Discover : 

• Elodie Cottin
• Promotion 2016 - Master FESIPCA
• Co-founder of Récoltes

What is your educational background?

I completed a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry in Versailles and then completed a one-year Master's degree in Chemistry before joining the FESIPCA Master's program from which I graduated in 2016.

What is your professional background after ISIPCA?

I was two years in a work-study program at Symrise in Fine Fragrance evaluation in Paris and I also worked at Symrise New York for 6 months. Finally, I returned to Symrise Paris and stayed there for 2 years as a Fine Fragrance evaluator. In September 2019, I went to Guatemala for 3 months in immersion in the company Nelixia, a producer of essential oils. I have always loved working with raw materials and I was keen to meet producers and share an olfactory training within the company.

When I returned to France in January 2020, it was the beginning of a new adventure with the launch of our candle project!

How did you get the idea for this project and how did you set it up?

On a whim! With Martin, we wanted to do something with our hands, a manual and artisanal work but still related to perfumery. In fact, before we had this idea, we had taken part in a week-long workshop in the South of France, which certainly gave us the idea!

We took advantage of our free time during the lockdown to set up our project, we started by making an appointment with an accountant and then we presented our brief to the perfumers with whom we were both used to collaborate at Symrise. As for the production, we put together our own specifications and then set up our workshop in the countryside of Lyon.

What has been the greatest challenge you have overcome in your entrepreneurial adventure? What barriers did you encounter and how did you overcome them?

The ability to multitask. When you embark on an entrepreneurial adventure, you have to know how to wear several hats at the same time: accountant, salesman, community manager... As time went by, we discovered several aspects of the business and we had no other choice than to adapt. Nevertheless the sharing of tasks was done more or less instinctively between Martin and I and when we are faced with a problem we confront it and find a solution together.

What are the key moments that contributed to the success of this projects?

We surrounded ourselves with the right people, this has clearly contributed to the success of our project. Between our friends at Symrise, the graphic designer who created our identity and simply the trust between Martin and me.

What advice would you give to successfully manage the creation of a business?

Get started, don't hesitate! Don't be afraid of failure and believe in your product. Take the time to mature your project and surround yourself with the right people.

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