Starting a New Chapter | Work, Change & Preparing for What’s Next

There’s a big change in the air for me. I’m starting a new role at work. On paper it may not seem dramatic. Same company, familiar faces, similar orbit. But the type of work will shift, expectations will evolve, and my daily rhythm will need recalibrating. It feels like the start of a new chapter. Lately I’ve been noticing those familiar “back to school” feelings creeping in — the quiet need to prepare, to reset, to step into a slightly different version of myself. Join me in this video as I: • Head out to the desert for a little outlet shopping • Search for new work clothes and the right work bag • Pick up ingredients to make a proper Béarnaise sauce • Share a perfect dinner and a bottle of Rombauer Zinfandel with Brennan Preparing for this transition has also sent me down memory lane. A writer from Basenotes recently asked me to reflect on my path in perfume and include archival photos. Looking through them was unexpectedly emotional — teenage years, New York art days, London sculpture shows, early Los Angeles moments at Scent Bar. So many versions of myself. So many hairstyles. I also recently heard a Chinese astrologer describe what the Year of the Horse might bring for those of us born in the Year of the Rat. The short version: growth through discomfort. Less cute, more necessary. It feels accurate. How do you prepare for change? And more importantly… what does change smell like to you? Thank you for being here. #yearofthehorse2026 #lunarnewyear #lifetransition #outletshopping #basenotes