To our Young Living family,
This is a great time to be a part of Young Living. The growth is tremendous and so many members are experiencing the reality of our vision of wellness, purpose, and abundance. Gary and I love hearing your stories and are truly thrilled for your success.
As we grow, many facets of our business are critical to our continued success; and as frustrating as it may be, certain aspects of caution must also be taken seriously and strictly adhered to in order to preserve what we all enjoy.
There has been a lot of confusion about what we can and can’t say, as well as what is proper, ethical, and legal in what we promote and do. In our enthusiasm and excitement, we often get carried away without thinking about long-range consequences. We hear so many different things, and it seems that everyone has a different opinion or way of interpreting what comes from Young Living in the Policies and Procedures, Compliance, Resolutions, and like it or not, from Legal.
I could be the most frustrated of all. But having been a distributor for over 10 years before coming to Young Living, I know how you feel, your drive to help other people, and most surely the thought process of the reality in which we live.
I am not writing this to tell you how to run your business or what you do in the privacy of your own home, but I want you to understand how Gary and I view this sharing/business building enterprise in which we are all engaged.
In just a few short years, the information about essential oils has grown from “snake oil potions and lotions” into the mainstream of health and well-being, looking beautiful, and enticing others with a tantalizing aroma, besides that of food flavoring, household cleaning, animal care, and maintaining a pure and refreshing environment.
This lifestyle is want we want to preserve, and we do that by consciously following the rules. Whose rules? The rules of the agencies that govern our society. That means the FDA, FTC, Environmental Protection Agencies, etc.
The FDA DOES NOT REGULATE WHAT WE BUY OR READ IN BOOKS OR ON THE INTERNET FOR OUR PERSONAL EDUCATION. The FDA cares about what we DO with that information and how we disseminate it when we are promoting and selling Young Living products.
Our products support the well-being of body systems, cleanse and beautify, promote healthy living; and the Young Living business can lead to prosperity and the fun of entertainment and travel.
We are NOT in the business of curing disease through diagnosing and prescribing.
You CANNOT promote our products as the solution for any malady or dysfunction in the body.
You CANNOT promote our products as a cure-all or a way to overcome physical and emotional diseases.
We cannot deny the power of Mother Nature, but it is not for us to say what that power can or will do.
I never wanted to be in that authoritative place and tell people what to do. When someone would ask me what to do for anything, I would simply say, “I don’t know. Only your body knows what you need.” When you use a natural product, you have to use the products as you see fit and allow the body to determine what the benefit will be. That is the end of the story.
There are hundreds of resource papers, books, videos, instruments, gadgets, etc., that are vastly interesting and educational. There are vendors who supply wonderful educational materials, but these are only for your personal use. If these materials make claims that promote the “art of curing,” they cannot be used for building your business. This information is for your education and your personal use only, but it cannot be shared publicly or through social media, email, Internet, etc.
This is where Young Living becomes involved and takes a strong stand. If members are found making claims or using information from any third-party information to build their business, their membership will be at risk.
The first warning will allow a short time for the unacceptable or non-compliant information/advertising to be taken down and stopped.
The second warning will put the account on hold with perhaps disciplinary action as determined by Young Living.
The third time, the account will be terminated.
We are grateful for the majority of our members who have been diligent in following our guidelines. We ask that all of you be vigilant in setting an example and teaching those in your organizations how to share Young Living the proper way. We must support and help each other. We cannot allow a few careless or unknowing members to jeopardize what we have.
Of course, you can send educational information or direct people to where they can do their own research. Make sure you are not sending product with the information in hopes that they will buy product. That would be a violation that would come under the scrutiny of Young Living Conduct. Do not mix the two.
It is up to the people receiving the material to determine what value it has to them. The information is interesting to you, but it may not be to them; so don’t presume to build your business this way. It isn’t necessary and you have to assume that individuals receiving information are able to think for themselves. It's all about education. The information available is voluminous, so just let people be their own guide.
We love our essential oils and our many supplements and food products, and our family would not like to be without them. Essential oils are beautiful for the skin, the home, and the environment. They are invigorating, mind-elevating, and spiritually uplifting. That alone is plenty on which to build a business.
Remember, if you sponsor one person into Young Living, you have become a leader and have the opportunity to teach and light the fire within to help someone else become successful. For most new people, that is the beginning of an exciting, new adventure. That is the essence of growth. We love you all and look forward to seeing you at the farm, convention, or somewhere in our travels.
May your hearts be filled with Joy as we join together to spread the mission of Young Living to the world.
With heartfelt appreciation and thanks,
Mary and Gary