Melissa Elia
Owner of Mayssa Fragrance

Melissa Elia is building an empire and Women's Initiative is helping her get there. Women's Initiative granted Melissa a First-Time Lease-holder Grant to open her business space in San Francisco last year. So despite needing to complete more training at the Sense of Smell Institute and the Fragrance Foundation, Melissa has already been getting recognition for a fragrance product line she started called Mayssa (My-ee-suh), which means “beautiful girl.” She describes her products as “refined and blended appropriately with care and concern for those that are ingredient and fragrant sensitive. The body soap is filled with vegetarian ingredients that moisturize and nourish the skin.” The fragrance is a special blend of over 10 different flowers and herbs, with basic notes of jasmine, rose, lily, citrus, cedar wood, and musk. Melissa currently offers perfume and body soap, but seeks to expand her product line to include shower gel, body lotion and cream, body powder sachets for linen and lingerie drawers, and men’s cologne.

Melissa also plans to start inviting celebrities and others who enjoy Mayssa to place testimonials in print and video for the Mayssa website. Recently Distinctive Assets, the company that distributes the "Everybody Wins at the Oscars®" Nominee Gift Bag, selected Mayssa to add its fragrance to the mix of goodies. The scent has also debuted in gift bags for The County Music Awards Festival, The Academy of Friends Gala, and the Take Wings Foundation Benefit.

Melissa, who is also a practicing marriage & family therapist, originally invented the fragrance in her kitchen seven years ago. Today, Mayssa can be found in exclusive boutiques and hotels throughout Northern and Southern California. “To see the popularity of the product grow is exciting, but having national distribution opportunities is phenomenal!” states Melissa. To stay motivated, Melissa has made it a point of finding businesswomen in other industries for inspiration and she makes time to meditate. “I spend quality time with friends and family and at least two times a week I turn off all electronic devices that cause me stress.”

Melissa graduated from Women’s Initiative in 1999 and credits the organization for assisting her with networking and marketing opportunities to help build her business. “There has been a lot of positive change and growth since I graduated.” Melissa was originally introduced to Women’s Initiative by her mother who had attended an open house event. Melissa attributes her success and motivation to Women's Initiative, family members, best friends, and her chemists. “Their encouragement, challenging questions, belief and patience has truly been the best substitute to any other mentor I might have had.”

For more information on Mayssa, please visit www.mayssafragrance.com.


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