Creative entrepreneur Kara Dahn believes she grew up in the best decade ever—the 80s. Wanting to introduce her four children to the fun and whimsy of her youth sparked an idea—let’s bring back the joy of scratch-and-sniff stickers but with a twist. Instead of scratching to release the scent, Kara developed Scenties, a line of accessories where you stretch for fun scents like cupcake and cotton candy. First, came Scenties hair accessories, and today, Scenties offers no-tie shoelaces and sweatshirts.
In our interview, Kara shares how she knew she had a viable product, how she began making sales and what surprised her about running a creative business. Check it out below.
I find inspiration from my children and knowing they are watching me grow and manage a business. They are listening to some of my phone calls and understanding that success isn’t achieved overnight. It’s a process that takes a tremendous amount of hard work. It’s not always exciting, and there are a lot of challenges. The reward is creating a product and the follow through. Everyone has an idea, but in order to have a successful business and turn an idea into something, you need money, patience, a work ethic and the ability to overcome obstacles. This is something I hope my children are learning.
Kara Dahn, founder of Scenties
Artisan Joy: How did Scenties begin?
Kara Dahn: It started as a hobby of making cute barrettes, hair ties and bows for my daughter and turned into a patented idea of Stretch & Sniff accessories.
AJ: At what point did you realize that you could turn this hobby into a business?
KD: It turned into a business once I noticed how many kids loved the product. I started attending holiday shows, and I was making more money. There were always a number of little girls and some boys around my booth smelling the samples I had on the table.
AJ: Where do you find inspiration?
KD: I find inspiration from my children and knowing they are watching me grow and manage a business. They are listening to some of my phone calls and understanding that success isn’t achieved overnight. It’s a process that takes a tremendous amount of hard work. It’s not always exciting, and there are a lot of challenges. The reward is creating a product and the follow through. Everyone has an idea, but in order to have a successful business and turn an idea into something, you need money, patience, a work ethic and the ability to overcome obstacles. This is something I hope my children are learning.
AJ: What advice would you give to someone who wants to begin a creative business?
KD: YOLO. Just go for it
AJ: What’s something our audience would be surprised to learn about you?
KD: I have four kids and four dogs. We adopted our most recent dog from Aruba.
AJ: As creatives, we can be continuously creating and refining our art. How do you handle perfectionism?
KD: I’ve never been a perfectionist. I’m more of a realist.
AJ: What’s something that surprised you about running a creative business?
KD: The most surprising thing is the amount of work it takes to actually get a product into retail stores. Buyers and store owners are so busy—it’s hard to get meetings or even talk to someone on the phone.
AJ: Has someone ever criticized your work? How did you handle it?
KD: There will always be critics. I honestly try to focus on the positive and try to block out the negative. When I hear constructive criticism, I try to be open-minded, and sometimes it’s actually helpful.
AJ: What’s a cause you are passionate about and why?
KD: I’m passionate about mental health. As a mother, I worry about anxiety, depression etc. There’s a stigma surrounding mental health, so a lot of people suffer in silence. Kids can be so mean to each other, and because of social media, it’s so easy to be a target. Scenties gives a percentage of its proceeds to Child Mind Institute.
AJ: And, of course, we have to ask you this: what brings you joy?
KD: My family, friends and my dogs bring me joy!
Learn more about Scenties and shop their products at scenties.com.
Editor’s note: This interview was edited slightly for length and clarity.
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