Mother's wisdom and social media marketing propel aromatherapy business

As a young girl, Danyale Woods was fascinated by watching her mother make her own creams for her locks. Her mother’s creations instilled a curiosity in Woods to learn the art of aromatherapy.

“My mom just had a knack for it. I don’t know where she learned it. But I would go to her house and see all these little containers of concoctions she had mixed either for lotion or hair or skin.”

Soon, her mother was teaching her how to make her own mixtures. From there she accrued knowledge by researching and studying aromatherapy, as well as the chemistry and processes behind it.

With a drive to make her own mark and use the skill set gained from her mother’s tutelage, Woods decided to start her own business called Fairy Blossoms Scents.  Sadly, her mother passed away a few months before she had the chance to hang her shingle.Danyale Woods with her mom, Monique Butler-Woods, whose own creations prompted Woods to learn the art of aromatherapy and create Fairy Blossom Scents.

Her startup has carved a niche with aromatherapy and personal care products, many of which are custom made for individual customers.

“I found, like my mom, I had a natural knack for mixing the right scents,” Woods said. “I told her, I know you don’t know this but you inspired me to do this. To make my own hair and skin products.” said Woods.

Woods creates a match for her customer by studying the scents and the personalities they are to fit. On her website, she posted a quiz entitled, “What Scent Personality are You?”

“I take the time to make a custom scent for clients and that’s not something that is very common,” she said. “I can’t think of any company that would take the time to do get to know their customer personally and then develop a custom scent for them.”

Fairy Blossoms markets a variety of products, including those for the treatment and care of hair, skin and nails. But the biggest seller for Fairy Blossoms is the incense. Woods believes its popularity lies in how different her products are from most commercial incense scents.

“I describe it as fresh baked cake. When you go to the corner store and get your garnished incense, that is like a Hostess cake. It’s been sitting in that package for who knows how long. It’s not a fresh baked cake. There’s nothing like a fresh baked cake. I think that’s how my incense makes people feel and they come back for that authentic experience.”

Fairy Blossoms' handmade incense sticks are among the most popular products.A mother with a full-time job at FedEx, Woods credits her domestic partner, Sene Yancey, with helping to keep the business running smoothly by filling orders during the day. Yancey also helps make many of the hair products that they market.

“Most of my customers are people who follow my writing. They are usually artists or writers themselves. I do have some business clients. Most of them are of a creative base,” said Woods.

Cornita Woodard has been a “Blossom” since the company launched over two years ago. She discovered Woods and her handmade goods through Facebook.

“Honestly, she has the dopest products and her customer service is on point,” Woodard said. “She is one in a million. She signs, seals and delivers quality aromatherapy products. Plus, she has an awesome personality.”

Other customers include local beauty salons and boutiques, but e-commerce has been the biggest driver in moving the two-person operation forward.

“Social media is my best friend,” Woods said.

An extensive digital self-marketer, she tailors her message to resonate across nearly every available online platform. She sends daily inspirational posts on Facebook to her “Blossoms” and posts photography on Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter. Facebook Live and Periscope provide instant feedback.

Danyale Woods, founder of Fairy Blossoms Scents, identifies as "Memphis-grown and Soul-sewn".While Woods is comfortable marketing her business locally, she is eager to expand the reach of Fairy Blossom Scents to a larger market particularly in other states.

To expand her business Woods has taken business classes. She also sought out the advice of George Brown, a manager at FedEx, who has operated a lawncare business for the past 15 years. His best advice for her fledgling business was to create a personal connection with customers.

“If they get a connection with me, they will want to support anything I do. He taught me that and I have found it to be very effective,” Woods said.

Her ultimate business goal is to see her products displayed on a kiosk in a Walgreens or Wal-Mart.

“Our artisan shampoos and skin creams, that’s where I see them. And I am going to keep my eye on that prize. Bringing the kind of artisan, natural products we create into a mainstream market.”