Amanda, from @rewild.company
Byron Bay, 27-28 March, 2019. Two of the best days of my life. An entirely life-changing moment in time.
I am so eager to share this with you. And I hope that one day, your story will be right here, being read …
How it started? Well, it actually started before the class bell rang. My dad was terminally ill; a true vagabond, he owned nothing but the bag on his back and a car, good luck finding him because he didn’t own a phone. So maybe I should say it started with a wild vagabond. When he passed, he left me a small wad of cash. I wanted to put this into a keepsake, something I would remember him by. But I’m not one for keeping dusty ornaments on the shelf, and I knew he wasn’t either. So I tucked it in an envelope and kept it under my pillow.
At 4.13am one morning (not much of a sleeper), I found Sarah, who was also not much of a sleeper; sharing poetry in her IG stories. We chatted and I felt something shift. She sounded so much like my dad with that gypsy spirit, kind heart and fire in her belly for more than a traditional life could give her. This person was going to change my life. I could feel it.
A week later, Sarah announced she was teaching a class and Byron Bay was on the list. I pored over the course content and weighed it up every night for a week solid. It was a big commitment. I had three kids to care for, so my husband would have to take time off work, and at this stage I only had enough money to buy a plane ticket and the course; they still make 2-minute noodles right? But there was this strong gut feeling that I had to make it happen. So I pulled the envelope from under my pillow with the small gift Dad left me, stared at it and whispered, ‘This is it. This is the keepsake.’ An investment in myself. This is what Dad would have wanted. P.S. She drinks whiskey, and swears like a sailor; he would definitely approve.
So I attended The Hosting Masterclass and planned to turn my holiday rental into a thriving business (that happened too), BUT never in a million years did I think it would be my perfumery passion that would benefit the most.
Perfumery was a hobby spanning years and years. Walls were covered in tinctures, bottles, botanical extracts and my husband referred to it as his retirement fund sitting in front of him, not earning interest. So you get the picture. My hobby was a fully fledged addiction but I never gave it the voice or attention it deserved. I would be squirrelled away for hours just pottering, scribing, measuring, testing, creating aromatic potions. And just thought, this is normal, everyone does this. Turns out they don’t. Turns out it’s pretty marvellous. Turns out that I now get to do this every day and most mornings at 4.13am.
After completing the two-day face-to-face class, I returned home with a head full of dreams, a list of new friends longer than my arm, a handbook full of knowledge and a slightly better tan than when I left. Ready to elevate my Airbnb.
And I did. Every part of the course book was utilised. But when it came time to scent it, I wanted to create something unique for my property. I wanted guests to walk in and gasp ‘Wow, it’s beautiful here’ and be drawn into the story with my own aroma layering that experience. So I set about creating a scent (Clover) for my cabin in the mountains. And in the process thinking, this is such a necessary part of hosting. A one-off scent not available anywhere else. Something that is created by perfumery houses in Paris, and available only at luxury international penthouses, should be available to everyone. (Can you see the lightbulb moment happening here?)
And so was born my Scent Design and Perfume range.
I got back out my course book and notes Sarah gave me from the Masterclass and locked myself away with the coffee machine. I set to work scribbling over pages frantically, drawing, dreaming and ultimately setting up Rewild Co Perfumery (officially). It’s quite hard to describe, because it’s not a typical business plan nor a mission statement. It’s something more, filled with possibilities and adventure. A leaning-in to who you really are.
A confidence builder, a distraction buster, a yellow-brick road.
A blueprint.
Firstly, I needed a beautiful place to create from. The Studio. This helped me transform it into a place I want to be in every day, a place I feel inspired to create in, and also a place that has been featured in magazines, and reposted on so many other accounts, I've lost count. We turned a drab tiny cottage into a beautiful piece of art.
Sarah and her course encouraged me to be brave in my decisions. And because there were others walking alongside me, going through the same thing, it felt like I wasn’t doing it alone. Decisions were made easier because I just knew what would work and what wouldn’t.
And before Sarah’s class I knew nothing about photography, styling, social media. Now I love the photography side of the business, styling is actually fun not stressful, and my social media page only takes me minutes rather than the hours I used to pour into it, purely due to being indecisive.
I revisit my notes often. And continue to this day, to refine my brand even more. And when this happens, my art benefits. I go down the perfumery rabbit-hole even further. Which for a creative in a world filled with distractions is an ideal outcome.
Since Sarah’s class in 2019, Rewild Co Perfumery has been in countless media and press and a podcast. I have refined my brand, transformed a tiny cottage into a workspace, proud to have stockists all over Australia, worked with other amazingly creative brands, and introduced Signature Scents for properties. And Sarah was an absolute champion of this idea.
Not only did I manage to turn a 17+ year hobby into a thriving business, I get to work closely with other graduates of Sarah’s classes. Some of whom own the best properties in Australia; to understand THEIR stories and create beautiful moments for their guests. So after officially launching somewhere at the end of 2019 – you could say it’s gone rather well.
So here we are, 2021, and it’s quite apparent, the course never really ends. It plants a different way of thinking into your mind. And every time you think differently, you act differently, and you get a return on that investment in yourself. I know Dad would be so proud that I didn’t buy a crystal vase to sit on a shelf.
Rewild Co Perfumery is still a work in progress – but that’s the joy of it. Aren’t we all still a work in progress? Contentment is an enigma to a creative. Which is why we search endlessly for inspiration.
Which is why Sarah’s course will serve you well. And continue serving you well throughout the years.
Three key points …
It is so important to be authentic. Be inspired to be yourself, never copy the tone of others, the words or how images are presented. Let these inspire a feeling in you, and then use that feeling to create. The world needs you in all your glory. Not a shadow of someone else.
Decorating your space … If you are telling a story through a space/property/studio/home, don’t scrimp on the adjectives. Be brave.
Be generous. With everything. Your time, your words, your love, your cookies, your scent spray. Just be generous.
The future for Rewild Co is vast and exciting. As I write this, the new Perfumery Studio in South Australia is near completion, and we are working hard behind the scenes to make the experience of Scent Design even more amazing as well as helping you integrate this into your Airbnb or Store.
… And Sarah, your kindness and generosity changed my life.
Much love (and I wish you all well),
Amanda xx Perfumer, Rewild Co Perfumery
@rewild.company