Okay… so let me first start with this disclaimer: before you go into hatin’, hear me out first. I am a member of a lot of essential oil groups and posts such as these are almost always confronted with intimidation and spite. Despite knowing this, I am still pushing through this post because this just needs to be said as I journey towards my certification as an aromatherapist.
My journey with oils began in August 2017 with Brand X and I immediately fell in love with them. So in love that I now have close to 100 oils sitting on my oil shelf. For those who know me, you know that I always go all in or nothing at all. I started gathering everything that I can to educate myself about essential oils and read blogs, joined different Facebook groups, purchased books, attended some online classes – all sort of stuff.
As I continue using my oils, I also went on enriching my knowledge. Early last month, I launched Lana Lane, an online shop that sells blends. I had several reasons for doing so: (1) I wanted my friends who were not willing to buy a starter kit to just try if the oils work for them and their family; (2) I had sooo many oils I am not using (because you should only use very few drops in a blend based on the dilution guideline) and I hate to put them to waste; (3) I wanted to improve my blending skills and the only way to that is to find a reason to blend; and (4) earn back a little of the investment for these oils so I can buy more oils, LOL.
However, as I started selling, I realized that I may not be helping others at all.
A little maybe, but not quite. I became cautious that the blends may not work for them or are contraindicated if they have certain medical predispositions. This led to an insatiable yearning to know more.
Like not skin-level, Pinterest knowledge but really to know everything (hopefully) about the oils I am promoting. The only way is to take an aromatherapy certification.
The thought of having myself certified as an aromatherapist kept me awake for almost two weeks. While the recipes I have been using (from Pinterest or my oil groups) for my blends work, I just didn’t know how they work and that bothered me a lot. I am a marketing person, by profession, and knowing your product thoroughly is second nature to me. But gaawd, the certifications were expensive and I was hesitant because I know that I may not have the time and the energy to really study again. But my fate was sealed anyway – I will talk about my journey towards certification in another post – and here I am, now a student of Aromahead Institute of Aromatic Studies.
I have been into my course for over a month now and I can say that this is one of the best decisions I have made.
However, with every crossroad, there always needs to be a tradeoff. In this case, this is me giving up my membership.
Don’t get me wrong. I love my oils. But the non-compete clause in the Policies and Procedures of Brand X would hinder me to move forward my studies, and I quote:
3.12.3 NONCOMPETITION
If, during the term of the Agreement, you engage in a non-Brand X direct selling program, you will ensure that you operate your Brand X sales organization separately and apart from your non-Brand X program. To that end:
• You may not display Brand X promotional materials, sales aids, products, or services (“Promotional Materials”) with or in the same location as any non-Brand X Promotional Materials or in any manner or format that enables a viewer to contemporaneously view Brand X Promotional Material and non-Brand X Promotional Material. For example, you may not present Brand X Promotional Material and non-Brand X Promotional Material on or in the same website, blog, tweet, post, text, brochure, other printed marketing material, signage, electronic, or other communication.
• You may not offer Brand X programs, opportunities, products, or services to prospective or existing Brand X customers or Members in conjunction with any non-Brand X programs, opportunities, products, or services. You may not offer any non-Brand X programs, opportunities, products, or services at any Young Living-related meeting, seminar, convention, webinar, teleconference, or other event.
I know that in the course of my certification, I will learn and test and try of all brands of oils that I can get my hands on and if there will be a particular brand that I would like, I would not want this clause to hinder me from promoting it to my friends and families. I am leaning more towards non-direct selling companies (because of their pricing and test reports, but more on this later on) so I may actually be free of this policy but you’ll never know the interpretation of these conditions. As I said, I am a marketing person and worse, a banker/marketing person – I eat terms and conditions for breakfast, so just better be safe than sorry.
So I called on Brand X Customer Care to terminate my membership and they told me to just remain inactive for 12 months. I told them I did not want to do that because of the non-compete clause I mentioned above. Brand X Customer Care is amazing, by the way, so they directed me to their Resolutions Department and they issued me with the termination form that I needed to accomplish.
As of 09 November 2018, I had already submitted my termination form and am yet to receive a reply from them. I wish my old EO company the best of luck and I thank them, my uplines and the support group for introducing me to the wonderful world of oils.
In the meantime, you will hear from me here and there to still talk about these amazing, wonderful oils.
Yours in this oily journey,
