Welcome back to the Toxin Free-ish podcast. As always, I'm your host, Wendy, a former environmental toxins attorney turned clean living coach. And this is where toxin free living meets real life. And today's episode is such a special one for me. I've literally been counting down the days to finally share, and actually months, I've been counting down the months to finally share this conversation with you.

I have had the incredible opportunity to help shape something truly groundbreaking in the clean fragrance industry. And that is a brand new 100 percent botanical fragrance brand called wild notes. And today I have the beautiful and talented Gaia with me, who is not only a friend and a fellow entrepreneur, but she is the brilliance and the passion and the CEO of wild notes.

And when Gaia first shared her vision with me, which was a zero 100 percent botanical fine fragrance line that didn't just smell like you were wearing essential oils, but a fragrance that truly smelled like a fine fragrance. I was beyond excited, but I also had [00:01:00] zero clue, no idea just how challenging that journey would be.

And in this episode, Gaia held nothing back.

She is sharing how she navigated countless hurdles in everything from finding a fragrance house who was more than just willing but really excited to create blends with 100 percent botanicals, to holding the highest standards of sourcing ingredients from regenerative organic farms, and even the near impossible task of finding a manufacturer willing to use pure, non denatured organic alcohol.

And I can't wait for you to hear about this journey because it Honestly, it's not just about the fragrance itself. It's about shifting an entire industry towards greater transparency and cleaner choices. And you know, I am all about that here. Plus, you're going to love hearing about the unique scents that completely changed my mind about what botanical fragrances can smell like.

These fragrances don't just smell like essential oils. I'm telling you, they are complex and they are beautiful and they truly smell like a high end [00:02:00] perfume and I am obsessed. So let's dive in and explore how Wild Notes is setting the new standard for clean fragrance and why I am so honored to have been a part of this exciting project.

Wild

wendy: Gaia, welcome to the Talks and Freesh podcast. I'm so excited you're here. I have been waiting. What is it? Six, six months now we've been talking about this. Yeah, I think it's been six months. You are coming out, well, you're the woman, you're the brains, and you're the beauty, which is what I say, behind the new brand, Wild Notes.

Thank you so much for being here. I would love for my audience to kind of know, how did this all get started?

gaya: Well, I feel like even though it's only six months It's just been a lifetime. That's how I feel. But I mean, you know, I've been in the Health or wellness beauty space for about 15 years now I've built my whole career in that space created my own brand about seven years ago in It was such an impromptu, [00:03:00] unexpected conversation with someone that has also been in the health wellness space, but a lot longer than I have, and it created an amazing global brand and a woman that I, I whole, dear to my heart and respect so much in our space, reach out and just said, Hey, I have this idea of creating something innovative and different in the, fragrance world, fine fragrance world.

We both realize how Bad when it comes to ingredients how bad the fine fragrance world is and she said I want to bring something new innovative clean and safe for people in I was asked if I want to come and partner with her to create something new It was hard to pass up an opportunity like that in more than anything else to work with someone that I I [00:04:00] Respect so much.

And I have known for over a decade. So I jumped at it. I just said, okay, let's just figure it out. So that's kind of where it started. And that was, six months ago.

wendy: I love it. And you had no idea what you were getting yourself into, did you? Yeah.

gaya: so because I didn't even take time to think through and process it because we just sat down and we were just talking. It's been a while since we've seen each other in two hours into the conversation, she goes. So Gaia, do you want to come and do this with me? And I looked at it. I was like you asking me to answer that question right now on this one But you know, that's how the best things in our life always happens, right it's unexpected But i'm always up for a challenge.

That's just my personality and , You just jump in headfirst and ask questions later type of person. So I said yes

wendy: And I love it. I love that you said yes, and we're friends and working with you has been so phenomenal and I am really excited to [00:05:00] tell this story because you have done a phenomenal job. And it's really opened up the conversation more, you know, to people who, there's so many women out there who haven't worn perfume in a decade because, you know, there's a lot of reasons and we're going to get into them.

But. Even just hearing people or getting messages on the internet of women saying like I miss perfume like women I think just innately we love smelling beautiful. We love smelling good We love other people noticing that we smell good. I think it's just something that we really enjoy and For women who you know can't use synthetic perfumes because they have reactions skin reactions migraines I can't cannot go near synthetic fragrance.

My daughter breaks out an eczema. I get migraines. And I think a lot of people have had those experiences. And so when you told me you were doing this, I was like, Oh my God, I'm so excited. Um, but really the biggest reason is women's [00:06:00] health. Right, like you said at the very beginning, there are a lot of bad things in fragrance.

So bear with me. I just want to like list them out really fast. And for my community that's listening and for anybody new to the podcast, I have individual podcasts touching on each one of these ingredients that you can go down in the show notes and listen to. But. A lot of this undisclosed synthetic fragrance perfumes that are out there, they have things like phthalates in them, which are endocrine disruptors that can lead to infertility.

They can lead to birth defect issues as well as an increased risk of breast cancer. They have lileal in them, which is a fragrance ingredient that has been banned in the European Union since last March, but they gave brands five years notice. And they said, Hey, this is a reproductive toxin. You need to get it out of your perfume, but it's still widely used in the United States.

And musk ambra is another one that's widely used that we now know is linked to early puberty in girls, which causes major issues later in life. And so it's not [00:07:00] just about getting migraines or, you know, having a skin reaction, like perfumes have really toxic ingredients in them. So tell everyone why Wild Notes is going to be different.

gaya: Yeah. I mean, a hundred percent. I, I, I remember really taking notice in some of the ingredients in personal care, skincare, about 10, 11 years ago, especially after I had my daughter in really looking at ingredients and saying, like, if it has fragrance in them. I have. slowly taken them out of my products that I use.

And that makes you also very sensitive to fragrances, right? Like I remember I used to be that girl who wears perfume and I had my favorites and I kind of missed them, but at the same time now, not wearing them for so long. I'm more sensitive to anything that smells [00:08:00] synthetics that smell strong So that's where I mean to your point It's just fragrance is one of those categories.

I think in the beauty space that hasn't evolved when it comes to clean I feel like when you look at skin care, hair care, body care, there are a lot of cleaner products and brands out there. At least a lot of brands are attempting to keep it clean and making improvements. And there's, I think, more regulations around them as well as an industry.

But. Perfume has been always one of those that because it's proprietary, right, they get to not disclose the ingredients and it's kind of acceptable to not disclose the ingredients and, , and And add anything, any synthetics, any other chemicals in them, and people are still okay with it. I mean, it's such, it's a multi billion dollar industry and [00:09:00] still growing, , compared to last, last year, it's grown 12%, I think, like double digit growth.

Like, it's crazy to think that we've had, we, it's a growing industry, but we haven't really evolved from a clean industry. Ingredients standpoint, and that's where we wanted to make a difference. We wanted to go back to the roots of what fragrance really were thousands of years ago. They were pure essential oils and, these natural ingredients people combined together to create these beautiful scents.

So that's what we are going back to. And now having all the research, all the technology to combine those ingredients much better than It used to be hundreds of years ago. We have been able to come up with some amazing, beautiful fragrances that can compete with these. 400, 500 perfumes that's out there that are synthetics, but from a performance standpoint, how long it lasts and it [00:10:00] smells, we've been able to, compete in that same space as a fine fragrance, but have it all be a hundred percent natural.

So I think that's just, we are redefining the fragrance space and that's where I am so excited about it because it's innovative. It's different.

wendy: it is. So to your point, there are so many clean skincare companies out there right now. And I know cause I've reviewed them all and there's a lot, there's a lot out there and there are some fragrance companies that, you know, really sell themselves as clean. They market themselves as clean and there's this new movement that I call the safe synthetic movement where companies are making, perfumes and they're using these quote unquote safe synthetic molecules, which basically just means they're synthetic molecules that the company has decided for themselves that they're safe, right?

There's no like regulatory body out there saying like, yes, these are safe and these are not. Why didn't you do that? Why did you take a look [00:11:00] at using synthetics or all, or from the very beginning, that was an absolute no, you knew wild notes was going to be a botanical only fragrance.

gaya: From day one, we knew we're not going to use any synthetics. But to your point, though, when I, , interviewed different fragrance houses, I spoke with seven fragrance houses and these are all Top 10 in the world, right? So these are not little mom and pop shops. These are top 10 in the world with decades of experience in, in worldwide global presence and the full belief for every top brand that you can just name it out there.

Pretty much every single one of them pushed me saying, yes, we can use some naturals, but if you want the same performance that I'm expecting with a really top grade fine fragrance, I have to use synthetics and many of them said the same thing. [00:12:00] Oh, there are clean synthetics that you can use and they're safe, they're clean.

But, but we knew we didn't want to do the same old. We wanted to push the boundaries and do something different. So I kept going. I kept interviewing different fragrance houses until I found one who was actually excited about the new challenge. I mean, they said on our first conversation, they said, we've never done this before.

I'm going to be honest with you. We've never done this before, but It's exciting. Instead of doing the same old, same old again and again, we're excited to innovate. We're excited to create something new and different in the space, in, We're willing to work with you in, they happen to be 150 year old fragrance house that was started in France in have a global presence.

So they were the ideal partner for us, but it took a while to find [00:13:00] the right partner that caught on to our vision and was not afraid by the challenge of doing something new, because. When I talked to them, I also said, there are some clean fragrances out there that are natural, but the challenge with them is they don't last long.

They don't have that sophistication that you get from a, from a, from a True fine fragrance and but we want it all right. I went to them. I want it all I wasn't willing to compromise on the performance or the ingredients and the challenge was can you combine the two? And they did so It's always out there.

I think we can always push boundaries, but We have to find the right partner to do it. Right people who see the vision.

wendy: Speaking of diligence and not giving up, can we talk about the alcohol? We need to talk. We need to talk about the alcohol. And I'm going to, I'm going to be the first one to admit, and [00:14:00] over the last year now I'm, I'm consulting with a lot of companies, so I've learned a lot about the manufacturing space in a lot of different ways.

I actually, you know, looking back at some of the reviews that I've done, I do think that it's easy to be hard on brands and say things like, oh, this isn't clean, this isn't clean, this ingredient isn't clean. But when you start to get to know the brands, you find out one of their hurdles is getting a manufacturer who's willing to actually make a formula with what they're asking for.

And, you know, that is something that would have never crossed my mind before, but now I am. Intimately familiar with, with that struggle. So one of the very first things that you started sending me alcohol, you know, I'd get these text messages from you. Like, what about this one? What about this one? What about this one?

And they just kept coming. Right. And it's so interesting to me to hear in the United States. And I think most people don't realize this. Is that in order to sell a perfume that where it's approved through the alcohol and [00:15:00] tobacco agencies, right? Like there are like very formal regulations on this that you have to denature it, which basically just means you're putting some kind of chemical in it that makes it I'm just going to use the words, poisonous to drink, right, undrinkable, so that the government knows you're not like selling rum in a perfume bottle, right?

That's pretty, I mean, in a nutshell, that's the whole thing. And so if you want to make a perfume and sell it without these extra chemicals in the alcohol, which you were very clear from the beginning, this is a non negotiable. We are not denaturing. are alcohol. And also just as you know, for education purposes, if the words alcohol do not are on an ingredient list, that is a denatured alcohol.

And the most popular one out there is tert butyl alcohol. That is what most companies are denaturing their alcohol with. It's a petroleum derived ingredient. There's a [00:16:00] few other ones. But this was a sticking point for manufacturers. I mean, how many did you call? I mean for months, I mean months and months, and I actually started to sweat about it.

I actually started, it was keeping me up at night. How, like, how many do you think you called?

gaya: I probably call between me and, My team, we probably call about 70. Or so around the world around the country, but I want to go back to talking about denatured alcohol a little bit. There are two ways of denaturing alcohol to, one is actually using essential oils so you could use. a very strong oil like peppermint or bergamot to denature the alcohol.

And that's obviously then it could be 100 percent natural option. But in, when you're making a fine fragrance, that's not an option. because it has a very overpowering smell of [00:17:00] whatever the essential oil that they use. So for something like a hand sanitizer, that could work, but for fine fragrance, we've even tried, we've gotten samples of some of these, denatured, alcohol.

That that are denatured with essential oils, but they were just they was very strong and you will get a bergamot Fragrance if you use that so we couldn't use that. So in when you use the do when you formulate fragrances fine fragrances You have to use the denatured alcohol. That's denatured with something like tba a chemical That that's obviously uh a

wendy: a scent to it. It's

gaya: Yeah, it doesn't have a,

wendy: to

gaya: yep, but you can drink it because it makes it poisonous or it's undrinkable, but it doesn't interfere with the fragrance oil blend.

So, so that's kind of where the two, I mean, I learned a lot about alcohol during this process, but, but that, that's kind of, those are two, two [00:18:00] different, ways of denaturing. So given that we only could use an alcohol that doesn't have a strong smell. Our options were either using the TBA version or using 100 percent food grade, non denatured alcohol.

But the problem with that was all the manufacturers needed a very special permit to be able to use it, use that or bring it even to their facility. They have to have an alcohol beverage license.

wendy: Yeah, it's

gaya: But, but,

wendy: Like a bar.

gaya: yeah, like a bar or a distillery, or a winery, they are the ones that who has it.

But the problem is those manufacturers do not manufacture cosmetics. Or perfumes because usually it's a food grade manufacturing process and they don't want to mix in a cosmetic product in their production line , usually they're very separated, [00:19:00] right? So it's very rare to find I mean I was blown away by this, but it's very rare to find a manufacturer who has the Alcohol beverage license, but they also have the capabilities to blend and fill alcohol Cosmetics and that's a rare combo because you're not in both usually and it's not just a company having it That specific manufacturing plant has to be certified too.

So I have found some big companies They have license but They don't their specific plant only does one or the other so So it was just really really hard in um Honestly, after calling about 70 or so manufacturers around the country, we have found two that, that actually had the

wendy: Total.

gaya: Yeah, that's it.

And one was not a great partner. I mean, we started conversations with him and we could tell like he was a [00:20:00] little shady, so we didn't go with him. And I mean, it was literally kept me. Awake at night, most days. And I, there was a time that I went back and I said, I don't know if he could do this. Like maybe we are trying to do something impossible.

I do not know. I came to a point almost saying maybe that doesn't exist. Like we'll have to get our own license and put our own manufacturing.

wendy: to do that. Yeah. And that's, there are a very small handful of, you know, companies that are filling it and manufacturing it like themselves to, yeah, to get around this.

gaya: Yeah. So, but then we wouldn't have launched. For another year until we get a whole manufacturing plant up and running. So, I mean, honestly, the way that I found the manufacturer I found was I, I was awake at two o'clock in the morning because I couldn't sleep thinking it was the pressure. And I started going through this database, government database [00:21:00] that had listed the companies who have.

That specific license, so I started going middle of the night one by one to see if any of them manufacture cosmetics and, and found one here,

wendy: in your backyard, right? Are they're really close to like, literally, I remember you were like, I'm going to go drive over there. It's wild.

gaya: Yeah, but I mean, it just goes to show how far behind we are. in the, in the fine fragrance world when it comes to having safer, cleaner products.

wendy: Yeah. I mean. I can't imagine that most, you know, most companies start with people that have a heart and a vision and a mission and, you know, I can imagine these women, like, I'm going to start a perfume line and they start making calls and after 50, they're probably like, well, forget, right? Like I, this is such a barrier to cleaning [00:22:00] up the fragrance industry in general.

And so I don't know. I, I still remember in vivid detail you telling me, we found, we found, we were even joking we're like, we should open one. We should, you were like, we're in the wrong business. Maybe I need to invest in a plant, you know, a manufacturing plant. Like clearly there's a need here for this.

gaya: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And it's, I think the more consumers demand that, I think they will, it will hopefully will improve. Hopefully we will, create awareness through what we are doing, to make the consumers more aware and educated and demand better for themselves. Right. And that's the hope.

wendy: Yeah. Well, now other companies will see like, well, Wild Notes did it. Right? Like if they can do it, we can do it. And so I think collectively as a community, it will get the word out. And I, I hope what I hope happens is that more companies will start demanding it. So

gaya: [00:23:00] Absolutely.

wendy: Okay. So one of the other things I hear all the time is, what we already touched on, but it's this idea that.

Oh, it's great if you want to make a perfume that's like 100 percent botanical, you know, yes, of course that's clean and beautiful and safe and good for you, but you're destroying the environment, right? So I hear this a lot. I hear a lot of, it takes way too many botanicals. It's super destructive to make a little bit of perfume.

It's not eco friendly. It's not good for the environment. And to that, I always say to these companies that say that to me, you could be a part. of the solution. Because if you were supporting the farmers and sourcing from regenerative farming sources, then you could actually be healing the environment. So Wild Notes is sourcing from regenerative, zero pesticides, organic farms, And that was like a core value also from the beginning.

So let's talk about that. Let's talk about where you're getting your botanicals from and [00:24:00] why that was so important.

gaya: Yeah, so there are three different sources. One, obviously some of our, unique ingredients come from our own farms that practice regenerative agriculture. They're certified organic. I mean, we take a lot of pride in, Farms around the world, right? So there's, there's that, and then there are some, actually some of these ingredients come from the wild and, uh, just to go with our name, right?

Brand name. But they are sustainably sourced and they have some in incredible stories of how some of our harvesting and the way that we, bring those ingredients actually help the environment, in during that process. And then the third is there are some really unique ingredients in our fragrances that are sourced through our fragrance house, but they have the same very, Thorough, rigorous process of how they source their ingredients and their sustainability practices , [00:25:00] in all of that.

Like they went through their supply chain just the same way that we do. And that's why I was excited to partner with them because they have very same, Like we do same standards like we do and they look at business like the way that we do. So it was really exciting when I found them. You know, when you find a partner business partner that actually has the same standards, it's just it's just the best partnership.

So those are the three ways that we source our ingredients that go into our fragrances. And then obviously, when it comes to alcohol, it's organic, non denatured sugarcane alcohol. So you are getting the best

wendy: The best

gaya: part. Yep. Yep. And when it comes to ingredients.

wendy: You're also a part of 1 percent for the planet as

gaya: Yes. So, I mean, we are bringing in these really beautiful, unique ingredients that, nature has to offer, right? , we are sourcing from, nature and [00:26:00] we wanted to make sure that we give back in, in do our part to protect the planet in get back. So that's why 1%. Of all of our top line revenue goes towards our restoration program.

And we'll start with, reforestation project, but as we grow, I mean, that's one of the most exciting parts of this brand that the impact that we will get to do around the world through this reforestation and other restoration efforts that we'll get to do. but yeah, I'm really excited about that.

I think that's. That's going to be our way of giving back to the nature that we take our ingredients from.

wendy: I think it's so important for people to understand, like, I talk about regenerative agriculture a lot, and I think it's easy to think that regenerative just means you do things a little bit better. But really what regenerative means is you're using cover crops and you are healing the soil and the microbiome.

You're not tilling, right? You're, you're restoring things like [00:27:00] wetlands. You're bringing in cleaner water. You're not using synthetic fertilizers. You are literally healing, restoring the planet, the environment, you're creating balance, you're creating a carbon sink, right? So when we've moved away from farming regeneratively and moved to this monocropping, when we brought pesticides in, we took away all of those carbon sinks that were naturally part of our ecosystem.

And so when you support regenerative agriculture by sourcing from farms that are, do, and I have, been to a lot of these farms, you know, you just by sourcing them from there, you are making the environment better and you're, you're moving the regenerative agriculture movement forward. And I think that that in and of itself is beautiful.

And what I look for in like the best of the best and the cleanest of the cleanest, because I do think that botanicals are amazing, but you have to do it in a way that honors and respects our environment.

gaya: 100 percent and I think again, [00:28:00] there are not very many companies out there that are doing that. Right. But, but if it takes one to start that, right, it takes one to set that standard and that's what we are here for. And hopefully we can move the entire beauty industry forward with some of these efforts that we are doing.

Yeah.

wendy: I love it. Opening doors. So let's talk about the actual perfume, right? Because that's why we're here. So we're talking about the actual perfume. And for clarity, the farms we're talking about are Young Living Farms. Wild Notes is sourcing these regenerative organically grown essential oils from Young Living Farms.

What is your, what is your, there's five. So when Wild Notes launches, which will launch soon after this podcast airs, there's going to be five favorite fragrances that are going to be launched and you're going to be able to get a discovery site of all five of them. So you can try them out and see which ones you love.

Should we just like walk through them and then talk about kind of like the main ingredient [00:29:00] that people are going to love?

gaya: Yeah, so they are five very distinct fragrances and they are gender neutral. So you get to choose what you love and what works with your skin because when you wear perfumes and that's one of the things, right, it just, with your chemistry, it just, it smells different, right? And you can, we both can wear the same fragrance.

It will smell different. So that's the uniqueness about it. But we have a good variety. multiple different, scent profiles that we're hitting with these five in. So do you want me to go

wendy: Yeah, let,

gaya: by one? Okay.

wendy: through them one, one by one. I, by the way, I have them all and I, I have my favorite. I'll tell you, I'll, I'll keep that as a secret and then I'll tell you which one's my favorite as we go through them.

gaya: So smoky ember, I think I feel like that's just what that's probably the boldest. fragrance out of the five. That's how at least I feel. It's the one that you want [00:30:00] to wear when you want to feel really bold and ambitious and, walk into that boardroom or go on the red carpet movement type of, that's how I feel about, , Smoky Amber.

It has a little bit of sweetness, but Really deep, woody undertone to it. And then you have Timeless Floral, which is, I think, a really beautiful floral. , there's a mix of florals in there, a little bit of citrus in there. But it's just, it's really elegant, I feel like.

wendy: You know, for somebody who loves floral, I think they're going to love it. I knew, so I'm not a floral person. I've never worn florals before. It's just, I think everyone has their thing. I'm a citrus girl. I'm such a citrus girl, but I, I smelled it. And what I loved about it is, you know, I think the reason why I hate floral scents is because I hate synthetic floral scents.

But when you smell something that is completely botanical and floral, it was, Very easy on my nose. And I was [00:31:00] surprised by that.

gaya: Yeah. Yeah. And then you have your rugged wilderness. It just makes you feel like you're in the mountains and in the wild

wendy: And my son loves it. My son, my 16 year old son was like, am I getting a bottle of that?

gaya: I think, I think that's going to be one of the favorites for a lot of men, I

wendy: Yeah. Yeah. Great

gaya: and, and then you have, Fireside Citrus that has citrus, top notes, Mixed in with a little bit of woody undertone to it and it has a little bit of smokiness to it I I don't know. I just

wendy: It does.

gaya: absolutely love that

wendy: So I said, I'm a citrus girl. I hundred percent, when you sent these to me, I was like, that's going to be my favorite. Hands down. I said, from the very beginning of this project, please make me a citrus. I want a citrus and I love it. And it's beautiful. And it smells really good with my skin. And I, I adore it, but it was.

Not my top

gaya: Oh,

wendy: I was shocked by this. So there's [00:32:00] one more. Go ahead.

gaya: Yep sweet decadence, so I think this is this is probably the most out there trendiest One out of the five and it's the vanilla coconut pistachio it's a really sweet. Fragrance, it's I I I expect it to be a top seller, especially with younger girls Because I think it's very trendy But but that being said

wendy: I was going to say, I, I, I, if you, if you would have explained that to me and you did explain it to me and I was like, I'm not going to like that. Maybe my daughter will love that. I don't like like super sweet either. I'm just not into that. I am obsessed. with this fragrance. Like when I ran out, I cried. I was like, how long do I have to wait for the full bottle?

What if what's happening? I, it is, I don't know. It's like this really high end vanilla [00:33:00] that is like not, it's not like a super sweet vanilla and it's got undertones of like that cocoa and that coconut and, but it's, it's It's refreshing. So weird to say that about a vanilla being refreshing, but it's like, it's a high end luxury vanilla.

It's not like, I don't know, maybe I'm just used to like the cocoa butter and the super sweet vanilla, but oh my God, I love that perfume so much. I am so obsessed with it and I cannot wait to get my hands on a full bottle.

gaya: Yeah. I mean, here's the interesting part of, you know, when you think about vanilla, pistachio, sweet, you think it's, you know, For women, right? Even I kind of felt that way, but we had a friend over a few weeks ago in, I had him try, like smell all of them. And then I said, what, which one would you wear? And he said, sweet decadence.

I said, what? Like, this is a macho macho man. Like, you know, like, I mean, it's just. And [00:34:00] I'm like, what? And he's like, yes, that's the one. So we sprayed it on him. It didn't smell as sweet, but it smelled so good on him. And like, he was spot on when he said that that's the one. And we even made him try other ones.

None

wendy: were like, no really,

gaya: at, yeah,

wendy: this rugged wilderness one.

gaya: but he, he said, and he's like, no, but we, I mean, it was right. He was right. Because when we smell that on him, that was the best out of the five. So it was, he knew his stuff. But like, I don't want people to think, oh, that's very,

wendy: Feminine.

gaya: but that's where the discovery set come into play.

People can get it for 50, but then you get 20 coupon code that can go towards your first bottle. You can try all five. So for 30, you get to try all five, uh, in ML, vials, and then you can find your signature scent. [00:35:00] And here's the best part. We have also tried layering them

wendy: Yep.

gaya: and

wendy: I lair the fireside citrus and the sweet decadence. That is my, that is my sweet spot. I love it.

gaya: Mine is smoky ember and timeless floral.

wendy: Okay.

gaya: Yeah, yeah. And my husband likes smoky ember and rugged wilderness together. So I think that's the other beautiful thing. If you get the discovery set, you could actually layer them and see.

wendy: Yeah, what

gaya: have a signature scent that you absolutely love, and that's going to be very unique to you.

wendy: So I want to touch on this actually because Another thing companies tell me when they use synthetic fragrance is we can't control the way that harvests go every year, right? Like very similar to the essential, essential oil world, like every year when you harvest the way that oils come out and the way they smell and their, you know, constituents and everything is dependent on the soil and the [00:36:00] rain and the seasons and the, you know, all these, these things that the evolution of that plant, of that seed, because, you know, you guys use population lavender over at Young Living on their farms.

Like, It changes year to year and so one of the arguments in the perfume industry is if we want to make a fragrance that Smells exactly the same year after year after year. We have no choice, but to use synthetic. What do you think about that? Yeah That's wild. Yeah.

gaya: was told the same, but here's the beautiful part. Like, I don't think I even shared this with you. I mean, we are now in the, like, as we're recording this, we are now in the final stages of going into production. Right. So we formulated, of initial products when we first went through the process. Five months ago, four months ago, right?

We, that's, I mean, probably five months ago when we started. So the ingredients we use in them are not the same lot of [00:37:00] ingredients and oils, essential oils and extracts that actually going into the production. So we are actually running into that same issue where when we use the newer batches, like for example, the juniper, we sent them.

Okay. To use for the final batch is a very fresh juniper batch, but we realized the juniper we used in the initial formula was a six month old batch that has already kind of aged. So they smell different. So the process is we are going to rebalance. the fragrance, the formula, every batch to create that consistency in every time they blend the oil, blend the perfumer going and rebalance and check against the previous lot to make sure that it stays as closely consistent as we possibly can.

So it's a, it's an interesting process. It's a very manual [00:38:00] time consuming process that, but that's. That's the, that's what you have to go through if you want to use 100 percent natural. So, so I'm learning as we go to, so

wendy: want to do that. That's too hard You And you were

gaya: that is too hard and

wendy: too hard. Yeah.

gaya: costly, right? I mean, even when we talk about alcohol, one of the things that we didn't share is the non denatured alcohol costs twice as much as denatured alcohol because of the additional alcohol tax that's added on to. Every batch, every barrel that you get, it costs you twice as much

wendy: Yeah. So you can either get the denatured alcohol as petroleum derived ingredients in it and spray it on your body, or you can pay twice the cost for that alcohol to get something that does not have a chemical added to it just to comply with alcohol laws.

gaya: yeah, because that other half is alcohol [00:39:00] tax that we have to pay to the government. So, so it is not, it's not easy. It's it takes a lot of effort to do the right thing and it costs more and But at the end of the day, we have to ask the question. Is it worth it? Is it worth giving our consumers a safer product that they can They can feel good about that.

They know doesn't hurt their health and wellness, right? Especially I mean I have a daughter you have a daughter they all are in that same age around What they want to experiment with skincare, makeup, fragrances, and you can't stop them from doing it because that's just, we all have been there, right, in that age.

But at least as a mom, I feel good about being able to give a healthier lifestyle. Safer option for her.

wendy: We actually had that conversation. I recall we [00:40:00] were on the phone and it was in those moments where I was like, we're not going to find a manufacturer. I specifically remember asking you the question, is this something you're going to compromise on? And I, and I, and I know you well enough to know the answer was going to be hell no, but the doubt started to creep into my brain.

And. You were quiet for a little bit and you said, we will figure this out. Like you just weren't even willing to go there. And then we followed on by talking about, we both have girls that are. You know, near the same age. And it's important as moms for us, like these hormone disruptors, these synthetic fragrances, these chemicals, like, like, I'm going to be so excited to give a bottle of this to my daughter and I can feel so safe and so comfortable and so happy that it, that this is an option for her.

gaya: Yeah.

wendy: I'm just really excited. [00:41:00] That feels like, it makes me emotional. It feels really good to know that like, and I know you feel this way too, you're creating something wonderful to put into the world for everybody.

gaya: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's just lack of education is, is just, it's mind blowing. I mean, I didn't know, right? Like, I mean, I've been in the beauty space, health and wellness space, but I remember even going into this, I was very. Open and honest. And I said, I've never done fragrance. Like you have to know if I'm going to do this, like this is going to be a learning curve for me because I've never dealt with fragrance.

And it was, it was a lot of learning. I mean, I did not realize, I mean, and here's the other thing. When you look at some of the perfumes, especially in the cleaner synthetics and stuff, you see the label that says organic, but they're still denatured. So that's [00:42:00] where like, we see the organic and instantly our brains think, Oh, this is safe for me, but it's still denatured and

wendy: Because I'm, I have a whole perfume review that's going to be published with this episode. So everyone listening, there is a, if you want to know those, some of the brands using phthalates and using all of those awful things, I've got them all published.

But what I, what I saw when I started reviewing perfumes is on the front website, it says organic sugarcane alcohol, but when you go into the section of the label that's legally required by law. That's where it says alcohol, do not, and you know what, let's talk about transparency of ingredients. This is a perfect segue into the transparency because one of the things that you said from the beginning is every single ingredient will be completely and fully disclosed, which is true.

Um, very different, than the way that the [00:43:00] industry operates currently, right? With that proprietario. I don't know. We don't want people to know, but that denaturing ingredient is a part of that transparency. So it was really frustrating for me to see these brands that are really good at marketing themselves as clean and to literally put on the front of their website, just like Wild Notes.

If you go to the Wild Notes website, which is linked in the show notes, you will see it right up front. It says up at the top. That beautiful picture. And then it says organic alcohol, right? But if you go to the label, the legal label, that's going to be on these bottles, it is not going to say alcohol did not, but a lot of other companies that that's how deep you have to dig to find it.

gaya: Yeah, and, and how many consumers know how to do that or do that like, right? Like a lot, a lot of people don't do that and they don't have the knowledge or the time or the patience to go do that. So, it's really sad that they don't even know what they're putting on their [00:44:00] bodies and how, how it, damages their health and wellness in the impact that those ingredients have, right?

In that said, I mean, as moms who would want to put toxic chemicals on their kids, no mom would say that, but that, but that lack of knowledge and the resources, they're doing it without even knowing, but the harm that they're causing their children. So, yeah.

wendy: So last topic, this is also something I am very passionate about. Because you know, I've had a couple of brands, CEOs and founders on the podcast, and I always like to talk about the fact that. Smaller brands like Wild Notes that are trying to do the right thing, you're competing in a space with massive mega corporations, like these massive corporations that are bajillion dollar juggernauts that are out there.

And how do you compete? And one of the ways that I am told all the time is [00:45:00] we need an army of affiliates. We need. Word of mouth advertising. We need people out there spreading the word, educating on ingredients and clean living, or just even saying like, Hey, use something more natural, right? If you're not somebody who is super into the nitty gritty of like me, the law and the labeling and all of that.

You know, get out there and go share affiliate links online. Go share with your friends and family, make some extra money by doing it. So Wild Notes is, does have an affiliate opportunity. And while you do source your oils, you know, from Young Living and all of that, Wild Notes is not a network marketing company, but you are going to have an affiliate program.

Can you talk about that?

gaya: yeah, absolutely. And you're right, unless you have a massive marketing budget, right? In word of mouth is the way for a lot of new startup companies to really get in front of [00:46:00] consumers. And we are going to rely on people just like yourself that who are passionate about sharing, clean. Alternatives to synthetic products in, in, in rely on them to really help us get that brand awareness.

So we, and then obviously we want to share our wins with those that who are partnering with us. So our affiliate program, it's super simple. It's a 25 percent commission on every product that you sell in the, some things that's slightly different with us is you as an affiliate, if you introduce You get that 25 percent commission on the reoccurring orders of that customer as well.

It's not one and done because I

wendy: to find in the affiliate world, that recurring revenue. Yeah,

gaya: because I know as someone who was created a brand that customer acquisition is the hardest part in [00:47:00] the business, right? That first customer acquisition, but when they, when they get the first product in their experience, and if the product stands. Up to the quality commitment that they have, then that reoccurring order is much easier,

you it's retaining that customer is much easier, but if you are going to do the legwork to bring in that customer and introduce that customer to our brand, why would we not reward you for their

wendy: better than paying,

gaya: right?

wendy: I always say this, you can pay marketing firms, you can pay for a ton of ads, or you can pay People, and I am an advocate for women making money at home all day long, pay women, pay the moms that are at home that want to do the work. You don't need to have a large following like I do.

You could just share casually with your friends, with your family, with the people around you. You could just, I have a girlfriend who was like, I'm, I want to be a Wild Notes affiliate [00:48:00] and I just want to be able to buy the perfume for free. And I was like, I love that for you. Like I just, and the more you talk about the brands that are doing the right thing, the more that that will spread.

And I really think that affiliate marketing is ethical marketing. I feel

gaya: 100 percent and and also if you are partnering with a brand that does the right thing moving the industry forward You are being part of a movement in my mind in if we collectively come together voice our opinions share this Share the stories and demand more and demand better from brands. , it will collectively move the entire industry forward and that's how change happens.

And to me that that's where I see this as a movement. , it's. It's an opportunity for women to make money. I'm a hundred percent with you on that. Like I'm a big believer in female empowerment and that's my biggest [00:49:00] passion in life, in my career. That's what I have done in, and it's important. I think it's important for my daughter to see that.

I am a hardworking mom and I can accomplish whatever I want and still be present for her and be a mom, be a wife, and that's what the example that we need to set in being an affiliate marketer, being able to work from home and make that income gives women that flexibility to care for their kids.

And I'm a big, big advocate for that. So I'm excited to partner with so many women, but also men who are

wendy: I was going to say that rugged wilderness and apparently sweet decadence. There's going to be men that love that

gaya: Yeah. And, and I think there are more and more men that who are advocating for clean health wellness. I think there are a

wendy: Testosterone. The, all of these [00:50:00] hormonal impacts, we talk about the impacts on women, but it's impacting men too.

gaya: Yeah. Yeah. And, and I think when it comes to clean products, health, wellness, beauty, personal care space, I mean, men's products are a really growing category because there's demand, there's awareness and people are more mindful today.

Right? So, I think we, we have a great program. We would Love to partner with those who are as passionate as we are about this movement, and we welcome you to partner with us. And obviously we want to reward you through our affiliate program.

wendy: So I would, you know, one of the things that I love about what you're doing is if you go over to the Wild Notes Instagram page, you are actually doing behind the scenes, real From the farms and telling the regenerative farming story, which is something that I love because I think people want that connection.

They want to understand. They want to see it with their own eyes. And for the people that, you know, haven't been on those farms and had that experience, like I [00:51:00] have, like literally picking healing, healing flowers by hand to distill them. But the videos that you guys are sharing, the education that you are sharing behind it, the heart of it, I think that's amazing.

The website. Is has so much information get on the mailing list for wild notes I love all the education about clean living and ingredients that's coming out like you guys aren't just Creating this really beautiful botanical fragrance. You're also like educating everyone and I just want to end by saying I really believe Like, this is going to change, and I know it sounds dramatic to say, like, this is going to change the perfume industry, but what you have done, opening the doors to getting manufacturers willing to make non denatured alcohol, sourcing from regenerative farming so you're protecting the environment, like, you are proving you can make a clean botanical fragrance and you can do it right.

And you can do it well, and it can smell amazing. And I am so excited for people to actually [00:52:00] have this perfume in their hands. And also thank you for letting me be a part of it. It was just such an honor and such a joy. It

gaya: of it because you have, I mean, all this knowledge in education and experience that you brought to the table that I didn't have. And it was such a great partnership too, I was so relieved that I could actually text you middle of the night and ask you questions and you were so willing to look at things and look at documents and give me feedback.

And I mean, it's a teamwork, right? And I, I do have my expertise, but that the level of knowledge that you have about ingredients is not my, strong suit. So thank you for being part of it. And you added so much value as we went through that formulation process.