John Machacek, Chief Innovation Officer for the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation, has worked with countless startups throughout our community over the years. He knows their ups, and their downs, but most of all, he knows the questions to ask them. Here are John Machacek’s 10 questions for Frederick Robin, CEO, STUDIO FSR.
1. To start off, will you please tell me your STUDIO FSR elevator pitch?
We create original music and scent designed to intensify shared experiences with loved ones. Our products are handmade in small batches, plastic-free, and made from only environmentally sustainable materials. We are a family-owned company pioneering a new, authentic way to connect with your closest companions.
2. I recall hearing that you basically started your business when you were 14 years old. Will you please tell me more about that backstory from then to now?
STUDIO FSR started as a homemade bar soap company. I have sensitive skin that is easily irritated. Yet, a lot of the proposed solutions at the time were either too expensive, not attractive in scent, color, or packaging, or not environmentally friendly, so I set out to make my own. As a child, I always enjoyed learning how to create and sell things, whether wood fish decoys, office supplies, or soap. I spent months researching the chemistry, and the art, of soap making. I learned about the nuances and ratios of different oils and how every ingredient affects each other in a delicate balancing act.
My allowance became my R&D fund then, and my soapmaking was fueled by cleaning the roof, picking up sticks from our yard, and being the family handyman. After many burns, spills, and the house being covered in soap, I found the perfect formula and decided to sell it at the end of our driveway, where passersby were intrigued by the absence of lemonade at my roadside stand. I recall my first customer: a woman in a convertible, who was probably thirsty for lemonade, rolled up, and by the end of our discussion, I sold her my five bars of blue Rosemary wave-cut oatmeal bar soap.
That continued throughout the summer of 2016. Once school started, demand continued, and my mother, a retired dentist, joined the team. We began creating more products such as lotion, shower gel, candles, bath bombs, and lip balm. Each batch was better than the last, and we were learning how to make the very best products. A family friend was opening a local boutique at that time in Detroit Lakes, and she wanted to sell our products and became our first retail partner of over 150 to date.
3. What made you pivot from the soap and focus on your current product lines of candles, perfumes, and lotion?
We made almost every skin and body product a person could need. It was a gratifying, and messy, hobby. During the COVID-19 pandemic, hand sanitizer was nearly impossible to find, but we had unobstructed access to all the ingredients to make it, so we did, which was a major turning point for the business. We began focusing on what products are generating traction in the market and what products need to be discontinued. Rather than having three coconut scents, why not just make one perfect coconut scent? We began really defining our brand identity at that time and creating consistent packaging, fonts, language, imagery, and aesthetic value. Today, we have 10 core products: 1 Lotion, 3 Perfumes, and 6 Musical Candles.
4. The musical candles are definitely a niche. Can you please explain that further to me?
We create music in-house and in collaboration with musicians across the US, Europe, and Asia. The music is specifically created to be discreet and to be played while lighting our candles. There is a lot of overlap between the use case of candles and music: relaxation, mood-setting, social situations, and a backdrop for conversation. Both affect people emotionally and by being discreet with the music and delicate with the scent, our musical candles have the power to enhance the environment peripherally. I’m incredibly blessed to know some of the world’s most exceptional composers, perfumers, designers, and creative talents, some of them at my own alma mater Concordia College. By creating a multi-sensory commercial product like this, we are giving emerging artists an opportunity for their voices to be heard and elevate their talent in an exciting, unconventional way.
5. This is an innovative and creative concept, but I’ll ask this question what others may think. Why your musical candles as opposed to just buying a candle and putting on some music?
The goal is not to be heard or smelled but to be felt. This goal is different from traditional music, which aims to tell a story or catch your attention. Both the music and candles have a certain level of discretion, a balance of creative expression, and social restraint. For example, our music doesn’t have many extreme changes or loud moments; instead, countless little changes, subtle evolutions, and puzzles hide within the works. True STUDIO FSR enthusiasts will take the time to discover these and appreciate their value in the context of a musical candle.
6. Going back to you mentioning Concordia College. I first learned of your business when you spoke at StartupBREW Fargo’s Concordia Takeover Day. Were you involved with the entrepreneurship program at the college?
I became connected with the entrepreneurship program during my very last semester at Concordia College. Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship Bree Langemo came across an article featuring my Scent+Music work with an orchestra in Rome, Italy, where I had written an orchestral work and created a themed scent that was distributed throughout the concert hall in synchrony with the symphony. She invited me to speak at StartupBREW, and at that point, I learned how supportive and kind the Fargo-Moorhead community is. For example, Concordia College had announced the Cobbertunity Fund, which is an investment fund run by Concordia students, the earnings of which become grants for Cobber entrepreneurs, illustrating the support of Concordia and the Fargo-Moorhead entrepreneurial mindset. Another great example of local support is how I met you at StartupBREW, and then when we met for coffee one day, you introduced me to another Cobber at the next table, who then introduced me to a procurement specialist who is helping to build out our wholesale business.
7. On that note, what can you tell me about your process and plans for selling wholesale?
We realized that wholesale is the next step for us. We presently have an online store and do several events, workshops, and festivals throughout the United States, but wholesale creates synergistic, aligned opportunities with already established retail partners. We are in discussions with some higher-end department stores and are preparing ourselves to fulfill larger orders, a complex logistical process, and a big leap for STUDIO FSR. Part of this process means finding local talent to help with manufacturing, and we employ several college students with unusual schedules. It doesn’t matter if 5,000 candles get wicked at 10 a.m. or 2 a.m., as long as they get done!
8. I wanted to make sure to ask about the formulating of your scents and perfumes, as that does not sound simple to me. How does one even go about creating and manufacturing these?
Making perfumes is quite fun and not simple! In my lab, there are hundreds of different bottles of ingredients from every continent, including Antarctica! I utilize my nose, sense of style, and aesthetic taste to determine what story to tell. I imagine different textures and colors and how the air feels, and I interpret how that would be assembled in a perfume. I typically formulate outside the lab in real life. Most of my time is spent away from the lab, walking, reading, or conversing. A phrase someone shares or a specific shadow on a building may be the spark of inspiration I need. It is my job to understand how the different architectural components of perfumery work. For instance, if you named virtually any scent imaginable, I could make it with only a few ingredients. Understanding the architecture of scent and the function of each material in different situations is essential to deeply understanding perfume.
On the technical side, I must ensure the finished product is up to U.S. and European safety standards, so I send the formula to colleagues in France and the UK, who make adjustments until the product is in compliance with safety standards. The adjustments are primarily regulatory, but sometimes they are aesthetic.
9. If you could go back in time to Frederick in the past, what advice would you give yourself?
I should stay focused and look at the numbers. It is easy to get carried away following whatever you’d like to do, but that is being a hobbyist. Creating a real business requires a balance of passion and practicality.
10. To close the interview, as a last question, what can we do as a community to help you and Studio FSR succeed?
The most significant help STUDIO FSR could receive is connections to upscale boutiques in larger metropolitan cities. We are working on competing against traditional scent-only candle brands that have historically dominated those stores.
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