Via a digital form, Vernon asked my age, astrological sign, which fragrances I love and hate, the purpose of the perfume, budget (she can work with any price parameters), my current aesthetic, and my aspirational one. Vernon suggests including your favorite celebrities, colors, style trends, and fictional characters for inspiration.
Since Vernon usually doesn’t meet with her clients in-person, which would allow for back and forth conversation, she wants as much clarity and detail as possible. Even your Instagram handle, which Vernon gives the option to include, can be a useful clue.
Occasionally, Vernon asks follow up questions if her client’s responses indicate they’re a fellow “frag-head” (in which case, she might reach out to check on their familiarity with perfume suggestions she’s considering) or if their answers are too vague.
Vernon knows that some of her clients use perfume as a tool to embody their truest self, and others use it like playing dress-up, sharing a different iteration of their identity. One such client is Alexandra Pauly, a beauty editor at Highsnobiety with an extensive fragrance background, who had a consultation with Vernon in New York.
Pauly uses perfume as an accessory, complementing or contrasting with what she’s wearing. She also links it to her mood. “If I’m in a really good mood maybe I want something that’s really bright, sparkling, and citrusy; if I’m a little moody maybe I want something darker,” she says. “I think it’s about creating a character, just the way you do when you get dressed.”
Pauly thought Vernon’s consultation service was the perfect way for a scent newcomer to learn, but also saw its merit for an experienced perfume lover. “I think if you’re a collector who maybe has a gap in their collection, or if you’re looking for a certain fragrance for a specific occasion, it can be a very valuable service,” she says. After her own session with Vernon, Pauly ended up purchasing a bottle of Nasomatto Baroanda, which she mostly wears at night, due to the scent’s woody, whiskey top notes.
Three main points inspired Vernon to recommend Baroanda: Pauly told Vernon she wanted to smell like an Olsen twin, wanted something unlike anything she owned, and was willing to spend up to $200. While her favorite notes vary (iris/violet, rose, galbanum, patchouli, leather, spices) Vernon picked Baroanda because Pauly’s favorite fragrances evoke a similar energy: “chic, but approachable.”
Sponsored by Monday Properties and written by ARLnow, Startup Monday is a weekly column that profiles Arlington-based startups, founders, and other local technology news. Monday Properties is proudly featuring Three Ballston Plaza.
Ballston-based human resources startup PerformYard has nabbed a $95 million equity investment from Updata Partners, a D.C.-based growth equity firm.
PerformYard, which offers companies employee performance management software that handles everything from annual reviews to quarterly goals, announced the investment earlier this month.
The investment from Updata, which invests in business-to-business software-driven companies, caps off other recent windfalls for PerformYard. Its revenue grew by five times over the last four years, launched a new product last summer and, last spring, was ranked first in the category of “Highest Satisfaction Software” by G2, a peer-to-peer review site.
Now, bolstered by the $95 million investment, PerformYard intends to hire more staff across all departments. Right now, it has eight full-time positions open, per its website.
“We are thrilled to partner with Updata as we embark on our next phase of growth in solving performance management challenges,” PerformYard Founder and CEO Ben Hastings said in a statement. “Given the incredible success and growth our team has realized in recent years, I view this partnership as a natural evolution of our business to support continued development and expansion.”
Hastings founded PerformYard in 2013 to help organizations improve employee performance through better management and improvements to standard practices within human resources, such as performance reviews. For instance, notes PerformYard, 93% of organizations run employee performance reviews but almost the same percentage of HR leaders, 90%, are unhappy with their process.
“We identified a critical need for employers to better manage, coach, retain and progress talent throughout their organizations,” Hastings said. “Over the last 10 years, we have seen the emphasis on employee performance and engagement deepen significantly. Our plan is to continue building our organization to support these critical initiatives.”
Updata General Partner Carter Griffin, who will join PerformYard’s Board of Directors, complimented Hastings and the PerformYard team for its exceptional performance in recent years.
“With PerformYard, we see an opportunity to win in a large and important category,” he said in a statement. “We are excited to help further scale the company.”
Photo via PerformYard/Facebook