How entrepreneur Brianna Arps emerged from unemployment to disrupting the US fragrance industry

Brianna Arps is the founder of the indie fragrance label, MOODEAUX. She pivoted towards the beauty industry after she was laid off from her role at a women’s media publication in 2018.

In her darkest days, Arps turned to her perfume for empowerment, motivation, and inspiration. They reminded her of the need to show resilience despite the challenges she was going through.

“There’s a connection between our sense of smell and its ability to make us feel things, whether that’s empowered, motivated, inspired, or like ‘that girl,’ she tells xoNecole. “When you put on your favorite scent, you just feel something.”

While her favorite fragrances inspired her not to ever give up in her darkest hours, they also inspired her next business move. She realized there were not enough Black-owned fragrance brands in the industry and decided to merge her love for marketing and journaling with luxury perfume. This led to the birth of MOODEAUX.

Today, Arps is disrupting the fragrance industry with her signature brand, “Worthy,” which has become the physical manifestation of walking in one’s full power.

“It carries the sentiments of self-expression, individualism, and not being afraid to go against the status quo, regardless of what people may say or think,” she says.

Arps says she decided to name her signature brand “Worthy” because it is a daily affirmation that she is worth giving herself a shot at life after she lost her job in 2018.

“It’s kind of twofold: When I lost my job, it was really tough. I was depressed for a really long time and struggled for a really long time,” she explained. “The notion was in reminding myself through a daily affirmation that I’m worthy of giving myself a shot, I’m worthy of picking myself back up, I’m worthy of creating the life of my dreams, regardless of what might happen out there.”

She started her fragrance business with her savings as she had limited options in terms of funding.  Nonetheless, he was passionate and convinced that this was doing something special.

Touching on her challenges as an entrepreneur, Arps says her perfume brand started as Moode Beaute. However, she had to change the name after filing for a trademark and was told that someone has a similar name. This was after she had committed thousands of dollars to marketing, branding, and content creation.

Nonetheless, as one of the first black entrepreneurs in the fragrance industry, Arps says she cannot fail as she has to succeed to inspire others who want to be like her.