Becoming Vach Cittoni: A Journey I Never Expected to Take

It still surprises me how quickly life can change.

Just three or four years ago, I wasn’t creating fragrances — I was selling watches. Mostly Invicta, a brand I admired for its creativity and originality. Selling watches taught me something important: people connect with products that express who they are.

I thought that path was enough.

I had no idea something completely different was waiting.

When Fragrance First Entered the Picture

At first, fragrance wasn’t meant to be a passion or a new craft.

It was supposed to be an add-on — a practical business idea to offer something extra alongside the watches.

But the more I explored scent, the more it drew me in. The way fragrance can shift a person’s confidence… how it can shape a moment… I couldn’t ignore it.

A watch tells you where you are in time.

A fragrance tells you how you show up in that time.

Little by little, what was meant to be a side venture became something much deeper.

CEO — The Scent That Started Everything

My first fragrance, CEO, was born from instinct and emotion.

No professional background. No training. Just drive.

When CEO entered the fragrance community, I quickly learned how passionate — and brutally honest — this world can be. There were moments I felt overwhelmed, uncertain, completely out of my depth.

And honestly?

There are still days I feel way in over my head — but at least now I can laugh about it.

That feeling usually means I’m pushing forward instead of staying still.

Then came a moment that changed everything — and it didn’t involve a fan.

It involved a man named Mike Sirilla, who found me in a way I could’ve never predicted.

How Mike Sirilla Actually Entered My Story

Mike didn’t discover me through CEO’s scent.

He discovered me through a Facebook fragrance chat, where I was — unknowingly — breaking all the unspoken rules.

I was in Edmonton.

He was in Calgary.

And there I was, arguing with what I perceived to be rude, self-proclaimed connoisseurs. I wasn’t holding back. I was saying exactly what I felt.

For reasons I still can’t fully explain, something about that moment intrigued him enough to reach out and start asking questions.

That message changed the course of everything.

The Harsh Review That Opened My Eyes

Not long after we connected, Mike sent me a message and said:

“You might want a comfy seat and maybe a stiff drink for this one.”

He sent me the harshest critique of CEO I had ever seen.

It didn’t just critique — it destroyed everything:

the website
the bottle
the original Phoenix CEO design
the branding
even the way the name was presented

They hated all of it…

except the actual fragrance.

Reading it didn’t make me angry.

It made me think.

It made me realize something I truly needed to understand:

I really didn’t know anything.

And instead of discouraging me, that moment motivated me more than anything. It forced me to grow.

The Beginning of Real Mentorship

From that point on, Mike became more than a contact — he became a guide.

He taught me patience, something I badly lacked.

He helped me interpret the community’s culture.

He grounded me, challenged me, and supported me when I didn’t know which direction to go.

Today, I call Mike “The Nose.”

Every scent idea still goes through him first. His honesty has become a pillar of this house.

Some people show up in your life exactly when they’re meant to.

Mike was one of those people.

Learning the Craft From the Inside Out

With renewed perspective, I threw myself into learning perfumery. I wanted to understand every detail — materials, balance, structure, emotion.

I focused on:

• premium naturals
• modern aroma molecules
• actual extrait concentrations
• small-batch over mass production
• packaging styles that reflect the brand

The deeper I went, the clearer it became:

this wasn’t just a business decision anymore.

It was becoming a part of me.

The Moment I Realized I Was Building a Fragrance House

As our second fragrance, Eleven, took form — and then the all-new, Canada-inspired Wizdem began to be created — I realized something important:

I wasn’t just expanding.

I was transforming.

These weren’t just products.

They were pieces of a much bigger story.

And that’s when it became clear:

I wasn’t just making fragrances.

I was building a fragrance house.

A house shaped by mistakes, mentorship, curiosity, passion, and the willingness to grow.

What Comes Next

Everything I’ve experienced — from selling watches to arguing with strangers online, from facing brutal critique to building meaningful mentorship, from learning the craft to creating scents that truly mean something — all of it guides where the brand goes next.

Continue evolving.
More fragrances.
More stories.

It’s still only the beginning.