Today, I’m sitting in the family lounge at doTERRA Convention 2025 with Ruby and Lucy. This year’s theme is Shine.

I haven’t missed a convention. Even during COVID, I showed up online because nobody could attend in person. Now, as I sit here at my 12th convention in person (13th total), I’m reflecting on the time that has passed since I made my first doTERRA order back in November of 2012.

[image of you with Ruby and Lucy at convention]

So many things in my life have changed. And I know more changes are coming. I’m a different person now, and I look forward to becoming someone different than I am today.

How It Started

All those years ago, I joined doTERRA because I needed something to help support me with my mental health struggles. I wanted something that wasn’t medication—something that wouldn’t cause me to become addicted or that would cause unwanted side-effects.

My first introduction came through my friend Cassi. She invited me to an essential oils class. I Googled the company, and immediately my walls went up: someone is going to try to sell me something when I go to this class.

I had promised my friend I would go, so I kept my commitment. I told myself I wouldn’t be sold. They weren’t going to get my money.

I sat on the couch between Cassi and a stranger as another stranger—Tammy—presented a PowerPoint about her experience with these “voodoo oils.” (She’s now one of my dear friends.)

As she spoke, she talked about her colicky daughter and how hard it was to calm her. I thought, That’s cool, I’m glad she found something that helps her. But I don’t have kids yet. So I rejected the idea that this could help or benefit me.

Oil after oil, story after story, I brushed them off because they didn’t match my life.

Until… Wild Orange.

The Walls Began to Crumble

Tammy passed around a bottle of Wild Orange. Like everyone else, I put a drop in my hand, rubbed my palms together, cupped them around my nose and mouth, and breathed in.

As I did, I thought: What if this could actually help me?

And the walls washed away.

Suddenly, I was open to the possibility that this odd little bottle of orange-scented liquid could make a difference.

They told me it could help with brain and body chemistry in a positive way. I had to test it. Tammy gave me a sample, and I went home.

At that time, I would wake up each morning feeling heavy and sad. It had been my “normal” for many years. But when I tried the Wild Orange, I began to feel a little better—and that was everything.

Learn more about Wild Orange here.

Learning and Growing

I knew I needed to order my own, but my logical brain wanted proof first.

So I started learning. I borrowed one of Tammy’s essential oil books and devoured the whole thing. I read everything I could find, watched YouTube videos, talked to people, kept going to classes and events. I even began doing doTERRA’s business trainings.

I’ve always wanted to build a business, and this seemed like the perfect chance. But it wasn’t easy for me. I was constantly worried about what people thought of me.

It took me many years to start understanding a service mindset—that what I do, whatever it is, needs to be about serving others instead of being all about me.

A Decade of Refinement

Then came a decade of caregiving, sorrow, grief, and heartache. It was hard. And in the middle of all that, I forgot how to take care of myself.

But I’m grateful for those years. Every moment of sadness or despair was worth what I gained. That decade of difficulty refined me.

Now, I’m learning how to take care of myself again. I’m finally, actively working toward my dreams.

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Where I Am Today

I’m competing in international pageants, which gives me the chance to travel and challenges me to

bring complicated design ideas into physical form.

I’m designing and producing clothing through my brand, Circle Skirt Central, with the hope of opening my first microfactory and changing how the fashion industry produces clothing.

I’m teaching sewing classes and workshops, sharing the knowledge and skills I’ve developed in over 22 years of fashion design and sewing.

And I’m healing—my heart, my body, my spirit—so I can do all of this to the best of my ability.

The 10-Year “Detour”

Life is funny. The last decade often felt like I was being derailed from my goals and dreams. But really, it was just a 10-year detour.

That detour gave me new perspectives, skills, and understanding. It was preparation for the road ahead.

And I’m still learning, all along the way.

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