Kat Thorne: Welcome back to the Positive Habits podcast. Today, I am joined by Carol and I'm going to get her to tell us all about her venture, Elise. But before I do, have you ever met somebody and you just know that you you were meant to meet and you want to find out more about them? And I had that feeling when I met Carol and we just had the loveliest conversation at the show that we met at a few weeks ago. and we've been following each other online and I just, wanted to capture her story. So welcome Carol to the podcast. I am thrilled to have you on today. thank you so much. And Ditto, exactly the same. The interest we met and I wasn't even meant to go to that show. So I think we were meant to kind of meet. So yeah, I'm delighted to be here. Oh, thank you so much. Where were you meant to be, Carol? Don't tell us it was like something much more exciting. No, I was meant to be at work. So what happened? How did you end up? So this was the PA show that we met in London a few weeks ago. was. I was a colleague of mine's. She didn't really want to go on her own. And she said, ⁓ would you like to come with me? And it's not even really strongly related to my job, but I said, okay, I'll come with you. yeah, that's how, and it wasn't even meant to come to your show. The one that we were meant to, the talk we were meant to go to. We couldn't get in and then we went to yours and we squeezed our way in because it was so packed. It was like standard room only and we begged the ladies let us come in. So it was so random. We were right at very back and it was just like magnetic though. It was fantastic. Yeah. That just shows, I think that we were aligned to me somehow. I love that. I love that. So you are a corporate leader. turned botanical wellness creator. Tell us, I mean, it sounds to me just through reading between the lines that you've had your own experience with kind of burnout and exhaustion and that this was kind of what's led you on this path to create sense. But I would love to hear where did it all start and what are you actually doing right now? Are you still working or is this a side hustle? Tell us how did this start? Sure. So I... Never imagined that I'd have a brand. was never something in my plan at all. I didn't know any entrepreneurs, but I was working for a really large corporate company and I was in the HR department and I was doing a lot of ER, so employee relations, and it become just issues all the time. And what I was being asked to do, which what I felt on a personal level wasn't aligned. So I started to feel stressed to start with. and then the stress built and then the anxiety came and then I would be not able to sleep. I'd be wide awake at 3 a.m. exhausted. And then eventually because I wasn't dealing with the stress or the anxiety, depression came. So I had all three at once, which was a heady mix. I'd be going into a meeting with somebody telling them they'd lost their jobs and they would start crying. And then when they left, I would be crying. I was just in this horrible loop of doing a job that I found really stressful, really felt for the people that I was having to deal with to make decisions on that wasn't my decision. And it just had an emotional impact on me. But I was kind of stuck in this loop. I tried to get another job. But I think when you're so desperate to leave somewhere, you can't get another job. It's like when you're single and you're desperate for a partner, you just go through these desperation vibes. So I couldn't get another job. was stuck in this role that I was deeply unhappy with. And my husband said to me, I feel like we're losing you. And that gave me a real kind of wake up call. need to kind of find a way to get myself through this, I'm feeling. So I turned to everything natural. I didn't want to go down a pharmaceutical route. So I looked at what I was eating, tried to exercise. And then my sister gave me some really high quality essential oils. Previous to that, I don't ever smell some from. health shop that felt awful, she gave me a really high quality Lavender and I remember opening it and taking that first inhale and it just had such a transformational impact instantly. I could feel like a little crack of blue sky and this sort of darkness that I felt I was sort of suffocated by. So started working with the oils and I was like, I know this is going to be my journey to get better. I started working with them, started feeling better. and then become obsessed with all, essential. I was like, take them to work. I'd have them on my desk. And then colleagues would say, oh, what is that? And I would say, open your palms, take a drop and inhale. And before long, I had people calling me before stressful meeting or a call or something. Can I have some of your oils? So I was like, I was like a dealer. I was like, yeah, sure, come down. you know, so I'd give, you know. stand there with their hand and I'd pop some oil in their palms and they'd inhale it. And I thought, hang on a second, this is not just impacting me, it's having an impact on colleagues that are equally as stressed. so around that time, anything synthetic was a big turn off for me. So my beloved perfume, I just couldn't wear it. The smell of it was just too synthetic. I looked online. for a perfume that I could also use to support my stress. Because I use the inhalation method, so it goes direct. It's that part of your brain to send those signals to relax and calm. And I couldn't find it. So I thought, oh, I'm going to create my own. And I tried creating a perfume, but it was just awful. It's such an art. So I took a perfume recourse. And it was probably one of the best days of my life. I was in this class at the front of the class and I was just, this is what I'm meant to be doing. I just absolutely loved it. And the blend that I made, the tutor smelled it and she just said, wow, this is absolutely amazing. And so that's when the idea came up. I well, I'm going to make my own then I'm going to create this beautiful scent made of non-toxic ingredients, but is going to be that tall fourth dress. to help others in a similar position as me, that workplace stress, life stress, just as a lovely tool to help us with our stress. So that's how it started. It took me a long time because I had no idea about business, how I was going to start, how I was going to do it. So I just took each step. So one step led to the next step, to the next step. And then I'd meet somebody else and they'd introduce me to people. And it took about a year of... searching and looking and I think the sweet spot was this awful job that had given me all this horrible anxiety. I had a bonus and that paid for the kind of the initial blend. So that felt like a really nice little sweet spot. And then I eventually left that job because I was in a strong position. I felt stronger in myself and found another job that was just like day and night. And so at the moment I'm working a corporate job that is a nice corporate job. It's a really nice company. It doesn't light me up. And then I've got my brandy lease. So that's my side hustle to become my eventually my brand that I work on full time. That's in a nutshell. What does your current company, do they know about it? Like what do they think about it? No, I've kind of kept the two separate. Yeah. I don't want people to think that I'm going to be focused on my job. I'm going to be focused on my brand. I, every kind of like time management is my, is my gift to myself. I get up in the morning, I use my train journey to do stuff on social media. take a break in the day and I do a little bit more of the weekend up batch copy, written copy to go on LinkedIn and sub stack. And so I'm just very good at my time management. And I work half down a Friday, so I use that half down a Friday. So yes, yeah, I try to keep the two separate. you think that's, I'm just curious now, like digging into this a bit, because I've had, I've spoken to people before who are in a similar position to you. One chap locally, actually, he started a magazine and, and he was doing it whilst working like fully, fully full time and having a young family and When I spoke to him, I said, do your employer know about this? Cause this is amazing. Like that they've got somebody in their team that's so entrepreneurial and, and also it could really help them. And he said, no, you know, I'm, you know, I'm not going to, I'm not going to say anything. And he did, he told his boss and his boss was really supportive. And actually, yeah. So. I mean, I think that, I think that old way of looking at things, I think it's more of an old way now. think like. 10, 20 years ago, people didn't really have passion projects and side hustles maybe in the way they do now. And also, I think there used to be a fear from leadership teams that your good people would leave you if almost if you trained them, like if you overeducated them, they would leave you and they go and work for someone, your competitor, for example. But actually, you could really help people right next to you. if you were able to share what you're doing? I hadn't thought of it that way. I guess it's that fear of, don't know why I haven't said anything. I guess because of the job where it was really horrible and it was that secret that kept me going. I guess it's, I've always kept the two really separate, I guess. Yeah. Maybe this podcast, I don't know, maybe there's a way of looking at it in a different way and actually, because it's so interesting, like what you're actually doing is there could be somebody sat right next to you in your office who could directly benefit from this. I mean, for example, I know somebody who lives locally to me, he worked for IBM for years. Yeah. And he ended up becoming their mindfulness teacher. He kind of went off and studied all this. stuff. And then he was like the internal go-to person because that was his passion. And now he teaches teams in all different companies, but there was a time where he kind of crafted his own role. And I think it's really special that your company has somebody like you and you could potentially speak at other events to other companies, to your employees about something that you have created that could help them. Like if it had a direct impact on productivity, I'm pretty sure they'd want to know about it. I hadn't looked at it that way at all. during the time also I got myself a qualification as a quantum botanical therapist. So basically that is working with all plants, all botanicals. So flower remedies and essential oils and heart coherence. So it brings all of that together to really go on a deeper level for people that really struggling with stuff that they are trying to find a way to work through. So flower remedies along with essential oils is a really powerful mix to really have big breakthroughs. And I've had people that I've worked with that just have such a gentle way to. works on an energetic level with your body. So it's not even about going through therapy, it works on this energetic level of your body to work with you. So I might be bold because I guess you're right. And I hadn't thought of it at all. think also too, because one of the things I was thinking and I've had an idea recently about running a an event for people who are thinking about starting their own businesses, but are kind of teetering around with the edge. And I know exactly what that feels like and so do you, because you've done it. But it's, and it's so funny when I look back to my previous role when I was CEO, and I remember having this conversation with my dad and I said, dad, I've like, I've realized that there's something missing and I love this job I've got and it's great. And obviously I get all these opportunities and it was kind of my dream job to always be the CEO. Kind of think that's your climb your way to the top, but never thought what would happen when I got there. And it just didn't light me up anymore. And I think maybe it never did. Maybe it was just the idea of it rather than the reality of it. And when I told him I was going to start what I'm doing now, he just said, you're crazy. you're, you're, you're, it's so. Risky and my dad was somebody who took bank loans out when he was young. He had property business. took loads of risks and I think as he got older, he just become, just forgotten all those, all those risks he'd taken. I also think that, I mean, it is, it is difficult because your mind is telling you all of these stories that you it's too difficult. You're not going to able to make it work, et cetera, et cetera. So. I think this could be a way of you opening up. Like see it this way, because somebody told me this once and it changed my perspective on my business. If you don't open up yourself like wider, you are doing a disservice to the people you could potentially be helping. So when we're not being truly honest about our businesses or we're not posting or we're not talking about them, we're not telling people what we're selling, we are actually not, we are actually doing a disservice to people who could benefit from our services and our products. So true. And I think when you look at it like that and you think then actually, also Carol, what's the best that could happen? Like let's say you go to your employer and you tell them about, about lease and, all this incredible work you've done, the impact it's had and your plans to grow it and everything. What's the best case scenario? What's the best that could happen when you had this conversation? and utilize what I could offer to the rest of the staff. That would be the best, think. just, And, but the brain loves to like think about what's the scenario. I you safe. Yeah. Keep you safe. Yeah. Yeah. And I don't really want to stay there anyway. But I guess until I'm in the position that I can, not is to try and, yeah. help people why I can. And there's a lot of people that dealing with a lot of stress as much as it's a really nice place to be. And I think it's okay. I think, again, this is a cultural thing. think in the past, I certainly wouldn't have told my company that I worked at for years that I would ever had any plans to leave. Like, no, because it sort of feels like you're not allowed to. But why, why, why isn't that a safe thing to say? Like in it's like once you become a part of an organization, you become an employee, that that's it forever. And that's not just not life. That's just not how it works. So I think it's, we should make it more acceptable for people to say, I'm dedicated to this role. I enjoy what I do. I'm giving it my all. But I also really love this botanical adventure that I'm on. And I know that's really helped me and I know that can help lot of people. So that's, that's where I'm going to drive my life in the future. And I don't see why we don't allow people to say things like that. It's so true. It's so true. You work in people, I do. So this is your, your background. So why, why do you think we haven't created a safe culture for people to be able to? say things like that? guess it's the fear behind it. think there's fear behind, like you said, the brain, keep you safe. Let's not rock the boat. Let's not put you at risk of something or being judged. But then I also think there's a long way still to go in the corporate world. People still are afraid to speak up about stress, still afraid to speak up and say, I'm not coping because of the repercussions. So I think in the corporate world, there's still long way to go as much as headway has been made with mental health, aides, et cetera. I still do think as much as I work in a really nice firm, I do still think that there's a way to go. There's still a cultural thing about don't speak up, don't mention that can't cope. do. think there's two things. One is about I'm doing something else over here and that the judgment piece, but I... I feel actually in this conversation that I think you're 100 % right that it's about how you say, I've got these skills and I'd really love to be able to share those. What are here and if I can help others, I'd love to be able to utilize what I've got to offer for free. Yeah, do it. Like, yeah, I think and just do it from a place of. almost just from a place of love that you have given yourself that you've gone on that journey. can't imagine that was easy for a moment. it can really, I think it can really break you when you reach a certain point where you just can't take any more. I'm already thinking like, well, the next question I want to ask you is. What kind of products do you have? obviously I like a lot of people will, I've heard of essential oils, I burn them at home with candles and things, but I've never really thought about them in terms of stress relieving. And something I am becoming more and more conscious of is what I'm putting in my body and on my body. so scent, it's like, it's really interesting talking about that. Yeah. It's so. Scent as we know it is full of so many toxic ingredients that we're not even aware. And a lot of the ingredients can be hidden under intellectual property and under trade secrets. So they're not going to give all the ingredients away. So we're liberally spraying these scents on our largest organ, which is our skin, especially around here, around the thyroid, which is a large hormone for ladies. So the impact on our well-being and our female health is really can be quite damaging. So the blends that I created, you can also wear them as a scent. So they're an oil base. So you just rub them in really gently and it doesn't sort of stain your skin. They don't last, you have to reapply because it hasn't got any toxin ingredients in them. So there's only pure botanicals and then fractionated coconut oil, which is organic. So it's all really good for you and the smell is, it's just the plants that just freely giving us all this beautiful, this essence of whether it's lavender, rose or jasmine. And if you think about essential oils, they go right back to as far as the documented in ancient Egypt, they were used because of their therapeutic benefits. somewhere along the line, all the kind of this beautiful information about how powerful they are has got lost in pharmaceuticals. Let's just make synthetic versions of these, of these lovely essences. So yeah, perfume is a, is a lot of it is very, very toxic, which is why I don't wear it anymore. Yeah. It's one of those things though, like you're sort of saying this to me and I'm kind of like, My body's shrinking a bit thinking I can't wear my favorite perfumes. And as somebody who loves scents and love, like, think especially as women, like we often have these scents that we've been wearing for years and people compliment us on them and we like the smell of them. It's part of our identity. Yes. That's interesting. It is part of our identity. So just take me back to a second to when you when you started using the essential oil as a kind of stress reliever, like in the moment, you've had an incident at work and then you said colleagues started coming to you wanting it kind of before or after like an intense meeting or something. What does that actually look like in reality? Like a little essential oil that you've blended that you would inhale or you would dab onto your wrist? I used to put a few drops into the palms of my hands, so maybe two or three drops. And then I would rub my palms together and just take a big like inhale, exhale, like three of those and instantly you can feel it in your body. starts to, it works through our nose and to that part of our brain that is going, I'm stressed, I'm full of anxiety. Then you get the whole body feeling that goes along with it. The kind of your whole body tenses. Soon as you inhale the oil, it sends a message to the rest of your brain and the rest of body. Relax, relax. And you can honestly feel it. The moment you go, it's really, really powerful. love that so much. my question is why are our offices and our workplace is not flooded with essential oils? I know. We could put them in a diffuser. Like, why? What's the real answer to this question? Is it because it's too woo-woo? I think so. It's not a real answer to stress. No, I do. think there's such a powerful conversation. It should be actually, shouldn't it? It should be in the staff areas where people are sitting, having a lunch break or in meeting rooms when it can be even that's where the stress is, just a nice diffuser with a lovely scent. to help people just feel calmer. It does, the minute you smell them. I love letting people try for the first time and visibly see in their stress, shoulders relaxed. I have. Do you know what? My brain is going wild, Carol. I'll tell you why, because I'm going to send you some. going to send you Yes, no, first of all, like need to place a big order. ⁓ I had the funniest conversation with a big organization recently. And this woman was just, we were having this conversation about maybe doing a talk at her leadership conference in June. And we had the loveliest conversation. I think she just was really. into the positive habits and the energy. And I said to her, I was telling her about the other side of the things that I've been doing with my partner, which is, I think I showed this at the event, the women who plunge, seed up in community, how that's led. It started with his men's group and now it's led onto like a truck with ice baths and so on. Anyway, I was saying that we just had an event. So we held our first women's event. and that I'd made these ginger shots and these are his recipe, but we started making them quite regularly and then we gave everyone a shot before we started the event. And I said, we could do that at your event. And I literally just kind of got really carried away with this idea. And she goes, I love that idea. Anyway, I haven't heard from her for a few weeks. She's been on holiday. Anyway, I come open my laptop yesterday morning to this email saying, we'd to book you and we want the homemade ginger shots. ⁓ my goodness. I love a ginger shot. Me too, me too. And now I'm thinking, how can scents be part of this as well? Because one of things I want to do more of is I want to give people habit experiences. That is so true. Like I think, and I can see this for you, Karen, in the future. So we'll look back to this podcast and we'll be like, this is where it all started. This is where it all started. I think. there's a huge opportunity for people to actually have these tools in their hands and to actually experience, because there's one thing talking about it and there's another thing experiencing it. I bet. So true. When you went round to those people and gave them the drops, did they ask for it again? Did they then go off? They would be calling me. I've got a really stressful meeting. Are you at your desk? that kind of, like, yes. And then they started to ask me to sell them and I was selling them. It become like a whole thing. It was, it was crazy. It was like I said, I'd have a little queue of people, can I some of your oils? very stressed. I love that so much. But it's so funny, if you think about it, like, I remember in my corporate job, whenever somebody hit their target, they'd get a bottle of champagne or It was, was often alcohol or like now, even if I go to like a prize giving an event or a school or something, it's like big boxes of dairy milk or celebration. It's basically bad stuff. But where, where are the bundles of like essential oils? Like flower remedies, ginger shots. Yeah, ginger shot. Yeah. And actually we got asked to donate for this charity event last week. And we created a £100 gift voucher and it was like a, it was an exclusive four person experience on the truck. you get your, was 90 minutes of ice baths and sauna, wood-fired sauna. You've got the ginger shots, healthy snacks. that would be so lovely to do with like either three friends and you or a couple of couples or however you wanted. And I think like now I think. we should be thinking more along those lines. totally agree with you. Than these kind of old school ways of thinking. are. And it's like you said, they're not good for you. Why are we rewarding good behavior with bad stuff? But I think, I do think essential oils are a bit like meditation, journaling, sauna, like all this healthy stuff in a way. I think it all kind of goes a bit into this bucket of It's just a bit out there. And I think you almost have to take it to people. do. You do. And that's how I've kind of really got my brand more out there is by people trying it. Yeah. It's, it's, can't, you have to experience it yourself. And that is my favorite part. yeah, ⁓ it's that it is really that moment. And that's really because it's powerful. I love it. I'm so excited for you, Kara. What's your plans now moving forward? Like what's the plans for the brand? What do you want to do in the future with them? So I want to be working on my brand full time. I, yeah, it's definitely a call in. I want to help people as much as I can. I'm really passionate about the benefits of working with botanicals. So I would love to somehow, I've got all these skills and I'm very intuitive. So I can speak to somebody and tap into, actually, this will be really good for you. I've had some really nice success with that. I'd like to see my brand stocked in Liberty. That's my big, big thinking. Yeah, and just, yeah. can't even get my words out. I'm just so excited about it. love that. So obviously one of things I always ask my guests is tell us about your positive habits. So what's the one thing that you think has helped you? And I've got a feeling it's going to be something to do sense. Yeah, it is. I have, I don't go anywhere. I've got a roller ball in the car, in every bag. It's, it is Senai. The minute I feel some tension in my body, roll, roll a scent on my, on my hands and I inhale. So Senai is everywhere with me. I can't go anywhere without it. But I am, I'm like you, I like to get up early, like little things like I try and have it stack. So I do things like I have morning ritual and evening ritual. So my evening ritual is legs up at the wall. I have a red light mask on. I've now got a little shoulder massage thing that's just incredible. And then I have a little 10 minute meditation going on. My husband comes in and he's like, what is happening in here? I'm like, I'm having a backache. So, and then in the morning I like to get up pretty early. I use my Sen and then I do a really quick journal. I like to do like a gratitude thing because I feel like that just gets me feeling in a really nice. space before I even leave the front door. love the idea of a scent reset. And I think it's, it's really, it's a bit like kind of Wim Hof's breath work or any kind of just taking a breath. And I had somebody on the podcast a little while ago and they said, we're just not even doing the basics. And I said, what are the basics? And one of the things she said was breathing. And I think, honestly, sometimes I think when I hear breath work, I think a bit like, Like, but actually we take our breath for granted, don't we? We don't actually use it as a mechanism to calm ourselves. So I can see how the scent reset is just such a powerful way. I think there's a lot of exciting things in store for you, Carol. And I think you're, you're a brave inspirational individual to have taken this leap of faith. And I know you'll be hugely successful in terms of the impact that you'll create on people. I think it's really, really inspiring. Oh, thank you so much. Thank you. I can't wait to try these scents out. I'm going to send you some. think you will love it. Oh, I will. I will. Thank you so much. And maybe we can have you back on the podcast when you've got a bit further along and you're in Liberty and doing all these amazing things. Yeah, I'd love to. That would be absolutely lovely. Thank you. Thank you for sharing your story, Carol. It's been amazing.