When Preparation Meets Possibility

When Preparation Meets Possibility
October 26th, 2026

It's been a little while since my last update, but I've kept working on Kahli. I took some time off to play MapleStory Classic World and relive some nostalgia. Sometimes it's nice to revisit something that brought you happiness growing up. I've reached a point where I can balance both now, though I naturally find myself wanting to spend more time working on Kahli.

I think that's a good sign.

A lot has happened behind the scenes, even if there isn't much to show for it publicly just yet. I've been refining fragrances, testing candles, preparing my event setup, and slowly checking things off a seemingly endless list.

The funny thing is, I feel about 85% finished, but that remaining 15% feels like it could take forever.

And honestly? I'm okay with that. Well, mostly. I'm getting a little impatient, too.

The Never-Ending Process of Research and Development

One thing I've learned on this journey is how time-consuming research and development can be, especially with fragrances.

It's not simply a matter of mixing a few ingredients, deciding something smells nice, and calling it finished. There's a lot of testing, adjusting, waiting, and occasionally starting over.

With candles, I've finally settled on my wax blend, which is a huge relief. Finding the right balance between different waxes, fragrance performance, and overall appearance took quite a bit of experimentation.

Now I'm focusing on the scents themselves.

I'm actually considering simplifying some of my candle formulas even further. Certain fragrance combinations have undertones that don't quite work the way I imagined. Sometimes adding complexity doesn't necessarily improve something. A simpler blend can be clearer and let the fragrance express itself without competing notes.

It's a lesson I've been learning throughout this entire process: more isn't always better.

My perfumes are also nearing their final stages, though I still have a few adjustments to make.

Aureus is probably the fragrance I'm most confident about right now. I genuinely love how it turned out, and I think it's ready.

Moriko is another one I'm happy with. It has a subtle hint of fig surrounded by the atmosphere of a rainy forest. That's the feeling I wanted to capture, and I think I've achieved it.

Porcelain still needs some additional testing. I want to reduce some of its pear character and experiment with Helvetolide to see how it affects the overall composition.

Umbra is an interesting one. It smells unique and beautiful in its own way, but personally, it can give me a headache. It's funny because I don't actually wear perfume regularly. I prefer clean scents, or even no fragrance at all, and save perfume for special occasions.

Then there's Amerena, my cherry-and-tea fragrance. I really enjoy the concept, but the cherry opening is currently stronger than I'd like. I want to find a better balance so the fragrance develops more smoothly.

It's frustrating at times, especially when something smells wonderful but doesn't perform exactly how I want it to.

Does Every Perfume Need to Be Loud?

Lately, I've been thinking about fragrance projection.

A lot of people nowadays expect perfumes to be incredibly powerful. There's an emphasis on fragrances that fill rooms, leave enormous scent trails, and last practically forever.

And I understand the appeal. Performance matters, especially when someone is spending their hard-earned money on a fragrance.

But does every perfume really need to announce your arrival?

I don't necessarily think so.

There's something beautiful about a fragrance that stays close to the skin. Something intimate that another person might notice only when they're standing near you.

A perfume doesn't always need to dominate a room to be memorable.

Of course, I still want my fragrances to last and project well. I'm not using this philosophy to excuse poor performance. It's simply something I've come to appreciate as I develop them.

Different fragrances can serve different purposes, and I think there's room for both bold and intimate compositions.

Ultimately, I want each fragrance to smell beautiful and perform in a way that complements its character.

Finding that balance has been one of the more challenging parts of this journey.

Creating Something From My Own Imagination

One thing I'm particularly proud of is that my fragrances aren't inspired by existing commercial perfumes.

I don't start with a popular fragrance and attempt to recreate it or develop something similar.

Instead, I think about what I personally believe would smell beautiful, imagine how certain notes might interact, and experiment until I create something I enjoy.

And I've been doing all of this with a relatively limited collection of fragrance materials.

Perfumery can become incredibly expensive, especially when you're purchasing individual aroma chemicals, fragrance oils, and other ingredients for experimentation.

I'd love to explore so many materials, but I've had to be selective about what I purchase.

In a way, those limitations have encouraged me to become more resourceful and creative.

I have to think carefully about what I already own, what might work together, and whether I really need to buy another ingredient.

I'm excited to expand my collection of materials eventually because it will open up even more creative possibilities.

There are so many fragrances I'd love to develop in the future.

But for now, I'm proud of what I've created with the resources available to me.

And perhaps that's part of what makes these first fragrances special.

They're a reflection of my imagination, my experimentation, and the limitations I had to work within at this particular stage of my life.

Learning to Appreciate the Mistakes

Looking back, I'm most proud of how I've handled my mistakes.

And trust me, there have been plenty.

I've ordered the wrong tools, made label decisions I later regretted, and developed formulas that simply didn't work.

Some mistakes cost money. Others cost time. Occasionally, they cost both.

But I don't really regret them.

What matters most is how quickly I've been able to recover, make adjustments, and keep moving forward.

There's no point in spending too much time being upset about something that has already happened, especially when there's still so much work to do.

I would rather acknowledge the mistake, learn something from it, and figure out what comes next.

That's not to say mistakes aren't frustrating. They absolutely are.

But I've become comfortable with the idea that failure is just part of the process.

I don't expect myself to get everything right the first time, and I don't think I need to.

As long as I'm learning and improving, I'm making progress.

Building a Brand Within My Means

One of the most satisfying moments throughout this journey has been seeing my products appear on the Kahli website.

There's something surreal about looking at a product page and realizing that the item being displayed is something I spent months developing.

I've spent countless hours researching and putting together the perfume bottles, labels, candle tins, stationery, and packaging.

And yet, every time I look at my perfume bottles, I immediately start thinking about how much I'd love to upgrade them.

Better bottles, more luxurious packaging, custom engraving, and a more refined presentation are all things I'd eventually like to introduce.

I'm not going to pretend that everything looks exactly how I envisioned it.

It doesn't.

But I'm genuinely proud of how everything looks considering the budget I've had to work with.

I think there's an important distinction between being satisfied with your progress and believing there's no room for improvement.

I'm happy with what I've accomplished, but I can still envision something better.

I've also realized that just because I want something doesn't mean it's what the business needs right now.

Growth Before Perfection

If Kahli begins generating consistent sales, I don't think my first priority will be upgrading the packaging.

As much as I'd love to, I'd rather reinvest that money in expanding the business.

More events, more marketing opportunities, and potentially reaching customers in different cities or states.

My current branding is good enough for where Kahli is today.

I don't need to spend thousands of dollars improving something that already serves its purpose when that money could be used to introduce the brand to more people.

If I can consistently reinvest profits into opportunities that generate additional sales, those earnings could eventually help fund even more growth.

And hopefully, one day, upgrading the packaging won't feel like such a significant financial decision.

It'll simply be another step in the brand's evolution.

I've realized that building a business isn't necessarily about making everything perfect before moving forward.

Sometimes it's about doing what's good enough for now while continuing to work toward something better.

Getting Ready to Finally Meet Customers

My event setup is almost complete!

I've purchased practically everything I need, including my canopy, tables, displays, cart, storage bins, and other supplies.

I still have a few smaller details to figure out, like pricing signage and possibly a display highlighting customer favorites or popular stationery items.

I also need to do a complete mock setup to finalize where everything belongs.

But overall, I'm incredibly happy with how it's coming together.

The only thing holding me back from registering for events right now is that I haven't completely finalized my fragrance collection.

I don't want to rush that process simply because I'm eager to start selling.

There's an event happening on March 13, shortly after my birthday, that I'm considering applying for. Ideally, I'd love to participate in events sooner, but I want to make sure I'm genuinely prepared.

Once my fragrances are ready, I plan to start pursuing event opportunities much more actively.

And I'm excited about the work that comes with them.

I know that spending three consecutive days at an event, working ten to twelve hours each day, will be physically demanding.

But I'm looking forward to it.

I'm not exhausted from building Kahli. As a person, though, I'm pretty much always tired. LOL.

I know the physically demanding part of this business hasn't even started yet, and I'm ready to experience it.

Eventually, I'd also love to participate in events outside California without having to attend every single one personally.

Hiring someone to represent Kahli at an event in another state is exciting.

Even if one of those events generated only a few hundred dollars in profit, I'd consider it an encouraging milestone.

It would mean the brand could begin reaching people beyond the places I can personally travel to.

Of course, there are plenty of logistical challenges involved, but it's something I'd love to work toward.

What Would Make My First Event Successful?

I've been thinking about what success would actually look like at my first event.

While making a few thousand dollars in sales would obviously be wonderful, I realized something would make me even happier.

Selling out of one of my fragrances.

Not just for the revenue, but because it would mean people genuinely enjoyed something I created.

I can already imagine someone smelling one of my perfumes and saying, "Wow, this smells amazing!"

Telling them I developed it myself would mean so much to me.

These fragrances started as ideas in my head. I spent months experimenting with different ingredients, adjusting formulas, and bringing those ideas to life.

Having someone appreciate the final result would make all that effort feel worthwhile.

And I'm looking forward to another experience.

Seeing someone purchase a Kahli product as a gift.

I've mentioned this before, but I genuinely love the thought of someone coming across one of my products and immediately thinking of someone they care about.

Maybe they see a candle and think their mother would love it.

Maybe a piece of stationery reminds them of their best friend.

Or perhaps they smell a perfume and decide it would make a wonderful gift for their partner.

There's something incredibly meaningful about that to me.

Someone I've never met could choose something from my brand to express their love or appreciation for another person.

It's such a simple interaction, but I think it's beautiful.

Knowing something I created could become part of that moment would make me incredibly happy.

Of course, I can't ignore the financial side.

Kahli is a business, and I need it to generate revenue.

I've invested a considerable amount of time and money to get this far, and I'm eager to start seeing a return on that investment.

But I don't think financial success and making people happy need to be separate goals.

Ideally, I'd love to build a business where both happen together.

The Reality of Being So Close

One of the harder parts of this stage is knowing how close I am to being ready while still having so much left to accomplish.

It's been roughly a year, perhaps longer, since I began working toward this vision. I know I started pursuing everything much more seriously around February of this year.

Looking back at everything I've done since then, I'm proud.

I've developed products, built vendor relationships, sourced packaging, created fragrances, tested candles, and prepared nearly everything I need to start attending events.

I've also secured suppliers for my labels and sticker sheets, which makes future production and reordering much easier.

Yet I constantly feel like I'm forgetting something.

Maybe I am.

But I also know I've completed an enormous number of tasks, and I need to give myself credit for that.

The remaining work can sometimes overshadow everything that's already been accomplished.

I think I need to be more mindful of that.

There will always be another task, another improvement, or another opportunity to pursue.

At some point, I have to recognize that progress doesn't become meaningless simply because the work isn't finished.

Excitement, Impatience, and Financial Reality

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't impatient.

Part of that impatience comes from excitement. I genuinely want to get out there, meet customers, and see how people respond to Kahli.

But there's also a financial reality.

I need to start making sales.

I haven't had much luck finding employment, though I also haven't actively searched for jobs since my last update.

I'm fortunate to be living with family, and I've already paid off my bills, leaving me with relatively few recurring expenses.

That gives me some breathing room to continue developing Kahli without the same immediate financial pressures I might otherwise face.

I'm grateful for it, and I don't take it for granted.

Still, I want to become financially independent through something I've built myself.

I've considered online advertising, but I'm hesitant to invest heavily before I better understand how customers respond to my products.

For now, I believe in-person events offer an opportunity to introduce Kahli directly to people.

Customers can smell the fragrances, experience the products, ask questions, and connect with the person behind the brand.

That kind of interaction is difficult to replicate through an online advertisement.

I'm hoping those experiences will give me valuable feedback while also helping the business generate its first meaningful stream of sales.

Looking Beyond the First Chapter

Even though I'm still preparing for my first events, I can't help thinking about everything I'd love to do with Kahli in the future.

I'd love to collaborate with local businesses, particularly boba shops and other places where I think the brand could find a natural audience.

I'd also love to explore partnerships with fragrance content creators, introduce products through consignment arrangements, and eventually develop more original Kahli merchandise.

There are so many possibilities.

Sometimes I have to remind myself I can't pursue all of them at once.

Every new idea requires time, money, planning, and execution.

I have to build the foundation before I can expand on it.

But having those ideas gives me something to look forward to.

I don't see Kahli as something that will ever be completely finished.

Even after the current collection launches, I'll have more fragrances to develop, more products to explore, and more opportunities to pursue.

The brand will continue evolving as long as I have the creativity and resources to keep building it.

And I find that incredibly exciting.

Kahli as an Extension of Myself

Something I've been reflecting on is whether building Kahli has changed me as a person.

And surprisingly, I don't think it has.

At least, not in the way people might expect.

I don't believe Kahli transformed me into someone entirely different or suddenly gave me qualities I didn't already possess.

I've always been someone who strives to improve.

Even before starting this brand, I wanted to become a better version of myself, learn new things, and continue growing as a person.

That's simply how I've approached life.

And I genuinely like who I am.

I don't feel the need to reinvent myself through a business.

Instead, I see Kahli as an opportunity to express more of who I've always been.

It's a platform where I can bring together my creativity, personal taste, curiosity, ambition, and willingness to experiment.

In a way, Kahli is an extension of myself.

Not because every product needs to represent my personality literally, but because the decisions behind those products reflect how I think and what I value.

My perspective influences the fragrances I imagine, the stationery I choose, the packaging I design, and the experiences I want customers to have.

And I think that's what makes building something of your own so rewarding.

You have the opportunity to create something that didn't exist before, shaped by your own ideas and decisions.

Of course, creating something personal also means accepting that it won't always turn out exactly as you imagined.

There will be mistakes, limitations, and compromises.

But those experiences don't necessarily diminish what you've created.

Sometimes they become part of what makes the journey meaningful.

I don't think Kahli needs to change who I am.

If anything, it's giving me another opportunity to keep refining myself while showing what I'm capable of.

And so far, I'm proud of what I've been able to do.

One Step Closer

I feel like I'm standing at an interesting point in this journey.

So much of the work I've done over the past year has happened behind the scenes.

I've been researching, ordering supplies, developing formulas, testing products, making mistakes, and trying again.

There hasn't been much immediate gratification, and certainly not much revenue to show for all those hours.

But I can finally see how everything is beginning to come together.

The products are becoming more refined. The packaging is ready. The event setup is nearly complete.

For the first time, I feel like I'm approaching the point where I can stop focusing almost entirely on preparation and start sharing what I've created with others.

I'm proud of how far I've come, but I'm also aware that the next stage will bring a whole new set of challenges.

Developing products is one thing.

Convincing someone to spend their money on them is another.

I don't know exactly how my first event will go. I don't know which fragrances customers will love most, which products will sell quickly, or what adjustments I'll need to make afterward.

And I think that's part of what makes this next chapter exciting.

I still don't know so much.

But I have a vision for what I want Kahli to become, and I believe I've built a foundation worth investing in.

For now, I'll keep refining the remaining fragrances, finishing the last details of my event setup, and preparing to finally meet customers.

I'm excited. I'm impatient. And yes, I'm probably forgetting something on my to-do list.

But I'm happy with how things are moving.

I don't need everything to be perfect today.

I just need to keep taking the next step.

And hopefully, before too long, I'll be writing another update about my first event, the people I met, and perhaps even the first fragrance that sold out.

That would be something worth celebrating.

Until next time,

Huy Đăng Nguyễn
Founder of kahli