4 REASONS WHY YOUNG LIVING IS THE BEST BUSINESS TO LAUNCH

Our team just hit 900 members and I can't help but feel like I'm in a dream.  Just 4 years ago, I would have never believed that I could actually find a job like this.  I absolutely love my Young Living essential oils and products and use them daily.  But, hands down, the best part about this job is the freedom.  

Us at the Young Living Lavender Farm in Mona, Utah

Let me tell you a little story.  Years ago, I stopped into my bosses office and asked for a day off to go to a family wedding on a Friday.  He grinned and kinda giggled when he told me I had used all my vacation days, almost as if he enjoyed being in charge of my life.  I was disappointed that I would miss the wedding, but it was more than that.  I remember sitting there, looking at him and thinking that I never wanted to be in this position again, where someone else is telling me how many days I can take off and have the power to keep me from a special event.  Fast forward to present time.  That's why this job means so much to me.  No one is telling me what days to work and how many vacation days I can take a year.  No one is telling me how many hours to work per week or when to clock in or out.  No one is expecting me to work extra, but not get paid a cent more because I'm on salary.  And when I do work, no one is telling me what to do or how to do it.  Since I began, I've worked really hard to get to where I am now.  But, it's been on my terms.  And I've loved it!

Because I know what it feels like to be stuck in a job you don't love, but can't seem to escape, I really get excited to help others learn how to open their own Young Living businesses and get the freedom that I have.  There are tons of options out there.  Lots of jobs that you might like to try out.  But I want to share 4 reasons why I think launching your own Young Living business is the best choice out there.

1.  It's practically FREE to open - Most businesses cost tens of thousands of dollars to start up. Some even hundreds of thousands! Most need a building. Tons of stock. Build a brand. Get a website. Cleaning supplies. Pay for heating, air conditioning, water and internet. Buy furniture, decor, computers and telephones. Find employees.  There's so much that is probably involved that we don't even consider, unless you've done it in the past! It sounds not only expensive, but super overwhelming.  And that's why Young Living has to be one of the easiest, least expensive businesses to start!  Are you wondering how you actually jump in?  To get started, you simply need a Premium Starter Kit. That's it. A kit. You'll use the diffuser, oils and samples for yourself and fall in love right away.  With the kit, you'll have a wholesale membership and you can start making a commission that same day.

2.  You'll have FREE access to the Virtual Office - Run your ENTIRE business from this one website. Check your team growth, run reports, keep up with news from Young Living, place orders, keep up with your incoming commissions and more!  This means that your office is online and you can work from anywhere you have wifi.  This is a dream for someone who likes to travel the world or even work from home.  If you could live any place in the entire world, where would it be?  Say it out loud.  Today, you can start growing your business, get it to where it can financially support you and move to that dream location.  Remember when Ironman and I spent three months in South America?  It's thanks to this business!  Want to live in an RV and road trip the USA?  You can!  Want to backpack Europe?  You can!  Want to pick up and move to a new city without worrying about finding a job there?  You can!  Since everything is done online, you have total freedom to live and work from where ever you truly want to be.  Isn't that amazing!?

Helping plant at the Young Living Lavender Farm

3.  You'll get your own FREE personalized sign up link - No need to be a talented web designer or pay monthly fees for your own online store. Simply create your personalized sign up link through your virtual office to send to potential customers! This is so much simpler than keeping a store front or loading up closest with stock!  Remember I said all you need is a connection to wifi?  It's true.  You're not going to rent a building, fill it with stock, hire a cleaning lady, find employees, pay utilities and go into debt.  As people come to you and want to buy, you send them a link for them to create their own account, just like Amazon.  They order what they want, Young Living charges their card and then ships them their products.  You don't have to keep stock at home or make any deliveries.  This means that you can move to Europe and still be selling to people in the USA.  Or you can be on a road trip in the USA and still have friends overseas buy from you.  You have total freedom to live and work from where you want to!

4.  You'll be invited to our FREE business and education groups - Learn everything you need to know about launching a Young Living business. Training videos, class scripts, marketing materials and files upon files of anything and everything are available to you for your own personal use. It's all available to you for free.  This also means that once you are growing your own team, they can be trained for free in the groups. No forking out cash to train team members. Also, no pressure to know all the answers.  At the same time, you can learn everything you need to know about how to use the oils and products and live a healthier lifestyle. Tips, tricks, live classes and so much more available to you in the education groups. And remember, just like the business groups, the education groups are available to your growing team. No forking out cash to teach customers. Again, this means no pressure to have all the answers and you don't have to do it in person.  Everything is online, giving you total freedom to work from where ever you are in the world!

Somewhere in Utah...

Isn't this crazy?!  Basically all you need is wifi to grow your business.  Nothing else!  Now, I don't want to give the impression that this isn't hard work.  When I got started, I basically worked every minute I wasn't sleeping for the first two years.  Not gonna lie.  I invested a lot into this.  I work much less these days, but get to now enjoy the residual income!  I get paid more than any other job I've ever had, while working the days and hours I want, doing what I want.  It's amazing and I wish that everyone could experience it.  If you are interested and want to talk, please let's chat!  Send me an email, or find me on FB or IG.  I'll tell you everything you want to know and if you choose to get started, I'll be here for you every step of the way!  

Just since 2013, I've been to Salt Lake City 6 times, Orlando, Denver, Chicago, Dallas, 2 Caribbean cruises, Hawaii, Ireland, Scotland, on a 17 day road trip, lived for three months in South America and gone on countless week-long and weekend trips.  We've also bought a house and paid off more than $26,000 in debt.  I love having this freedom now that I never had before.  Maybe traveling isn't your thing, but there is something that you wish you could do more of.  What is it?  Young Living could be your ticket to having more of that thing you've been missing.  I know for sure it's drastically changed our life!  Don't be afraid to let it change yours.

7 WAYS IRONMAN NAILED OUR FIRST DATE

Yesterday was 12 years since our first date, so it got me thinking about why it was such a good one.  By the time I met Nick Stewart (aka, my Ironman), I had been on enough dates to know that he absolutely nailed it.  He did everything right and left me totally impressed.  Our friend Spence Romine had told me, the day I met Nick, "You will never meet someone better than Nick Stewart".  That stuck with me.  Then, after a summer getting to know him and such a great first date, I knew no one else would ever stand a chance.  Nick Stewart was stuck with me whether he liked it or not!  Here are the top 7 reasons why he nailed our first date...guys, pay attention:

At my 20th birthday party...one week after our first date :)

1.  HE GOT TO KNOW ME.  We met sometime in February or March in an interview to work in Disney World.  Then, we spent the summer working in Frontierland in the Magic Kingdom.  We saw each other everyday, all day, for months and became good friends.  I knew that I really liked him and was sad for the summer to come to an end, but I wasn't sure if he liked me more than just friends.  When he asked me on a date in August, it had been hard to wait so many months, but it was good for us in the long run, I think, because we started with a good foundation.

2.  HE CALLED ME.  He didn't text me or write me on AOL Instant Messenger (gosh, I feel old) to ask me on our first date.  He also wasn't vague and didn't say something about "hanging out" or "grabbing coffee".  Nope, he picked up the phone, called me on my parents land-line (because I didn't have a cell phone, wow, I keep feeling older) and asked me out.  I was so excited that when I hung up, I ran SCREAMING to the office, sat on the floor and hugged my moms leg as I tried to actually tell her what happened while still screaming and laughing uncontrollably.  My dad thought someone was hurt and came running down the stairs, terrified.  He wasn't happy about that, haha.  But, everyone in my family was thrilled I was going out with Nick!

3.  HE HAD A PLAN.  Once he got me on the phone, he didn't chicken out to save himself in case I turned him down.  I remember he specially told me, "I want to take you on a date this Saturday night".  Wow, that makes things so much easier, right?  No guessing about whether it's a date or not.  When I immediately agreed, haha, he said to be ready at 4pm and wear something that was ok to get messed up.  Then he said that he would bring me back home to change into something a little nicer for the second part of our date.  I was thinking, who is this guy?!

Our work team in Magic Kingdom - Summer 2005

4.  HE WAS A GENTLEMAN.  On the day of our date, he came to pick me up instead of suggest we meet somewhere.  And when he got to my house, he didn't sit in his car and beep the horn or signal "I'm here" for me to run out and hop in.  Instead, he got out, came to the front door and rang the bell.  He had no idea how many girls had come over to help me get ready and were peeking out of the upstairs bedroom window!  He said hello to me and my parents and off we went.  We walked out to the car and he opened the door and every other door for the rest of the night.  Plus, he never once tried to hold my hand, put his arm around me or kiss me and never even hinted at those things.  I actually wouldn't have minded because I had liked him so much for so long at this point, but it showed me that he didn't just see me as "some date".

5.  HE CLEANED UP.  Just like me, I could tell that he had gone to a lot of trouble to look nice.  He had borrowed a shirt from a friend and I could tell that it was ironed.  Even his car had been cleaned up and smelled good.  It was yet another reminder of how much trouble he went to for this date to be special.

6.  HE PAID.  The first part of our date was painting pottery.  Isn't that the sweetest?!  Then, we changed clothes and went to Red Lobster for dinner.  We went into Books-A-Million to pick a short story and read it to each other.  Again, such thoughtful ideas.  And we wrapped up the night at the local coffee shop.  Each place we went, he would immediately say that he was paying and I shouldn't worry about any prices, but get what I want.  I loved that.  It took away all the awkwardness of not being sure if we were splitting the bill or if he didn't want me to get something expensive.

Headed to class at Francis Marion University...it was fun being
married and going to classes together!

7.  HE FOLLOWED UP.  I saw him again the next weekend because I came home for my birthday and my parents threw me a surprise party!  As my gift, Nick had brought me the pottery I painted and had also gone back to Books-A-Million on his own, found the little book we read and bought that for me as a keepsake.  Over the following months, he asked me on a few more dates and every single one was well planned and thoughtful.

Although Ironman really did nail our first date, I honestly think that I ended up falling for Nick because he was a "man's man".  He was heavily involved in Campus Outreach and Baseball and was very committed to doing his best, even when it meant lots of sacrifice.  He didn't flirt with girls and never even dated in college, until he took me out.  He had a good group of guy friends that he enjoyed living with and spending time with.  He loved his parents and spoke well of them.  He was consistent in his daily routine of eating well, going to classes, heading to baseball practice and games, going to church and spending time on things like homework and laundry and planned events with Campus Outreach.  He didn't have a lot of stuff and rarely spent any money, but took good care of what he did have.  He was responsible and loved by everyone who knew him.  He was a lot of amazing things.  You know what he wasn't?  A man child.  You know those?  A child inside of a man's body?  He wasn't that.  He was my first guy friend that really was a grown up man.  That's probably why I wasn't worried when we decided to get married while we were still in college.  I wasn't marrying some college guy.  I was marrying a man who was going to work hard with me and build a life together with me.

Was and still is his #1 fan!

So, all the single ladies...if you are reading this, make sure you date men.  Skip the man child. It's only cute until real life happens and you wish you had a grownup beside you.

And men...be a man.  You'll be you're woman's hero.

10 THINGS TO DO AND SEE IN DC

During our last road trip, we got to check off a huge Bucket List item...Washington DC!  It was such a cool city to walk around and we really enjoyed learning so much history.  Plus, we had a great time staying with our friends and catching up with them too.  I think that everyone should take the time to see DC.  If you choose to do so, here are my highlights from my own trip!

1.  NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE MARINE CORPS - We stopped here on the way because our friends told us the traffic wouldn't be as bad.  It was our first museum, had convenient parking and was a great kick-off to our time in DC.  We spent about 2 hours here, but felt like we were rushing through to see it all, so you might want to plan a little more time here than we did.

2.  MUSEUMS IN DOWNTOWN DC - We visited the Museum of American History and the Holocaust Museum, which were both really interesting.  We stepped into a few other museums too, but I can't even remember which ones they were.  Honestly, DC is full of museums and it can be a little overwhelming.  Plus, after a few hours, our feet and lower backs were killing us. I would suggest choosing one museum per day for your time in DC.  You won't get to them all, but that's ok, you can come back, right?

3.  WASHINGTON MONUMENT - This was closed so we didn't get to walk up inside, but it was still neat to walk up to it and see how big it is in person!

4.  US BOTANIC GARDEN - This garden has plants from all over the world and from every climate.  You can walk through the various rooms and greenhouses, as you circle around and see it all.  There are also benches so that you can sit and relax, with the trickling water in the background.  It's a peaceful stop after walking around in the heat all day!

5.  THE CAPITOL - We actually got a private tour through The Capitol and it was so cool!  We were able to see the different rooms that were used in the past and those that are used today.  And since we were on a private tour, we got to ride a train and metro that were underground between our Senator's office and The Capitol.  Plus, we got to sit in on some meeting going on in the Senate Gallery and meet our own Senator Tim Scott!  We saw tons of the Senators walking around and riding the train and metro as they all headed to vote.  Call ahead and schedule your capital tour.  It was worth it!

6.  YOUR SENATOR AND CONGRESSMAN - If you can, try to meet your Senator and Congressman. It wasn't so much about meeting the actual person, but about seeing the offices and learning more about how it all works.  Since I grew up overseas, I missed out on learning a lot about our government while in high school.  So, during our time in DC, I was asking Ironman a lot of questions.  He would laugh and answer me, saying I'm so cute.  I gotta impress my man somehow...

7.  ARLINGTON CEMETARY - This cemetery is much bigger than you'd expect.  Make time to walk around, read the names on the headstones, watch the changing of the guard, etc.  It's a neat place to go and doesn't feel as busy, loud and hurried as the rest of downtown DC.

8.  THE KENNEDY CENTER - We went to see "The King and I" and it was excellent.  Great dancing, acting and singing.  The building was beautiful and had a great view over the Potomac.  You definitely should get tickets to see something here while you are in town.

9.  THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL - It actually wasn't as big as I had imagined it would be, but it was still amazing.  Ironman just read Killing Lincoln before we came on this trip and told me, while standing there in front of the statue, that Lincoln is his favorite president.  It was interesting to listen to him and made me admire him even more that he cares about history and learning from the wisdom of men before him.  

10.  THE WHITE HOUSE - And lastly, you've got to see The White House.  You can't get very close because of the layers of fence and gates and grass, but it was beautiful.  I can't imagine living there and would love to be able to see the inside one day.  

The great thing about DC is that almost everything is free.  Our friends live close to the Metro, so we could grab an Uber to the station, then ride the metro to anywhere we wanted.  It was so convenient.  Then, once we were downtown, all the museums and monuments were free.  We really only ended up spending money on transportation and food.  Just make sure you wear some comfortable shoes.  Get downtown, find a map and then walk all over the place.  You'll love it!

Since being home, one thing that's been fun is that we started watching "Madame Secretary" on Netflix.  It all takes on such a new meaning now that I know where things are around DC and can recognize buildings in the show.  Traveling really is more than just fun vacations.  You meet new people, catch up with old friends, see family, learn, get inspired with new ideas and understand places so much better.  I believe that it makes us much more grounded and confident people.

5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD QUIT TAKING PHOTOS

For years, I've been thinking about the immense number of photos that I take.  It all stemmed from some article I read a couple years ago about living in the moment, without taking a photo of it.  Up until I was in college, I probably only took a couple hundred photos total.  When I was using an old camera with film, there were only so many shots I could take before I had to go pay to get them developed.  So, as you can guess, I didn't take near as many photos.  However, most of the ones that I took were really meaningful and I still love to look back on.  Enter the age of the digital camera.  Now, I don't have to get film developed after 24 shots.  So, it's tempting to take tons of photos of the exact same thing to make sure at least one of them "turns out good".  I'm not saying digital camera's are bad.  I love how easy my iPhone makes capturing memories.  But, what I am saying is that we should quit taking so many photos.  Here's why.

1.  YOU CAN GOOGLE IT.  Want to remember what the Washington Monument looks like?  Google it?  Or Niagara Falls?  Google it.  What you can't google is a photo of you in front of those special places.  So, if you are going to take a photo to remember the special occasion or memory, then make sure you're in it.  If not, skip the photo and just enjoy the view.  I took too many photos of the Redwood National Park and have all these photos of trees that I never look at or print off.  But you know the photo that's my favorite?  The one of me hugging one of the trees!  Are you worried you won't have the photos to show your friends and family?  Well, they can google those places too!

Redwoods

2.  YOU FEEL STRESSED.  When I'm worried about getting "the perfect photo", I can't even enjoy the moment.  I'm anxious to find just the right spot.  So, I find it and take a photo there.  But, I walk 50 feet to the right and realize that actually, this was the optimal view, so I need to take another photo here.  I feel the pressure to shoot the perfect photo, but I also feel Ironman's attitude shifting and I don't want him to think I'm annoying.  It's not fun and it really ruins the moment we could have had.  So, if I know I'm going to want a photo of a certain spot, I usually will tell Ironman ahead of time so he can be prepared.  Also, I try to walk around, enjoy the view and see it from all angles before deciding where to take the one perfect photo.  This keeps me from having to take one at every spot, just in case that spot was the best shot.

3.  YOU IRRITATE YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY.  Talking about Ironman getting irritated, I don't like to be around someone trying to get the perfect photo either.  When I'm not prepared and don't like the way I look, the last thing I want to do is be in someone's photo.  Especially when they are taking tons of photos to try to get that perfect shot.  So, I try to remember this when I'm around other people.  If they don't want to be in a photo, I don't force or beg.  Also, if they agree, I try to already have a spot picked out and just take the one photo.  Most people are happy to take one photo to remember a group outing or trip.  Don't ruin that one fun moment by continuing to make them pose over and over for more photos.  You don't need a hundred photos to remember something fun that you did with your friends and family that one time.

Grand Canyon

4.  YOU MISS THE MOMENT.  It's true.  While you're trying to capture that perfect shot, you'll miss the moment.  I still remember when we visited the Grand Canyon.  We stepped off the bus and people immediately went wild taking photos and pushing their way to the front.  Ironman and I walked off to the side, found a good rock to sit on and just took it all in for about 15 minutes.  It was breathtaking.  Right before we left, I did take a few photos.  But, I didn't miss the moment and it's always been one of my favorite memories.  I remember feeling so calm, sitting there looking at the canyon and was very happy I had already decided to hold back on the obsessive photo taking before that trip.

5.  YOU WASTE TOO MUCH TIME ON SOCIAL MEDIA.  Don't get me wrong, I love social media.  It's how I've kept in touch with friends from all over the world.  It's also how I've successfully grown my small business.  So, I really appreciate it!  But, everything has a limit and we must create healthy boundaries.  I find more and more that people are glued to their phones.  They check their notifications obsessively, even while "spending time" with someone.  Sure, they may be there, but they aren't really there.  We've lost quality time.  Check out my blog post on 7 WAYS TO CONTROL CELL PHONE USE.  It's not wrong to snap a quick photo and share.  Your family and friends probably love to keep up with you!  Just be sure that you aren't missing out on your real life, while you are checking and scrolling through social media.

Niagara Falls

The crazy thing is that as I was thinking about writing this post, something happened just two nights ago.  I wanted to try a new recipe for dinner called a "Buddha Bowl".  I cooked everything and took the time to make it look pretty.  As I was finishing up, Ironman handed me my phone.  I took it and said "why'd you give me my phone".  He said, "I thought you wanted to take a photo".  Immediately I felt crushed.  My own husband thought that I was only making his dinner look good so that I could post about it on social media.  I hadn't planned on taking that photo, but it still upset me that he thought that would be my next move.  I told him, "No, I was making it pretty for your dinner", put the phone down and went to eat with him.  But, I kept thinking how bad it is that everything "pretty" or "impressive" has to be documented on social media.  It's not good enough for just you and your family to enjoy anymore.  So, I knew that I wanted to post about it today.

I'm not saying you should stop taking photos at all.  I actually really enjoy taking photos and have taken some good ones over the years of traveling.  But, make sure you're taking them at the right time and for the right reason.  Another thing to consider is that when you are with someone, you should be without your phone.  If you do need to get on your phone for a moment, explain to the person you're with, do your business and get off as soon as your done.  Also, if you want to take a photo, ask their permission.  Our relationships should always come first.  Just go out in public and you can see that relationships are becoming 2nd to cell phones.  I don't want that to happen to mine!

HOW TO SEE THE NORTH EAST IN 17 DAYS

You're probably wondering where I've been, huh?  Well, Ironman and I took 17 days, got out of town and saw a lot of the east coast!  Then, I came home sick, laid on the couch for over a week and just now am back in the land of the living.

Washington Monument

During September 2012, Ironman and I took a month-long road trip, looping the southern part of the USA, heading up the west coast and returning to South Carolina through the middle of the country.  Seems like just yesterday, but that was already five years ago!  And for these entire five years, I've been telling him that we need to do an east coast road trip.  I'm super excited that we finally went and just got back home last weekend!  If you are interested in your own east coast road trip, this post if for you!  Here is the route and stops I suggest you take:

The White House

Our Route:

South Carolina 

North Carolina

Virginia

Maryland

Delware

New Jersey

Pensylvania

New York

Connecticut

Rhode Island

Massachusets

New Hamshire

Maine

Vermont

New York

Pennsylvania

West Virginia

Virginia

North Carolina

and finally back home to South Carolina

Niagara Falls

Our Overnight Stops (in order):

1 night in Richmond, VA on our way to DC

5 nights with friends in Falls Church, VA while sight-seeing in DC

2 nights in Parsippany, NJ for a family wedding

1 night in Sharon, MA before our day in Boston

1 night in Cambridge, MA over-looking Boston Harbor

1 night in Danvers, MA after our day in Salem

2 nights in Chewonki Campground, ME

1 night in Victor, NY before seeing Niagara Falls

1 night in Pittsburgs, PA on our way back to SC

1 night in Charlotte, NC before our road trip was over

Chewonki Campground, Maine

Our Sightseeing Spots:

National Museum of the Marine Corps

hit ALL the hot spots around DC

The Kennedy Center 

Plymouth Rock

The Freedom Trail in Boston

The Red Line in Salem

Camping, Lobster and LLBean in Maine

Niagara Falls

Scenery while driving...

Five Islands Lobster Company, Maine

Random facts from our days on the road:

Miles on the road: 2,919

Gallons of gas: 82

Gas stops: 7

Days on the road: 17

Nights on the road: 16

Nights in hotels: 9

Nights in campgrounds: 2

Nights with friends: 5

States we drove through: 15

Worst overnight stay: Best Western Plus in Sharon, MA
Best overnight stay: with our friends in DC

Worst traffic: I95 from NY to CT

Longest drive: Maine to Niagara Falls

Hardest drive: on the way home when I was sick

Hottest weather: DC

Sunburns: DC and too many hours in the car

Coldest weather: Maine

Never want to go back: Salem?

Best memory: walking around DC together

Snacks: Superseeds

Caffeine of choice: Starbucks

Injuries: none

Car problems: nope, thank goodness

Handsomest guy: Nick

Hours Emily drove: 0

Most surprising moment: learning about the Salem Witch Trials

Podcasts: 4

eBooks: 2

Sick days: last few days after camping

Most expensive gas: NY

Least expensive gas: SC

Hours of silence:...................

Favorite state: Maine

We didn't get to see, but wanted to: Hersey, PA and Prince Edward Island

Lessons learned: Don't sit and read a book in the cold wind for hours

Lincoln Memorial

Most used sentences:

"Don't worry, we will do that on our big road trip"

How would we rate this trip on a scale of 1 to 10?: TEN

We had such a good trip and we're so glad that we took the time to go.  While we were gone, a ton of work got done on our fixer upper, including painting and refinishing floors.  So, that was amazing.  We found some great juice and smoothie bars on our trip, but we also really enjoyed trying lobster in Maine!  The place we found was way out of the way, but totally worth the drive.  We learned so much history while visiting museums and sight-seeing.  And we learned a lot about health while staying with our friends in DC, trying their supplements, sitting in their sauna and fascia blasting.  It was just the right amount of vacation and learning, downtown and getting out, friends and family...this trip was full of variety and tons of fun!  Already scheming our next one!

Now, if you were reading this and thinking, "I would love to do something like this, but could never afford it", I want you to check out this blog post on how to travel on a tight budget and this blog post on how to save money and travel!  Sure, traveling takes lots of planning and sacrifice.  But, it makes for some amazing memories and is always worth it.