We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Grace Howland a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Grace, thank you so much for making time for us. We’ve always admired your ability to take risks and so maybe we can kick things off with a discussion around how you developed your ability to take and bear risk?
Risk-taking is something you have to become extremely comfortable with as an entrepreneur, and this is not something I’ve experienced until very recently. I found that when you put yourself in uncomfortable situations, you have very unexpected and rewarding experiences. I started to develop this skill somewhere somewhat unexpected: travel.
I moved to Paris in 2022 to work for my previous firm’s office there. It was exciting and one of the best experiences of my life, but it was also incredibly scary. I moved to a foreign country where I didn’t know a single person (and didn’t speak the language). I had to become very comfortable with doing things on my own. It started with coffee alone, then dinner, then concerts, and then even trips outside of Paris. I started to feel comfortable with being uncomfortable. This is something that has translated very well in entrepreneurship.
Taking this risk of leaving my life in Los Angeles and moving to a foreign city turned out to be one of the best decisions I could have made. I learned so much, met incredible people, and made the best memories. I experienced firsthand how taking risks can pay off.
There have also been (many) times where taking a risk has failed, and these times become a learning experience. You need to learn to “fail fast, fail often.” You learn to develop the skill of taking calculated risks. The more you practice, just like with any skill in life and in business, the better you become.
Start by getting comfortable with putting yourself in uncomfortable situations, whatever that means for you, and you’ll see this ability grow over time.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am the founder and CEO of ÉVOQUER™, the experience-based fragrance brand.
We’ve all had that experience before: you smell something and you completely travel back in time. As humans, our strongest sense for memory recall is scent. It can transport us back not just to a single moment, but evoke those all-encompassing emotions from a past experience. You can *feel* every part of that memory.
When I was living in Paris, I bought a new fragrance and wore it every day. After returning to the States, it sat on my shelf for a while until one evening, before a night out, I picked it up. Without even spraying it, I could smell the perfume. I immediately felt like I was back in Paris, discovering the city for the first time again. It was a full body reaction, and I didn’t want to wear that perfume again – I only wanted to bring it out when I was missing Paris. Every time I smell it, I feel this warm, happy nostalgia for that chapter of my life.
That experience sparked the decision to create a whole brand based on the science behind scent memory, and the power of attaching scents to experiences.
Our fragrances are meant to be worn during various life events, big or small. Whether it’s a once-in-a-lifetime trip, moving to a new city, falling in love, or just a season to remember, you’ll always associate that time in your life with your ÉVOQUER fragrance.
These unisex fragrances, unlike many other brands, are not designed to remind you of a certain place or memory – they are a blank canvas for you to create a memory with.
With every fragrance we have, there are matching Time Capsules: candles & room sprays in the same scent. For the rest of your life, these Time Capsules will transport you back to all those moments, feelings, and experiences from that chapter. They aren’t meant to be worn, but remembered.
With our fragrance & Time Capsule duos, you can now capture an era in your life – a collection of emotions, sights, sounds, and feelings – and bottle it forever. ÉVOQUER inspires you to step out, live boldly, and create memories; while we help keep every unforgettable moment.
We are currently in production and officially launching February 2026 with 3 fragrances – each with matching Time Capsules. Make sure you’re on our email list (www.shopevoquer.com) to be the first to know about our launch details.
Since we are the experience-based fragrance brand, our goal is to be at as many events as possible! We’ll be popping up at Sundance in Park City (January 2026) and having an official launch party in Los Angeles. Our email list, my personal socials (@gracehowland_), and the brand socials (@shopevoquer) are the best ways to stay up to date on where we’ll be next.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
In no particular order, 3 qualities/skills that have been most impactful in my journey as an entrepreneur are: my ability to learn, expanding my network, and my background in finance.
As an early stage entrepreneur, and especially one with a tight budget, there are many things you won’t know how to do and won’t necessarily be able to outsource. My ability to be curious, ask questions, and learn has been critical in starting a business.
For example, at the beginning of the year when I was first starting out, I reached out to a multitude of branding agencies to design my packaging. I got quotes up to $30,000 (no joke). So, I decided I would design the packaging myself. My background is in investing & private equity, i.e. nothing design related or even remotely creative. I listened to podcasts, asked questions, and practiced until I figured it out.
Once I have the budget to hire an expert, this is something I will invest in. But now having gone through the exercise of doing it myself, I’ve become much clearer on what I want the consumer to feel & experience at every touch point with my brand, which in turn will make my ability to convey this to a professional (when the time is right) much more effective. You don’t need to be an expert in every skill you learn, but understanding the basics will at least allow you to better communicate your vision.
The best way to develop this skill, in my opinion, is to be curious. Absorb as much information as you can through books, podcasts, newsletters, articles, networking, etc. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and fail. You’re not meant to know how to do everything (especially when it comes to starting a business), so just try and try again.
I hate to be cliché, but your network really is your net worth. The most impactful conversations, relationships, and opportunities have come from my network. And it has a snowball effect: once you make one connection, they’ll be able to connect you to 3 more people, and those people will plug you into their network, and so on.
Networking was something I majorly struggled with when I was working in investment banking and private equity. I worked in the industrials sector (think chemicals, building products, aerospace & defense, etc.), and I wasn’t interested in those topics. It made it extremely difficult to keep up with market trends and be able to speak confidently at networking events.
When I moved into a space I was passionate about, beauty & consumer, I did a 180. It became so much easier to be knowledgeable about market trends, key players, and have confidence in my ability to speak about these things. Networking became fun!
My advice here is find what you’re genuinely interested in – what do you enjoy learning about? – and start to build your network there. Join newsletters, local events, and free webinars on these topics. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people on LinkedIn, Instragram, or Tiktok for a quick call or coffee. I’ve met some incredible people through Tiktok! We’re doing a pop up next month in San Diego with a founder I met through Tiktok. And don’t forget to ask how you can help the people you’re networking with.
Finally, having an understanding of the numbers has been critical as a bootstrapped business. This spans everything from how many units of product + packaging I can order with my budget, to what price I need to hit the margins required to grow the business organically, to what my burn rate is so I know the revenue and cash flow metrics I need to keep going, etc.
You don’t need to be an expert but having a basic understanding of how the P&L works will help you make informed decisions on business investments, growth, and strategy. There is so much free content available on these topics. If this is a black box for you, take the time to watch a YouTube video and learn the basics. Even if you hire outside help to support you on the financial side, you still need to know how to interpret the information they give you.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
We are always looking to collaborate with brands & events that align with our mission! As the fragrance of experiences, we’re looking to work with events such as music festivals, fashion shows, weddings, travel brands and trip planning, hotels, etc. If there is something you believe would be a good fit you can reach us at [email protected].
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.shopevoquer.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/gracehowland_/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grace-howland-54036246/
- Other: http://instagram.com/shopevoquer/
https://www.tiktok.com/@gracehowland_
Image Credits
Heintje Mendoza
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
