Lara Morgan
Owner Scentered
What inspired you to start your business?
A gap in the market where making a portable range of premium mind-benefiting rituals from aromatherapy blends could give us a unique point of difference, one that is wholly on-trend with the demands of the exponential growth in lifestyle demand.
What challenges have you faced as a woman entrepreneur and how did you overcome them?
The availability for funding to build accelerated growth is far too tough to come by in ambitiously-minded enterprising women, but irrespective of this, the good leadership of people where a customer-centric culture leads great service delivery and continual innovation will always mean people remain the hardest challenge for enterprise growth.
Doors sometimes do not easily open. Get yourself a well-placed, educated, persistent, and resilient shell and then leap outside your comfort zone – daily.
What advice would you give to other women entrepreneurs?
Try, try, try again, don’t take no for an answer, wade through treacle if you have to, be engaging in your relationship building, relentless in targeted and well-planned time spent networking, keep data with meticulous attention to detail, and deliver on your promise always putting the customer first.
What women inspire you?
My mum.
What three traits define you?
Tenacious, determined, organised.
How has being a Certified WBE helped your business?
Exposure, education, networking into corporates and the value of continued learning.
What do you see as the coolest or most important trend in your industry?
The general well-being initiative and talk about the importance of all round mental health.
As a business owner, what keeps you up at night?
It doesn’t. I sleep like a log using my own product Sleep Well from Scentered if something has possibly disturbed me in the night. I also stick to a very disciplined approach to not drinking in the week, have a ritual order in which I do switch off from digital well in advance of sleep time, and I exercise most days.
What are the biggest obstacles you see for young female entrepreneurs?
Lack of ambition, lack of an enterprising belief in themselves, and a desire to put everyone else first in the nurture-over-nature role which slows down their own personal opportunity. You need not be selfish when running a business but you need to say ‘no’ more than ‘yes.’
What do you love about being a business owner?
Allows me to have a certain lifestyle and opportunity, feeling I have made a difference, I am in control of what I do each day, and I love my work which is a huge privilege.
What’s the hardest part about being a business owner?
Life balance and responsibility for others’ mortgage payments which is a huge trust people put in start-up leaders and should always be respected and valued.
How do you define success?
I love a quote about how we should learn to be contented with what we have, then whatever else we manage to build, create, grow, learn, deliver and enable the progress of others, that’s all icing on the cake. I am a positive person whom works relentlessly not to put up with any negativity or regret. I cannot change the past but the future is for us all to own.
What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received?
If you don’t ask you don’t get.
What’s your favorite career moment?
Going to the bank having sold my first company the day the exit paperwork was signed and seeing the teller write out the amount deposited in my account. It was a vision I had been driven by for a long time and was the moment the many excessive hours of effort were repaid. Life changing and never to be taken lightly.
If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time?
Read, educate self and others, spend more time with family.
What’s the best way to start your day?
Exercise, breath, relax and welcome the day and whatever it brings.
How do you unwind after a long workday?
Exercise, read, sleep, and spend time with family.
What do you like about your workspace?
It’s easy and relaxed.
Fill in the blank:
When I face a challenge, I... look it in the eye.
If I could go back in time, I would tell myself… you did okay.
The one thing I couldn’t live without is… family.
To get my creative juices flowing, I… breathe and focus.
By this time next year, I will be… fit again.
Scentered
Scentered offers a unique range of 100% natural, portable aromatherapy balms and candles, to help you stay balanced naturally.
