Growing up, my parents were in and out of the hospital to the point where doctors didn't expect them to survive. It had a profound effect on my childhood - my parents couldn't attend my school functions and it affected our finances, to name a few. When I became a mom, I knew that if I wanted a different outcome for my girls, I would have to make lifestyle changes. I was overwhelmed at first, but I started by researching non-toxic cleaners.

I kept reading about essential oils, but I thought they just added a smell so I decided to save money and not add them to the recipes.

Then I began researching beauty products and again essential oils kept coming up. But once again I thought they just added a smell so I left them out.

Fast forward a couple of years and every mom's worst nightmare happened. My daughter was 2 and had her first ever cold and cough so I gave her kid cough medicine. She had an allergic reaction to it and we had to rush her to the ER. The doctor pulled me aside and lectured me about "drugging my child so I could sleep". I felt devastated and so betrayed. I would never do anything to hurt my child. I did what society taught me to do...they are sick, give them medicine and it did hurt her.

I began researching again natural ways to take care of my family's health and again essential oils kept coming up. But I truly didn't understand how plants smushed into brown bottles could do anything for us. Then, I had a sinus issue that would not go away...not after 3 rounds of antibiotics, snorting cayenne pepper up my nose, and so many other things I tried. A family friend invited me over to try...ESSENTIAL OILS! I truly had every intention of just getting a good chuckle out of this experience, instead I called my husband on the way home and said "I just purchased $150 worth of these essential oils and a book, we need to figure out how to use them" Because they worked and opened up my airways!

I began using the essential oils, researching, and sharing them with anyone who wanted to try them and were interested in what I was doing for our health. People began to see the changes. I proudly proclaimed, "don't worry I don't sell them so I won't be asking you to buy oils from me to make my house payment." I had so many people asking questions and my husband gently reminded me if I kept giving them all away I wouldn't be able to afford them for myself anymore. My background is in educating on healthy relationships in grades 6-12th and working with high risk teens, so public speaking doesn't bother me at all. I organized a class and 2 people showed up. After 3 months of weekly classes I had 30 people attending and I had fallen in love....with doterra, with the products, and with this version of myself that was building her own business helping people.

Now 14 years after the beginning of my journey, everything has changed and I LOVE MY LIFE!