dōTERRA educator, Silver Leader and Simplified client, Sheryl Bialo, sat down with me recently to share her health journey and invite everyone to a festive and philanthropic evening benefiting 4KIDS of South Florida. Not only is this event heart-warming, but it’s also delightfully planned with wine, appetizers and stations to create your own essential oil blends. I’m honored to be a part of this charitable event and to share Sheryl’s health journey – hope to see you at the event!
Tell me the story of your involvement with dōTERRA and how it came to be!
My career has evolved so much, but it doesn’t surprise me that it led me to dōTERRA. About five years ago, I joined dōTERRA, which at the time was celebrating five years of incredible business. Since then, in a total of ten years, it has morphed into a large and successful company and I am loving every moment of being a dōTERRA leader. Earlier in my career, I used to travel around the country promoting Japanese skin care and wellness. During this time, I frequently would fly around the country in teams – you know what this means: germs, a lot of germs. During that time, I frequently had terrible sinus colds and infections – the doctors would constantly prescribe antibiotics, yet I wasn’t really progressing. To clarify, after two years of doctors and even a sinus surgery, I still wasn’t feeling better – low fever, low energy, clogged head, drained, stuffiness, you name it. It was then that my oldest daughter introduced me to dōTERRA – I was hesitant, but decided to open my mind to the possibility of feeling healthy. She recommended that I try “Breathe” first (a popular essential oil blend, as it is used to create feelings of clear, easy breathing). Within moments, my airways began to clear and I was on the way to feeling better. I committed to using it often and started to see a real change in my health. Given my results, I brought it to my previous ENT doctor in Atlanta, GA to discuss the benefits of incorporating essential oils into practice. I also brought one for his wife to try – well, let me tell you – that was the day it clicked for my passion of dōTERRA. The doctor said his wife truly saw and felt the benefit of it! It was then that he accepted dōTERRA as a method of maintaining a healthy life. Today, I am a dōTERRA educator and Silver Leader and love sharing essential oils with the South Florida community!
What surprised you most about starting your own business?
For my first dōTERRA event, I invited over 19 people to my home for a class (that’s what we called it in dōTERRA’s earlier years). In truth, I felt like I had no idea what I was doing but I pulled it off successfully out of instinct. I have a background in teaching special education – so, I don’t have a fear of speaking in front of groups of people – this comes in handy often. I remember myself saying, “Look you guys, I don’t yet know much about dōTERRA, but I’m learning with you.” My transparency with the group kept everyone open to natural solutions and a healthier way to live. If pill after pill after pill isn’t working, then it makes sense that you open up to more holistic options. What’s wonderful about dōTERRA essential oils is that they can help you now and also help to avoid medical issues in the future.
What are you most curious about in life?
Everything. I feel as though I’m learning all of the time. I have constantly felt the desire to absorb and understand information throughout my life. It’s mostly fulfilling, but sometimes I can get frustrated with social media or being on top of what’s hip with my children – they know so much more and I ask them to teach me. Most significantly, I’ve learned through traveling around the world – immersion in other cultures has helped me to understand and share with the community what I know about a healthier way to live.
If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself?
I’d absolutely go back to the 1970s and 1980s when we knew little about homeopathy. I wish that I had known about essential oils then – it would have been transformative, especially for when my kids fell ill with the cold or couldn’t sleep at night. When I started researching homeopathic solutions and essential oils, people around me thought it was a joke, but I knew it was no laughing matter. This was truly about getting my kids healthier, not even really about me at first – I am a mama bear.
Pick one word that best describes the way you work.
Two words – organized and persistent.
What you surround yourself with is important, what’s your workspace like?
Workspace in the correct space is critical to success in business. In my home, I have converted one of the bedrooms into a beautiful office. There are two long desks, bookshelves, a closet full of dōTERRA materials and a very open area in the center of the room. While designing the room, I was cognizant to set it up so I that can be both organized and able to sprint out at a moment’s notice without a disastrous mess.
How do you balance work and life?
I keep a very consistent work-week time frame structure. I work diligently up to five hours each morning and then stop to take a purposeful break. I find that taking time for myself and for my life is of the utmost importance; however, all of that is happening while being on the phone for work, of course. Many of my colleagues and friends joke that they hear me order a Chai Latte during a catch-up call. In the evenings, I get back to work for a few hours to wrap the day up. Before I sleep, I try to end on a positive note by doing some leisure reading to calm myself before bed.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received (and from whom)?
My father always gave me the best advice, he was a wonderful man who lived a full life to the age of 94. “Health is wealth” is what he always used to tell me. I keep this in mind always and it motivates me to share dōTERRA with more people each day. What’s interesting is that some entrepreneurs and corporate teams tend to forget about their health – sometimes they get so busy that they forget about meals or skimp on sleeping when really, they need to start getting healthier and start integrating natural oils into their life. Another great dad-ism my father quipped was, “Ya gotta be lucky.” He meant that it has to be a combination of the right timing, the right place, good intuition and the right location – business advice in a loving way from my father – I carry these words with me always.
What are you most excited about as an educator and leader in the essential oils industry?
What motivates me most is when I meet people who want to do this with me – those who are inspired to change their lives and the lives of others. My customers are wonderful and the workshops are fantastic too. But, I just love when someone is excited to work with me and to spread the word of dōTERRA . I’m getting very excited about dōTERRA’s Annual Global Convention coming up in September! As the largest company in essential oils, we completely take over Salt Lake City. This year, I’m attending with my daughter and her team, as well as a dear friend of mine. Amazing days and evenings with like-minded people, full of doctors, chiropractors and everyone who wants to understand and utilize dōTERRA in their practices. Sourced from countries around the world, dōTERRA not only curates Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade® (CPTG) oils, but also works with those individuals from these countries to teach them to farm in more sustainable ways. We also aid in education and better access to water. This is what dōTERRA proudly calls Cō-Impact Sourcing®. All coffees are not equal, all wines are not equal, the same goes for essential oils – not all essential oils are equal. The keywords in the dōTERRA realm are efficacy, culture and quality – they are doing this for a cause, not just for profit. Something else that I’m excited to share is that my daughter is going to the lavender fields of Bulgaria where our lavender is sourced (both steam-distilled and cold-pressed) to see how it’s all made. You may ask yourself, why is the lavender from Bulgaria? All conditions must be perfect to get essential oils of the quality dōTERRA expects – soil, weather, air quality, acidity, PH, water – everything is taken into account before given the dōTERRA seal of approval. We all know that medicine comes from plants, but big pharma adds in products and fillers. dōTERRA keeps it CPTG.
Where can those who are curious about essential oils and those who love essential oils find you next?
I am so excited for my next dōTERRA event! Mark your calendars for Tuesday, August 14th from 5:30-7:30pm at Harvest Seasonal Grill and Wine Bar in Delray Beach. It’s a very popular location that feels young, organic and approachable. My “Sniff & Sip” event will be a philanthropic evening with all profits going to the amazing Charity, 4KIDS of South Florida. 4KIDS is propelled by the vision of a home for every child. Whether that is a child removed from their home for the first time, siblings who need to stay together, a young mom in a unplanned pregnancy who needs a refuge, or a young adult who needs a place to belong, 4KIDS is there with hope and homes. To introduce everyone to dōTERRA, I’ll have fun “Make and Take” stations set up for guests to create their own custom essential oil blends to take home. While one “Make and Take” is included with ticket purchase, a $20 donation to 4KIDS the evening of the event gives you access to create and take home two additional essential oil blends. To further benefit 4KIDS of South Florida, I will have special dōTERRA VIP Access essential oil kits available for guests to purchase via a donation to 4KIDS. 100% of the profits will go straight to 4KIDS. dōTERRA oils work and you won’t know unless you try them. Come have a glass of wine, some food and educate yourself on essential oils to see how you can enhance your health and your life. Please purchase your “Sniff & Sip” tickets on EventBrite and share the Facebook event with your friends in South Florida!
Health is wealth.
