Most Division I athletes juggle over 60 hour weeks of training and classes. For Wisconsin Badgers soccer player Matthew Zachemski, that’s just the beginning. Between team lifts at dawn and late night lectures, you can find Zachemski mixing his own essential oil colognes for his small business — Organic Scent.
What started as a passion project quickly evolved into a mission: a healthier, more transparent alternative to mainstream colognes.
When summer practices left Zachemski on campus with long stretches of free time, he knew it was the perfect chance to start Organic Scent. Armed with bottles from Hobby Lobby and 15 essential oils he sourced online, Zachemski said his fragrance business began to bloom, “right on the kitchen table.”
With the weather cooling down, Zachemski’s kitchen is reminiscent of an autumnal farmer’s market as he’s busy creating classic fall scents, including notes of pumpkin and cinnamon. While Zachemski knew he wanted to create a product to help people, he didn’t always know what.
“I [thought], what healthy alternative should I make,” Zachemski told The Daily Cardinal. After contemplating creating a healthier protein bar or dessert, Zachemski’s parents helped him settle on the idea of a safer, simpler cologne.
“With normal big market colognes, they add a lot of chemicals to enhance the scent that aren’t necessarily good for your body,” Zachemski said.
Some ingredients commonly found in cologne and perfume like phthalates have been found to act as endocrine disrupters, affecting hormonal balance and potentially posing serious health issues.
Not only can these chemicals be unsafe, but fragrance companies make it difficult for consumers to know exact ingredients. U.S. regulations allow certain ingredients to be labeled as “fragrance” or “flavor,” a move that protects a company’s “trade secrets” but can obscure the product’s actual content.
“Creating a brand that had [every] ingredient [listed] with transparency of where they come from and how I make it felt like it could be a better fit for people,” Zachemski said.
As the fall semester started and responsibilities piled up, Zachemski’s experience staying disciplined as a D1 athlete proved extremely useful.
“There [were] some mornings when I [didn’t] want to wake up at six in the morning, but I still [had] to,” Zachemski said. “I think that translates to the business world [when] you don’t want to wake up and do it, but you know you have to so the discipline takes place.”
With 90 hours of programming a week between soccer seven days a week, 17 course credits and Organic Scent, Zachemski has had to make sacrifices.
“There are times where I want to be talking to friends or family when I have homework and athletic stuff to do,” Zachemski said. “I find what I think is most important at the time and prioritize that.”
Zachemski’s ability to juggle his different roles all comes down to routine.
“I plan everything out before the day starts,” Zachemski said. “Keeping a tab on what to do [and] where to be I think really, really helps balance it out.” He starts his day with optimism and a planner, ending it with reflecting and journaling.
It’s not just mindfulness that centers Zachemski. His family, friends and the rest of the Badgers soccer program have been backing Organic Scent since day one. From making purchases to spreading the word, Zachemski’s support system has proved strong.
“A lot of [my teammates] were very curious, asking questions and supporting me right away,” he said.
Their interest didn’t go unnoticed.
“I was really thankful for that,” Zachemski said.
As Organic Scent grows, Zachemski’s has big plans for the future. Behind the scenes, he’s planning on developing a website and Shopify page to increase marketing for the brand.
Until the website is launched, customers can place orders for Zachemski’s original five scents through Organic Scent’s Instagram using a Google form. For $10 per 8oz bottle or three bottles for $25, buyers can choose from the five scents Zachemski created: Citrus Serenity, Sacred Orchard, Misty Grove, Cool Mint Forest and Resinous Dawn.
On top of these five scents, clients are even able to customize their own scent using Zachemski’s 15 base oils.
While Zachemski is enjoying Organic Scent and the lessons it’s taught for now, it’s only the first part of his dream.
“One of my goals is to be able to graduate and start my own business,” Zachemski said.
In the meantime, the management and entrepreneurship major has his heart and feet set on professional soccer.
“[Soccer] would be number one. Once I finish [my] soccer career, that’s when I can focus more on the business [side] of things,” Zachemski said. “You can only pursue soccer for so long. And if there’s a time to do it, it's now, not later."
It’s not uncommon for retired soccer players to use their influence and resources to build businesses. Right now, Zachemski said his platform as a student-athlete is not connected to Organic Scent. With connections in various parts of campus and a growing athletic profile, that’s sure to change soon.
For Zachemski, Organic Scent is more than a business. Zachemski’s business model is rooted in his desire to help, and chasing impact over profit sets him apart from the crowd. He urges other aspiring student entrepreneurs to follow the same path.
“Focus on a cause [you] find important, and something you find joy in, not something [you] see potential money in,” Zachemski said. “I think the satisfaction that you get from helping other people and doing something you love is more important than anything else.”
