Cover Photo: Facebook/Scent by Six
Photo: Facebook/Scent by Six
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The entrepreneur is on a mission to promote mental wellbeing and help the needy through his company’s perfumes and essential oils that are designed to bring people back to significant moments in time
How I’m Making It is a weekly series in which Tatler speaks to influential individuals about their unique journeys and what keeps them going.
As the founder and CEO of local essential oil company Scent by Six, Jason Lee is familiar with the idea of scents being able to bring people back to significant moments in their lives and make them feel good. That’s why the local entrepreneur and philanthropist makes it a point to conduct regular scent workshops for the less fortunate and those with mental health struggles—something that has been at the core of his company since the start.
“There was this old woman that we met during one of these workshops who suffered from severe dementia,” Lee shared. “I wanted to create a scent for her, based on her background and life experiences, with the hope that the scent could trigger some memories. So I spoke to her family members and caregivers and I found out that she used to visit the temple on Sundays with her deceased husband to make incense offerings. She also loved to bake pandan cakes and drink coffee.”
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“I decided to put these notes together in a scent and allowed her to take a whiff. What happened afterwards was priceless,” he continued. “She teared up. I looked around the room and her family members were all in tears, they were all crying. She even blurted out the name of her deceased husband.”
“It was then that I realised why I am doing this work. A scent goes beyond smelling good. It can connect people and heal emotions,” Lee said.
True enough, the work Lee does is a labour of love and one that was started simply because of a desire to create a lasting legacy that went beyond earning a significant sum of money.
“I never expected to be a perfume man,” Lee admits, affectionately using the term he often refers to himself as. “I have a master’s degree in economics and my first job was working for Da Vinci Jewellery as a salesperson right after my National Service.”
In 2013, Lee decided to join the Swiss fragrance house, Givaudan. “We crafted fragrances for brands like Tom Ford, Diptyque, Jo Malone and more,” he shares. “While I loved the brand, I knew I wanted to do something more that would add meaning to my life.”
It was during this time that Lee decided to take a trip to Hokkaido with his now-wife. Wanting to remember the beautiful trip, Lee decided to come home and try to bottle the smells of Japan into a perfume bottle. Combining the smells of green tea, cedar wood and Japanese lavender, he came up with a beautiful creation which he then presented to his wife as a proposal gift.
It was that experience of trying his hand at bottling a memory that inspired Lee to set up Scent by Six.
Launched in 2016, Scent by Six aims to promote mental wellness through uniquely crafted scents that are targeted at being able to transport customers to special times in their own lives.
“The fragrances are created with fragrance intelligence which is a palette of fragrance ingredients tested and proven to influence your state of mind or mood. I believe a good scent goes beyond smelling good. You should feel good and be able to do good too,” Lee says.
Today, the brand sells essential oils, diffusers and more as they reach out to Singapore through the power of smell.
“My favourite scent that we have worked on so far is called Hikaru. It was co-created by us and three young Singaporeans who are suffering from severe depression. The money from sales of the scent is being donated to the Singapore Association For Mental Health and it has since become one of our bestsellers, which means more donations,” Lee said.
Below, we spoke to Lee to find out how he balances his time between his business and his family.
Above Photo: Facebook/Scent By Six
Photo: Facebook/Scent By Six
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What is a typical morning like for you?
Jason Lee (JL): A typical morning will start at 7 am, with me trying to wake my three children up for school. I will send my kids to school and head off to the gym for a workout after that. I will then either head to my office or the stores to start work.
What do you usually have for breakfast?
JL: I usually have two slices of gardenia raisin bread, soft-boiled eggs and a kopi o kosong.
What does a standard work day look like for you?
JL: I will dedicate one hour to clearing emails and 20 minutes to my power nap. There will be back-to-back meetings after that. I will always devote my evenings to dinners at home with my family to check in with them and bond. After dinner, I will be off to Bukit Batok for my constituency work. I will be back between 10 to 11 pm to chat with my wife in our kitchen (over food) before returning to emails and paperwork until 1 or 2 am.
How would you describe your working style?
JL: I take care to prioritise my work and tasks. In my collaboration with others, I am very adaptable. I respect others’ time and request the same for myself. With my team, I do not micromanage. I trust them to deliver and will actively intervene or advise when requested.
What time do you usually have lunch? What do you usually have for lunch?
JL: I usually eat at around 12 noon and I’ll have anything convenient. My favourite food is ramen.
How do you achieve a work-life balance? How do you set boundaries?
JL: Work-life balance must be adapted to your context and current situation. It cannot be rigid. I prioritise my family, so I will take into account their timetable and align mine with theirs as much as possible. When they are busy, that’s when I can dedicate more time to work and volunteering. I can tilt the scale back during school holidays to spend more time with my wife and children.
How do you chase your dreams?
JL: I chase my dreams with the people who matter, the people I love.
Risks: should you take them? Why or why not?
JL: Risks should be taken if the returns are really worthwhile while you are prepared to stomach the corresponding downside.
How do you deal with your shortcomings?
JL: Be mindful of your shortcomings and act on them to improve. When you have shortcomings, it means you have the potential to improve.
What is the best piece of advice that you have ever gotten?
JL: Treasure time, it is more valuable than money and everything else.
How do you stay grounded?
JL: When I interact and help the less fortunate from different socioeconomic backgrounds, it gives me clarity on what is really important and valuable.
What would you still like to accomplish?
JL: To co-create fragrances with beneficiaries from other charitable organisations.
What is the last thing you do before you go to bed?
JL: I pray and kiss my family good night.
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Camillia Dass is the digital writer for Tatler Singapore.
