You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something -your gut, destiny, life, and karma - whatever. This approach has never let me down and it has made all the difference in my life. Steve Jobs.


It is hard to believe that 20 years ago I started Escents Aromatherapy. It began as a business idea that would allow me to not only do something I loved but would also to share with others the beautiful world of essential oils, fragrance and natural aromas.  
 
 
I was exposed to essential oils and the beauty of scent one day while in Portland, Oregon. It was 1990 And I had just graduated with a business degree and decided I wanted to open my own store - the problem was what to sell?  I began the search for a product that would meet the three following criteria:
 
1. Provide benefit and "help" people in some way;
2. Afford me the luxury of constant learning;
3. Allow me to make a living doing something I loved.
 
One day I was exposed to essential oils and a huge array of natural fragrances in a small shop in Portland.  I was looking for a body lotion and went in to this tiny little body care store - everything in it was unscented and the idea was that I had to pick the "type" of lotion and the scent to go into it.  I was thrilled!  I spent about two hours smelling, testing, trying and I decided by the end of it that that was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.  I still remember the scent called Oak that I decided on, and the lotion base called "Vit. E " - both the lotion and the scent combined became the moisturizer I wore everyday until I opened my first Aromatherapy Store in 1992.

I remember that day as if it were yesterday and it is now shocking to be celebrating our 20th year anniversary this year and to look back on all the ups, downs, highs and lows which have made and created the company we call Escents.  
 
Thinking back its amazing to reflect on all of the crucial contributors to the past 20 years. The amazing team which built Escents.  The people inside of Escents that gave the idea legs and created reality from a dream.  

At age 23 it was hard to see the future and predict the outcome of what would become of this company I was starting. But now looking back, it is easy to see 20/20. Clarity was not possible during that time because I didnt know all of the great people who I would meet along the way. People who  would impact me, my decisions, my desires, everything was day-by-day, in some cases, hour-by-hour and emotion-by-emotion.
 
When you start a company with $500, a can of paint and some furniture built from old pallets - a great family and group of friends sure come in handy.  I never thought to do a business plan, take seriously how I was going to finance the business or acquire the inventory I would need. My dreams were realized and Escents was built, moment-by-moment and customer-by-customer.   Each day spent with my customers brought new ideas for products and new realizations about demand in the marketplace. During the first year, I just kept making what my customers asked for.  And by the end of one year things started to take off.
 
Now we are here, 20 years later, because our customers helped me truly know demand. They came in each day looking for something to help them sleep, something to help their headaches, a little bergamot or eucalyptus. They taught me the beauty and joy that these simple but unbelievably complex aromas have on our well being, emotions and overall appreciation of life.
 
The Escents team, and my incredible husband John, are the true people to celebrate - they are the reason that Escents has made it to 20 years. They are the ones that persevered when times were tough - and believe me - times have been tough!  I now often say to our strongly committed and tight team when they complain about systems not working, people having tough times - that it is their company, it is up to them to get it right, fix things. Escents is alive because of all of the things that our team, employees and our wonderful customers have contributed.  And for that I am grateful.
 
I love the quote by Steve Jobs who said, When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like, If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right. It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself, "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something. This is how I live my life.  Ive had two tastesof it being my last day and what it has done both times, was to re-enforce how much I love building this great company. How much I love to go to work everyday and create products that enrich peoples lives.  

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything - all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die someday is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.  Have the courage to listen to your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

Over the years, I have had many personal and professional setbacks. The only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that you've got to find what you love. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better so keep looking and don't settle.

Great Quote: "Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm" - Winston Churchill

The impact business has in our everyday lives is often overlooked. But significant anniversaries provide an opportunity to reflect upon achievements and the impact our products have on the world we live in.  I have huge pride in the fact that Escents products help the world, improve the quality of our lives and create joy when it is needed most. I also have tremendous pride in the people who make and sell our products the Escents team. It is humbling to consider the efforts so many people put into the development and manufacture of the Escents Aromatherapy brand over the past 20 years; all the ideas, the risks and the breakthroughs that have given life to what Escents is and generated the energy and creativity which has allowed us to grow over the last 20 years   some of them are still with us today and I want to offer my personal thanks to all our employees.  We would not have achieved our success without their collective efforts. Our people create our heritage, our success and our future.

This year is going to be magical, fun and engaging. We will be using our e-blasts to show old photos, have contests, bring back old products and launch new ones.  We are going to share a side of the Escents Aromatherapy brand never before exposed, highlighting our major wins, losses, struggles and successes. There will be parties, contests and more. We are going to share images and stories from our past highlighting the good, the bad and the ugly!  It is exciting! I am going to have a blast this year and I invite you to all come along for the ride.