The Story Behind A doTERRA Wellness Advocate

Network Marketing has a bad reputation. It's easy to neglect the fact that there is a story behind why she started this biz. Network Marketing is a business model that relies on person-to-person sales. And most of the time, success is dependent on building a strong team. Seems innocent enough, so why the tainted reputation?

I'm being blunt, but sales ain't for most. If you don't invest in the right soft skills, the sales process is uncomfortable for everyone involved. Think about the last painful experience you had with any representative. Was she confident, clear, direct? Or was she wishy-washy and convoluted?

We trust people who are confident because they come from a space of experience. Trust is a huge factor in the buying experience. But what makes it complicated is how you get there. The right advocate genuinely cares about the product and you, like Brittany Atiburcio.

Michelle: What called you to start your Doterra business?

Brittany: I’ve been approached by numerous friends or acquaintances that wanted me to join their  network marketing business. I had to jump through hoops before they’d share their story with me or what the actual product was that I could buy to support them as a friend. I was even enticed to hangout with them and then they suddenly sprung out the whiteboard with the business opportunities and how I could get rich quick. It put a bad taste in my mouth about network marketing and “pyramid schemes” would just run through my head anytime someone mentioned the phrase network marketing. 

When I heard about doTERRA, I was looking for a more natural approach to care for myself and my family. I mainly wanted to find relief for my stomach issues, help clear my acne, and find something to help me relax and lower my stress levels. I did hear that it was a network marketing business model, but something called me to look into the company more and why they chose that approach to selling their product. A video of one of the Founding Executives came up in my search and she said two things, a level of service and education for their customers. Since doTERRA strives for the highest quality, purest product, and works to educate their customers on how to use their oils, who better to tell that story than avid users of the products. You wouldn’t get that kind of education or customer service if you were picking out essential oil products at your local big-box store. I joined doTERRA as a customer, with no pressure to do the business at all.

But after several months of seeing how it helped me, I thought this would be something I could share with others. I was always taught “noblesse oblige: to whom much is given, much is expected.”  I was given these amazing tools so that I can help serve others and empower them to achieve health and wellness.

Michelle: As a Doterra Gold Wellness Advocate and a Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendant, share how your two passions complement each other.

Brittany: I treat guests onboard as if they were my family friends -- with the utmost respect and level of service. So the two different industries have a commonality of Aloha. Being a flight attendant means I own the responsibilities of keeping our guest safe and upholding the standard of service that is true to our brand.

Inviting guests into our home (the plane) and helping them feel comfortable and welcome is something I strive to do on each flight. It makes me smile to see our guests happy and excited to fly on Hawaiian Airlines.

Same could be said about my doTERRA business. Whether it is in my classes, team training, or just interacting with people about oils, I strive to make sure they feel welcome and comfortable, and have their individual needs/concerns taken care of. I feel a strong connection with my doTERRA team and clients because we’re building a long-term relationship with trust as a pillar

Sharing about oils is very intimate. My customers share their personal health concerns and trust me to guide them and explore new oils to help through natural solutions. Education is a big component of my doterra business and it is to ensure that my team, family and friends are aware of how to safely use them on themselves or their loved ones.

Michelle: Share a personal experience how oils and your doterra business supported you through a tough time.

Brittany: After a few attempts through the interview process for flight attendant, I finally made it through all the interviews and was invited to take part of the training program.  It was an 8 week training that had exams multiple times a week and each exam you needed to pass with a 90% or higher to be able to stay in the training program. It was the most stressful two months, not to mention it was around the holiday season which can already have its own stressors and pressure. Getting through the interviews was such an accomplishment for me and I was so afraid to let the opportunity slip through my fingers.

Dealing with stress is something that I am not so good at, but I knew I needed to get through it somehow. Plus I couldn’t miss a day of training, so I needed to support my immune system. So I leaned heavily on my oils, I used it everyday. I had just learned that one of the most well-researched benefits of essential oils is their ability to influence our moods and emotions. Doterra just launched an oil blend called ADAPTIV, which was specifically created to help calm, relax, and uplift one’s mood. I used it every day. Rolled it on my wrists and over my heart and took deep breaths inhaling the aroma.  I noticed that throughout the 8-week training, my usual stress and worry didn’t seem so intense. Yes, it was a challenging training, but I found myself calm, confident, and relaxed throughout each session and each exam. My heart definitely beat fast as the exams were administered, but I could think clearly. I could focus on my exam rather than freak out and panic how I would normally be like. Within the first week of training, I even came down with a cold. But I oiled up with a blend to support my immune system, taking it internally and rubbing it along my spine and on the bottoms of my feet. I noticed that within the day, I started to feel a lot better. I continued to apply my oils and felt back to 100% by the next day and never missed a day of training.

The thing that really made me grateful for my oils and business was how during that 2 month training. One thing that most people don’t know is that the 8-week training for my flight attendant role was unpaid. So I had no income coming in from that job. But life didn’t stop, the bills still came in and not to mention Christmas was around the corner. I told my mentor and business partner that I was still tuned into my business, but couldn’t make the same amount of effort as I needed to focus on the training. I was so scared that I wouldn’t be able to pay my bills those months! But doTERRA was my saving grace during those 8 weeks, I still got an income from my business. Since I have been building my business for a little less than a year, I had a small team. But that stable income was enough for me to pay my bills and carry me through the holiday season. I even paid off my car loan in the same month I graduated from my flight attendant training! I am forever grateful for what my oils have done for me and my family, not just to support us physically or emotionally, but even financially.

Michelle: How has your experience as a business owner strengthened your leadership skills?

Brittany: Starting my business has challenged me to grow as a leader. I always thought I could lead a team. Help inspire them, help motivate them, help guide them through obstacles. The beauty of doTERRA is there is very little guideline on how one could share oils.  There are best practices and policies we follow, but if there is a way that is authentically you and how you want to share oils we embrace it and allow each person to explore that. As I started growing my team, I loved everyone’s different ideas and goals. So blanketing practices, advice and approaches to help my team grow was not so easy as each person is so different. This challenged me as a leader, and is still a skill I am sharpening, is finding how to mentor and guide each team member in their own business. Customizing and personalizing an approach for each team member that matches their own goal, pace, and plan that they have for themselves while allowing them to succeed and learn from skills and tips that helped so many other wellness advocates achieve their goals.

Michelle: Where do you plan on taking your business in the next 5 years?

Brittany: I never thought I could achieve big ranks of Silver and Gold within a little over a year of starting my business. So really, the sky’s the limit for the next 5 years. I am planning within the next 5 years to be a Diamond leader in doTERRA and be a Founder 2.0 for the company. I want to expand my classes to teach workshops, plan trips to help share more about how our oils are sourced, and partner with the doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation to help give back to others in need.

The next time you passive-aggressively avoid meeting with a network marketer, ask her about her story. Why did she get into this biz? You'll be surprised how much you'll relate to her ambitions. It's a harsh industry, but just like any entrepreneur, listening to her story makes her feel heard.

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