Reclaiming Your Hue: A Podcast for Women Rediscovering Themselves in Motherhood & Entrepreneurship

Ep. 79 with Lauren Vanscoy | Founder, Essence One

• Kelly Kirk • Season 1 • Episode 79

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Storytelling through Life's Lowest Points

The moment your voice catches and your chest tightens can feel like the end of your story. For Lauren, it became the beginning. After a postnatal mental health break that made everyday conversations feel impossible, she chose help—counseling, integrative care, and small, steady choices that made life breathable again. That path led her to study aromatherapy seriously, blend with intention, and build Essence One around a simple idea: one honest breath can change a day.

We walk through the real climb. Early farmers markets and $30 days. A State Fair booth that forced a leap from “after hours” to full-time. National retail that looks shiny from the outside, and why the spa world—Waldorf Astoria, Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons—was the right fit because it could hold both story and experience. We get specific about missteps too, like the 150,000 bottles ordered on a verbal yes, and the contract lesson that followed. Throughout, Lauren keeps the claims grounded: aromatherapy doesn’t cure anxiety or depression; it’s a tool alongside therapy, medication, sleep, and movement that invites a deeper inhale when you need it most.

This is also a family story. Hiring her husband. Opening a retail shop inside the Disneyland spa. Teaching teens to shrink-wrap, sell, and take pride in work. Noticing when “lazy” is really misalignment—too much caffeine, too little sleep—and drawing new boundaries. We talk about storytelling as strategy and service, supporting teen mental health clubs through Bring Change to Mind, and the quiet role of faith when anxiety spikes before cameras or sales calls: prayer, music, breath, repeat.

If you’re a mother building a business, or a founder craving less noise and more presence, this conversation offers practical strategies, honest tradeoffs, and a reminder to define your own success. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a calmer blueprint, and leave a review to help more moms find their breath and their path.

Resources:

Connect with Lauren:

Contact the Host, Kelly Kirk:

  • Email: info.ryh7@gmail.com

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Credits:

  • Editor: Joseph Kirk
  • Music: Kristofer Tanke


Thanks for listening & cheers to Reclaiming Your Hue!

Kelly:

Welcome everybody to Reclaiming Your Hue, where we are dedicated to empowering women to embrace and amplify their inherent brilliance. Our mission is to inspire mothers and entrepreneurs to unlock their full potential and radiate their true selves. I'm your host, Kelly Kirk, and each week my goal is to bring to you glorious guests as well as solo episodes. So let's dive in. Good morning, Lauren. Good morning. This is so fun. It is fun. I know.

SPEAKER_01:

I feel like I know you really well.

Kelly:

Isn't it interesting? Same. The feeling is mutual. Well, and it's always whenever I have like that nice warm introduction to somebody who's, you know, either a client that we're gonna work with or a potential guest. I'm like, it's just so nice. It is. And I think this is a really nice segue, too, for you to share with the listeners how it is that we got connected, how we know one another.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. Well, I mean, you kind of have a little bit to contribute as well, right? With as far as finding our morning calm, which is our most popular romance. But um, I believe it was that we had a mutual um friend slash um, I actually worked with Molly professionally as well. But yes, um, but yeah, just a mutual connection with Molly Windmiller and finding that you had heard slash tried some of our products, heard of Essence One, tried our products. Yeah. And Molly had done um my new branding, which is what we use currently.

Kelly:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

And yeah, was it just through conversation?

Kelly:

That was I'll take it a step backwards from there. So I got introduced to Molly, actually through two different individuals. So my husband and I are in real estate together. We have a real estate business within Sotheby's, like Sotheby's. So the managing broker, Jake Smith is his name, was like, Oh, I've got to introduce you to Molly. But then I also had another individual who was like, Oh, you have to connect with this Molly Windmiller. So we sat down, we we connected, scheduled a coffee, and I was like, Well, I'm gonna do a little bit of research on Molly and what she does. And I was on her website and then I saw the Essence One. Well, I had already been introduced to your products, and I was like, Oh my gosh, this is so cool. Because I had also in the back of my head been like, I really should reach out to the owner of Essence One to have her on. Because, like, I love when I fall in love with a product and then I find out that it's women-owned, it's a women-owned business, I'm like, hallelujah. This is even, this is like amazing to me. So when Molly and I sat down for coffee, I was like, Okay, do you know the owner of Essence One? And she was like, Yes. I said, I have to just share with you this quick story. And so I shared that when I was going to my former salon out in Woodbury, that's right, the salon was the name of it. Yes, and they're still in business. So the salon, the owner uses essence one on all of the towels. So after you get your hair washed, you're like lathered in this nice warm towel, and it's the Essence One morning calm scent. And so I'm asking my hairstylist, like, tell me about this scent. And she's like, Oh, I don't know. So, like another couple of weeks go past, seven, eight weeks, I'm back there, and I'm like, Okay, we really need to figure this out because I need to just get that on all of my like furniture and my towels and stuff. And she said, Well, it's essence one, and they're actually here. And you know, months and months and months go past, and then I finally like, oh, I should get some of that. And so I had purchased some, and then here we are. Yeah, you know, now today, going, all right, it's time to talk about your story.

SPEAKER_01:

Here we are. I know. I think you reached out, was it like six months ago? We got this on the calendar.

Kelly:

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

We got it on the calendar, which thank goodness we did. Um, but yes, happy to be here.

Kelly:

I'm so happy you're here. All right, so let's go ahead and dive in. What came first for you, Lauren? Was it motherhood or was it entrepreneurship?

SPEAKER_01:

It was motherhood, which is pretty, you know, part of my story of why I started Essence One, but yes, motherhood.

Kelly:

Okay, and how many kiddos do you have?

SPEAKER_01:

Two, two ages? Fifteen-year-old boy, thirteen-year-old girl. Okay. So teenage years.

Kelly:

Yeah, and and pretty close in age too. So did essence one come after the first or after the second?

SPEAKER_01:

So it was actually after the second. Okay. Um, yes, the second. And it it in my mind it ties into all of the fun hormonal changes that we go through after having children.

Kelly:

Oh, you don't say. Yeah. Oh, what? Yeah. Yes. I I can completely empathize to that now. I'd love for you to dive a little bit deeper into what exactly that means in context for our listeners.

SPEAKER_01:

Sure. So, you know, I I used to tell the story of after the birth of my second child, which now that she's a teenager and has heard this story many times, I do want to change the wording because she interpreted that she might be part of my mental health um journey after having a child. And I think I I always just included that part of it because it really wasn't until it was about two years, I think, after she was born. No, actually, one year. It was when I stopped nursing, basically, um, that there was just this what I call a mental health break that I hadn't ever experienced before. Um, my my job at the time was to um operate tours around the world and we would bring groups, so marching bands, choirs, orchestras. Sometimes they could be up to 600 people on a tour. That was our biggest at the time. But wow. Um, we'd bring them around and I would get on the bus and say, be back at the coach at and this is when everyone would hear my Minnesota accent when I said coach.

Kelly:

Coach.

SPEAKER_01:

Um, but be back at the coach at two o'clock, you know, that whole kind of running the tour thing. So I was used to talking in front of a lot of people, but all of a sudden I was actually presenting a um a tour, sell or selling a tour, um, doing a presentation and just couldn't speak any longer and just kind of had that. I don't know if you ever watched Allie McBeal or remember Allie McBeal, but something would happen and she like envisioned what happened next. And so for me it was I couldn't talk, and I just I like envisioned myself starting to bawl, running out of the room, you know, closing the doors after me. But I made it through. Thankfully, I had a coworker there and um got through that. But then it was just very hard for me to even talk to one person, let alone groups of people. I'd find myself, you know, driving somewhere, and I had made a commitment to either uh, you know, train someone or a social commitment, and I would just in my head be thinking of the reason I couldn't go, yeah, turn my car around and just go home. And so it was I hadn't experienced um what I would say anxiety to that level before. Um, and so I went to my counselor and my doctor, and my doctor at the time had studied integrative men or was studying integrative medicine, and so she said, you know, there's obviously all of these options, medications, and you can try St. John's wart, but that'll take a good two, three, four months to start working. Um, and I was just given presented all the options, but my counselor had said that it was um basically it was major depression manifesting as anxiety. And because I operated at such a high level, like I was a hard, I was always working, always socially, you know, booked, had the family, all of that. It just kind of came out that that day. And so, you know, initially I thought, is this how the rest of my life is going to be? Like I hadn't ever experienced that. I hadn't ever had that feeling of I can't even, you know, talk to one person anymore without this inside inner, it was a lot of it stayed inside, so people didn't know what I was thinking or what I was going through.

Kelly:

Inner turmoil.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, exactly. And pretty much that's how I had always dealt with stress was I just internalized it.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay.

SPEAKER_01:

Um, so it was almost like the bottle popped open and this is what happened. Yeah. So um, so going to the doctor, going to the counselor. Um, and I actually didn't go to the counselor or the doctor to talk about it for a while either. And it was actually one day at my friend's house where they just said, What's going on? You're like, you're just not yourself. And break, I broke down. I'm remember sitting on the floor crying and telling them, like, I don't know what's wrong. Um, I just don't have like I feel safer just sitting at home with my family, with my kids, and with my husband. And my husband asking, like, what can I do to help was always hard because I didn't know what I needed or what was happening. So eventually when I did go to the counselor and um the doctor, at least figuring out what might be going on was very helpful. And I did start medication and I did start living like a more clean life. So trying to eat better. Um, I hate exercising, but I know it's good for me.

Kelly:

I know, I with you.

SPEAKER_01:

It was like, yeah, I gotta exercise. So I did that, you know. Did I stay consistent with that? No, but um, and just like start only surrounding myself with green clean products at home. And so that was a step I took. And a friend actually did introduce me to Young Living, which was the essential oils. Um, and that's how I got into aromatherapy. So by being introduced to that, um, really noticing the benefits of that. Um, I always say aromatherapy will not cure anxiety and depression, it's just a tool that helps you find the balance that really did make a difference in my life. Scent has always been an effective um, you know, piece or tool for me. So that was really interesting. And I just thought this is really cool. Still doing my day job, um, but I want to learn the science behind it. So I signed up for it, it was an online school, aromatherapy school, um, called Aromahead, which I highly recommend if anyone wants that aromatherapy education. Uh, and I got certified in that, and then it was really just okay, now I understand because you take anatomy physiology courses and it's very scientifically based.

Kelly:

Yes.

SPEAKER_01:

Um, and so I thought, okay, this is really interesting. I'm gonna start having people over to make clean green products in my house, which we did, and they loved it, but not everyone has time to do that.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Um, and so I I they started saying, I'll buy it from you if you make it. So that was kind of a ding, you know, this could be a business. Yeah. Um, and still at my day job, so was at night that I would be making products uh in our kitchen, in our basement, in our garage. Well, not we didn't hit the garage yet.

Kelly:

Um but can I can I just hit pause for one second? Because I want to put um timeline into context for the listeners. Okay.

SPEAKER_01:

So it was 20 uh 2016 that I started Essence One. Um, 2012 my daughter was born, so it was a good four years of what's going on, trying different things, and then officially starting the business. So it was April 2016.

Kelly:

You are coming up on your tenure.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, we are. That's I know I should be planning something. Absolutely.

Kelly:

Just have to figure out I I don't mean to invite myself, but I'm coming a lot of people.

SPEAKER_01:

No, we definitely need to do something, and that's I a lot of times I need help with that because that's not my um immediate, yeah. Like, I need to have a party, but I I love parties, but I you know, I think I still go back to the the place where Essence One was tiny, small farmers markets. I'd go to a farmer's market and sit there for six hours and sell$30, you know. It was just like that point of what am what am I doing? Is this working? However, the thing that I always I always knew I wanted Essence One's storyline and you know, the reason that it started to be communicated, I wanted mental health to always be at the forefront. And even when I went to those events and would sell$30, I also got to tell my story to so many people and hear their stories.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

And I always walked away thinking, you know, if if I meant to do this just to share my story, I want to do that because that was for sure one of the first days I started healing, was the first day I actually posted it on Facebook. But once I figured out what was happening, please, and that was one of the places I did not like going in my, you know, um in those moments. But I just thought, if I can just post this and one person can stop and think, oh, you know, there isn't anything wrong with me. I'm not alone. Um, there's resources out there. I should go see a counselor, I should go see my doctor, I should try medication, I should, you know, change my lifestyle. But that day that I posted it, I thought, this is really personal. It was a long post. I actually should print it out and frame it because it was for sure one of those moments where it was like pivotal. And just oh, sharing my story to show other people they're not alone and to also realize I'm not alone was what I needed to start that healing process. And it's a journey forever, you know, it's up and down all the time. I can tell when I get lazy, it you know, the anxiety pops up for the you know, it's like you can you always have to be aware of it and find the things that help you find that balance.

Kelly:

I'm so curious to dig a little bit more into this, like recognizing we like to call it the lazy gene. Yeah, that kind of pops or rears its ugly head and the the connection, that bridge. I want to dive more into this.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, talk to me more about it.

Kelly:

You mean actually when it starts to well what I heard, and correct me if I'm hearing it incorrectly, but when you get when you start to feel yourself getting lazy is when the anxiety starts to rear its ugly head.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes. So not you know, I I think there's self-care and there's taking care of yourself, and there is especially in motherhood, you know, you're taking care of other humans the moment that they pop into your life, along with um, you know, your partner or friendships, but there is if I can tell if I don't stop and say, I need more sleep, I I really should exercise more, or I need to eat better, or I know I can only have one cup of coffee in a day, or the anxiety creeps in, and I know if I increase that, it's gonna, you know, it's gonna rear its head. Um so it's it's really when you forget to take care of yourself at at a level that's not selfish, it's just you know you need that to have a healthy mental state, and it is so common, you know.

Kelly:

This is so good. It really is. It's I I don't think that we it's talked about pretty frequently here on the podcast, just in different ways or different facets, but I also like to think of it in in some way, shape, or form as misalignment, right? Like you uh you understand, like, all right, a way to take care of myself is to have one cup of coffee. Okay, another way to take care of myself is that I'm moving my body, whatever that needs to look like for each individual, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. And when I even veer off of that a little bit is when you can feel that laziness, laziness. I'm air quoting listeners like laziness, but then it's it's a misalignment. It is, and so it's like how do I pop myself back to alignment? Yeah, and it's tough. I mean, I can if we're gonna just speak to the exercise part of it, it's like my my like baseline is like I will I can walk. I can walk, I can I can like that's easy for me to do, but like getting back into strength training or Pilates or yoga, like whatever, for some reason that's tough. But I I also know if I'm not doing it, there is that misalignment. And then I start to feel a specific way, i.e. just a little bit of that anxiousness, like something's not right. Yes, I need to move my body.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, and I I think the part that I and everyone will discover that in their own way in their own time. And I think back in so this all I guess the actual the incident that I have to call it when I really had that break um was 2013. Okay. Um, and before that, I didn't understand mental health, you know. I think a lot of times we have to go through those moments to understand because in my mind, and I still try to do this to myself of you know, talking like, you're fine, why are you so nervous? You know, or or someone walks into a room and they're straight faced, serious, don't look like they even want to be there. And I used and someone used to say, like, I'm just anxious in crowds, and I didn't understand. I thought, well, why can't you just walk into a room and smile? Why can't you just make yourself do those things? And once I got once I had that break, it was like I had to go through those moments to say, I can't just tell myself to feel okay. There are things I need to do, there are steps I need to take. I have found, you know, what those are, but it's something that I think it's just realizing that it might be a journey that hits later in life or hit or you know, surfaces for a reason. And a lot of the times I think it was because I bottled up those emotions. Yeah and wasn't ever taught how to how to communicate through it.

Kelly:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Communicate through it and at no one's no for no one's or at no one's fault. Um but one of the things or one of the um organizations that we have given back to and continue to give back to is Bring Change to Mind. And it's a mental health club for high school kids. So the high schoolers can create their own club. We sponsor three here in Minnesota and learn how to deal with stress. Even if it's exercising, even if it's like simple things that we didn't talk about in those terms back when we were younger because it just wasn't a a topic.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

And now being able to have kids have those conversations sooner, figure out how to deal with that stress and anxiety not that it's going to mean smooth sailing for their whole life but just what steps can I take what tools can I try because when I hit that moment I want to have something ready to how beautiful is it that you recognize the importance of addressing mental health and also to have those conversations earlier on rather than later so that it doesn't one progress or continue you know to a point where it's just like somebody can't handle it anymore.

Kelly:

Or they decide to have their own family and they've continued to hold those feelings those emotions in and it they break right you know and and I don't think that you're alone in that I know you're not alone in that boat. Yeah. You're not for sure. Like there's so many men and women alike that that's the case. And to be able to go okay I want to recognize it. I want to name it I want to talk through it and you know maybe that's as easy as being able to talk through it independently like I'm talking to myself right now. You know what I mean? Like I'm talking to myself or I'm able to have that conversation and dialogue with my spouse or it's I need to have a a non-biased, unbiased third party to be able to talk through this.

SPEAKER_01:

And it could be all of them yes and it and it does not mean there's something wrong with you or that you're ever you're I think that was a thing in that moment too is I we hadn't talked about yes there was um you know postpartum depression that they do make you aware of and I definitely had friends on medication through school and but it just wasn't talked about. It was just like oh I'm on I'm on meds. Okay. Yeah. You know you don't it just wasn't discussed to be something or make you realize that it is a very common um a common struggle and it's okay. It's okay to stop and say I have I'm anxious like I have anxiety over this I'm depressed I'm sad and I just think we don't say that enough with just that simple like I know I don't know why. Okay I don't I don't need to know why but that's where I'm at.

Kelly:

I wonder when it was like when that shift happened where it wasn't it was no longer taboo and I do still think that there is yes some stigma there is around mental health and how that pops up I'm just not quite sure. But I do think that there is this incredible wave that's happening right now. And it's it's the Laurens of the world to who individually have experienced it but then go no let's not let this be a thing anymore.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

Kelly:

Enter essence one.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah exactly and I do feel bad that I had to go through those moments to understand what anxiety felt like but I think it was because yeah we didn't it wasn't discussed with people who said they had it with people who felt it it was just kind of like oh I don't understand that they didn't want to talk about it. Let's not talk about it. And actually Glenn Close founded um bring change to mind because two she has two siblings um that have mental health um journeys and and just you know at there they have an annual banquet where there's more celebrities there. So I think it is more people are just willing to talk about it more there's absolutely still a stigma and um I think a lot of the times it's just because people don't understand it until they go through it personally.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Or they identify oh that is anxiety that is depression. And so yeah just starting essence one was out of that horrible time in my life but it's been amazing that it's continued you know because you start it and you are sitting there at farmers markets for eight hours and you're like I feel bad for myself. Yeah. But um you know it's it's grown it's it's established itself in Minnesota first kind of through State Fair. We have a booth at the State Fair. Yeah which is exciting but um but yeah just that it's because that story is out there that has definitely also brought awareness to the brand obviously morning calm is our hero aroma and it smells lovely.

Kelly:

Yes but I just I doused this room I actually I really do douse this room before every single guest and they're every single time they're like this smells so good. And I'm like oh it's essence one and they're local yes and you should purchase from them I'm an advocate for essence one no I love that yeah so I um one of the things that I want to talk through is how you have scaled essence one and because this whole podcast is about harmonizing motherhood and business being an entrepreneur some of the I'm sure you can recollect looking back where it's almost 10 years now those those pivotal moments right where you're like I need to I need to go to the next level. It's just it essence one is pushing that right and what was the the residual impact of what that looked like within the family dynamic and the household and with the children too.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah that's a great question because you'd think that it's actually gotten better but I would say it's intensified more in its effects on our family now as it's grown and and become a bigger business. But when I started um well also honestly I think perimenopause is something that I've just been really learning more about it can start around the time that I had this break and it can create anxiety and depression because our hormones are so out of balance. And I think that going back to those days I had so much more energy I was younger. I'm in my 40s now almost my late 40s um and so I could juggle babies a day job and a business on the side and the business on the side brought that joy to me and that the what that my husband saw it brought. So he was in full support of that because he could see that was kind of how I did release my stress making products was very therapeutic. I could smell them our family stayed very healthy because it always smelled like essential oils in our house. Yes um but yeah early on I would say the juggling all of it was actually easier um but you start a business and I think the immediate vision of what a business is is when it's successful is when you have a lot of money.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

But really that's not the bigger you get the more um the different set of issues you've got exactly the more yeah and so it was it was just fun. I just did it because it was fun and it was um I didn't know where it would go. And so the the growth um kind of started it it was actually the state fair when we first got our state fair booth. I just applied people said you're you know you're usually on a wait list for 10 years. I applied and got a call like three months before the fair. What um that same year which they didn't they needed my my genre and so a spot opened up in the West End market which I love so much. I didn't know it existed before this but yeah it that's the newer part right that's new I do the old heritage square so yeah yeah so it's a beautiful area it's outdoors with in a structure that's always there year round um so it was I just got really lucky I would say with the timing of all of it but that is actually when I realized I had to quit my day job because I had to make a lot of product quickly. And what and when was this 2000 I'm terrible at my years now because you know brain fog and perimenopause I think 2019.

Kelly:

Okay.

SPEAKER_01:

I think that was the first or maybe even 18. So two to three years after starting essence one it was gosh I think that was 18 because I I remember thinking okay I've been doing it for this long now I really have to full time this thing. And so that was great went really well that's where you know it was like oh I should wholesale because store owners would come and say can I carry this and what's a I've done so much Googling. I'm so grateful for the internet when you start a business because well when you do anything really but it's like how to start an LLC how to create a website you know line sheets and wholesale catalogs and all of that. So we figured it out um and started doing wholesale and then actually I am somebody who's like if I hear of an opportunity that will be um likely successful I don't hesitate. I just say we're doing it. Yeah putting it on the credit card which is not necessarily the best financial uh approach to it but I do it and so someone told me about trade shows um so we did that we built a yeah it was it's it was a lot of work but um our first national account was um crate and barrel okay and that was really exciting to get into crate and barrel molecules yeah so that was um that was you know thought of I've finally made it but you know there's there's evolutions there's evolutions yeah so and we aren't any longer in crate and barrel. Uh it was more of like an experimental um they wanted to tell the story of different brands and so they chose certain products that I might not have chosen as our you know the main big first um foot in the door. So anyway it was a great it was great while that lasted but it did um just create like okay now we can go national so we were in paper source for many years um we're room and board which is still a partner um but just growing those national accounts were helpful because it got essence one out of Minnesota yeah and then just creating more gift shop um uh partnerships and things like that and then it was um 2019 I was at a trade show and their trade shows are hard because you're next to brands that the whole world knows about Bird's Bees was next to us and it's like everyone just goes straight for Bert's Bees and we would have to stand we would stand just like in our booth reaching out into the aisles with morning calm sprayed on business cards and it'd be like do you want to sm you want a free sample of this and it was actually it was always morning calm that they they say thank you, walk away, smell it and then come back. Yep. Yep and so I was like that's our winning our hero aroma um but it was a lot of work and a lot of you know you're just standing there as a little guy still yeah um and I was across uh the um aisle from another business owner that was bigger uh SpongeL I don't know if you've seen their brand it's um they're like loofah kind of sponges with the soap built into it oh they smell lovely yes you know I was gifted one okay last month oh yeah and it was from um Lily Spa and Salon oh so I don't know if it was that brand I can't remember I mean yeah they're they're I thought this is kind of brilliant I know it's built in for you so easy um anyway she told me about the spa industry she said there's a a conference called iSpa and it was like in a month and a half I think and she said you should try that out because I I see your wellness brand as being a better fit maybe for that because the thing is the story brought people uh to us and then they would carry it in their store but they couldn't tell the story of essence one because the shelves are full of brands. Yeah. Um so it was just the story is and their give back and everything is really part of the reason I think people do stop and try us if they haven't heard of us. Um and then they fell in love. But uh that that was like I needed a place that cared about the story and could tell it a little bit more in person. So the spa industry has been our magic um space and uh that's when we were just really started growing nationally getting into hotels and spas around the country and yeah it's just kind of snowballed from there. So that's been a good good fit.

Kelly:

My first ever bottle of essence one was um purchased from the spa that's within um gosh it's the wherever the Vikings train now what's the name of yes Idle Wild. Idle Wild thank you I I was like it's idle something I wanted to call it idlewood that was so idle wild yes so I had my husband had given me a really nice gift card to Idle sorry Idle Wild Idol Wild and um it was there so this would have been two almost three years two years ago two years ago because Maddie was born okay and um I was getting my head massaged and I was like I know that scent yeah because it's not called morning calm there. Right it's not but I was like this is and I turned the bottle around and I was like yeah so I purchased it. Love it and now I just purchase I just order online yeah but that was my first time and so I was like wow but then I was on your website and I I need to place an order because I've got I have one in here and then I have one in our bedroom. So every time I make the bed on Sundays I spritz it all over our bed and all over the sheets and all over the top it's like I douse it but it's but what's so beautiful about the scent too is that like it's not like other scents that I've had in the past where you do spray it a couple of times and you can feel the toxicity you can feel it in your head with the more with the other not with the listeners synthetic yes not with the morning not with morning comes I do not have that happen. I don't get like this headache that starts to form. And so I'm like well that takes care of that like all of those products but I want to talk through um also okay before I go there let's finish out this scaling aspect of the business and then how that has impacted the family.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes. Yeah so I would say I have to consciously now be more um present and I love what I do. Like I could work 247 and there's always ideas in my head there's always emails to answer there's always things to do. Yeah um and we're still pretty small as far as employees go. So three years ago my husband I hired him he left his job that's right that's right. So it's a family run it's a family run business and oh my gosh this is so cool. We still love each other similar to you working with your husband it doesn't work with everyone but it's working with us. But I I definitely have to be more and I'm saying this to myself as well I do need to still be better at being present and not getting home from work eating dinner jumping on my computer and working again. And we had something very exciting happen to us almost a year ago well in February we opened a store in the spa at in Disneyland. So we won the retail shop Disneyland in California okay I was like we're going to that'll be the one thing that I actually purchased well they do yes I mean you can also find us in World but we don't have a store um in in various places but yeah so we opened that store in Disneyland which was another business we created because now we're retail yeah store rent owners and um we had to hire a whole lot of team in California. It was so so it is still just a dream but now I have two businesses and so I do have to say that it has affected our family and if I could go back maybe a year and a half to two years I would have been more conscious of just being there. The kids are great. I mean they they grew up telling their giving their teachers essence one gifts and saying my mom made this in our garage which I'm like don't tell them and we don't have a garage anymore we have a warehouse we have a co-manufacturer everything is much more like you know professional but they've they've always been excited for the business we go to Disney a lot now and they love that side of things and that's actually where we connect most with our kids is because everyone's off their phones and we're just having fun together. But it is a struggle and it you do have to be conscious and I think I I know I need to be better at that.

Kelly:

What are what are ways that you have been working through that so that you could share that as advice for the listeners.

SPEAKER_01:

If my family was here they'd say I haven't started yet mentally you have though mentally I have started and I think really it is just putting away the phone putting away the computer for the evening and spending it with our kids and um we have hired more people recently to Help us out. So that has helped take a lot of the, you know, a lot of a lot of things off of my plate. Um, and we've done that because we knew we needed to make a change because both of us could work every day, all day, um, on it, and then yeah, just miss out that miss out on those years with the family. So we're being I am being more intentional officially as of now. Yeah to do to just do that more in the evenings.

Kelly:

Well, you just publicly announced it. I know.

SPEAKER_01:

This is good. This is good.

Kelly:

This is good. This is so good.

SPEAKER_01:

You brought that out, and I think that's yeah. Have to I have to do it.

Kelly:

I didn't mean to.

SPEAKER_01:

No, it's great.

Kelly:

But um, the other thing too that I recognized is that you are also in Waldorf.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, so we're in Waldorf, Astoria's Astoria, and uh Ritz Carlton's Four Seasons, Conrad's, St. Regis's. So yeah, different hotel chains.

Kelly:

Um how did those connections come to fruition?

SPEAKER_01:

Through the spa world, basically. And um, the spa directors are wonderful. I mean, they're they're all everyone is we're all trying to create wellness experiences for people to reduce the stress level, to um, you know, promote that time to just take a minute away from this world. Um, and so a lot of them also um handle like the turndown amenities. So you might go to a one of these hotels and get our pillow mist on your bed or our shower steamers in your shower or eye mask, things like that. So it's just grown organically through those partnerships. And yeah, it's been a couple years. It's you do have to invest a lot of money and time because when you get into those systems, they it takes a while to you know to for them to dismiss a partner that they're working with and then onboard you. And so some of these relationships have been two, three, four years um in the making, and when they pop, it's really exciting.

Kelly:

So I I saw that on your website and I was just like, gosh, that's incredible. That is so incredible, and it makes so much more sense too, because if you think about like your story, and I want to get to storytelling and how important that is for anybody who's an entrepreneur, anybody, but to be able to like do the storytelling for that business that you're in, and it and then tie in the experience as well. And cherry on top of the cake, it's good for you.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, yeah, it's good for you. So cool. Yeah. And in terms of you know, essence one awareness, that obviously has grown. Um, we're doing ads on Meta. You said you keep getting them. Sorry.

Kelly:

No, it's it's the algorithms know. They hear me talking about essence one, and it's just it keeps popping, which is incredible because then I I got one of your ads for the diffuser, and I was like, ooh, adding that to the to the like Christmas wish list. And then I saw the ad for the iMask with the the essential oils, and I was like, ooh, adding that to the wish list. Yes, yeah. Actually, I'll probably just purchase the iMask. I should have brought you another one. It's okay. Package. It's all good, it's all good. But like, seriously, when I say I love essence wine, I'm like in love with it. So thank you. The the wellness part of it is truly what speaks to me the most. And it's such like the morning calm. I haven't smelt anything else. It's okay. Anything else besides morning calm. But I just every time I'm on your website, I'm like, oh, I didn't realize that she had that. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

So it's a big line.

Kelly:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

And it's because I can't say no. So when someone says, Can you make, you know, you're like this in morning calm? Absolutely. We make most things in morning calm.

Kelly:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Um, can you create, you know, an aroma that's good for before bed? Yes, we can. I have had to get better at saying no because it does, it can get away from you. You can create this huge line and then and then you're having to manage that.

unknown:

Yeah.

Kelly:

And and inventory keeping it.

SPEAKER_01:

Keeping inventory stacked, yeah. All of that. And we now we do have a co-manufacturer now. So um, because it got to the point of I had to keep hiring and hiring and hiring to have enough people to make products. Um, and then that just got it was hard when you don't obviously the holidays are gonna be your busiest best time. Um, but it was just hard to keep the consistency going with more people. What's gonna happen this month versus next month versus the holidays? So um it is nice to have somebody else doing a lot of the making. I miss a lot of it because it was some therapy.

Kelly:

That's how you started.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, and that's how I started, yeah. So I still do make some of the things, um, candles specifically. Um, but yeah, it's it's fun to create and see people's reactions because morning calm I love. I didn't create it thinking this is gonna be the one that people are drawn to, but it's fascinating.

Kelly:

Fascinating. Okay, let's step into this next topic of storytelling. And then I I also want to set the stage for another topic, which is really leaning into the the um mental health as it pertains to your children and children at that age and being off of the phones and being engaged, but then also the scent piece. Okay. So let's start with storytelling. Great. When was it that you realized like, wow, I didn't realize that my my story was like so important until all of a sudden it just something clicked, you know, like when was that aha moment for you? And then have you ever like leaned into mentoring other people through like how the importance of storytelling?

SPEAKER_01:

Well, I when I started the business, I definitely didn't think I'd be telling my story as often as I do originally because I didn't know you know when or how that could happen. So um actually it was pretty early on though, because I would be at those pop-up um events or the um the farmers markets and just tell the story. And I think at that point it was like people were were saying, you know, we all want to support a brand with a story or with um just like a closer to um feeling closer to a brand versus a huge corporation and and not knowing, you know, their story. So it really was just I had like an abbreviated version of why I started the business. And truly I think that was why people gave it a chance. It was like, oh, I'm gonna support you in your efforts.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

And what was always hard, you know, in a trade show setting is you can't put you can't have signs all around you. So you know, you'd have to get that moment to talk to people, to tell them the story.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

For them to even give you a chance to tell it. Um, but I did, I did tell it a lot early on because that was just my reasoning. That was my reason for being there. And it was also my I still got something out of hearing other people's stories and us helping each other. So to that point of like, I sell$30 at a farmer's market. Well, I got to talk to eight people struggling with mental health that we could help each other. And that was that was most important to me in the beginning. And then it's like it is hard to tell that story on packaging, you know, on the website. Oh, go to these five pages and you can, you know, you can see it. But I tell it all the time. I was just at a spa show last week, and they said give us a two-minute, you know, spiel, and it always starts with what brought me there because I wouldn't be here without that happening. And and I do stress the importance of finding your your balance of what you need and not ever trying to sell anything to say this is gonna cure your mental health because we all have a different combination, and medication is completely fine. And I go off and on medication, I never say aromatherapy substituted for that, it was just a piece of it.

Kelly:

The tool piece. So I you said this very early on in our conversation about how the aromatherapy is just it's simply a tool.

SPEAKER_01:

I keep spilling my wall back.

Kelly:

You're trying to like hold the microphone, stay engaged with me and drink a sip of water, yeah. So the the importance of listeners understanding this is simply a tool. It's it's a it's not gonna be the cure all, same with medication. There is a uh uh peeling back of the onion layers that needs to happen. Yeah, and that's in interviewing 80 plus women now and going, yeah, this is a common thread between so many, not every single person, but so many individuals where something happened, and that that like moment in time could have been having their first, having their second, having their third, having their fourth, whatever it looked like, and all of a sudden there was this shift in their body, the physicalities of their body, but then just the chemistry and going, something's not right. Yeah, and how do I get to the core of this? Because when I get to the core of it, then I can start building off of that. Exactly. And the aromatherapy, it's it's so interesting, Lauren. I I'm doing this reflection backwards of like when I first was introduced to morning calm, and just like literally, it there is a calmness. And I wonder, like, seriously, why every time I have a guest here like spraying that, and every single person, every single person is like, it's so this smells so amazing. Like, what is it? You know, and I'm like, well, I I know that for me, if it's subconsciously doing that, it's got to subconsciously do that for other people too.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, and scientifically too, it is aromatherapy is it's scientifically effective in that, and some people would, you know, say it's just smells, you know, whatever. I like it, so I still buy it. Um, but the thing about it is, especially in a world where we're we are moms and there's so much going on, we don't stop to take a deep breath. And if something smells good, we stop and we take a deep breath. Yeah, it's so true. Yeah, and so this morning calm, just for those who haven't smelled it, is a spearmint, bergamot mint, and patchouli. And some people love patchouli, some people don't. But the mint covers it up enough. Like I have a lot of people who say, Oh, I don't like patchouli, and they smell and they're like, Okay, I like patchouli. I can do this, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

I can do this. This is more than tolerable.

SPEAKER_01:

It's got that fresh, that initial mint fresh aroma that you smell, and then that patchouli. I mean, they're all they all have a calming effect to them, and that's what's behind aromatherapy is oils you build a blend with oils that have the same effect on or the you know, uh uh component of that oil is calming for each of those three oils. So yeah, I think that's the thing is it's it's it stops you for a moment that you wouldn't otherwise take.

Kelly:

For sure. So let's actually tie this into then with um with your children. Let's start with your children and how how you have seen the benefits of the business that you have started and the residual impacts on your children as well.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, they for sure have seen us work really hard and um and believe in something that they believe in as well. I think that's I didn't try to instill that in them, but they've grown up seeing a business grow, seeing um us work really hard, seeing us enjoy working. I think that's the other thing is finding a job that you love. It doesn't have to be your own business, but find a job you love because it's it's such a different thing. It's too short. Yeah, life's too short. And so um they help us. They um don't worry, their little fingers weren't in the products in the early days, but now they're teenagers and they can help shrink wrap, they can pack, they can um, you know, we're we teach them how to do things. They do roll their eyes, but they appreciate a way to get money and in an easy way. So we do pay them.

Kelly:

Yeah, I was I was just gonna ask, you know, I I think that a lot of the listeners probably are already privy to, you know, the tax benefits of having your child work within the business. And I mean, there's so many benefits to that. We do it, and and that's a tax write-off. And the boys are eight, are oh my gosh, I was so used to saying eight and ten. And now they're um, Conrad's gonna be 11 here next month, and then Landon just turned nine. Wow, and you know, Conrad two years ago was working in the business with Joe. I wasn't at that point in the business yet. And then um, this past summer, they helped me with all the social media stuff. Yeah, I'd be like, take your little scooters and go to this business, get some video. They had a uh they had a phone that didn't have access to internet or anything, but they were just they would take video, they would take pictures, they would give their hot take on a business, you know. And I was like so helpful. Yeah, so helpful. Yeah. But I think to your point about having your children working in the business. Let's talk through. I want you to be able to share like the obvious benefits of that.

SPEAKER_01:

I well, I mean, those are some great benefits for sure, the financial side of it. But um, I think it's just they're it's fun to see in their like through their eyes how proud, like they are more proud of it than I am at times. Um, especially growing like younger, Vivian, she would brought like my business cards to class and handed them out to each child, which more and I know so cool. Now, I think most of them probably ended up on the ground because what kid wants a business card at you know 10. But it was so sweet, and like the teachers knew I owned this business because they would talk about it with them. And there was the one year that, yeah, Jacob, my son, was like, My mom made this on a table in our garage. And I just pictured the teacher kind of saying thank you and then throwing it in the trash.

Kelly:

Probably not.

SPEAKER_01:

No, but it I mean, think like seeing them be proud of it. Um, the Disney thing had they obviously are they love, they're jacked. Yeah, and they're doing re they're there doing research with us, they're noticing patterns in, you know, traffic and shopping and what people are drawn to and all of those things that they for the most part they do want to do it. Yeah um, you know, they're getting they they worked most of the state fair almost every day and sold to people. They were upselling, they were like they loved it. I mean, they're earning money, granted. You know, it used to be they used to do it for free just because they wanted to, but now it's it's a way for them to earn money. But yeah, Vivian can see what's happening on TikTok and tell me, oh, this is a fun trend. Not that she's she doesn't have her own TikTok, she just somehow finds it on YouTube, I think.

Kelly:

Yeah, I mean it's TikTok is not my thing.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I don't understand.

Kelly:

But my husband has been like, I mean, maybe you need to get on TikTok for the podcast. And I was like, I know begrudgingly things.

SPEAKER_01:

I did it for the business. You can do it too.

Kelly:

All right, Lauren.

SPEAKER_01:

All right, but yeah, I think it's it's just showing them how to work hard, it's showing them to do something that you love. Yeah, they're also probably seeing that I work too much, and in fact, the past couple months I have had to travel a lot, especially with the store.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Um, and that's been a lot, and I can see it now as they're older. I can see in their face when I say I have to leave again tomorrow. And you're so that I that too, I actually was supposed to go somewhere this weekend, and I just I said I can't. And I have people going yeah, um, in that they were going with me anyway, but they will go and they will do a great job, and I will have FOMO, but I need to be home with my family right now. And I and though those are decisions I'm having to make now that I would say I didn't have to make as much before because it wasn't as busy and they were younger and didn't necessarily keep track of time in the moment. Yeah, and now I'm I'm making those choices for them because these are the years girl.

Kelly:

You are not giving yourself enough credit. Seriously. So to back up to that other part of our conversation about like, you know, what are the steps that should you're doing it. Well, I mean You're doing it. I think we just, you know, we as women and as mothers, it's it's easy to fall captive to mom guilt or um, you know, like I'm spending too much time over here, and you have the conscious recognition and said, I'm not gonna go. Yeah, I have the people who can do it. I trust them. They're more than capable. Am I gonna be sad to miss out? Yeah. But I think that down the line, you're gonna look back and go, that was the best decision that I could have made in that particular moment.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes. So the feel and the feeling of relief after you've made the decision, so there's no more waffling back and forth, you've told the people you're not going that that then you feel that yes, that was 100%. That was the right thing to do. And yeah.

Kelly:

Yeah. So, in regards to the different scents and stuff that you have, have you seen that be have an impact on your children?

SPEAKER_01:

And then Yes. So yes. And I would say each family member, even my husband, when I first started the Young Living stuff, it was eye rolls, and I was making deodorant, was natural deodorant, was my one of my. Products with Essence One, and I was like, Can you please just use this? Because we had to experiment, we had to try it, and all of this, and it was that, oh, fine. And then he'd go, he went back to his old spice like once or you know, twice, and he's like, Actually, I really like this. So I have carry. We have natural deodorant. Oh, I've been using it since we started, and okay, yeah. What I will say about natural deodorant natural deodorant is there may be brands that are everyone's body chemistry, specifically pH in the armpits, is different. Um, so if you have one that you love that works for you, I say stick with it.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Um, and of course, there's gonna be people who ours isn't the right fit for them as well. But it's I mean, I even when I travel, if I forget deodorant, I have to go buy one. And I just I smell worse with antiperspirant than I do with natural deodorant that you do sweat with natural deodorant, but your body adjusts uh to that, but it it neutralizes the aroma of your arm.

Kelly:

So fascinating. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Anywho, anywho, so we also have facial care, which is what I try to push on my teenage daughter now. I I mean, sorry, I don't try to push. I explain this is free. Why would you want to spend your money on products out there? But there are trending products that the kids will find and want to use instead, which is fine.

Kelly:

Well, I think too, it's like they're at a very um impactful ages, yes, right? So do you know Jordan Peterson?

SPEAKER_01:

No.

Kelly:

He's a we're widely and um worldly known psychologist, okay, um, based out of Canada, I believe Toronto. And anyways, he um did a series on parenting. And one of them, we just my husband and I just watched it, and it's the like the importance of understanding the impact of the peer group is more at this given age, excuse me, is more impactful than us as parents. And I'm like, well, we're not quite there yet, right? Like we've got an eleven almost 11-year-old and nine-year-old, but to understand which is all the more important to continue to encourage who they're surrounding themselves with is really important too. Now, also the peer stuff, the peer pressure of well, this is trending on TikTok, this is uh the latest greatest product, but the the science behind those products isn't healthy, it's so toxic.

SPEAKER_01:

Yep. And that that's why I let them try it. I mean, this is more towards my daughter because she's into the all of the skincare. Um, but she breaks out, and then I say, You gotta go back to the natural stuff because it's that I remember use, I think I used St. Ives face scrub growing up. Capricor scrub. Yes, and which I loved, but now I realize but uh you know I wouldn't choose that now, and I have seen my skin gets has gotten better since I use all natural skincare, which we do make, and of course I use it because it's mine and it's free and it works, but yeah, um, but yeah, slowly kind of working that into um introducing that they both have our itch away rollerball when they get bug bites, um, and that they know it works and they use that. Um kind of a bonding moment with my son is he loves our shower mist and energy specific, which is a grapefruit bergamot aroma. And so my husband will get up in the morning, go turn the shower on, spray the shower with our energy shower mist, and Jacob, our son, won't come out like until the shower's running and the energy's in the shower, and that's how he showers by his request. And so those are fun when they're requesting that. But our house, like I don't, I keep natural clean products in the house. Yeah, and if our daughter wants something that isn't, she has to spend her money on that.

Kelly:

And there you go.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I she earned money, right? She earned money, and I feel like if I say no to that, she won't even consider trying or go coming back to, I should say, Essence one, but yeah, there's products she likes.

Kelly:

Do you feel like she's starting to get it? Yes, okay, yeah, that's so good. Yeah, and then think about like then being able to go back to her peer group, right? And it she doesn't even have to say anything, she physically can just show that this is what's happened.

SPEAKER_01:

And I tr I actually have tried to engage her and her peer group by saying, let's make a teen line in the summer. So then there's been texts back and forth about ideas about what the teen we could make for the teen skincare line. And I think that'll be fun. Brilliant, right? So we'll see if it goes anywhere. But that's you know, it's like, why would we not?

Kelly:

This is You've got the guinea pigs, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

In their like in their prime age of uh acne and you know, just and just facial care routines, which is fun for them to do anyway. But yeah, just like, well, let's make our own face cream, ladies. So that's we'll see.

Kelly:

So incredible. Yeah, that's so cool. I had another tie-in with um with mental health, and I am it's totally escaping me, so it's okay. Sure. I think the next direction that I would like to take the conversation is regarding the process of building the business and the hiccups that you've experienced and how you've overcome it and had to pivot. And and then let's let that lead into maybe maybe you have already spoken to this, Lauren, but like your darkest moment. And again, if you've already covered those bases, that's fine. But if there's a different moment that you could speak to, let's talk through that.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay. Um yeah, so talk to me about the first one.

Kelly:

The the first so the first the first one is like the hiccups that you have experienced in continuing to build the business. Um, and actually, so a tie-in with that is did you ever feel like you wanted to shut the doors?

SPEAKER_01:

Okay, well, so I think hiccups, hiccups are usually for me anyway. It's financial is really hard when you don't have an investor. I don't know that I necessarily want to get into that. Um, but you know, it's like bootstrapping your own business and figuring out what's worth spending the money on. And like I said earlier, the spa um industry is a couple year process of creating those relationships. And so it it's a big investment up front, and I did it, and I'm so glad I did it. Um, but yeah, there's there's moments where you think, oh, am I what am I doing? I'm gonna be, I don't need I'm I don't belong in a Ritz-Carlton, you know, and then it's like, yes, I do belong in a Ritz-Carlton, and it's adding to that, and it's I think entrepreneur life is a roller coaster every couple days. You're down, you're up, you're down. And I, you know, I my family has always been supportive, my husband included, but you know, also like my parents and my siblings, and um, they've always been there for me and and friends too, you know, friends who aren't oper entrepreneurs and then friends who are. And it's so important to have all of those people surrounding you in these moments because I mean we pivot a lot, which is great to be a small business, because I can say, hey, eye masks, let's you know, produce eye masks and we have them at the next show. And then, you know, since we've done that, and now there's many companies selling eye masks. So I like to think they it wasn't a a product that I invented, but it was like this is a great turn down amenity. Yeah, eye masks. Like, why would you not why would you not want one?

Kelly:

If you haven't tried one, you have to try one because I it's interesting because I am literally in the market to get a new one. So I got I had my last one was um keach. Oh yes, keeps with the lavender scent in it. Yes. Now it's it's like a um a satin one, which is great for your skin and for your eyelashes. Um my problem is I use so I use a tallow cream. Um and the scal has been on the podcast too. So if you haven't checked it out, you should be able to check it out. But it's it does it takes a while for it to soak in, and I'm not patient enough to like wait another 10 to 15 minutes to go to bed. I'm so tired. Like I want to go to bed.

SPEAKER_01:

Slap that I mask.

Kelly:

Slap that I mask on, and I'm like, can I wash this? I don't think I can wash this. I don't know.

SPEAKER_01:

I think you're supposed to be able to wash them, but you know the the scent, like then the anything.

Kelly:

Oh yeah, right, because it's scented. Yeah. Yeah, anyways.

SPEAKER_01:

It might lose its aroma. But yeah. Um, but yeah, I think there's and the the hiccups are just always, yeah, it's just um, you know, staffing is always hard, finding the right fit. Um and um I mean, essentially I just feel, yeah, I just feel like it's for the most part, it's gone smoothly. There was one uh hiccup that um, you know, we were supposed to be in a a subscription box, and it was 150,000 units of our hand sanitizer, which it's called purifying hand spray because it is not like f the during all of the COVID stuff, they kind of changed the rules um on hand sanitizer because technically it's it falls under a drug category, um, but purifying hand spray because it's kills bacteria and okay uh in the FDA standards. Um so ours is called hand purifying hand spray. Yeah. Um anyway, so it was we're gonna do this. I ordered 150,000 bottles, and then they said, Oh, we're gonna pivot because the time frame didn't work with and I kept saying I need I need this commitment because if you want us to do this, we need to have time to do it. And there was like a verbal yes, and then it was not a written yes, and so I was like, okay, we now have 150,000 two-ounce bottles. So we're still using those bottles for many different things, but it was figuring out, you know, what other products we can create with those kinds of the two-ounce, and usually we we veer towards the um glass to stay sustainable for our packaging. Sure. This one's plastic, so this is like our shower mist plastic, hand spray plastic. So um, just when you're gonna be traveling and using it in an environment where glass wouldn't work, but yeah, so we have we still have a lot of spray bottles. So you learned the lessons. For the dang written yes. I did. I did. And I honestly like we it was right, it was during COVID, and um I I thought people don't want another hand sanitizer option, but we did a pre-sale before I was going to for sure launch it, and people wanted a hand spray that smelled good because it did it doesn't smell like yeah, yeah, so we did did the research there that people wanted it, and I thought it would get you know discontinued or fall by the wayside once people when you know COVID cleared up, and no, people still buy it, they want 16-ounce refills, and it's in morning calm, so yeah, smells amazing, but yeah, it's still around. But yeah, those bottles shouldn't have ordered them. Wait for the written contract.

Kelly:

A thousand percent like, but I'm sure that there was just this moment in time for you where you're you're like, we're at a critical mass right now. Like, I either I need to order these or we don't do this, and then you know, like what happens if all of a sudden it's a couple weeks later. I don't know what the timeline looked like, but like a couple weeks later, and then they're like, Yeah, we're gonna do it, and you're like, too late.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, and then you make it exactly so that getting essence went out there. And it was it was because they were coming from China and the all the um the freight was getting held up because of the pandemic, and so it was just like, Well, I I can make this work for you, and I did, and then yeah.

Kelly:

Oh, what a doozy.

SPEAKER_01:

Luckily, I got a good price on the bottles, but but I did try to sell them on site.

Kelly:

Yeah, I know. It was a good price. I love it. Yeah, okay, so let's let's talk through um dark moment. Was your dark moment the the like before to starting essence one? Or has there been another moment where you've been like yikes?

SPEAKER_01:

No, it was definitely like the darkest was definitely the reason I started the business, or out of the darkest moment came the business. Um, but again, you know, entrepreneur life, you're up and you're down, and you're I have actually have a Marco Polo group with five of my closest entrepreneur friends, and we get on there daily like listen to this or listen to this. Like it's just to be able to talk through those things. But yeah, I don't, I would say I haven't ever had a dark moment. It's just, you know, it's um what is the word where you um we can't think of it of what the word is, but you're just always wondering, is this is this what the pe do people really want this? And then you turn around and there's a great story or you know, order. Oh, imposter syndrome, that's what it is. Yeah, because it it did come out of my darker um experience. I never thought I'd be a business owner or that I would know how to you know start a business and run it.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Um and so I think that's the one thing that people don't realize is even if you own a business, you don't know everything. You're just learning. You say yes and you figure it out later. And I absolutely say yes and figure it out later. But some of the most amazing things have come from that, and I think if I didn't do that, I wouldn't be in the same place and go through the same things.

Kelly:

That was so cool. That was really cool, Lauren. Yeah, I love it. I kind of figure that that was the case too. I mean, that's that story is pretty tough, right? And so kind of hard to can't beat that.

SPEAKER_01:

I can't beat that. I'm sure someone can beat that. But yeah, yeah, in my life, that was definitely really hard. And you when you don't understand it, I think that's the hardest part. When you don't know what you need to feel better or what someone else can do to help you, I think that was the scariest part, is I didn't know.

Kelly:

Yeah. I'm having some recognition points too, even for myself. Just like I've had those moments where my husband's like, what do you I mean it happened this morning. I was like taking yeah, deep breaths to, you know, I mean, we're rushing around getting everything clean and making it.

SPEAKER_01:

Your house is immaculate, by the way. Don't come to my house.

Kelly:

It's not immaculate, but like but I also want to, and the listeners probably get sick of me sharing this, but um, I I do always want when somebody is coming to visit here, for them to like come into an inviting environment and have really nice sense of like this too. It's I mean, seriously, I'm like, mask the dog smell, mask the like the the milk that has spilled on every what feels like every piece of furniture in this house, and just like my gosh. Anyways, rushing around, I'm rushing around and finally get myself put together and I'm grabbing your water, grabbing water for myself, making tea, and I just took this like really deep breath because I realized I had just like been shallow breathing for probably 45 minutes. Yeah. And my husband goes, Are you okay? I'm like, I'm better now. Yeah, yeah. You know, like I'm better now. He's like, Well, do you need anything? Can I help you? And I'm like, No, I'm good. Yeah, no, just but I have had those moments even where he's like, What do you need from me? And I I just I don't know. Like, I know that I need help. And I'm like, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. And so to understand that there's something deeper that's happening in the midst of all of that, now I do eventually get to the point where it's it may take 20 minutes, it may take a day, but I finally kind of come around and I go, Oh, this is what was happening.

SPEAKER_01:

So thanks for your patience. Well, and I think just the fact that you have that support, that's where in the moment you might not be thinking about that, but afterwards, absolutely you can think I have someone who cares and someone who asks me that question. And if I can't answer it, that's okay. Yeah, but I have somebody who wants to help and totally be there for you. Yeah.

Kelly:

Speaking of help, I would love, we're gonna start to land the plane, I like to say. I'd love to hear a piece of advice that you would give a younger version of yourself, knowing all that you know now.

SPEAKER_01:

Um it's definitely that, and I people told me this you don't want to grow too fast in a business. Um and your kids are gonna grow up quickly at home. And those two things people will keep telling you that, and you think, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, I know, I know. But I think I wish I had thought or I had heard that, and then taken the next steps to not feel that pressure to either grow into this huge brand quickly, um, and at home, just like keep that that special time with your family precious and um as separate as you can from a business. You know, it's like you have to give it your all when you're going for something like that. But I think I could have drawn um better boundaries with I'm not gonna work at night and it's gonna be fine. I'm gonna wake up in the morning and it'll be there. And I'm I don't have I'm not saving anyone's life right now with me continuing to answer emails. So just hang tight and do it in the morning. I I think I wish I and I think if I hadn't felt that pressure to grow quickly in my mind of like what's Successes, um, I may have been fine not working so much at night.

Kelly:

That was really good advice. Now, what's a piece of advice you would give to a woman that's listening right now? And you spoke so beautifully, in essence, about borders and boundaries. And so I'm curious if you can give a piece of advice, whatever piece of advice it is that you'd like to give a woman listening right now, um, you know, maybe they're teetering on the edge of starting a business or they're struggling for that harmonization between being present as a mom and also pushing the ball forward for their business. So that's actually two pieces of pieces of advice.

SPEAKER_01:

Um well, first of all, I'd say if you're thinking about starting a business and you can do it, you know, it's you in a responsible way, like don't quit your day job with no money and start a business because that's it's gonna be difficult.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Um, but if you are thinking about doing it and it's something that you're passionate about, I think you should try to do it. I just I think if I had, well, I know if I had not started Essence One, I wouldn't have found, you know, fulfillment that I needed in my life. I wouldn't have met so many of the amazing people I've met, which a lot of them are business owners and small business owners and a community of people that, you know, have become dear friends. Um, I j yeah, I I wouldn't have wanted to regret not doing it. So I say start the business if you can, you know, given your means and try, you know, try it. Because especially if you're feeling like you're missing something professionally, you know, to bring happiness or bring a sense of accomplishment, or we always have self-doubt, and I still have self self-doubt. And I have to listen to people saying, look at what you've done, because I don't automatically think that. But when I do look at what I've done, I'm so happy I did it, and I'm so glad I said I said yes to starting it. Um and I think if you are having problems figuring out the work life balance or the boundaries, reach out to someone you see doing it well and get advice from them. Because don't be afraid to ask questions and to, you know, and you might find out they actually don't have that balance that you think they do. Because we all, it's all based on appearances. We don't really know what's going on in that person's realm. And it might be good to just hear they don't have that perfect balance. And if they do, take their advice.

Kelly:

Yeah. I okay, so I'm looking around because I wanted to see if I had one of Simon's books in here is Simon Zinnek. Um I because I wanted to make sure I was pronouncing his last name properly. Sometimes I like get these major brain farts. Yeah. So I on the heels of what you just spoke to, Lauren, it's it's interesting because I do think that most women, if they are in that position of going, how am I gonna harmonize this or balance it and having a conversation with somebody who they see like seems to be emphasizing that properly? Chances are they are literally gonna say and speak into this person I had to go through the mock. Yes, I had to go through the muck and um twofold to to kind of loop in Simon and then also um the book No Dirt, No Lotus, right? I think that's what there's no dirt, no lotus. So that's the like this the power of actually needing to go through those valleys or the mud or all of the shit, so to speak, pardon my French, to be able to have something on the other side of that blossom really beautifully and grow. Your story. This is like the purest example of that. And Simon was recently on, I think it was Modern Wisdom Wisdom, and he was saying, I don't regret any of those tough times that I went to, went through because look at how I came out on the other side. I had to have the failures, I had to have those deep dark moments to be able to come out and speak to that, or to help coach a friend of mine through it. I I mean, whatever, whatever God's like pulling you towards in that moment, that's yeah. So I I actually had a kind of a breakthrough moment this morning. I don't know if it was a breakthrough moment, but I'm for me, like faith is really important, and I'm walking, taking my walk, and I'm listening to my daily reflection, and it's talking through, like actually embracing the failures because God wants you to learn something through that. Yes, and He's not doing it to you, it's it's for you, it's happening for you and to go, oh I actually like nobody really actively wants to like have that stuff happen to them. But if we do the connection backwards, we can go, oh I got why that happened for sure. Absolutely, yeah, small or big, yeah, right? I understand why that happened for me.

SPEAKER_01:

Um and if or just that remind sorry, no, no, you go ahead. Just that reminder, like because I see I see Jesus calling. I now uh do Jesus Always when I remember to do it, which is like the next um book.

Kelly:

I didn't realize that.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, so there's more is there's another book, yeah. And I I was on my trip this last week, and I was in those moments of of that, you know, I'm I've spun myself into this tizzy of I what am I gonna what am I gonna do? Yeah, and I saw the book because I had it in my backpack and I don't I don't read it every day, and I stopped and I read it, and the message was just perfect for that day. But it was like if I didn't go through that spinning, I wouldn't have reached out and read looked for help to be reminded that there is help.

Kelly:

There's my gosh, yeah, I add to my collection. Jesus calling the Jesus always, Jesus is always okay. So I know that we I know I said that we were gonna land the plane, but I do want you to just speak to what faith has looked like through this journey for you as well. And maybe maybe we go another 10, 15. It just don't worry about it.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, no, my faith is very important to me, and in you know, in that that hard time as well. A lot of it is it's it's just reminders that God is there with me, that I'm not alone, and those moments are extra hard when I forget to stop and listen to God and forget to pray and forget to let go of me thinking I need to do something to change, or and and that's happened through all the way through the business. I mean, I'm always brought back to those moments of I just need like humbling, humbling always, and and that reminder that I can't do this alone. And um, you know, if you don't have a faith, that's also the same reminder of you can't do this alone. And yeah, no, faith has always been an important part, of course. This that now another thing that I would like to is go to church regularly, but I get bogged down by travel, yeah, work. And after the pandemic, it was like that definitely reduced in attending a church. Um, but we do have one that we go to and bring the kids with, and I wish that we made that a more regular thing again because it's just that clean that like cleansing every week of letting go of so much weight and stress and doubt and feeling that you have control, and it's just a great room. Jesus take the wheel. Yes.

Kelly:

I I find myself in in those moments so often. I do a discipleship, um, and it's I'm so grateful that this woman has come into my life. She's in her 80s. We meet every single Monday morning. It's my staple, like start to the week. So we do go to church. I see her at church, and then we're we do the see tomorrow. And then I will come to that conversation just, you know, like in a tizzy. And she's like, Well, where is God in all of this? Where are you creating space for God? And by the way, it's not I, I, I. It's like you need to set that down and put it to God and and pray. Like, pray. So, like, I know that you mention that you guys don't go to church, but I think that there's something so beautiful when you like it's a personal relationship with God, right? It's not attending. I have to be in attendance at church. I don't think this is just me personally speaking, like that. It has to be it's what works for the season of life that you're in right now. And if it's not, if it's not, like, how are you bringing other ways of building and continuing to build upon that relationship with God? And I think that it's beautiful that you even have that Jesus always book with you and go, Oh yeah. Oh yeah, right there in my backpack.

SPEAKER_01:

I know those little prompts, right? For sure. Well, and I have to say, there the this the anxiety um at its finest or its worst. Um I I did have to talk to groups of people um and sell product, and that's when I would go into that just completely freaked out. I mean, every time I have to talk, I've been on news things and Twin Cities Live and all of that, and I get so nervous before it that I do have to take that time to pray. I have to take my calming rollerball, I have to take my tinctures, I have to um, I was I would listen to Oceans um by um no, I won't remember who it's by. I think I know who you're taught.

Kelly:

Um is it Leon Bridges?

SPEAKER_01:

Well, maybe she's the singer. It's a group.

Kelly:

I don't know.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay. Um bad example when you can't remember. But I listened to the and I would listen to it really loud and I would sing along on the way to that meeting or that sales pitch or whatever it was because I recognize like letting out the anxiety through song is helpful and you know just giving it to God. And all of those things have gotten me through everything that has brought essence one into you know people's homes.

Kelly:

So it's so incredible.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, and just like anything, I I wish I could commit more to that too, and I want to you know be better at that too.

Kelly:

But God heard you, it's okay. Yeah, yeah. Don't worry, it'll happen. In some way, shape, or form it will, right? I again seasons of life and um yeah, I don't know. Oh, Lauren, okay. We are landing the plane. We're landing. Is there anything that we didn't cover in this conversation that you would like to as like parting words to the listeners?

SPEAKER_01:

I don't think so. I mean, we touched on so much. I think I think it's just like what I love about things like this is it's we're all human, and I get a chance to say I'm human too, because you know, you can be seen as a a certain type of person or a very confident person or a very um, you know, whatever, whatever that view of you is publicly, or um, and I think it's just great to be able to say we are all just doing our best, being moms, having businesses, you know, being married, balancing family, yeah, and the daily um things that come into our life. And I think it's just it's uh just always a great reminder to hear everyone's stories and to know we're all in this together and no one's perfect.

Kelly:

And well, and to to that point, also everyone starts small, unless you're like a trust fund baby, exactly, or you know, like have been handed this like pot of gold, you know, from an investor, like you start small, whether it's like the business planning part of it or just moving. Yeah. So yeah, it's I love that you say that because frankly, even when Molly was like, Yeah, I can do the introduction, I was like, really? Oh my gosh, I get to get introduced to Laura Essence Walker.

SPEAKER_01:

I don't know, yeah.

Kelly:

And it's just it's it's humbling for me to like, I don't think it's fair to put you on a pedestal of sorts because that's that creates something different for you, right? It's the reminder that we are all human and we're just yeah, we're we're 1% better every day.

SPEAKER_01:

It's true, and I and I think it's too important to know what is your success as a what what is your vision of you succeeding as a mom, as a business owner, as a friend, is because everyone's vision is different, and you know, I'm still very small business, especially in the spa world.

Kelly:

It's so funny that you say this.

SPEAKER_01:

I get like we're tiny. I I know, but that's you know, it's it's true. And but then what is my vision? I don't want to over, you know, take over the world as essence one. What is my success? That I can have a balance of a successful business and a family at home that we're all communicating well. Yeah. So like what is your success? Is a good question.

Kelly:

Who would be a good connection for you right now?

SPEAKER_01:

Be bold. You mean someone I'd want to meet or yeah. I don't know.

Kelly:

And um Well, okay, so how about a good connection for you to to um push the business along?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I think I mean I I love connecting with other businesses that do seem to be bigger, more successful, have been in business for longer than I have, to be able to ask them questions of okay, what's the you know, what's the best way to go about this? What's a story that you would love to share in uh in a hard moment that you know you you pulled out of. But I should have thought about that. But I don't, I don't really know. I think it's just talking to people, again, who may seem like they're further along to just learn from them and also hear, okay, what is your struggle? And because mo money, mo problems is real. Yeah. And it is bigger businesses mean more customers, mean more, you know, things that can happen that are out of your control. And I it's like, okay, where you know, my happy medium is I can pay myself and my husband and everyone who works for me well, yeah. Um comfortably, let's say. Yeah. But yeah, I think it's just I just I would love a lineup of different business owners to hear their stories and their um struggles. Okay. Make it happen. Okay. That wasn't very the listen.

Kelly:

No, I actually think that that's that's really beautiful. I it it almost sounds as if it's like perhaps uh a peer group or mentorship of sorts, mentorship.

SPEAKER_01:

I would love a mentorship. I can have that set up, and that would be especially from a female business owner, knowing that that we just don't have the same opportunities as male-owned, and just how do you navigate that?

Kelly:

Totally. How can our lovely listeners get connected to you and essence one to experience the morning calm and all of your amazing products?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes. So our website, which is essence1.life, l-a-f e dot com, was owned by someone when I started the business.

Kelly:

Fascinating.

SPEAKER_01:

Not using the site, but just like bought the domain. So essence1.life. And then um, we do list a lot of our partners on the website as far as locations go. Um, but I think most people find us in the spa and or I'll get messages from people saying, I'm in Arizona at this spa, and I saw essence one. So cool. Um, so yeah, that and then of course you can always email me info at essence one.life with questions. Beautiful thoughts, yeah.

Kelly:

Instagram, tick tock, are we in Rails?

SPEAKER_01:

We're on all of that because we should be, but again, I'm not a genius at that or understand it. But yes, Essence One Life is our um handle on all Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Kelly:

Facebook. Um, can I drop a link for LinkedIn?

SPEAKER_01:

And LinkedIn, I'm at yep, LinkedIn. Thank you for all the reminders.

Kelly:

No, no, that's okay. I'm just going through the Rolodex of places that we typically are like yeah, they're all Lauren. This was so fun and really cool to um hear more of that story. I know that we had had our really great conversation on the phone initially and getting everything set up here for the conversation. But I loved hearing more of that story and just the incredible impact of storytelling, owning your story and figuring out what's my story, right? Owning the story and then sharing that and just how much further that can really bring you along, both personally and professionally. Absolutely. I hope you have a great rest of the day. You too. Thank you. Yes. Thanks for listening. And if you enjoyed this episode and know of any inspiring mamas who are powerhouse entrepreneurs, please help connect them with myself and the show. It would mean so much if you would help spread this message, mission, and vision for other mompreneurs. It takes 30 seconds to rate and review, then share this episode with your friends. Until the next episode, cheers to reclaiming your hue.

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Kelly Kirk

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