470: This NYC Native Runs a Luxury Fragrance Boutique Out Of Her Harlem Brownstone REWIND

Side Hustle Pro

Nicaila Matthews Okome | Side Hustle Pro Media

Nicailamatthewsokome, Blackwomenentrepreneurs, Sidehustle, Blackpodcast, Sidehustlepro, Marketing, Sidehustles, Business, Smallbusinesspodcast, Sidehustleshow, Blackownedbusiness, Blackwomenownedbusiness, Blackwomen, Blackentrepreneurs, Smallbusinessshow, Businesspodcast, Entrepreneurship, Smallbusinessowners

4.8 • 1.8K Ratings

🗓️ 9 July 2025

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week in the guest chair we have Kimberly Waters, founder of Modern Urban Sensory Experiences, or MUSE, a luxury boutique fragrance house based in Harlem, NY. When Kimberly realized her role in corporate America was not providing her room to grow into her potential, she launched MUSE out of the parlor floor of a friend’s brownstone on Convent Ave in Harlem and has been growing ever since.

In this episode Kimberly shares:

Why tapping into her community of mentors and entrepreneurs was the right direction
How she has self-funded her business since 2017 with no outside capital
How she has partnered with hard-to-find global brands, become a sought-after destination for emerging brands

Highlights Include:

00:00 Intro

05:50 Challenges in corporate America

9:00 Small-scale beginnings

22:46 Self-financing her side hustle

28:03 The unique customer experience

35:26 Revenue streams

39:18 Target audience and marketing

51:13 Tips for entrepreneurs

Check out episode 470 of Side Hustle Pro podcast out now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube

Links mentioned in this episode

Kimberly’s Website: https://www.museexperiences.com/
Kimberly’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/muse_experiences/
By Killian: https://www.bykilian.com/
Myleik Teele’s SHP Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtJgMJXpUPY

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Guest Social Media Info

Kimberly’s Website: https://www.museexperiences.com/
Kimberly’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/muse_experiences/

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Transcript

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0:00.0	So there was kind of a challenge for me because here I am.
0:04.2	I know my talents and I know my skill set.
0:09.0	I know that, you know, God put me on this earth to do amazing things.
0:13.1	So why isn't corporate America acknowledging all of this greatness, right?
0:18.5	That was kind of that question that I have pondered over for so long.
0:23.9	You're listening to Side Hustle Pro, the podcast that teaches you to build and grow your side hustle
0:29.9	from Passion Project to Profitable Business.
0:32.9	And I'm your host, Nikaela Matthews Okome.
0:35.7	So let's get started.
0:43.3	Hey, hey friends, welcome, welcome back to the show. Today I am joined by Kimberly Waters.
0:46.3	Kimberly is the founder and owner of modern urban sensory experiences, or muse.
0:52.3	Muce is a luxury boutique fragrance house based in Harlem, New York. In 2017,
0:58.7	Kimberly founded Muce on the parlor floor of a friend's brownstone on Convin Avenue in Harlem.
1:04.8	What started as a humble beginning has evolved tremendously. Today, Mews has been featured in numerous media outlets,
1:13.1	partnered with global brands, and has become a sought-after destination for emerging brands,
1:19.1	especially those seeking to enter the U.S. market or establish themselves in diverse communities.
1:24.5	And can you believe Kimberly did this all while side hustling? In fact,
1:29.1	she's still a side hustler and it's so much fun to be joined by someone who is at that
1:34.9	pivot point where they have a plan, they have a timeline and they're working towards
1:41.1	bringing the leap from side hustle to full-time entrepreneur into fruition.
1:46.7	So I really enjoyed our conversation.
1:49.6	I loved hearing what inspired her to initially pull the plug and start working on Muse for real.
	...

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