Episode•February 20, 2020•20 min

Building a Business with Jazz Elyse | Ep. 29

Building a successful business is not easy! Join Tiffany as she sits down with Jazz Elyse of Luxe Fragrance Bar. They talk about stresses, struggles, and overcoming obstacles while starting and growing their respective businesses. Jazz knows her stuff, so listen up! Have a pen and paper handy. About Our Guest Jazz Elyse Whitaker is the founder of LUXE FRAGRANCE BAR, a tailor-made skincare, hair care, and fragrance company she created with a $10 investment as an undergrad at North Carolina A&T State University. That ten dollars has turned into a dream, on the Southside of downtown Greensboro, where she operates the first LUXE FRAGRANCE BAR flagship location and creates custom skincare and fragrances for her clients. She is also the founder of the Dove Enrichment Academy, where she home-schools her son, Marlon Jey. Jazz Elyse's latest business venture is helping small business owners with proper business structuring and asset protection. Jazz Elyse was born in Los Angeles, California and moved to the DC Metropolitan area with her family at the age of 11, where she lived until she graduated high school. She attended and graduated Summa Cum Laude from North Carolina A&T State University with her Bachelor's Degree in Liberal Studies with three concentrations in Business, International Business, and African American Studies. She went on to receive her Master's Degree from the University of North Carolina Greensboro in Global Brand Management with a concentration in Supply Chain Management. In 2014, Jazz Elyse made the decision on whether to pursue her career according to her degree program or to pursue her business full-time. She chose the latter and says that it was the best decision she ever made for her career, to be her own boss. LUXE FRAGRANCE BAR has been operating for 12 years now and Jazz Elyse is proud to say she's run it with zero debt and she still controls it, 100 percent. LUXE FRAGRANCE BAR is located at 219 Southside Square, Greensboro North Carolina 27406. www.luxefragrancebar.com Follow her on Twitter: www.twitter.com/luxe_gso Follow her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/luxefragrancebar Follow her on Instagram: www.instagram.com/luxefragrancebar Connect with Tiffany on Social Media Facebook: Money Talk With Tiff Twitter: @moneytalkwitht Instagram: @moneytalkwitht LinkedIn: Tiffany Grant YouTube: Money Talk With Tiff Channel Pinterest: Money Talk With Tiff This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

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Key Takeaways

1
Start small and reinvest profits to grow
Jazz started Luxe Fragrance Bar with a $10 investment in five fragrance oil bottles
She sold each bottle for about $6 and immediately reinvested the proceeds into more product instead of spending the earnings
This disciplined reinvestment over 12 years grew the business with zero debt
2
Keep your day job while building your business
Jazz worked telemarketing and substitute teaching while running her part-time hustle on campus
She transitioned to full-time entrepreneurship only after seven years of proven revenue
Tiffany calls this approach being a 'dualpreneur'—using a full-time job to fund the side business until it stands on its own
3
Delegation is hard but necessary for growth
Jazz still struggles to hand off tasks even 12 years in because 'Luxe is my baby'
She has a small trusted team (Octasia for 5 years) and occasional friends who help
Tiffany recently delegated email marketing and website work after years of doing everything herself
4
Entrepreneurship can be lonely—build community
Both hosts note the isolation of being the only one making every decision
Tiffany recommends mastermind groups and small circles of women entrepreneurs for idea-sharing
Jazz realized she needs to join such groups after years of learning by trial and error
5
Support other small businesses and keep wealth circulating locally
Luxe carries products from other women-owned brands (Sheen Bala bracelets, Soul Crafted Designs candles, Pen and Proper pins)
Jazz refuses big-box memberships and redirects spending to minority-owned wholesalers
Tiffany emphasizes that liking, sharing, and donating time are also valuable ways to support local businesses

Intro

Tiffany Grant interviews Jazz Elyse Whitaker, founder of Luxe Fragrance Bar, about the real stresses, struggles, and systems behind building a successful small business from scratch.
Jazz Elyse Whitaker founded Luxe Fragrance Bar with a $10 investment while at North Carolina A&T. The company now operates a flagship store in downtown Greensboro offering custom skincare, haircare, and fragrances. She also founded Dove Enrichment Academy and helps other small business owners with structuring and asset protection.

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– The First $10 Investment

Jazz explains how she turned a $10 purchase of five fragrance oils into her first profitable flip by selling each bottle for ~$6 and immediately reinvesting the revenue.

That $10 investment was five bottles of fragrance oils... I took those five bottles and I sold each bottle for, I think like $6... And I flipped that.
– Jazz Elyse

– Dualpreneur Strategy: Keep the Day Job

Both hosts stress that most entrepreneurs should maintain a full-time job while building their business. Jazz worked telemarketing and substitute teaching while selling on campus.

There is nothing wrong with being a dualpreneur, which is working a full-time job and using that money to fund your part-time business.
– Tiffany Grant

– The Leap to Full-Time Entrepreneurship

After seven years of side-hustling, Jazz used her 2014 tax refund to secure a mall kiosk. She quit substitute teaching and committed fully to the business.

The transition itself was either you're going to be your own boss or you're going to continue to work for someone else... I just chose myself.
– Jazz Elyse

– The Reality of Wearing Every Hat

Jazz and Tiffany discuss the loneliness and overwhelm of being your own marketing, HR, supply chain, and everything else. Delegation remains difficult even years later.

I'm 12 years into it and maybe about six years into full time. And I'm still kind of doing everything myself.
– Jazz Elyse

– Making Products & Supporting Other Women-Owned Brands

Jazz creates most Luxe products herself but stocks select items from other local women entrepreneurs including Sheen Bala, Pen and Proper, and Soul Crafted Designs.

We support other women in business... As business owners, we have that obligation to make sure that we're pouring back into each other.
– Jazz Elyse

– How to Shop Luxe Fragrance Bar

The store is at 219 Southside Square, Greensboro, NC. Products ship nationwide via luxefragrancebar.com and the Lux Life app. A fragrance quiz and free samples help online customers choose.

Resources

Luxe Fragrance Bar Websitetool
Lux Life Apptool

Topics

EntrepreneurshipSmall BusinessSide HustleDelegationCommunity SupportBlack-Owned BusinessFinancial FreedomProduct CreationMastermind GroupsWealth Circulation