Fabulous Fragrances
Company: Fabulous Fragrances, La Quinta, California
Company Description: Since 1994, Fabulous Fragrances has been dedicated to the art of perfumery. Founder Jan Moran is a bridge between the perfumer and the consumer, creating cutting-edge web encyclopedias (fabulousfragrances.info), syndicated articles (Newscom.com), and bestselling books (Rizzoli, Nordstrom, Saks) for fragrance retailers and aficionados. In addition, her intern program trains writers of all ages.
Nomination Category: Stevie Awards for Women Entrepreneur Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Technology Innovator of the Year
Nomination Title: Fabulous Fragrances: The 2004 ".Info" Story
Tell the story about what the nominated company achieved during the eligibility period (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:
Fabulous Fragrances founder Jan Moran was crushed when she discovered her book, Fabulous Fragrances, pirated on the Internet. With a “let’s make lemonade from lemons” attitude, despite legal and technological hurdles, she recognized hidden opportunity. She spent the next six years expanding her fragrance research and studying technology to develop the world’s first comprehensive content licensing program for the fragrance industry: Fabulous Fragrances.Info.
In 2004, this web-based fragrance encyclopedia debuted with reviews of 4,000+ perfumes. The first of its kind for online and brick-and-mortar retailers, the database combines product reviews and history with sophisticated multi-search capabilities. “Some of the perfume history was in danger of disappearing,” Moran
adds. She reviews every fragrance, writes the profile, and categorizes the scent according to character, season, and occasion. She includes awards, famous patrons, and designer quotes. Retailers license the content from Fabulous Fragrances.Info to make shopping easier for customers, and to train sales staffs.Moran’s experience stems from her work for firms such as Yves Saint Laurent and Giorgio. In her research and writings, she is the bridge from the perfumer to the consumer. Last month, she unveiled a second new database, The Fragrance Resource Program, offering syndicated columns and articles to editors through Newscom.com, a Tribune Media company.
In 1997, her first book, Fabulous Fragrances, earned a position on Rizzoli Books bestseller list. This was especially notable, for this was the first book to offer comprehensive reviews and easy explanations for perfume use. Traditional publishers had balked, but Moran knew her market. She borrowed funds to form a publishing company and publish the book. She went on to sell the book in Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks, and Marshall Field, and in all major bookstores. Today, a second book, Fabulous Fragrances II, continues the series,
and Moran’s company distributes books from other fragrance experts, such as FiFi-Award winning author, Michael Edwards of Sydney. (The FiFi is from New York’s The Fragrance Foundation.)This self-taught publisher and technological innovator worked her way through college as a single mother. Today she offers scholarships and intern training to students. Given the nature of the industry, most interns are women. However, they include young college students as well as those returning to school after raising families. Students gain resume experience and learn public relations, product manufacturing, editorial, and entrepreneurship.
In 2004, Moran jumped from small niche publisher to international content provider. Her company grows as retailers and product manufacturers embrace her database offerings. Yet, at the heart of her accomplishments are her intern students and freelance team, many of whom have worked with her since she founded her company in 1994. “It’s all about people, and making their dreams come true.” Eschewing formal titles, one of her most valued team members usually works from home due to a chronic illness. However, thanks to the success of Fabulous Fragrances.Info and its Internet format, Moran and her team can be effective from remote locations, and enjoy a rich quality of life in the process.
List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: List each link on a separate line, begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.website.com]. NOTE: You may submit supporting materials for your nomination offline, but only judges who request them will see them:
http://www.electroniccontent.com/fabfrag.cfm
http://www.electroniccontent.com/qual.cfm
http://www.fabulousfragrances.com/presskit_people.html
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0963906542/qid=1088645205/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-0802443-7619835?v=glance&s=books
http://lamasbeauty.com/beauty/february02/Fabulous_Fragrances3.htm
http://www.fragrance.org/LB_fabulous.htm
http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/cgi-bin/displayRights.pl?rights_no=1282
http://women.msn.com/a435023.armx
http://www.authorsguild.org/?p=13313
http://www.fabulousfragrances.com/preskit_general.html
Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography of the leader of the nominated company:
Jan Moran is an author, and beauty and fragrance authority. She is a graduate of the University of Texas and the Harvard Business School, and attended M.I.T., the Institute of World Affairs, and the UCLA Writer's Program. As a management consulting executive, she advised corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, and Japan. She resides in Southern California. Moran is the author of the books, Fabulous Fragrances I and II. Moran also serves as Vice President and General Manager of a family foundation, established in 1952 by her husband's late parents. In 2004, she introduced a cutting-edge program, Fabulous Fragrances.Info.