Today we’d like to introduce you to Derek Ford.
Derek, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
About a year or so back, I started my fragrance journey and along the way, I noticed that there weren’t any images of African Americans or any other people of color in fragrance ads. I also noticed that when I asked my friends what fragrance they enjoyed wearing, most of them couldn’t recall the name of the fragrance or didn’t wear any at all. I then decided to make it my mission to highlight more African Americans in the fragrance community as well as create a media outlet that would allow me to promote fragrance influencers regardless of color. After creating an FB group and an Instagram account, I decided to start a radio show with a radio station in Decatur, GA. After parting ways with the station, I reached out to Shawn Ward and we are now working together on Scent Gents Radio (podcast).
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The road thus far has been pretty smooth. the fragrance community has been very open to Scent Gents and we’ve received extremely positive feedback from our podcast guests and listeners. Our FB group is very active, and we have recently started to host fragrance themed events here in Atlanta. Our forthcoming challenge will be expanding into an online magazine.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Scent Gents – what should we know?
Scent Gents is a fragrance centered LLC focused on marketing, branding, and bringing awareness to men’s fragrances. Scent Gents’ biggest goal is to create and maintain an exclusive culture for fragrance fanatics through various media platforms including social, online and print.
We host a weekly podcast on IHeartRadio that highlights fragrance, fashion, politics and culture. The second half of the podcast show is dedicated to interviewing fragrance influencers & entrepreneurs and getting their personal takes on fragrances. The show is hosted by myself and Shawn Ward. With 2,000 plus plays, Scent Gents Radio is the fastest growing podcast dedicated to men’s fragrances.
Scent Gents also hosts fragrance themed events. We recently teamed up with Italian fragrance house Acqua Di Parma last month for Master Class at Bloomingdale’s inside of Lenox Mall. Participants had the opportunity to enjoy beverages and snacks provided by Acqua Di Parma and learn about the fragrance line’s most popular fragrances from corporate sales reps. Our goal is to bring more events like this to the city of Atlanta and fragrance lovers (fragheads) across the state of Georgia.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
There are plenty of people who deserve credit for Scent Gents’ success. The first that comes to mind is Shawn Ward. Shawn co-hosts and produces Scent Gents Radio as well as hosts his own successful podcast, The Mancave Show. Others include our weekly guests on our podcast and its listeners.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.scentgents.com
- Phone: 678.707.2177
- Email: information@scentegents.com
- Instagram: Scent Gents
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1721061087934442/
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