Fragrance Belles-Lettres Magazine

Noblesse Luxe Publication

Exclusive Interview


                                                            Sue Phillips
                    A Fragrance Industry Leader for the People
  

  I heard the name Sue Phillips several years ago and then one day while watching television and there was Sue! I remember Sue so elegantly dressed and she presented her company, Scenterprises to the host of the show in such an amazing, confident and exciting way.

  Over the years of reading about the journey of Scenterprises and how an executive left the corporate world to be with her family takes true determination. Scenterprises is not just a fragrance company, it is the future and I trust Sue will keep ahead of the trends and bring a company into this century that will provide the needs in creativity for the fragrance industry.

  This is truly a complete honor for me to have had a EXCLUSIVE interview with Sue who made her mark in the fragrance industry being in charge of product development and branding and designed the first iconic TIFFANY perfume for Tiffany & Company's 150 Anniversary.

 It all started when Sue was hired by the Elizabeth Arden company as a training director. Since then, Sue has worked with some of the world's most famous companies such as Chloe, Lagerfeld, Burberry and Trish McEvoy fragrances.

 To me, Sue is a leader that we need not just for the fragrance industry but a leader delights in working with her clients which are people like you and me.

 How many times have you been able to work closely with an executive of major fragrance corporations who is willing to share her expert knowledge with you in the comfort of her studio. For me, that would not be many but Sue who is the Founder and President of Scenterprises at 'The Scentarium' located in the trendy TRIBECCA area in the city of New York gives the 'Art of Perfumery' a  new approach to custom fragrances by a globally recognized leader.

 I present to you Sue Phillips!

                          
1. Why did you want to create a perfumery?

Fragrance is such a joy and is one of life’s pleasures! It has always been my dream to offer an intimate personalized “experience” for people who love fragrance, as so many people are tired of the impersonal, over commercialized, transactional aspect of fragrance which they find in stores. We really take into consideration people’s lifestyles and preferences, and then help them to define which fragrance families they like.  I was so fortunate when the opportunity arose to open an intimate perfumery in Tribeca in the heart of Manhattan, where I meet with clients on an individual basis to discover their olfacative preferences and then take them on a ‘fragrance journey’ to create their own Bespoke Perfume. It’s fun, intimate, personal and we offer this for men and women, corporate and teambuilding events as well as for Bridal showers and for all occasions.
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2. Did you come up with the name, Scenterprises before or after you had the idea of becoming an entrepreneur?
 
This is a great question! After I left Tiffany & Co, to have my child, I always knew that I wanted to continue working, so I established my consulting business under the company name: Susan Phillips Enterprises Ltd., (not a very impressive name!). Then one early morning, the words “Scent” and “Enterprises” started floating around in my head. I combined them and woke up with a jolt and thought, ‘what a great name!’. I immediately wrote it down and realized it combined the aspects of what I wanted do and then formed Scenterprises Inc. 

3. Sue, your bio is very impressive and you have worked with some of the most leading beauty companies in the world! So, far what has been most rewarding in terms of starting your own business?

I love having my own business as it gives me the opportunity to meet with such a wide range of people and work on so many aspects of fragrance.  I enjoy the freedom to work on different initiatives such as Bespoke Perfumery for individuals, corporate scent branding, as well as teaching at LIM COLLEGE, where I am the Adjunct Professor Fragrance. I also love to write and frequently write articles on fragrance. It’s fun, varied and combines all my passions.

4. How are you using your skills from being a Marketing Director for Lancôme Paris and Vice President of Fragrance Marketing for Tiffany & Co at Scenterprises?

I have been so fortunate to work at amazing companies such as Elizabeth Arden, Lancôme, and Tiffany in corporate positions. I was in involved in training, product development, marketing and advertising. When I began my consulting business I developed brands for Avon, Burberry, Trish McEvoy and others and utilized all those skill sets. Sometimes, it’s difficult to be objective in one’s own business as the entrepreneur is involved in all aspects and sometimes it’s good to get outside reflections and opinions. Ultimately, I am responsible
for all decisions and hope that they are the right ones!

5. Sue, you have a celebrity following such as Jaimie Fox and Katie Holmes for example. What do you think is the reason for the attraction from Hollywood?

I am so grateful that people find us and I think the reason they do is because we offer something totally unique and personal. Our blends are of the highest quality and they come back and repeat order. In addition, people don’t have to wait for two weeks or longer to get their fragrances. We blend it for them immediately.

 6. Do you offer custom fragrances for purchase that you have created at Scentarium?

We offer our 18 exquisite blends for sale, online as well as at the perfumery. We also have our new Deluxe Perfume Kit which is also called The Scentarium. This way people can purchase the blends they love and also combine them to create something unique.  When they want to reorder, they can send us their ‘formula’ and we can recreate it for them.

7. Sue, you do a lot of public speaking. Do you advise this for entrepreneurs? If so, why?

I really enjoy public speaking (I was a singer and actress in my former career) and I think it’s important to be able to motivate people about the pleasures of fragrance. I also talk about how scent can be used as a ‘scent-branding’ marketing tool as Brands can differentiate themselves by having a signature scent. I speak at a lot of conferences and enjoy connecting to many different types of audiences, which you can see on my Youtube channels:
Sue Phillips and also Scenterprises. Here is one of them:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJO2ubigWMo

8. Lastly, what future plans do you have for Scenterprises?
 
I am in discussions right now to open additional perfumeries around the country and to eventually have my own SUE PHILLIPS collection of fragrances. This way people have the option to create their own fragrances and to also purchase a fragrance that has been created by a credible fragrance expert. I believe that once the idea of customization finally trends, the next trend will be credible, high quality, authentic fragrances and would be delighted to be able to offer this for everyone.
I am also very interested in creating awareness for Alzheimer’s with fragrance as scent is so connected to memories and emotions.

I would like to thank Sue for taking time out of her busy schedule and talking with me. Sue, I wish you the best in all you do for fragrances.

-Felicia M. Hazzard
            
                                              www.scenterprises.com