My Story

Like many people, I grew up believing doctors knew what we needed, and that chiropractors were quacks!

This was not my parent’s view, but it was the view of many people I grew up with, in Rochester, Minnesota:  Home of the Mayo Clinic.

When I graduated from college, I started working at a medical chiropractic and physical therapy clinic. I was still pretty skeptical of chiropractors, and so was my husband, Scott. But after a few months, I could see how chiropractors were changing lives. I saw someone who struggled with asthma get relief with chiropractic, and I wanted that for Scott, who also suffered from asthma.

Well, it took some convincing, but he came into the clinic and he got adjusted. THAT SAME DAY he experienced positive results; and shortly after that adjustment, he decided to go back to school to finish up his prerequisites to go to chiropractic school. (Insert jaw drop! It was THAT crazy!)

So, needless to say, we went from believing chiropractors were quacks to believing in Chiropractic.  This was just the beginning of our perspective shift on holistic care.

What happened next opened my eyes.

We had just hired a new physical therapist who was excited to work in a clinic with a more holistic approach. We went out to lunch, and I ate something that did not agree with me. At the time, I lived on all sorts of digestive medications, including a Sam’s Club supply of antacids. I went to reach for something to give me relief, and the new girl freaked out on me.

She asked if I was willing to try something more natural. She taught me some breathing exercises, had me drink water, then told me to hold out my hand. She opened a small bottle of something and dropped this smelly substance in my palm, then told me to rub it on my stomach. I seriously thought she was nuts! And I was not about to smell like that working on patients for the rest of the day. Well, luckily, I did it, and my life has never been the same. The oil she gave me instantly relieved my uncomfortable, bloated feeling – and I was shocked.

Feeling so much relief, I purchased a bunch of oils from her that day. And, like Scott, I became so excited about my experience that I had to learn everything I could about aromatherapy. I had to know HOW do these plant oils work, and why?

When I combined essential oils with a healthier lifestyle, my quality of life improved greatly. 

And I couldn’t stop thinking about all the lives I could impact. People need to know they have options. There is not just one way to get healthier! I didn’t know that before my “oil experience”, and I knew I couldn’t be the only one.

Because my co-worker shared an essential oil with me, I became more curious. I will never forget the patient who came in suffering from migraines, chronic pain, and sleepless nights. With my new knowledge and passion, I started questioning her. I asked, “How much water do you drink daily?” She said, “Oh, I don’t drink water. I wake up, grab a can of Mountain Dew, and drink a 24-pack a day.”

Let me tell you, I almost lost it! I was also super-excited because I knew I could help her. She was willing to slowly decrease her Mountain Dew consumption and switch over to drinking water. After she weaned off the Mountain Dew, her migraines started to decline, the chronic pain started to decrease, and she was finally sleeping!

My purpose and heart for helping people became so intense that I changed careers.

I went back to school and studied Homeopathy for 4 years. And after Scott finished Chiropractic school and opened a clinic, I started a biofeedback practice. My heart was FULL, and I was giving people hope; I was changing lives.

After getting so excited about how an essential oil changed my life, you would think that I would enroll instantly and “DO” Young Living as a business.

Well, that is NOT what happened!

I was primarily a product user for almost nine years. I taught a class now and then, but people had to BEG me to enroll them and get them an account. I had zero belief in the network marketing model. My thought process was, “I will not be one of those people.” You know what I’m talking about. I didn’t want to join the NFL (No Friends Left). That is what I thought Network Marketing was.

I never thought about looking at Network Marketing differently until the day Scott and I were sitting in an attorney’s office ready to file bankruptcy. There were no more hours in a day for either of us to work. We had maxed out our credit cards and felt hopeless, with no way out. So we filled out all of the paperwork. We just needed to turn it in.

Then this happened…

I was at the clinic with Scott the next day, working with a girl who was not getting any better. I was frustrated, so I went into Scott’s X-ray room, closed the door, got down on my knees, and prayed. I asked God, “What can be done for this poor little girl? They are losing hope, they have been everywhere and nothing has been helping.” The only thing to pop into my head was Ningxia Red and essential oils.

I started arguing with God: “No! Those products are from a Network Marketing company. I can’t give her those!” But the feeling was so strong that I decided to walk back into my office and test her to figure out which oils I should use. She left that day with oils and Ningxia Red.

Three days later her mother called, and she was very angry with me.  She said, “Why didn’t you give my daughter those oils and Ningxia Red sooner? I have not seen her this good in a very long time!”

On that day, I changed my perspective. I felt as if God had hit me over the head and said, “Brenda, you have access to amazing products. Who cares what company it came from? Go help people!”

As soon as I adopted that attitude, everything shifted for me. As I listened to people’s wants and needs, and if I felt Young Living had something to offer that could help, I would tell them about it. If they were not interested, I was not upset. Because for me, it is and was NEVER about the sale. It is about educating and empowering people with the knowledge to make their own decisions.

This passion sparked a conversation between Scott and I. The night before we were supposed to turn in our bankruptcy paperwork, I told Scott, “I know I can get us out of debt if I choose to share Young Living.”

That night, we decided I would start sharing and offer classes in the evenings to anyone interested. My calendar filled up with teaching opportunities 5-7 nights a week. Scott was basically a single dad for 4 years because I was gone all the time. And our three boys were all under the age of three! (I know, right?!) I was incredibly grateful for his support. 11 months later – – – we were debt-free.

Who would have guessed that something I thought I was so against would become one of my greatest passions in life and help me fulfill my purpose?

One of my biggest joys is helping women become the “mom boss” they were destined to become. I help women find clarity and purpose. And with the right direction, ANYTHING is POSSIBLE!