CHEERS! with Avery Woods
Episode Title: "fragrance first | jackie asamoah"
Date: September 8, 2025
Host: Avery Woods
Guest: Jackie Asamoah
Main Theme & Overview
In this heartfelt and candid episode, Avery Woods sits down with Jackie Asamoah (formerly Jackie Aina), the acclaimed beauty and lifestyle influencer and CEO of Forever Mood. The conversation weaves through Jackie's journey from a challenging upbringing and military service to her rise as a digital creator and fragrance entrepreneur. Together, they touch on gratitude, inclusivity in beauty, building a sustainable brand, work-life balance, marriage, and the reality of navigating social media as women. The episode is full of vulnerability, laughter, industry insight, and empowering advice—served, as always, with a side of sisterhood and good vibes.
Key Discussion Points & Timestamps
1. Gratitude & Romanticizing Small Moments
[01:27 – 04:45]
- Avery admires how Jackie "romanticizes every aspect of your life," inspiring her to slow down and appreciate small joys like making her bed.
- Jackie discusses gratitude as a grounding practice, especially after growing up with very little and not wanting to fall into entitlement or greed:
"It's like a love letter to myself...practicing gratitude...I don't ever want to be gluttonous."
— Jackie [02:19]
2. Humble Beginnings & Military Experience
[04:45 – 12:50]
- Avery and Jackie bond over buying and renovating homes from modest means.
- Jackie shares her military background in the Army Reserves, explaining the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated institution and the persistent misogyny experienced, regardless of appearance.
“This is why I don’t believe how a woman dresses dictates how she’s treated...the military is the place that strips you of your individuality, and you still get disrespected.”
— Jackie [08:00]
3. Gender Roles, Career, & Parenting
[10:21 – 13:00]
- Discussion on double standards faced by women who work or have stay-at-home husbands.
- Avery shares her husband’s experience as a stay-at-home dad, highlighting societal judgments:
“If I was a man, you would never say this to me.”
— Avery [11:56]
4. Why Jackie Joined the Army & Early Adulthood
[13:00 – 19:44]
- Jackie describes joining the Army at 21 after dropping out of college, familial pressures (especially as a Nigerian firstborn daughter), and longing for adventure and stability.
“The stupidest decision ever...I did what I had to do.”
— Jackie [13:00]
5. From YouTube Beginnings to Online Community
[20:12 – 27:11]
- Jackie started as “Lil Pumpkin Pie 05” on YouTube, inspired by isolation while stationed in Hawaii.
- YouTube began as an emotional outlet and community during her “lowest” adult moments:
“I was just happy that people online were just being nice to me. That's how depressed I was at the time.”
— Jackie [26:21]
6. Building a Business & Social Media as a Career
[29:15 – 35:41]
- Jackie explains her slow rise; the term "influencer" didn’t exist at the start.
- She balanced content creation with other jobs for years before going full-time.
- Both hosts stress the upfront costs, time, and “work ethic” required to make it as a creator, especially with no financial safety net.
“There’s gonna be a long time—at least for me, that’s like four years—I cannot quit my day job.”
— Jackie [33:33]
7. Work Ethic, Privilege, & the Creator Grind
[36:22 – 44:31]
- Candid discussion on the difference between creators who come from working-class backgrounds vs. those with family support.
- Jackie reflects on expectations on Black creators and the struggle for visibility in early beauty YouTube.
“I'm a Black woman in America, honey. I have to give you three times better.”
— Jackie [42:24]
8. Being a Voice for Inclusivity in Beauty
[45:08 – 54:35]
- Jackie shares how and why she advocates for deeper shade ranges and representation.
- She details the backlash and double standards faced for speaking up, including being targeted by major brands:
“Sometimes it won't even be stuff that I've said...they treated me like the school principal of Black people.”
— Jackie [51:22] - Avery highlights Jackie's impact and the slow but real change in beauty standards:
“Quite frankly, it took way too long for shade ranges to be expanded the way that they have.”
— Avery [50:33]
9. Fitness, Lifestyle Transformation, & Boundaries
[55:06 – 59:19]
- Jackie discusses a slow, sustainable journey to fitness, focusing on consistency and lifestyle over aesthetics.
- Both stress the importance of hobbies and real-life fulfillment outside of social media.
10. Fragrance, Forever Mood & Entrepreneurship
[59:50 – 75:09]
- Jackie reveals her lifelong love for fragrance (rooted in early struggles with hyperhidrosis) and how it shapes her approach to Forever Mood.
“Before I became a makeup girly...it was fragrance first, down. I was just like, a smell good girl.”
— Jackie [60:13] - The decision to focus on quality, intention, and filling a gap in fragrance offerings for underrepresented communities.
- Jackie credits her husband, Dennis, as a crucial business partner.
- She stresses the importance of truly caring about—and working for—the projects and brands you launch:
“Don’t play with people’s money. That’s one thing I don’t.”
— Jackie [74:34]
11. Privacy, Marriage, & Social Media Boundaries
[75:13 – 86:28]
- Jackie discusses her new marriage and why she refuses to share every intimate detail online:
“I’m not big on...feeling like special moments are owed. Like, I have a problem with that.”
— Jackie [83:32]
12. Five-Year Goals & Work–Life Balance
[86:36 – 88:46]
- Jackie hopes to establish Forever Mood as a global brand, transition more to founder over creator, and find better work–life balance.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
“You have to be honest in saying, yes, there is a difference when you have help, support... Imagine having none of that at all.”
— Jackie [40:54] -
“People support you, support you, support you, and then as soon as they see that, they're like, I don't know you...”
— Avery [88:01] -
On fragrance as self-confidence:
“Scent has always been...where I really got my confidence from, for real, for real.”
— Jackie [62:03] -
On privacy:
“As women, I have a problem with...feeling like special moments are owed. If I don’t want to do something, I don’t want to do something.”
— Jackie [83:29] -
On building community:
“Even in the darkest of times, for some people it just takes a mustard seed of hope, of faith, of goodness, of kindness, of camaraderie, of community. And that’s where I found it.”
— Jackie [26:21]
Rapid Fire Q&A & Unboxing [88:52 – End]
Avery and Jackie end with quick-fire questions and a live unboxing of Forever Mood products:
- Jackie's current favorite scent: She Was Here
- Favorite drink: Pistachio martini
- Cozy night in > glam night out
- Dream Sephora companion: Mariah Carey
- Scent compliments are the best: “You call me a lot of stuff, but you can’t call me ugly.” — Jackie [54:50]
- Discussion of fragrance layering, cosmetic preferences, and balancing at-home luxury.
Practical Takeaways, Advice, and Vibes
- Gratitude and self-care: Slow down, appreciate small moments, and cultivate a gratitude practice.
- Career and entrepreneurship: Prepare for a grind; invest in yourself before profits come. Don’t enter a business unless you’d be passionate about it without money.
- Inclusivity matters: Use platforms to advocate, even when it's tough.
- Work–life balance: Prioritize real-life fulfillment outside of the algorithm.
- Protect your peace: Not everything needs to be shared; boundaries are empowering.
Jackie’s Socials:
@jackieaina (Instagram and TikTok)
@forevermood (brand account & website: forevermood.com)
The Vibe
Supportive, candid, funny, and empowering—this episode unpacks real life, real work, and real scent, leaving listeners inspired to romanticize their own lives and do the work with gratitude and intention.