I started the business, I didn’t have any investors to support me. I began with a very small budget, basically just my savings. Thankfully, over the course of 14 years, I slowly accumulate many essiential equipments that I need to run the business.

My belief is not to waste money on anything unnecessary, things that only make the brand, packaging, or even the lab (or office) look fancy. I’ve always focused on purpose and meaning. I care more about the juice in the bottle than anything else, and I invest everything into it.

I went full-time with the business from the start, but that was a personal decision. I don’t recommend that approach to everyone. If you’re thinking of starting a business, I suggest beginning it as a side project. That way, you’ll have more resources for trial and error—and a Plan B to fall back on.

I ended up living very frugally during the first year and reinvested almost all of the profits back into the business. Over time, my business grew, and things became more manageable.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I can also share something quite the opposite. As soon as I made the decision to start my own business, I suddenly saw how all of my past experiences, both personal and professional—came together to serve me.

Things I had learned before suddenly made sense and became useful in ways I never expected. The moment I realized this, I felt incredibly happy and joyful. I started to see how all those hours I spent studying, practicing, and learning had come together as one.

The feeling was abstract and hard to describe, but it was a moment of feeling whole and complete.

At the same time, I’ve also had to unlearn things I picked up from previous jobs the parts that didn’t align with me, so I could shape my company the way I truly envisioned it.

One thing I realized and had to unlearn was my habit of self-doubting. We shouldn’t trap our own minds or stop believing in ourselves. If someone doesn’t appreciate you or recognize your value, the last person who should do that is you.