A Devastating Fall—And an Unexpected Comeback

February 24th, 2024, marked the implosion of my old life. For three days, a wave of seemingly random and horrifying crashes of lightning caught my world on fire… or so I thought.

Perspective—who knew! 

And much like a forest fire that clears the way for the most lush, vibrant new growth, those flames were forging a path forward. It was my phoenix moment. Rising from those ashes, I found the strength to rebuild—not just my business, but myself. And from that fire, Taylor Nicole Fragrances was born, rooted in resilience and the memories that shaped me.

How It All Began: Building From the Ground Up

Four years of experience in the fragrance and candle industry didn’t prepare me for losing everything. It sure as hell wouldn't prepare me for the intense sense of grief, either. And yet, through it all, my ransacked life still had to continue moving forward - and so I thrusted myself straight back into the industry I was just ejected from.

As I navigated through the pain, stress, and panic of dealing with a horrendous break up as well as the sudden departure from my previous business, my thoughts began to emerge from a haze.

 

At first, it came in waves crashing - like my subconscious was pushing through a significant trauma. My thoughts were flooded with so much, I couldn't think straight enough to be effective.

Quickly, I had to center my thoughts and stick to my non-negotiables for the business.   I dove into priority list building, focusing on a new mind set - change, progress, and threw the old playbook out of the window completely. 

Bit by bit I started feeling a sense of gratitude and memory of my old self - born from the lessons I had forgotten amid the chaos of a personal life that had turned tumultuous.

And as those realizations grew, I started to ask myself some harder questions. Questions that made me look at my past work under a microscope. Like…

“What did I want to change from my last company?”

And the answer? 

Aesthetic quality, material quality, improving bottlenecks, and scent throw with effective odor elimination were paramount. The first point, aesthetic quality, was the hardest pill to swallow and adjust to out of all three. 

The reason? - The short answer could be devised down to selfish ego. 

The long answer - I had to confront the truth that I often felt uncomfortable with how childish the labels of my previous candle brand had appeared. As the daughter of a renowned furniture designer, I longed to create something worthy of his legacy, and hadn’t quite achieved that goal in my life quite yet. (So ya, ego, still kinda the same thing, right?)

But because of that, I felt very much stuck, unsure of what type of aesthetic to even “go for,” for a while. It had been a long time since I had to consider what I truly wanted, so my brain froze a little bit. A crash felt iminent and I truly almost gave up at many points along the journey. For a brief time, I felt like I couldn’t breathe let alone think of a new brand to create. I felt hopeless for a while… *shudders* 

So… How did you rise from the ashes? 

For a few days, I decided to take a step back after having a really great conversation with my friend. He had advised what his grandmother had told him years before, “When you don’t know what to do, do nothing.” 

So, I couldn’t really do, “nothing,” but instead, I focused on what I could control from a mental bandwidth perspective. So, I didn’t really do much on the design and idea front during that time. Instead, I worked more on other points on the list. And while I worked on the “pencil pushing,” side of starting the business, I would reflect at night… 

Here’s the watered down version of what I realized during those days: 

For years, I let others overshadow my light. And now? I found myself in a place where all that remained was ash—something I don't think too many believed I could rise from. And after a brief pity party on that assumption, it started fueling my vindication even more. 

And then - like I said after the pity party - is when it hit me… 

They see the ashes after a forest fire, wouldn’t you think it was all over, too? But, it doesn’t have to be that way, you can change that through the brand itself. 

The brand could be the underbrush rising from the ashes, I could be the phoenix itself. Each candle, each scent would tell a story of resilience, of hope, and of legacy. What better of a branded legacy than a phoenix? I think dad would havea greed. 

Lessons From the Fall: How Failure Became My Biggest Teacher

 The experiences from my past business weren’t wasted; they taught me vital truths about authenticity and trusting my vision. I had allowed others to influence my decisions before, but now, Taylor Nicole Fragrances reflectswho I am at my core.

This time around, I took the opportunity to refine production and address the issues that had previously plagued me. It’s a proud achievement to know that my products embody the very best of me—inside and out.

And through the birth of Taylor Nicole Fragrances and its three odor eliminating candle collections—Decanter, Local Lore, and ZaZa—I realized that everything I had gone through led me to this moment. 

Each failure had precisely positioned me where I needed to be right now. After weeks of sleepless nights, everything came together in less than three months from the time I moved to Phoenix - all new aesthetic, wood wicks, and superior odor elimination. That’s right! (I got that part ironed out, too!) 

Odor-Eliminating Candles: More Than Just a Pretty Face

Curious how our candles work? Along with the fact that we use premium Coconut Soy Wax, we also use special ingredient. Here’s the secret. We’ve developed a formula using a powerful organic compound that neutralizes bad odors. It’s not just about masking smells but eliminating them while filling the room with a sophisticated, luxurious scent! 

With 50-hour burn times and ingredients that are clean and eco-friendly, each candle is a statement piece for your home. But it’s also practical. Who says you can’t have both?

What’s Next: The Future of Taylor Nicole Fragrances

Looking ahead, I have big plans for Taylor Nicole Fragrances. While candles are at our core, we’re expanding our product line to odor eliminating fragrance-based products, and other really cool trinkets along those lines. My goal is to create fragrance products that are functional yet beautiful—a nod to the legacy of my father and the essence of who I am.

And the sparks have grown to a fire In just a short amount of time… we’ve made a quick impact.

But I’m not stopping here. Phoenix is just the beginning. Taylor Nicole Fragrances is about to take flight, and I want you to be part of the journey!

A Final Thought: From Broken to Beautiful

If there’s one thing my journey has taught me, it’s this: when life burns you to the ground, you can always rise again - you can take those lessons, reflect, and refine. Taylor Nicole Fragrances is proof that beauty and strength come from the hardest moments. Each fragrance I create holds a piece of that story—and I hope it resonates with you too.

Stay tuned for more as I continue to build this brand, one scent at a time!