[00:00:00] Hi guys. What’s up. Welcome back to another episode of Hear and Now podcast. I am so excited to welcome Caroline Stahl onto the show today. Hi Caroline. Hey girl. How’s it going? Good. How are you? Thank you so much for having me. I love seeing you in action. I know. Thank you. Yeah, so it’s been a while since we’ve known each other internet friends.
but this is the first time we’ve chatted one-on-one so I’m super excited to have you on the show to talk about non-toxic living and just all the things. So why don’t you introduce yourself? Tell everybody where you’re from. And what do you want audience to know? Well, I think it’s worth pointing out that we first bonded over our mutual love of friends.
Yes. Right? Yeah. We’re both obsessed. So we’re both friends in real life and fans of different of the TV show friends. so, okay. Well just to introduce myself, my name is Caroline Stahl. My maiden name was Caroline Richie and, I moved recently from New York city to South Carolina, by way of Florida.
I’ve [00:01:00] moved around a lot lately. but most of them recently I’ve moved back to my hometown state of South Carolina and I have been. Doing young living for seven years now. I can’t believe that you easy to think about, and I’ll tell you all about my journey with young living. Yes. so like I said, I’m from South Carolina, got married two years ago to Michael and we are the proud parents of a tiny maltipoo dog named Minnie mouse.
Oh my gosh. I love it. Yeah, we’re just, we’re we’re parents and training, I guess you could say. And yeah. So that’s just the very basics. Yes. Yes, of course. We’ll cover everything else in between there. But, that’s so funny. And like you said, New York city, like it’s the perfect epitome of being a friends fan, you know what I mean?
Well, New York, that, that show actually is sort of what inspired me in part to move there. The bottom one way ticket to New York city when I was 21 years old. And, cause I just wanted to have an [00:02:00] adventure and I didn’t really know what I was going to do when I got there. I wanted to be there. So make it up as you go.
Right? Absolutely. So was there anything like the show at all? Yes, absolutely. The, the thing that I find the most unrealistic is, you know, how they get together with each other in the mornings before like at a coffee shop or in each other’s apartment. And it’s like, who has time? Yeah. Like go to their friend’s house for a cup of coffee in the morning.
Yeah. That’s that’s. Yeah. But everything else, I mean, a lot of it felt right on. Right. That’s so cool. I think I remember like my very first episode. So a year ago I was like, hi, like my new Sophia and my favorite show is friends. So I like, that was the first thing I said on this podcast, but that’s the first thing I said.
When I look at you introduce yourself. And I, I told you I liked friends and I couldn’t think of anything else. No, I think I was like, Last year, I was having my birthday party at my graduation party and you’re like, I have a box of decorations just from [00:03:00] friends. So let me send it to you. I still have those things all over my room is so far it’s so perfect.
but yeah, and that was so that’s just a random, random side note, but so New York city that must’ve been a dream to live there. do you miss any part of it from being, you know, kind of a little bit more South to this point? The thing that I think I miss the most about it is just feeling like I was sort of at the epicenter of everything, like center of the music world and the art world and the finance world and the theater world, and just feeling like I was surrounded by the best of the best of everything.
and just having so many opportunities right. At my fingertips. But I will tell you, and this can maybe help us transition to our young living that I missed. The least is, you know, the cost of living part of it is just to have a normal, keep your head above water sort of existence. There, which is actually what prompted me to want to dive into the business side of young living.
Awesome. Yeah. So we will definitely talk [00:04:00] all about that. So once you got to New York, what was like the first thing that you decided to do? Did you get a job? Did you find somewhere to live? Like how did that all work out for you? Okay. Yeah. Okay. So, I grew up doing a whole lot of music and theater. I’m sort of a, music theater nerd, you could say.
And, just kind of did it add on an amateur level, obviously my whole life doing community theater, church production, school productions, and that kind of thing. And when I was right out of college, I did a, I did a play. I had the lead in a, in a community theater show and everybody was like, Girl. And I was like, well, I don’t have any, I don’t have a job yet just graduated.
And I’d always loved and thought about living in New York. So that’s why I went up there. And so. I was like, all right, I guess I’ll try to be an actress or, you know, just, and I was like, all right, I think actresses up there, they all seem to have restaurant jobs. I think I’ll try to get one. Like, this is literally how it happens.
We’re not there. I stayed on a friend’s couch [00:05:00] for a couple of nights and walked around Midtown, applying to work in restaurants and, and, and had no idea what I was doing. And the, the catches, they all say, well, you have to have experience on a New York restaurant. And you’re like, well, how am I supposed to get experienced at a New York restaurant?
If you won’t give me a job, but I got a job. They’re not going to believe it at Ruby, Tuesday of times square. That’s awesome. I got my first job and I’ve met so many amazing friends. In fact, four of my bridesmaids in my wedding two years ago, were friends that I met working at Ruby Tuesday in times square, just the time of my life.
and, I didn’t have a place to live when I first got that job, but a weekend, you know, I met someone who was like, I need a roommate and then it just kind of went from there. So that is awesome. That’s the epitome of like Rachel Green, like not really having a job, like one of those job things. Right.
Nothing. And then we’re like, she cuts up all of her credit cards and she’s like, feels like she’s free-falling I didn’t come from like that kind of background or anything, but you know, that feeling of [00:06:00] like, Oh, I’m a big girl. Now I’m completely. And I’m responsible for myself financially. You know, it’s terrifying.
We will be making friends references throughout this entire episode. Anybody who’s listening to this who doesn’t watch friends, but I know, but it’s so worth it. What are you doing? so anyway, so you said you started with young living to kind of transition the conversation. You started seven years ago, right?
That’s crazy. 2014. And I was visiting my wonderful friend. The weirs were Easter weekend and, Darlene was telling me, well, she’d been talking about the oils the whole weekend, and I can tell you a little bit more about that. But yeah, at the, towards the end of the weekend, she was like, you know, I’m getting paid to share, you know, about my oils with my friends and like help people sign up and everything, you know, I’m getting paid for that.
Right. And I was like, Oh, I didn’t know. And she went and she was so generous and she showed me her paycheck. Which I know is sort of, you know, we sort of have all [00:07:00] grown up in this culture where you don’t really talk about money. You don’t really show your friends and family how much money you make.
You don’t hand your paycheck to someone and say, look at this. Cause we work in the business that we do, you know, you, you have to share the opportunity with people. They have to know what’s possible. And so she showed me this paycheck. It was a few thousand dollars at the time. And my eyes filled with tears.
Like I w I was just, you know, and I thought that could pay my rent, you know, for a few months in New York. And if I could pay my. Rent with this check, if I could do young living and, you know, make this kind of income. Yeah. I could use my, my real job in pounds. Hey, for my life. Like my parents and my, you know, I was trying to pay off a credit card and I was trying to have fun and travel and see family and buy Christmas presents.
And. No live. Yeah, because up until that point, I guess I should have told you that I was feeling so underwater financially. I mean, I was living in the most expensive city in the world. I was working for a [00:08:00] nonprofit. I shouldn’t, I should tell you, I, after I left Ruby Tuesday, I went on to work at Carnegie hall in the, administrative offices there.
And I loved working there, but I was an entry-level employee at a nonprofit. Yeah. Yeah, so it was hard. And I was like, really, all I could afford to do in New York was sit on my couch. I really couldn’t have afforded to go see a Broadway show or go out to eat with friends or go out to happy hour with coworkers.
And so I just felt so, just so strapped. And so anyway, I don’t remember where I was going. That’s how I found out about the business side of it. And that was what inspired me to realize that I could have a different life. Yeah. So obviously we both know Darlene. she’s the sweetest person love her. so did she, so you guys got started together.
What was it like to kind of, you know, figure out, not only am I making money, but I’m also transforming my life with non-toxic products. Wow. So, it’s neat. Cause I found about out about the business, the same sort [00:09:00] of time I found out about the products. A lot of people, you know, they they’re using the oils for a year and then they find out that I sort of found out about both of them at the same time.
So it was like, my mind was like, so I’ll tell you a little bit about how I came to learn about the products and sort of. Grabbed me with that. So it was that very same weekend with Dar. and I started noticing all over her house, like the word thieves was written on everything. Like I’m washing my hands in the bathroom, like, why does this soap safety needs?
And I’m like, you know, And I asked her about it. She was like, Oh, it’s this essential oils blend. It’s got lemon and Rosemary and clove and, you know, cinnamon bark and eucalyptus. And I was like, well, that’s why it smells so good. And she was explaining, you know, that. She had started using essential oil products all over her house to replace sort of standard product that you might buy it target or Walmart.
because they were safer. I mean, she had a baby in the house at the time, and that was what got her started on her [00:10:00] nontoxic journey because she had, she was pregnant and wanted to be able to care for her body without introducing a lot of outside substances. Right. And, so, so she was telling me, she was like, and this soap has lemon oil in it too.
And then, you know, a couple of hours later, I look over and she’s got this diffuser going in the corner and I’m like, what is that? Is that a humidifier? And she’s like, well, yeah, kind of. And it’s that lemon and lavender in there? Like, why does it smell like a spine here? You got like a, like a spa go into your living room.
And I was like, is that the same stuff? I was just washing my hands with, like, I was. Clueless about it. And then this is what pushed me over the edge. So it was, She was trying to get a price tag off of something for her baby. I think it was like a teething ring or a rattle or something. And she asked her husband, Matt to go get the lemon oil and she keeps one drop have ever told you this story?
I don’t think so. No. You know, she took one drop of lemon oil and it took the price tag right off. Okay. Hold on. [00:11:00] Is that the same stuff I’m breathing in and the same stuff that I’m washing my hands with? Like, I was just. Amazed that this the same product could do all these things. And then it got, then I got to thinking, I was like, Well, if it’s safe enough for the baby to put her mouth on that rattle after the lemon, you know, the lemon oil was on there, then that must be really safe for me to breathe and for my hands.
And I don’t know, it just got me thinking that I’ve been using these products my whole life without even thinking twice about what was it. and just finding out that there was another way and finding out that plants were so powerful, it was like, So eye opening to me, cause I just, I wasn’t a person that was super into the all natural world, and into the plant-based world.
And so I did a deep dive for sure. I know. I remember when my mom started to use that and it’s probably been about. Maybe just about five or six years, actually, maybe it’s been longer at this point, but she started to introduce like, a little starter [00:12:00] kit of oils and to everything. And now like second nature, like you don’t even think twice about like filling the diffusers when guests are coming, you know, having the lemon lavender hand soap in the bathroom, it’s just, it’s just natural to us.
And I think, you know, the one, one of the coolest things that I remember sharing with early, like. I guess business builders was like, this is God’s creation. Like where are you using that? And we’re using it to keep ourselves healthy. And I think that’s something that a lot of people overlook when they’re thinking about essential oils or natural products or anything.
So, and like, what I was going to ask you is like, how did you start to face things out and reintroduce all these like new natural products into your house? Yeah. Yeah. Well, getting that starter kit was huge, you know, getting that first kit because it comes with it back then it came with 10 oils. Now it comes with 12.
I know it’s so nice, but, just, I really sort of committed to learning what they all could do. And I w I was just amazed because I felt like [00:13:00] just when I could learn, I learned, you know, 10 different uses. For lavender. Then I learned about like 10 more and I was like, what? They start incorporating them into different uses.
Like I read breaking sense on your cuticles can help make your fingernails grow longer and faster and you know, stronger. And I’m like, I think I’ll try that. And I was like, Oh, peppermint can be put on a cotton ball in the. Corners of, you know, your air vents to help deter rodents. I think I’ll try that.
And just trying and trying and trying. Yeah. And using them in all kinds of different ways, topically in the air, aromatically and diffusers, even, you know, you can even ingest young living essential oils because they are 100%. Your therapeutic grades. So trying to draw a drop of grapefruit oil in my water, I heard was a great kind of dieting hat because it’s fresh your appetite, right.
That little drop of grapefruit. And it’s so refreshing and purifying. And I tried that and that worked. And so oils became, whereas like the first thing I reached [00:14:00] for, and even now, like if I had even the slightest issue with, you know, my body or my health or my families, You know, or something around the house.
I first think, Oh, well I probably have an oil that could help me with this. Right. And so it’s just really amazing how that kit pays for itself over and over and over, because you realize that pretty soon you start throwing stuff away that you don’t really need anymore. I remember when we started to face things out in my house, you know, getting rid of cleaners or, you know, everything can be, you know, repurposed into like just one all-purpose cleaner. and like, it’s just so cool. How so many things can have so many. Effects on so many different things.
and you know, over the, over the years, you know, going through some trauma or emotional things, like how much oils are not just for your physical health, but they can be used for spiritual health, emotional health. Like it’s just really, really impactful. And I think as we’ve gone into the years, Just natural pathic remedies have become so [00:15:00] big and it’s such a widespread movement and I’m sure you’ve noticed the same thing.
there’s still those doubters out there for sure. but there’s so many people that just made such a big impact on their lives. And I mean, yeah, I think I’m sure you probably have millions of testimonies about that too. But I think it’s just been so cool to see everybody kind of realized, Oh, this has so many uses and I need to try it.
Like I’m missing out on something. If I don’t, you know what I mean? And now, you know, now when you talk to people, most of them have heard of essential oils. Now, you know, back when I seven years ago, it wasn’t, it wasn’t like a household, phrase. Right. But now you kind of see them everywhere because people have caught on to, like, this is an, you know, these are amazing tools, they’re tools, but I will say it’s intimidating.
You get these, this box of oils in the mail and they’re unlike anything you’ve ever used. Like, if you buy something at the drug store, you turn over and it says, instructions, you know, Take take this or do this this many times a day, put do it, you know, but with the oils, you’re holding up the soil. You’re like, what do I do now?
You know? And it can be very, what am I [00:16:00] supposed to do with this? And so I will say that if you, if a listener is in that, in that camp, just start trying stuff, just. You know, or join a Facebook community, or, you know, get a book, and just, just experiment. And it’s so much fun to learn, you know, which oil, for example, Cedar wood oil works amazing on my feet to help me relax before bed.
But other people might say that lavender. On their chest before bed helps them sleep better. So everybody, every single body is different and it’s really fun to kind of almost have like a home science experiment. Absolutely. And I have like my whole little bedtime ritual, like Valor, lavender, you know, Kobe bought and everything.
and even my sisters have something different. So. While I have noticed such a difference and what I’m doing with oils now versus what I didn’t do before and just 10 times better in everything. so it’s been so, so relaxing and so cool. And everything smells, smells like a spa, like you said, it’s so [00:17:00] nice.
Oh my gosh. Walks into your house. You’re like, Oh, it smells so good in here. That’s like the number one I know. I know it’s so complicated. It’s so nice to hear that. so how did you start to grow your team once you had your starter kit? Was it something that right off the bat you started growing your team and, you know, recruiting people on there?
Well, you know, it was a little bit slower for me. I mean, I signed up, but with my kid in may. but, and I, you know, like I said, the business light bulb went off for me immediately, but I didn’t actually do take any action on that several months because I had some other professional interests that we can talk about.
but I was, I was at the time trying to get my real estate license because I thought I wanted to go be a real estate agent. And so I was super focused on that month and everything. And then I was like, okay, I’ll get it. I’ll get to that young living thing. I’ll get to it. I’ll get to it. I only wish that I had gotten to it.
Six months earlier, cause even six months makes a huge difference in long-term success. So I will say if you are listening to this and you were [00:18:00] hesitating on jumping in with your real living business, do it now, you will not start now. so one of the things that I think really helped me. Okay. We’re we’re two things.
One is Darlene really helped me get started. He would, she would enroll, you know, some members and she would be able to put them on my team and sort of helped me get started that way. So that was a huge blessing. But one of the things that helped me with I’ve just assumed that everyone on my team who loved their oils also was interested in sharing about them and enrolling their friends and getting, maybe dipping their toes into the business.
I mean, obviously not, everybody’s interested in like, Building an income and like having this be like a huge, part of their lives. But I feel like almost everybody who has a great experience with the oils has someone that they would want to refer their friends to assuming that everyone wants to do that.
And just making sure that everyone knows how to do that so that when they inevitably. Have their grandmother, aunt coworker, you know, sister-in-law whatever, [00:19:00] say, Oh, I didn’t really get one of those diffusers or peppermint, you know, then you’re just like, Oh, you can get it with me. You know? And it’s, it’s a, it’s like a referral process.
It’s not like you’re giving your life over to some terrifying. Like you’re, you know, it’s, it’s, it can be they’re casual and just sort of encouraging that I think has been huge. Yeah, absolutely. And I was going to ask just kind of like a side note, the stigma, I guess, around, I’m an MLM and network marketing.
What would you say to that? That’s different about young living? Cause I know from a personal experience, you know, it’s just, it’s just not like that at all. Yeah. So it’s something that no, I think about a lot and. This is where I stand with it. Just like with any other job. Network marketing is not going to be for everyone.
Like, obviously there’s a budget and jobs out there in the world and I’m probably not going to like most of them. And so a lot of [00:20:00] people, they, they sort of say they’re going to get started with an MLM or maybe with young living. And they either don’t like it, or maybe they don’t put enough effort in because obviously to be successful with something and to be really successful with something, you have to pay a price.
I mean people who succeed in the corporate world in quote unquote, regular jobs, they work their tails off. They’re the first ones in the office. They’re the last ones to leave. They are, they make a sacrifice, right? Like they. and that sacrifice takes time. And, and they’re typically building their success over the courses of months and years and sometimes even decades.
And so I think what happens with MLMs is people think that they’re buying a lottery ticket, right? Cause they hear that their, you know, their pastor or their, or their old roommate or whatever is hitting it big with this company. So they’re like, well, I’m going to do it too. And then they try for like two weeks and then they don’t get the foothold.
And so they just kind of blame. [00:21:00] The company? No. Oh, well, that’s an NLM for you and it’s all a big scam and it’s a big scheme and, and really it’s just like, it’s not for everybody and not, everybody’s willing to try as hard as it takes to succeed with it. And so rather than saying, Oh, well, it wasn’t for me, they say that’s just not a real opportunity.
And, and that’s why I think that there’s a stigma around it, but I found that by making a. Ton of sacrifices, especially at the beginning, I made a lot of sacrifices. I worked my tail off, That I wasn’t able to succeed. And so I, a lot of the myths and stigma that MLMs have, I don’t, I don’t buy into them.
No, that’s, that’s awesome advice. And you know, it always makes me so frustrated when people are just bashing on me. It’s not a get rich, quick scheme like that. You have to be willing to put the work into it. And I’ve noticed like the months that I haven’t nothing’s happened because I haven’t put the work into it.
And so you’re right. It’s just like a corporate job. Like you’re just, you’re just working with people and it doesn’t have to [00:22:00] be approached in a cold call markets scammy way at all. Like you can genuinely build friendships and relationships with people before sharing the product, not necessarily selling it.
That’s always our tagline. Absolutely. And I will also say that, you know, while you, and I completely love these products and they are part of our lifestyle and I will never be a person who doesn’t use oils. Like it. This is like permanently forever. Most people who, you know, love young living, you know, and get hooked on the products, they would agree with you, right?
Yeah. Yeah. I will say that, to succeed with young living or with any MLM, I don’t know that you have to be more passionate about these products than any other thing in your whole life, like, think about, Think about the last job you had, you liked it, you chose that job because it interests you. Or there was a goal at that company that aligned with you or something about that job [00:23:00] fit your lifestyle or your talents or your gifts or your interest.
Right. but like that it was a job. It was just, I don’t mean to say just a job, but it was, it was just a job and, and it produced income for you and it produced purpose for you and it might’ve produced a social network and all these other positive things. Right. So think about, you know, that’s also on the table for you with young living or with any, you know, with any sort of network marketing job.
Like it can be a job. And if you work it, if you work it like that, you know, you can have other interests too, and you can have other professional pursuits too, and you can love other products too. It’s not like you have to eat, sleep and breathe young living. Absolutely. I mean, we started to do that just from a natural perspective.
Cause it’s everyday we use your products, but like, you don’t have to be so immersive. And working it that you don’t think about anything else, like you said, so that’s, that’s a really, really good. [00:24:00] Yeah. And I don’t want somebody to say, well, I can’t do that because I’m not obsessed with essential oils.
Like you have to be to, to use them and to talk about them and talk about the ways you use them. What’s valuable. People want people want to hear about your experiences and you can help a lot of people by sharing. You know, even if they’re Mary Young, the founder of young living or the, you know, the wife of the man.
Yeah. You can build your own entire business on one product. If you are, if you care about an app like thieves, household cleaner. Just, she says you could build your whole business on that if you will. So I just want to encourage people that if they feel like, Oh, I don’t know enough about oils or, you know, I’m not, I didn’t do the deep dive on oils.
Like that’s okay. Yeah. Exactly. And there’s plenty of resources out there, you know, in our groups and just so many other places, that you can [00:25:00] learn about ’em and it’s like every now and then I’ll see something and like my Instagram explore page, like, Oh, somebody else is using young living. So it’s just a really widespread market that people haven’t even tapped into yet because they just don’t know enough about it.
so I wanted to ask, what were your early days like of building your business compared to what you’re doing right now? Yeah. So that’s a good question. So, in the early and has been so long, I know the journal and everything, but, in the early days, you know, I did a lot of teaching online. I just teaching about my own experiences and the way I use them.
And I did a lot of like, you know, talking and I did a lot of using my products in front of my friends. and I did, No, it just, those that just naturally inspires a lot of questions and just not being afraid to answer the questions. Right. Because sometimes somebody says like, Oh, like what, tell me about that oil.
And then we’re like, Oh, that’s really great. I really liked my oil. Like, you know, you’re, you know? Yeah. There’s a [00:26:00] vulnerability there because you don’t want people to feel like you’re. I’m trying to make them buy something and won’t want anybody to make fun of you or whatever. And so sometimes it’s easier to just be like, I’m just over here in the corner and use my oils go away.
but just like trying to, trying to be more open and trying to be, you know, letting people be curious about it and answering questions as. As best as you can and asking a lot of questions and then a lot asking questions, like, I just think that’s a huge part of sales and making sure you listen when people say, well, I’m looking for something to help my child sleep at night.
You don’t want to be like, Oh, well, frankincense is great on the cuticles to help your nails grids. What I mean, like, why don’t you go let, let the conversation go in the direction that that person is going. And usually it ends up back at our starter kit because our starter kit does have something for every buck, one thing.
And it’s a great value because it comes with a fuser, Oh my gosh, great entry way. [00:27:00] Right. And you get to be a member. Such good value. I love it. and we’ll definitely talk about that, but, did you ever get to make the break from the corporate world too, or just any job to work full time on young living?
And I wanted to add in, and this is sort of a cross between both questions. one of the things I did a lot of in that, especially in the early days was because I had a nine to five job. I use every nook and cranny of my day to work on my business. So like, You know, while I’m waiting for my coffee to brew, I answer a question or while I’m on the subway, I’m scheduling something.
Or while I’m on my lunch break, walking around the streets in New York city, picking up my to go back. I’m like reaching out to my team to, you know, I see, and you just, and then I stayed up, I sacrificed a lot of sleep. at the beginning I would stay up till two in the morning, on every night of the week, just, you know, and I didn’t, here’s the thing people are like, but what were you doing?
But what were you doing specifically? And I’m like, [00:28:00] I don’t really know. I couldn’t tell you. I don’t know. I was. I was connecting because we’re in network marketing. Right. And so you have to connect, connecting with my people that I’ve enrolled, connecting with the people in my organization that want to build their business, connecting with their people.
and, and as your organization grows, there’s more people connect with. And so when it gets really overwhelming. Oh yeah. And I’m still learning how to do, but okay. You were asking me if I ever made a break from yes. So my, my. First big major goal was to be able to pay my rent in New York city with my young living check.
And that was a thousand dollar a month. And I hit that about in about a year. and, but then my next big goal took me. Four years after that, which was to make enough money with young living to where I had the option of not having to work my nine to five. And it, and like for four years, I was like, if I could just not have [00:29:00] to go to work every day, you know, at the office, then that would be the dream.
And eventually I got there, this summer, the summer before I got married, like a few months before I got married. so it was like crazy how all these things were happening. At the same time, my husband graduated from his PhD program. We left New York city. We got married. I left my Carnegie hall job.
And young living became, you know, my sole source of income. And it was a lot of, I don’t recommend that. That’s so crazy. and, but it was the most amazing feeling to know that I was not reliant on a boss and vacation days. And you know, of course we had to figure out how insurance plans elsewhere.
That was slightly stressful. But, yeah. No, not being chained to the cubicle and not being, not spending every day, all day, building someone else’s dream, you know? there’s a quote that I read, while I was on that journey of trying to get to that goal. [00:30:00] And it was something like the definition of crazy is driving in a car.
You can’t afford to a job you don’t like, to. Earn enough money to pay in the house that you live in, that you never have enough time to actually live in because you’re always working. I dunno, that was, I kind of botched it. It’s much more eloquent than, yeah. What are we doing? We’re all spinning our wheels and for what?
And so I just loved the idea of like getting to create and design my own day in my own life. Yeah, absolutely. And you know, I don’t have a ton of experience speaking about this, but I did have a job when I was 16 and you know, it was just a weekend job and I’m like, what am I doing? Like, I want my weekends and I did it just so I can make a little extra cash during the summer, but I’m like, I’m working in a Dan store for.
You know, six hours a day and I’m making less than minimum wage. Like it just was not ideal at all. And so [00:31:00] I finally started my own young living business a little bit ago. like I think it was three, three years ago at this point, which is crazy. and then I started, full-time working on my podcast. And my blog and stuff, and that has been a huge explosion.
And I’m like, I never want to go back. Like, I don’t want to work anything other than the entrepreneurial life, which is what I love. And that was always a dream of mine. And so I’m sure you can speak to that as well. but you know, being able to go through college at the same time, As working a job that you control yourself.
And me both have that experience of like our audience and our followers are within this young age of like, what else do we do now? Like, you know, forget the corporate world. Let’s just work on ourselves. so do you find that a lot of your business builders are people that are older or people that are younger?
Yeah, good question. first of all, congratulations, I’m so proud of you. and yeah, I do think a lot of people, especially in our generation are sort of like, we don’t have to be that cookie cutter life that our parents ad where they work [00:32:00] 40 hours a week for four years. You know, no, thanks. I don’t know,
like my husband is the type where he’s working on trying to become a professor and I guarantee you, he’s going to be so excited when he gets to become that professor. And he’s going to want him to do that probably forever and probably would be okay without the variety, but like some personalities like you and I, I like to just always be becoming and creating.
Changing and evolving and incorporating new things and collaborating. And it’s just that, that’s what makes life exciting to me. But, so, Oh, I forgot the question.
Sorry. no, most of the people on my team are older than me. For sure. Yeah. When I think that’s probably because my upline, like my immediate upline is probably like, I don’t know, maybe 15 years older than me and that, and then maybe the others are maybe. 18 years older than me. and so I think that has something to do with it.
Yeah, absolutely. So, yeah. That’s cool. [00:33:00] Yeah, no, I, I always ask some of my friends, when I was really, really passionate about, and not that I’m not now, the college has kind of taken my attention away. It’s like, how do people, how would you justify, I guess the excuse or the, I don’t know the statement that I don’t have enough money to get started.
What would you, how would you help somebody kind of change their mindset around that? Yes. Okay. Well, if w while we’re talking about young living, I will tell you all, what you need to do to get started is to buy that starter kit. And it costs about $160. but what you can do. Is, you can sign up three friends, you could refer three friends that same month that you buy that kit and young living will send you a thank you.
Check a month later for about $150, and it’ll pretty much reimburse your entire. Yeah. And you’re not just handing over 160 bucks. You are getting a starter kit, you’re getting a diffuser and 12 oils that you’re going to use everyday. So yeah. So there’s no like, buy-in, you don’t have to buy [00:34:00] inventory.
You don’t, there’s no quotas, there is virtually no, you know, overhead or buy in, I think about, but for me, I couldn’t even, I couldn’t even afford that at the time. I’m going to $60, no way. and, so actually, I don’t know if I should advertise this, but Darlene helped me buy my first kit, you know, and, and that’s something that she did cause we are just so, so close and she was excited for me to dive in because I wanted to be the business so much.
but what I did at the beginning was I. I made sure that my growth kept up with, I’m going to try and say, I made sure that my organization was growing enough to where my paycheck would cover my monthly order. And so I was, I would spend about a hundred a month, but I was earning about a hundred a month at the beginning as well.
Yeah. I can actually tell you, I have never lost a dollar. In young living. Never. That’s awesome. Yeah. And so real, [00:35:00] really with young living in particular, you don’t have anything to lose. I know there are some other MLMs out there where you have to spend thousands of dollars get started. Spilling don’t do that.
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, the coolest thing about young living is it’s not, you’re not signing up to sell when you sign up, you’re signing up to use them. And if you think, Oh, Hey, I think I maybe want to build this. Then you can, and the opportunities there some wants, you might not want to work on it. So it’s just super flexible.
And I think that’s one of the coolest things, at least for me, that I’ve seen is it’s just, no, it’s no commitment unless you are making a commitment to do it. If that makes sense. All right. And that you get, I remember you’re like, Oh, you could also do this, but you don’t have to. Exactly. Exactly. And speaking of perks, what have been the coolest perks that you’ve have done from working with down loving?
Yeah. Okay. Well, I’ve gotten through lots of cool travel. I’ve won two trips, a silver retreat and a gold retreat. That’s awesome. The next big one that I hope to win will be a platinum retreat and that will be [00:36:00] to Ecuador. That’s so cool. Huh. So I haven’t gotten there yet, but, but I’ve gotten to go on some amazing trips.
I’ve the first one was to salt Lake city, Utah. And the second one was to, to. Where did I go? Okay. And Spokane Washington, right? Yeah. And, got to go and like see the farms where, cause you know, young living essential oils, they, they own all of their own farms all over the world. Like so many continents and we get to go and you get to watch the processes.
The harvest and the distillation, and you learn so much and meet so many amazing people. Cool. like Sophia and, I mean, we wouldn’t know each other, her work for young, with so many interesting people, And I think that other amazing thing is a byproduct from the business from the income has been just some personal dreams that I’ve gotten to do that I wouldn’t have.
If it weren’t for young living, like I’ve gotten to travel on my own, like travel, I’ve gotten to go to friend’s weddings that I would have had, [00:37:00] I didn’t get that kind of stuff back, you know, like being able to do, being able to say yes to things. Being able to donate to causes that that are worthy. Being able to, buy gifts for my family for Christmas.
Like I know that some of that doesn’t sound. I dunno. It’s just being able to actually live the life that I imagined and live the life I don’t have. And right now, Michael and I have some really big financial goals. We’re getting ready to wipe out all of our debt. Some student loans are amazing. We’re going to have, or building up an emergency fund, and we’re going to start saving up for a house down payment.
And I’m telling you that young living is making that so much easier. That awesome. Yeah, that is so cool. And one of the things that I’ve seen become kind of a hot topic this year is kind of diversifying your income. So do you have other income streams in addition to young living as well? Yes. Yes. And so I do.
And one of the things I will say, you asked me if I ever left, you know, were they able to eat? So it was, yes. I [00:38:00] will tell you, because it’s been two years now, once that happened, I kind of did not know what to do with myself. I was so used to leaving my young living work into the nooks and crannies, and that was sort of my, my, mode for life.
Five years, six years. So all of a sudden when I didn’t have to go to work anymore, I like didn’t know what to do with my myself. It’s been really hard because as an extrovert, and as, you know, I, I, working from home by myself has not been what I thought it would be. Maybe others, it would be great, but for me it wasn’t.
So I’m trying to incorporate some, some new work ideas. And, one of those is real estate and home staging. I’m really excited about that. I have some, some work, some things in the works with that. I also have started, had started working with a music agency because, you know, I, I obviously still love music.
It’s part of my life. And so working with a management company that helps create strategy and communications for international music clients. So that’s awesome. Zoom call with some clients in [00:39:00] Barcelona and, you know, Yeah. And like, I also have done some administrative, like executive administrative assistant work for, you know, some local people.
And so what I learned and maybe it’ll help help you to Sophia is for so long, I thought that you might doing young living full-time was the destination like pinnacle. Like if I could just do that full time then everything. But what I realized is while I do want to do that forever, what has been it’s rather than being the destination, it’s been the gateway to do all kinds of things that I wouldn’t get to do.
If I was trapped in a cubicle all day, absolutely getting to pursue interests professionally and personally that, And so I guess more is more for me. professional pursuits. Yeah. Yeah. And I, I mean, you know, you brought up a great point. Like I love working from home, but I don’t want it to be my end goal.
Like I want to create something now, but I don’t want to be stuck in my house all day long. Like I want to [00:40:00] actually be able to, like you said, I’m an extrovert. I love talking to people. That’s why I have a podcast. and so being able to get out of that. But this job is like the first thing that kind of opened my eyes to something else that’s more possible.
And so you just have the flexibility now that you didn’t have when you were working a nine to five, which is so cool. And obviously you have a lot of things to think for that specifically young living. so that’s, that’s just so awesome. And I love that. So how can you help others who want to make this change or make this break from a nine to five world?
so I would say. figure out what your current salary is and, or, you know, or if you’re working an hourly job, figure out about how much you make in a year. and then do the math to figure about how much that is per month. And then you also want to factor in. Now, if you are going to. You’re going to quit your job and your job offers you things like, health insurance, or retirement.
It’s obviously you want to factor that money in as well. Cause that, so you’re [00:41:00] doing apples to apples, right? And then you want to just set a monthly target and say like, when I can build up my external income streams to X, then it will match, you know, My annual, but then do, but then the pattern a little bit
like six months into making that Mark, I’m like, I’m quitting my job. Maybe don’t do that. Maybe give it a little bit more, but then you gotta go for it. You gotta take a leap of faith. Yes. You’ll have to figure out some other logistics. Yes. You gotta figure it out. Health insurance means there’s other ways to, you know, To, to get that.
And, but it’s going to be scary and it’s, you’re going to have a lot of people in your life who think you’re crazy and think that you’re, you know, but it’s like, you’ll know, you’ll know what’s right for you. And just also remember that, leaving, like a desk job and working from home is not. You think like the first day you’re like, Oh, the first day that my alarm clock doesn’t go off and I just get to be in my jammies all day.
It’s going to [00:42:00] feel amazing. It feels amazing for like one day. And then the next day you’re like, Well, what am I doing? And so, and so, and two years later, I’m still trying to learn how to structure my time, you know, and try to figure out what I’m doing with myself. So, yeah, it’s not always pretty, no, absolutely.
Well days where I’m just like I’m in sweat pants and a t-shirt and then the other days I’m like, no, I’m getting up and getting dressed because if I wasn’t working from home, I would have to. And so just kind of like. Finding other things that are, you know, that you’re looking forward to in a day. So it doesn’t just feel like you’re sitting around sipping tea all day.
Like you’re actually working, you know what I mean? Yeah. Structure some things in your day. And that’s why I’ve started adding in other, you know, other professional pursuits because it helps break up my time and helps me structure and, you know, set up have some regular week. maybe you go to a gym this day or a church event this day, or you have coffee with, or breakfast with this friend this day and just [00:43:00] try to create some structure.
Absolutely. And so I always love asking this question to my guest is what does a typical day in the life look for you? 20, 20 COVID edition. Let’s just put it that way. So that’s a million dollar question because I. I just moved a couple months ago. So I kinda just feel like I’m still trying to figure out my day in my life.
But, so this amazing thing I invented. I got this rolly cart. Okay. And I have a sheet. So for each job, so I have like dealt with all my, yeah. Living materials, a shelf with my like real estate home staging, interior design things, a shelf with my music agency thing. And, and I keep it in the closet. And every morning after I have my coffee, I pull out my little office right here.
Next to me on the kitchen counter. And I try to touch each level. Right. And try to do a little bit of each, but I need to, I’m working on. Actually setting some, [00:44:00] some, scheduling times from this, to this, I do this and from this to this, I do that. so I, I don’t really know if I have a typical day, but I want to have a typical day.
Yeah. But that’s actually so cool. No, I think that’s such a good idea. And I’m like, I’m kind of a mess sometimes. And I. Pretty sure. Organization things all the time, but I need to actually like take them in myself, where I’ll get up and I’ll work for like 10 minutes on this thing. I’m like, nah, I’m bored.
I’m going to switch. Like I gotta like stay committed. So that’s cool. So if you figure that out, let me know, because I would love to know the other day. I did set a timer. On myself. I was like, okay, for the next hour, I’m going to focus on this one task in this one way. And it worked. And just so I would say that if you have trouble with focus and this goes to anyone for anything, just, you know, it’s amazing.
And like I gotten to the end of the hour and I was like, Oh, I want to keep going. Once you get focused and zone in the zone, right. Then, then you just. Time passes so quickly. [00:45:00] You’re like, I know. Oh my gosh. That’s perfect because that’s a perfect segue because time has passed so quickly. And I think it’s about 45 minutes.
We’ve been recording. I know, but the one question I want to ask, well, two questions is how can people sign up for your team if they want to find out more about young living? Okay. So go find me on Instagram. That’s where I’m trying to move. I’m trying to be more and more on Instagram. My handle is Caroliney.
Lulu. C A R O L I N E Y L U L U. And shoot me a DM and I have some links and stuff on there where you can get started with me. Yeah. But you can also get started with Sophia. I know my mom’s like, how are you going to balance out? I was like, well, we’re just going to both promote, like, it’s fine. The big deal.
I love it. It’s all to support Sophia. I mean, she’s an amazing, amazing business woman and friend, and she will be an amazing living, coach for you. And she’s so knowledgeable on the product. So please go get a kit with Sophia. Thank you. [00:46:00] Yeah. So both of our links will be down in the show notes. No hate, no hate notes.
We’ve moved twice to anything. It’s fine. Excited for anybody that wants to jump in with us. Absolutely. Yes, please message us. If you have any questions whatsoever, you always know where to find me on Instagram and Caroline’s links will be down in the show notes below. and I’m so excited that we were able to have this chat.
This was so much fun. I can’t believe we didn’t throw more friends quotes in there. So do you want to ha do you want to end with any sort of quote, just to have a little fun? Okay. How about since this is probably not our last conversation. We’re just going to say we’re on a break. Perfect. We were on a break.
I love it. That’s the perfect line. I’m so glad, that we could do this. And for all the friends’ content go find Caroline on Instagram, PS, her birthday party, inspiration pictures were amazing. you have to like, You’re still linked to LinkedIn somewhere so they can see them. And then like my Instagram stories archive really do you really do, because I need to [00:47:00] reference them a lot more than I do.
So again, thank you so much for coming on the show. I’m so excited that we heard, we will have this chat for having me. It’s been a blast and I’m so proud of you. Thank you. Yeah. So for more fun content like this, don’t forget to follow her on Instagram. And without further ado, I’m going to close out this week’s episode of hear and now podcast, have a wonderful week, and I will see you guys next time.