Bite No More: The Mosquito-Repelling Line of Perfumes and Candles

While traveling on her honeymoon, Melissa Fensterstock was a mosquito magnet in Southeast Asia. Tempted to try what the locals created and trusted, she started using a native repellent. Not only did it smell great, but it worked, preventing the usual bulging welts she experienced in the hot, sticky summer months. She found herself inspired by this surprising product, and with a rich background in business and biotech, she started to form an idea.

What pushed her to truly dive into her entrepreneurial calling, however, was that earlier that year, her then-fiance (and now husband and business partner) had to have emergency open-heart surgery. Today, they both see that as their wake-up call.

“He had been in top notch shape, even was a professional squash player just a few years prior.​ We knew we wanted to create a brand that had to do with healthy living,” Fensterstock shares. “​We both wanted to have ownership over our careers and commit ourselves to creating something unique and of value. What better way to control your own destiny than to run your own company.”

Women often are more risk-averse than men. That being said, in order to grow, pivot, and evolve, we must all take risks and incorporate the learnings into our businesses.

Melissa Fensterstock

Once they were back in the States, they pursued the start of Aromaflage, a company that specializes in perfumes, candles and oils, all of which fight against bugs, while smelling great.

Fensterstock took the time to talk about her company’s success and what’s coming next:

“I was always interested in the intersection of science and business, in particular, commercializing science. I was on the pre-med track and in the ninth hour decided it was not for me. I couldn't tolerate the blood and gore!

My first job after my BA in Neuroscience from Johns Hopkins and my MPhil from the University of Cambridge, was at a boutique strategy consulting firm. It was a great way to learn a lot about the healthcare industry and work with senior leaders in the healthcare ​field. The problem I always had with consulting was that as the consultant, you're just thinking hard and recommending solutions, not implementing them. ​I wanted to operate a business.

From consulting I went to work at Stryker, the medical device company. As you may know, it is consistently rated as one of the top companies to work for. The people were great and the work was interesting. Although I already had a master's degree, many of the jobs that interested me required an MBA. I knew I needed to get an MBA under my belt and applied to the top programs. I was thrilled when I was accepted to Harvard Business School. It felt surreal and I still remember every detail of finding out.

If we could get covered in the New York Times or if we could get our brand into a major department store, our business will be revolutionized!

Aromaflage Photo Courtesy of CDN

Business school is a two-year program and internships are required between the first and second years. I always felt that finance was a weak point of mine, so I figured the most tangible skill set I could garner in a summer would be an investment banking skill set. I worked for the summer at JP Morgan investment bank in the healthcare banking group. I worked harder than I ever had and learned a ton. That being said, I certainly was far from the best banker, and felt similarly about banking as I had felt about consulting.

I really wanted to be in a business, making decisions, and creating something as opposed to recommending solutions or executing transactions.

For personal reasons, I wanted to be back in New York. At the time, and still to date, there are not a ton of life science companies in the area, despite the local development initiatives. I joined a health technology company called Elsevier in a general management rotation program. It was a fantastic opportunity to move across the various business units and work with senior leadership across the company.

One day I received a call from a former boss of mine who was running a NASDAQ, publicly traded biotech company. He wanted to know if I wanted to run corporate development for him (out-licensing and in-licensing of assets). I felt that I would thrive in a smaller, more intimate environment where I could have real impact on the bottom line. Biotech is quite risky and either companies crush it or implode. The company took a turn for the worse and it felt like the right time to leave.

It was then that I joined Michael at Aromaflage full-time. The company was growing and I wanted to give it my all, not treating it as a side project any longer.

“Most perfumes are all about the celebrity and the packaging. We take quite a different approach with an emphasis on function and quality of ingredients. ​​We have pioneered the category - fragrance with function.

Our products are free of harsh chemicals and carefully formulated based on science. Our flagship line of products are fragrances and candles that naturally repel mosquitos. They have been tested and are effective. Quite in demand these days!

We have also launched a sleep fragrance that is designed to help induce sleep and promote restful, deep sleep. In addition to our scientific angle, we have worked with fine fragrance houses - the ones that make many designer fragrances - to craft a well-balanced, sophisticated, yet effective line of fragrances.”

“The ups and downs and the importance of securing many small wins​. One day you feel like you're on top of the world. The next day you might be ready to quit. It is a cycle that never seems to cease.​ I've learned so much about resilience and persistence. My thick skin can get me through almost anything.

It’s all about amassing small wins that eventually will amount to something meaningful. There is no silver bullet or replacement for brute force and hard work. I always gave more credit to milestone events: If we could get covered in the New York Times or if we could get our brand into a major department store, our business will be revolutionized! While these wins do add up, there usually is not one thing that will transform your business. I really believe it's all about moving the ball forward, one roll at a time, and keeping your head up through the steps forward and steps backward knowing that you just need to keep continuing to execute on your vision."

“​The most rewarding moment was seeing our brand featured in a Daily Candy mailer just a few weeks after we launched our company. We had just started out and had no clue what the demand was for our perfumes. We had hundreds of hundreds of orders and had a proof point that people did in fact want Aromaflage!​ We totally weren't prepared for this spike in demand and hustled all night long for days on end to fulfill orders, even dropping packages off in person in NYC. All had hand written notes.

At this point in time, we have processes in place to handle this type of spike in demand such as a warehouse and fulfillment center with automation. Hearing all of the positive customer feedback and love for our brand has made it all worthwhile!"

“Take calculated risks. Women often are more risk-averse than men. That being said, in order to grow, pivot, and evolve, we must all take risks and incorporate the learnings into our businesses. When making decisions, I often ask myself: 'If I make this decision could it bankrupt my business?' If yes, I don't do it. If it's a risk that will provide a learning experience but we could financially continue should it fail entirely, I consider it.

Think about what type of business you are running. In a self-funded, bootstrapped company you must be concerned with not only revenues but profit. Profits are what will keep your lights on and business alive. Those who are venture backed can afford to focus on revenue and operate a loss. They are very different business models which impact the decisions you make on a daily basis.”

“​We will continue to grow our retail distribution but our next focus is to invest in digital marketing and grow our ​e-​commerce business. We are beefing up our content strategy as well, trying to provide a more holistic experience for our customers.

As for being a woman, I'm happy to be a new mom. It has been the most rewarding, yet challenging experience of my life. Given that I have been running Aromaflage, giving birth didn't give me a break from the business.There was no such thing as a real maternity leave. I was back up and running within days. That being said, I want to try to find the happy medium of continuing to push forward and prioritizing my career while also being the best mom I can be. I know that people talk about work-life balance. It is a bit of a myth. I think it's about staying focused on the task at hand at the moment and doing it to the best of your ability. Too often we are in one place but already thinking about what's next later in the day or what's on our to-do list. My personal goal is to stay focused on the moment and give it my all."

This post was first published 7/17