We had the good fortune of connecting with Tara Owens and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tara, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
After being a fashion model for 20 years, I became a beauty editor of a local magazine. Learning a lot about the beauty industry, especially the perfume industry, I became engulfed with the idea of starting my own perfume company called Seren Apothecary. After working closely with a perfumer, we blended three beautiful scents which turned into our first perfume Willow, which people gravitated towards, and in turn growing in popularity.

What should our readers know about your business?
Seren Apothecary was started with the intention of making women feel the best version of themselves. Our goal is to empower women by using natural and feminine notes. We literally started the business as two single moms, scraping the money to start Seren. Our first perfume, Willow, was a hit and all. the money we put up to start the. business. came back to us fairly quickly. Pre-Covid, we we’re extremely busy, then during Covid it slowed down. Now, I feel like we have a fresh start on the business to create beautiful and original fragrances.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was visiting the area and I wanted to show them a good time, I would take them to the Ojai Valley Inn. We would eat at the Farmer & Cook, and then go to the Farmer’s market because I love the Farmers market in Ojai. Then, we could visit the Hot Springs and go for a beautiful hike.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to shoutout my mother, Diana Owens, for introducing me all the incredible perfumes as a child. She always would come home with a new perfume, and would teach me about the different notes in a specific scent.

Website: https://serenapothecary.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/serenapothecary/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063674341653

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.