I want to work with a company that tells me the truth.

Young Living’s business model means I’m sharing it with people I know and like, people who trust me. I’ve been using Young Living Essential Oils for a year now, and I’m really thankful it doesn’t resort to tricks to keep its customers and members satisfied. It relies instead on the truth, even if it’s hard to swallow sometimes.

In the past year, we’ve been out of Valor and Peace and Calming due to “supply shortage.” For two years in a row, the Blue Tansy harvest was spoiled by heavy rainfall. So what does that mean to lovers of that Blue Tansy and the blends containing it? It means we wait until the next harvest and use something different in the meantime.

I come from a farming background, where I’ve learned that when it’s time, it’s time. Especially at harvest time. In Nebraska, where my family has farmed for generations, it doesn’t matter how much you’ve been looking forward to that Cornhuster football game; if the crops are ready to bring in, you’re up and out there in the field. That’s just the way it is. My uncles have missed a lot of sports events at harvest time. Nebraska football and Nebraska farming don’t always go together. And you see the results in the people there. Nebraskans are realistic, faithful, hardworking, and accepting. Interesting how that works.

Think of it like a pregnancy. When baby’s ready, but you’re not, too bad. You change your plans. Nature has a way of holding all the cards, which is both reassuring and frustrating. I love how when you are committed to working with nature, and not against it, you are forced to find patience, faith, and acceptance. I think it might be God’s way of helping us with those qualities. quite frankly, I like that Young Living encourages its members to adopt these qualities right along with the corporation. We’re in it together.

Instead of tweaking a formula known to work, they embrace transparency and share the truth about the harvest. It’s no secret, anyway. Rain is rain. Sorry if you were counting on Valor, but that fact is, you need Blue tansy to make it. It is what it is. Young Living is not going to substitute an essential oil for something else just to fulfill orders. Yes, it’s frustrating, but it’s liberating, too.

Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. John 8:32

A lot of companies accommodate the market and their shareholders to a fault. While I understand how and why that happens, that doesn’t mean I like it. Do you ever wonder how can a company can skim, cut corners, and search for the lowest common denominator; and still stay in business? Many times it can’t, unless it’s a consumable that people want and need, and the brand is strong.

Consumers grow more savvy and informed every day. Small competitors, happy with a smaller market, use the ubiquitous digital media and product evangelists to spring up and nip into industry giants’ markets. As a consumer, I admit I like the trend. As a marketer, I’m fascinated by certain small companies’ growth and evolution.

Don’t let me down gradually.

Do you ever notice when you begin to love a product, you become a regular buyer; you stop comparing brands and prices because you landed on “the one you like;” you replace the generic name of the product with your favorite brand’s name; and you even tell your friends about it.

And then… you start noticing little differences in quality. The material is a tiny bit thinner, or the bottle seems smaller, or the life of the product is a little shorter… you think, but you can’t quite be sure. At the same time, the product is becoming more popular; it’s not the best-kept secret anymore. “What’s happening?” you wonder. Did the company stop testing, or scale back on quality control? Did they find a cheaper vendor, or are they cutting corners to meed demand? Something’s not right, and usually that something is accompanied by higher prices.

Eventually, that purchase you never questioned before does’t hold the same allure. If another , more attractive product comes along, you would try it. That’s what happens when a company either grows too fast and wants to make too many people happy, and/or forgets its loyal customers. Maybe the company just decided it was worth it to lower their original standards to serve more people. Or sells to a giant in the industry.

As the primary consumer of a busy household, I’ve resigned myself to this pattern many times. Sometimes consumers have no choice, as is the case with the shrinking quantity of tissue paper on a roll over the last 20 years. (What’s up with that industry trend, anyway?) Sometimes your favorite thing just vanishes overnight, like Illuminations Candles. (Loved those.) Sometimes the change is sudden, and the customer just deals with it, as in Netflix’s membership/pricing terms in 2011 (I stayed.)

What’s worse is when the change or decrease is slight and disappointing, or minor, and “hidden.”

Last Saturday I travelled with my friend Suzi to a Young Living Essential Oils event. We made a pitstop midway between Austin and San Antonio, where I grabbed a cup of yogurt. (The one that starts with a “Ch.”) I opened it, and saw maybe a third cup of yogurt in what used to be a good half cup, in a “5.2 oz.” container. The plastic cup was the same size, but it was literally half full. I wondered if maybe a machine in the factory malfunctioned, or the cup slipped past the weight test. Who knows? It tasted fine, but I was not dazzled when I peeled back the lid.

Unfortunately, I became a little suspicious of the integrity of the company. The food itself wasn’t the disappointment; it was the behind-the scenes decision to just skim a little off the top, as if a loyal customer wouldn’t notice.

Regarding sharing the truth about supply, ripping off the bandaid is always the better option.

I trust YL oils because of their “Seed to Seal” promise. Rock solid testing and quality controls ensure the best product every time. If they are out of an ingredient in a blend, Young Living isn’t going to ship me some second-rate substitute just to fulfill the order. Instead, they explain why they won’t let me place the order in the first place, then they support me with other options.

I can handle that. Yeah, I’m sad I can’t get Valor. (My kid has great days when he puts some on his feet in the morning, but, oh, well.) We can try other oils instead. at least I know for certain their purity will never be compromised. Makes me feel more confident in the products they have already shipped to me. One of those little perks of Young Living integrity… I can trust the company.

As Cherie Ross said this weekend at her event in San Antonio, when the company is out of something, look at it as an opportunity to try a different oil or combination of oils… “Enjoy the detour,” she advised, then she went on to share the profound benefits of Stress Away, which like every last one of Young Living Essential Oils means it only include 100% pure therapeutic grade oil.

Are you curious about Young Living as a company you might want to work with? Learn more about Young Living here, or feel free to connect with me any time… Contact me.

*The FDA has not analyzed this statement for accuracy. This statement is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or heal any known or suspected disease. Consult your doctor.