Building a business, one degree at a time

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Tanya Thompson walked into her first business class at Western Michigan University in 2013 as a single mother in her 30s. She wasn't the typical college student, but that never worried her. She had a goal.

"I needed to feel proud of what I was doing for myself and my daughters," Thompson says.

Seven years later, Thompson, B.B.A.'15, MBA'20, walked across the stage with a master's degree in business administration from WMU. She had balanced raising two daughters, working multiple jobs and launching what would become The Aroma Labs, a custom fragrance experience company. Today, The Aroma Labs operates seven locations across the Midwest in Chicago, Detroit, Nashville, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Indianapolis and Columbus, with a grant fund supporting women entrepreneurs and a business model built on the science of scent and memory.

Her daughters Ava Thompson ('28) and Lena Thompson ('27) are both currently students at WMU—Ava studying sales at the Haworth College of Business and Lena studying biomedical sciences at the College of Arts and Sciences. Her husband Rory Murphy works as a project manager on campus. The family's connection to WMU shapes both the business and their lives.

The Aroma Labs was recently named one of the top Women-owned Small Businesses of the Year by the Michigan Small Business Administration.

Building a business on brain science

The Aroma Labs is a custom fragrance studio where customers create their own signature scents. Clients select from fragrance categories including florals, citrus, earthy notes and sweet blends, working with trained "Aromatenders" who guide the blending process. The finished products range from perfumes and colognes to candles, lotions and room sprays.

Thompson built the concept around research showing that smell connects directly to the brain's memory and emotion centers, making scent one of the most powerful triggers for recollection. Understanding this science shaped her entire business approach.

That science creates personal moments for customers. When a young woman came to the Kalamazoo location asking about her late mother's fragrance, Ava was working that day. The team found the blend in their records and recreated it, giving her a tangible connection to her mother's memory. These experiences remind Thompson why understanding the link between scent and emotion matters in her work.

Education that built a business

Thompson began creating fragranced products at home with her two young daughters after her husband died and she returned to Kalamazoo in 2010. What started as a creative outlet during a difficult time evolved into gifts for teachers and friends, then pop-up sales at local markets. By the time she enrolled at WMU, she had a concept worth developing but needed business fundamentals to scale it sustainably.

Working at Paw Paw Brewing Company provided practical experience. Ryan Sylvester, who played football at WMU and is co-founder and owner of Paw Paw Brewing Company, mentored Thompson in packaging, operations and entrepreneurial thinking. The combination of hands-on work and formal education created the foundation for what The Aroma Labs would become.

At WMU Haworth, specific courses became turning points. Dr. Jim Eckert's negotiation class taught techniques Thompson now uses daily in vendor contracts and lease agreements. The skills proved essential as she learned that running a business means constantly negotiating everything from rent to supplier terms to employee schedules.

Thompson applies a strategic management framework known as the 3Ps—people, process and purpose—to evaluate every business decision, assessing whether choices align with team capacity, operational efficiency and mission. Dr. Marcel Zondag's strategic management course introduced her to this business planning model.

Dr. Frank Gambino, professor emeritus of marketing and former director of the food marketing program at WMU Haworth, led a two-week summer immersion program visiting companies like Smucker's and Kroger plus attending the Snacks Expo. Seeing how established brands operate at scale helped Thompson envision her own expansion strategy.

Balancing school, children and building a business required understanding limits. "You have to know your capacity," Thompson says. "I couldn't do everything when my kids were little. What matters is showing up consistently, day after day. You chip away at it a little bit at a time, and eventually you look back and realize how far you've come."

Strategic growth and giving back

Thompson started with pop-up sales in 2019, testing the concept at local markets. When COVID-19 shut down gatherings in 2020, she adapted by developing custom scents for businesses. Her first corporate client was a car dealer who wanted unique car fresheners for new buyers. The pivot sustained the business during uncertainty.

The Aroma Labs opened its first permanent location in downtown Kalamazoo in 2021. Growth since then has been deliberate. Each new city gets a custom scent representing that location through The Signature City Scent Collection. The collection serves dual purposes: celebrating each community and funding the Lab Grown Grant Fund, which provides financial resources and mentorship to early-stage women-owned businesses, through a portion of proceeds.

According to program materials, the fund was created because The Aroma Labs understands the challenges of finding financial support and mentorship when starting out. The fund accepts applications from women-owned businesses in Michigan or cities where The Aroma Labs operates. Eligible companies must work in goods or services, have been operating for one to three years and generate annual revenue of $250,000 or less.

Business advisors, team members and women entrepreneurs review applications, prioritizing innovative concepts with community impact. Awards are tied to sales milestones, with the first $1,000 grant going to a deserving business once benchmarks are met.

The Aroma Labs also operates Big Blue, a mobile fragrance studio housed in a custom truck that brings the scent-creation experience directly to events and parties.

Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

Thompson regularly volunteers her time with WMU Haworth students, speaking candidly about what entrepreneurship takes. "You need to put in the work, and I mean a lot of work," she says. "Before you start, ask yourself if you're passionate enough to wake up every single day ready to solve problems. Are you thinking about this business all day and all night? Because if you're not, you're probably not ready. You have to change your mindset to stay positive, develop real grit and be willing to figure things out as you go. And don't create a backup plan because that just gives you an excuse to quit when things get hard."

Her approach to getting started comes directly from lessons learned at WMU. "One of the best things I learned was to be comfortable with a rough first draft," Thompson says. "Nothing starts out perfectly. It's all about repetition and refining what you're doing. Create standard operating procedures for everything, even when you think you're too small to need them. Don't be afraid to do everything yourself in the beginning. What education really teaches you is pattern recognition and problem solving, and that applies no matter what business you're in."

A family legacy at WMU

If Thompson were to create a signature scent representing her WMU experience, she says it would blend chardonnay and emerald sea glass. "Because it is non-traditional and fresh in your face," she explains.

Her daughter Ava has created her own signature blend reflecting her WMU Haworth experience: Cuban tobacco, white musk and flower bomb. The scent reminds her of the seasons, hockey games and campus social events. As both Ava and Lena continue their education at WMU and Rory works on campus as a project manager, the family remains rooted in the university community that shaped Thompson's transformation from student to entrepreneur.

Thompson's journey from WMU classroom to multi-state business owner demonstrates what becomes possible when education meets determination. The degrees opened doors. The professors provided frameworks. The experience built confidence. Now Thompson uses those tools to grow her business and create pathways for other women entrepreneurs—building a legacy that extends from her own education to her daughters' and beyond.

Learn more about The Aroma Labs or visit the Kalamazoo location at 352 S. Kalamazoo Mall. Women entrepreneurs interested in applying for the Lab Grown Grant Fund can find information at the company's website.

Learn more about business programs at WMU Haworth.

For more WMU news, arts and events, visit WMU News online.