Meet Carrie Hadley | Perfumer & Founder of INDIEHOUSE modern fragrances

We had the good fortune of connecting with Carrie Hadley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carrie, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
I think what a lot of my customers and guests to our store do not realize is that we are required to purchase all of the product that they see on the shelves upfront. So I had to write a check to the brand for the product that they see on the shelves. I own it until you do!

When people come into the store, smell everything and then go buy it online directly from the brand or from another retailer who only has the product available online, they are taking away their own ability to come and have a local shopping experience again in the future. If you don’t buy it from me then I don’t have the revenue to pay the overhead for the space that you came to nor can I pay the person who spent time with you answering all of your questions.

I don’t think it’s a problem just in my industry, I would imagine it’s shared by any small retailer who exists to serve their community. We put our hard earned money into a brick and mortar store in your community so that we could build relationships with you and give jobs to your neighbors. If you don’t spend your money locally your small local boutiques will disappear and you will be left with the generic offerings of the big corporate chains. Shop local!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
In the lead-up to opening INDIEHOUSE modern fragrances, I was fortunate to be able to study the art of perfume with a number of very talented Perfumers in New York, Los Angeles, Grasse (France), and Florence (Italy). Of course, like most people, I had dreams of starting my own brand. In 2018 as I was starting to get more serious about launching a line of fine fragrances, close to 2800 other brands had launched in just that single year alone! I thought, “how on earth am I going to stand out against brands that have more capital backing than I do in a really crowded marketplace? ”

I asked that question of a Perfumer-mentor that I was working with and he suggested that I take a look at my personal collection of fragrances and look for trends. From that, he suggested that I hone in on a specific style to master and just do that for other people who share a love of that niche. Which was brilliant advice. However upon reviewing my collection I realized that I was all over the place, so I headed to the popular Atlanta Mall to shop and try to discover what styles caught my attention.

This was really the beginning of INDIEHOUSE. The mall was not my jam. Everything behind glass counters, all of the fragrances smelling pretty much the same despite the price and brand, no transparency in pricing (you don’t get to know what it costs until you get to the checkout), little blank white strips of paper (and no pen!) making it impossible to keep track all the while a salesperson hungry for a sale asking lots of questions and following you around the entire department.

What I found most offensive about the traditional experience was that many of the fragrances that I wanted to try were not actually in the ATLANTA store – they were online only. When I asked for testers they looked at me like I had lost my mind. “We only carry those brands in our New York and LA stores ma’am”.

So I realized there was a need for a new shopping experience, and at INDIEHOUSE, we fixed all of those things. Funnels with prices on them to allow guests to experience the fragrance without getting it all over their hands. Scents grouped by mood, ingredient or occasion to make shopping more intuitive. But at the start it was just a concept and the small interesting niche brands that I reached out to told me not to waste my money opening a store because “Atlanta is not a sophisticated enough market – they will only buy trendy brand names, they don’t understand niche.”

This is when the workshops were born. People only know what they have been told by the giant corporations behind those mall brands. I decided to combine both pain points to put together classes that teach people how to recognize and appreciate quality in a fun way that is social and builds their confidence in purchasing these beautiful products.

Today we have 2 fragrance studios in the Atlanta metro where you can not only shop for an imported, niche fragrance that you would normally have to travel to Europe or Asia to find, but you can also take a class where we guide you through the process of fine fragrance creation to create your own bespoke scent using Professional-grade imported perfumers oils using professional perfumers techniques. I guess it worked because we have made perfumes with over 8,000 guests since opening in 2020 (yes, during THAT pandemic) and have a combined 900 organic 5-star reviews on Google!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
First, a workshop at INDIEHOUSE (of course!) then dinner at Forza Storico over in the Westside Provisions District off Howell Mill Rd. Get the the cacio e pepe or any of their traditional made-fresh pasta’s – delish! A stop by Jeni’s Ice Cream on the way back to the car would be a definite possibility if I was able to resist finishing off my entire plate of pasta.

I’m a big coffee person and while I usually brew their blends at home, we would visit one of the DANCING GOATS COFFEE locations for a chilly goat chai. I love modern art so a visit to The Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia (MOCA) in Buckhead would definitely be a spot we would visit then over to the original TREAT YOUR FEET on Buford Highway for some relaxing foot massages!

I own a small business, so if you can get me away from it for 48 hours you’ve accomplished a lot – the rest of the week you are on your own!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My family for sure, this would have been impossible without their feedback and support. My husband not only agreed to invest in the idea but has also built solid walnut cabinets, tables and shelving for both stores, has moved said furniture multiple times between locations, and is asked on a pretty regular basis for new display pieces as the business morphs and changes. Thankfully he is really good at it, even though he would rather not as he has his own small business to manage!

I would also love to give a shoutout to my three daughters who were the inspiration for starting the business and they have been such a tremendous source of support along the way. When I was in my early 20’s, the same ages that they are now, the only real options for women were to work or stay home. I wanted to create a business that would allow my girls the flexibility to work in their community while also having a family if that’s what they choose. Modern retail is an amazing dynamic business that requires each team member to be proficient in a number of different roles, and no two days are ever alike when working with the public! We are a long way from the old fashioned model of “cashiers” in Retail and at INDIEHOUSE we have built a team of individuals who all bring a unique skill set but share a passion for helping our guests to find their perfect scent.

Website: https://indiehousefragrances.com

Instagram: @indiehousefragrances

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carriehadleyatlanta/

Other: email: hello@indiehousefragrances.com

Image Credits
Dee Flores