"It has definitely given me a confidence boost wherever I go." - Guy's review on Blazing Saddles Handmade Bar Soap
Today, I'm going to get up in front of about 300 people and give a talk about Outlaw: the business we built based on the concept of how scents can trigger memories and make people better at being themselves.
We figured this out 7 years ago because of a single bar of soap that I bought on our honeymoon (which we still have). It triggered such powerful memories of that honeymoon, and, most importantly, the feelings from that honeymoon, that we built a business on what other feelings and memories we'd like to trigger.
So when I was rehearsing my talk, I was sure to be wearing my Badlands Solid Cologne. It reminds me of dying campfire embers, long shadows, and sitting under the night sky. When I get on stage, I'll apply a smidge of the solid cologne and trigger not just my well-rehearsed talk, but the reminder of that fireside time... which I love.
But is there really something to this? Or is it just superstition?
Well, I was curious. So I searched the internet for "do scents help you study" (because I remembered my friend saying she used our scents as a study aid), and to my surprise and delight, a recent scientific study (published and everything!) indicates that yes, scents can transport you mentally back to places where you feel confident, competent, and clear-headed. It can trigger your memories. Or, put in a more researcher-y way:
"Odors that evoke positive autobiographical memories have the potential to increase positive emotions, decrease negative mood states, disrupt cravings, and reduce physiological indices of stress, including systemic markers of inflammation." - Rachel S. Herz in The Role of Odor-Evoked Memory in Psychological and Physiological Health, 2016
So, yeah. Scents are powerful and can remind you who you are at your best. And now I've got a scientific study that proves it!
What's your favorite Outlaw scent and what does it remind you of?
