We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mason Hainey a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Mason, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

This all started with a curious itch — I never thought I would be a perfumer.

Years back, I found a book that changed my life – ” Essence and Alchemy” by Mandy Aftel. In this, a new world opened up to me… our sense of smell is something often overlooked, and I found myself so eager to explore. It’s much like visiting a foreign country – everything was a new and exciting.

When it came to starting a perfume brand, I already had some base knowledge around essential oils and fragrances from my past experiences, when I started a gel candle business as a 10 year old…. But would that translate to perfume? Surprisingly, no.

I like to approach new ideas with a sense of play – to get curious… to explore materials in a completely intuitive way — with no idea of right or wrong. Just to see if this was something I enjoyed.

And it was —I was infatuated, and I wanted to learn. So, I read as many books on perfume, aromatherapy, botanicals, and history of plants that I can get my hands on. I bought all the rare and expensive raw materials – just so I knew what they smelled like. I was so curious about this new world I’ve uncovered, and I wanted to learn as much as I could.

When it came to designing my first products – I was quick. The first perfume I ever made, Palo Santo, is still one of my best selling SKU’s.

I had a clear vision in mind – I wanted to capture the scent of the burning palo santo wood – and worked intuitively to create something that I was happy with.

Next ( and arguably most important for any e-commerce business ) , was to create beautiful photography of these perfumes, and write clear and evocative product copy. At this point I have already been running a e-commerce fashion brand for five years, so I knew how critical this was. Luckily, I also enjoy photography, so I was able to handle these things in-house — and still do, to this day.

After spending time on building out the product pages for the website, and taking product and lifestyle shots – I added my first perfume to the website, and it was an immediate success. It was something unique and interesting, and hit the market at the right time. It was a stroke of luck… and it propelled us forward on this incredible perfume journey.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi! My name is Mason Hainey, I am the founder and perfumer of M.Hainey ( formerly known as MIZU ) – an all natural perfumery based out of Rhode Island.

Since 2012, we have been creating all natural perfumes, candles and body care for mindful living. We are deeply inspired by the beauty of nature, and the moments of wonder we often overlook. Quality materials, ethical practices are core to our business – we believe great work starts with selecting the best quality materials, and responsible partnerships. We work directly farmers around the world to source sustainable grown and harvested botanicals in our work.

We remain one of the very few perfume brands that uses 100% Natural, plant-based ingredients. There is something intangible about botanical materials — they hold such a depth, a “soulful” quality that you cannot replicate in a synthetic alternative.

I never set out to become a Perfumer – in fact, I thought I was going to be a fashion designer for most of my life.

I went to art school, and eventually dropped out to pursue a career of selling bow-ties on the streets. Through many personal evolutions and chapters of life, I eventually found myself in the world of perfume. I fell in love with its ability to act as a unique form of self expression, and even more — for the impact it has on our mental / emotional states.

With everything I design – I have a feeling in mind – I want the wearer to feel calm, to feel confident to feel more themselves.

I have faced many mental health struggles in my life, and I have found that scent can be such an impactful way to ground ourselves in the present – to our remind us of the beauty of the world that is all around us – to help us slow down, and learn to enjoy the moments as they are happening.

At it’s core, M.Hainey is about mindfulness – to live a life that is connected to ourselves & the world around us… and my hope is that with my designs, I can help you feel and live your most authentic self.

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

We have had quite a few crazy stories over the years – the one that sticks out in my mind, is the time a large watch manufacturer reached out to us to handle their corporate gifting.

They first contacted me via a new chat feature Shopify had just launched ( circa 2019 ), and one that I honestly, did not know how to use.

Somehow I managed to see the notification, and responded within minutes. Which led to a sample purchase, and eventually opened up to a nearly $20,000 order.

The catch – she needed them in two weeks. 400 candles. Individually boxed and custom gift wrapped.

I had no vessels. I barely had any wax or fragrance ingredients.

I almost turned them down – there was no way I could do all that work in two weeks. Then I called my mom. Thankfully, she pushed me to do it – and with the help of my incredible parents who came over from 7 AM till 7 PM for a week – we got everything shipped early, much to the great satisfaction of our new client.

I find that my biggest orders I’ve gotten, and the best PR, have always been last minute requests, with seemingly impossible deadlines.

If there’s ever a situation where there’s comes up in your business – push yourself to do it. It opens doors.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Am I happy as business owner?

If you asked me this question five months ago – I would’ve told you absolutely not.

I have seen the highs of highs and the rock-bottom lows of entrepreneurship. It truly is a journey –

After coming out of COVID, I found myself in a deep depression, and was neglecting my own happiness. I was facing intense bouts of both physical and mental burnout – I was questioning everything. Could I be a business owner? Do I even want to do this?

It prompted a lot of self work – and after being in business 11 years, I was able to finally to step back and create balance in my life.

As entrepreneurs, it is also common for us to pour all of our self into our business – to live and breathe and sleep with 95% of your brain dedicated to our work.

But that mentality – it’s not sustainable, and it’s not healthy.

To enjoy life as a business owner — you have to make time for yourself, your friends, and your family. Schedule, if you must, but balance is key. And a good therapist also helps.

Contact Info:

• Website: mizubrand.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mizubrand/
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mizubrand

Image Credits
Photography: : Mason Hainey ( M.Hainey Studios : https://www.instagram.com/mhaineystudios ) Headshot: Monique Sourinho ( @bee.the.love ) https://www.instagram.com/bee.the.love/