Category Archives: Oiled by Nature

All about our Oil Business

Baseball & Oils

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Whoever says Baseball and Young Living don’t mix?

Here are some shots of the National League Division Series wild card game of the Chicago Cubs playing @ the Colorado Rockies of October 3rd. Contreras comes of the field, feeling a little cramped after 13 innings, being comforted by his trainer, who brings him a Ningxia Red pouch.

Rumor has it that the Cubs also have a Rain stone diffuser in the locker room…
Cubs Locker Cole Hamels

It turns out it is no rumor, Cole Hamels has a Dewdrop diffuser in his locker!!!
#chicagocubs #youngliving #ningxiared

UPDATE!!!
There actually is a Rainstone diffuser in the locker room!!! Here is Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls 2015/2016) with his son P.J. talking to the Cubs-manager Joe Maddon, after a game.
Joe Maddon Rainstone

Young Living’s 2018 European convention

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Spouse Panel2 weeks ago the Young Living 2018 European convention was about to start. A very social, yet business event we encourage all our members to attend. Why?

Where would one meet so many like-minded people AND get to hear from the leaders of industry how they did what they needed to do to get where they are today? Where renowned speakers from all over the globe give you tools to thrive in you daily business…

This year’s theme was freedom. Freedom in its widest form, like yours truly has changed his occupation from being a corporate minion to a FREE, independent international distributor for Young Living Essential Oils. I was invited to be on stage together with Ray Delis, Raúl Rodriguez and Alexander Goldgruber to talk about how we support the business of our wives/fiancés, how we are going to build our own business alongside (since Young Living allows us to have a Spouse-account as of August 1st.) and how we think we are going to stand our ground in a predominantly female ruled (Multi Level/Network) market.

Over a 1,000 attendees wanted to hear how I did that, what the motivation was and what I have planned for the future. And I am grateful for the opportunity I was given.

Video

[click here for video]

Sometimes You Must Dare To Jump!

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You cant always wait for the perfect timeBefore I got laid off in 2014 I already made my decision to look for something else; although I got fired before I could find another job. I never could have imagined being unemployed for over 2 and a half years, with 25 years experience as baggage…
At the same time Danielle got suckered into a contract renewal that she didn’t want to serve out, but with a mortgage, family of 4 with 2 teenagers, me being without a job and all, she stuck with it… For a couple of months.
Then her manager threatened to kick her out, if she didn’t accept another new contract for a 40 hrs. this time.

LifestyleThat, my unemployment and a seriously ill family member was enough to tip our scale: we were stressed out, sleeping bad and a load of other stuff going on.
Our friend Corrine wanted to help us and told Danielle to get the Premium Starter Kit from Young Living, an essential oils company to help with life’s issues.
Danielle ordered the kit, without telling me, because she already knew I would be OK with it: we had been choosing healthy alternatives for several things in and around our home & life and this was another step in that direction! We got rid off the chemical options like Aspirin and so on. We instead are using Stress Away oil to let go of stuff, Peppermint to mellow our stomach, Joy to lift our mood, Lavender to ease into a good night’s rest.

Danielle has always shared her favorite products and shops with the rest of the world and so did she with Young Living oils. She shared so much that she would eventually get paid* for referring people to buy Young Living products. With the referring also came the education of people on alternatives for issues in their lives. And with those two came the decision to go “all the way”: she quited her full-time job, even though I was still unemployed, to network market the products of Young Living as independent distributors; we became our own little company called Oiled by Nature. The day she was saying goodbye to her job, was the same day I found my new full-time corporate job.

Danielle worked her butt off to earn a decent income*, and I helped her out from the sideline. I made a website, did loads of marketing materials in Photoshop, took care off the kids, went along to workshops, meetings and conventions, told anyone that wanted to hear about our alternative for big pharma’s solutions, but also did a big part of the choirs about the house.

Last year we came to a crossroad in our lives: we made enough income* to support our family, too much work to be done in the time we had and me being in a job that didn’t give me the satisfaction it was supposed to. Sometimes you need to follow through on your plans. Plans I made years ago.

In February 2017 I decided it was time to make a change. A change in my professional life. I informed my manager that I wanted to take a sabbatical for entire 2018, a year off to dedicate supporting Danielle in pursuing our independence from corporate life! That year was not allowed, so i handed in my notice…

December 15th., 2017 I took my leap of faith and started to work alongside Danielle, 24/7 from home, on making our venture a major success. It’s been a challenge: opinions clash, but always hearing each other, and even financially. All of a sudden we had to live of what we were making with Young Living, but guess what? We manage*! And that was what it was all about: FREEDOM. Freedom from corporate life, freedom from schedules, financial freedom*, freedom to travel the world to see things we could never imaging.

*As I am talking about income and finance, I must show you the income disclosure of Young Living™.
Income disclosure OBN NL

 

 

 

 

My Thoughts on the Young Living International Grand Convention 2018

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After last weeks Young Living International Global Convention 2018 I had to let everything settle down …
It was busy, pleasant, instructive, moving, exhausting, stimulating … All possible emotions and moods that you can think of that passed by one or more times.
From total incomprehension when standing in line (standing still for 2.5 hours!) at Customs in Atlanta, because they could not handle the pressure of 5 international flights at the same time, to regularly tearing up watching Mary Young, with her sons Joseph and Jacob, shortly after the death of her husband Gary being on stage tell us how grateful they are for the support they receive from us. From the jet lag from 8 hours time difference to the energy boost we got from seeing all those inspiring speakers and all our friends that we have not actually spoke to in real life for far too long.
StressAway2.pngWhat started out with just an oil to reduce the pressure we felt in our lives (I was unemployed, Daniëlle was pressured by an d**k of a boss because I was at home unemployed and she really could not say no to more work , a house that without the financial help of family never could be saved and a relative who was seriously ill), has now become a network marketing business where we help almost 2000 people in their personal growth and support them with 100% natural products.
What started with the spontaneous decision by Danielle to purchase the €160 kit without consulting, is now a FULLTIME business for both Danielle and me with a FULLTIME salary for both. Which purchase will yield you a return of almost 3200% on your saved € 160 in 4 years time?
What started with an investment, because if you are unemployed and have to survive on benefit and a part-time salary, everything you buy becomes an investment, has grown to an annual turnover of $ 1,000,000.
What started with our belief in these products and the revenue model behind them – Danielle quit her job, while I still did not have a job, we were (and still are) working way over 40 hours a week to improve our lives … Even when I found a job again , the hours that I was not on the job, I used to thrive OUR Young Living business, not only by helping with building & maintaining the website, creating marketing materials, but also largely taking care of the household, so Danielle could devote all of her attention to our team, which strengthened our union and yes, we are almost always together, but ask us both how we feel about each other and our business…
On stageWhat started for me as “just the man of”, I have since been able to quit my job to do the Young Living business FULLTIME; last March during the Global Leadership Convention in Croatia it got me on stage in front of about 1,000 people telling them my vision on working together as a couple. I spent a big part of my time trying to involve more men in this business. Because to be honest, Young Living is still a business in which more than 85% women and only 15% men work. And then we are not even talking about Europe, where the percentage of men is even lower!
What started with every vacation – yet again – have to say “no” to the kids, simply because there was no money to get away for even a week, has become a globetrotting adventure with trips to London, Croatia, Berlin, but several trips to the USA, or what do you think about Honduras, Belize and Ecuador? And our journey does not stop here …

Because that’s what this is: a journey! A journey that brought us so much we did not dare think about 4 years ago. Personal development, friendships, but also financially. But to be honest, this business is not for everyone, although everyone can do this. If, like us, you want to help people, empower them and let the whole world know about the products you believe in. Get out of your comfort zone. Dare to take the step. We are here to help you.

Because I am talking about income I have to mention the income-disclosure!
(English version here).

Income disclosure OBN NL

Opportunity Is Life’s Reward or OILR for short

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It doesn’t all have to do with baseball, sometimes it can be something completely different.

Ed OilrI occasionally buy a cap that has that “something completely different” feeling to it, something I have a great feeling about. Like this one!
OILR is the website of Johnny Drop & Victoria Williams, whose motto is:
“Opportunity Is Life’s Reward” or OILR for short. Johnny & Victoria want to pay it forward with the help of selling apparel on their website. One of the causes that they pay it forward to is SOLE HOPE. And now let SOLE HOPE be a cause that I feel greatly for, as it is one of the causes that the Young Living Foundation is supporting…

I ordered this cap in the USA and I had to get it here somehow…

It was brought here by a lovely woman that is one of my heroes, not because she saves people from burning buildings or stops street-robbers or whatever.

Melissa is one of the many people we met through Young Living and she is paying it forward by putting in her spare-some free-time to help those in need. In Uganda…

Ed & Mel OilrMelissa is a mother of 8, wife to Nick, and still finds the time to volunteer to fly (at her own costs) to Uganda and help the locals with hanging hundreds of mosquito nets so the people of Uganda can sleep safe without getting infected with Malaria. Or help the locals with building shelter or housing, so they have a roof over their heads to get through the nights. What about buying large amounts of chickens to support the locals not only with food, but also an income from either selling eggs, chicken or chicken-meat. But what I admire about her most of all: she helps the people of Uganda with dealing with JIGGERS…

A jigger is a small (nearly invisible) flea-like parasite. It burrows into skin and latches onto blood vessels. Within days the jigger becomes a 1000 times the size it was, while continuously laying eggs. Those eggs hatch, mature, and lead to an infestation.

The results of jigger infestation are pain, itching, and infection. Children can no longer walk to school. Adults can’t care for their families. The elderly become captive in their homes.

Worst of all, due to widespread cultural beliefs, people infested with jiggers are often shunned for the “curse” painfully visible upon their body.

So can you imaging that you have to use a razor-blade to cut into someone to pry out a parasite with a needle? Sometimes even TIMES 30 or more per person! And what if that someone is a kid of 3 or 4 years old?
No anesthetics, just you, your razor-blade and a needle. THAT’s why Melissa is one of my heroes. For being the humanitarian she is! God bless you, Mel! (and thanks for bringing the OILR.cap).

Lowell Spinners

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I have quite a few baseball caps and there are some nice stories to some of them…

Lowell_SpinnersThe cap I want to tell you about is the Lowell Spinners cap. Lowell Spinners is a Short-Season A New York-Penn League Minor League baseball team affiliated to the Boston Red Sox.
As an European, I do not have a deep rooted feeling for Minor League teams, but since I have been a Red Sox fan for quite some time, I also became a fan of the Lowell Spinners as of some years ago…

 

swen_huijer_contract

Swen signs his deal!

April 2008 a young man named Swen Huijer, from my club at that time (Hoofddorp Pioniers), was being watched by scouts from some pretty big Major League teams from across the Atlantic ocean. The New York Mets and New York Yankees were already interested in this 6.9 feet gentle giant. He got offered a deal by the Yankees to come play in the Dominican Republic.

He was smart enough to wait for the next big thing: while playing an invitational tournament in Italy (organized by MLB), scouts from Boston saw what he could do and in the next few day offered him a contract with the Red Sox organisation.

When you sign a contract, you are (generally) placed in a team that is in the lower Minor Leagues, so was Swen. He started his American Dream in the GCL (Gulf Coast League) Red Sox in Fort Meyers, Florida. He played there for 3 seasons in the so-called Rookie level.

Swen Huijer Lowell SpinnersWe were going to spent a long summer vacation in Florida in 2011, traveling the state, see all the Disney & Universal parks & of course a couple of baseball games; so I also scheduled a stop in Fort Meyers to go see Swen in his hometown… But Swen was doing so good, he was promoted to the next level:  Short Season A. He was to pack his bags and move to Lowell, home of the Spinners, just a short hour from Fenway Park but 1400+ miles from Fort Meyers. Thus we never got to see Swen play in Fort Meyers. As a peace offering he brought me THE Lowell Spinners cap. It turned out to be Swen’s final season in the Leagues…

Swen came back to the Netherlands at the end of the 2011 season; he retired from professional baseball. He played for the Dutch Major League (Hoofdklasse) team of Hoofddorp and started his “Baseball Against Cancer“-foundation. During off-seasons he taught kids the basics of pitching with the help of his brother, Lars.

swen&edWe run in to each other every now and then, we live in the same town, we both coach Little League (Swen coaches the Littles, I coach the Seniors, both for the same team – Kennemerland), he organizes the BAC, I was one of the coaches of the BAC-team. I have a soft spot for this tall guy with his big heart, I still wear my Lowell Spinners cap often… WITH GREAT PRIDE!

Weekend away? Weekend off!

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Every once in a while, my wife gets to go off on a weekend to hang with her friends or to attend a meeting of Young Living, somewhere in Europe. This time she was initially invited to join my mother-in-law, who won a trip to Vienna (Austria), but ended up getting invited by Young Living as a speaker about Toxic-free/Chemical-free living.

We started clean living years ago, by paying attention to what we eat; reading the labels to find out what kind of mess is used to flavor or color your food! So we decided to stop using packets or sachets, started with fresh veggies and flavoring our food with natural herbs. After that we replaced the drinks for the kids with natural sweetened drinks and so on.

The same goes for the way we got introduced to Young Living: we were in a place in our live where stress (and all that goes with it) made up a large part of it. I was unemployed for a long time due to reorganization , while Danielle was working in a very stressful job, with the possibility to get unemployed as well… A friend of ours advised to buy a starter-kit from Young Living with a lot of oils to relief several situations. Danielle got through the stressful days, we both got to sleep good again and the way we smell nice… Oh boy! Then there was no stopping; we also have supplements now, energy drinks, toothpaste and household products. I probably forgot a few, sorry…

But when she is away, I get to take care of our household… Or: my version of it! The boys always want to eat different stuff than usually, so we get to eat French Fries, Kebab, Chinese and such.

And since I cancelled my appointment for today ánd it turned out that none of the guys had any obligations to sports this entire weekend, I had a massive amount of (free) time to spend my way.

KaysI have been planning to visit a secondhand record store for a long time, but other commitments always got in the way… I visited them today! Kay’s Odyssey in Wagenberg (near Breda) is a very nice shop, nice people, good vibe, loaded with vinyl! I bought some great records and was talking to one of the owners and he directed me to the newest wing to the store where he had even more records… So I dug crates for another hour, enjoyed a good cup of coffee and of course more additions to my collection.

I came home with the following vinyl: Trouble Funk – Still Smokin’ (original DC Go-Go), Tony Terry – She’s Fly, B&Q Band – Main Attraction (Ben Liebrand remix), Ben Liebrand – Styles (The Album), PITA – Break Beats (just breaks & beats & samples), Chandra Simmons – Never Gonna’ Let You Go (Mantronik Remix), The Time – Jerk Out (Prince… of course!), Janet Jackson – Escapade (One of her best singles), Roxanne – The Real Roxanne (UTFO/Full Force), Prince – 1999 (What can I say?), Warren G – I Shot The Sheriff (Promo with remixes), Stetsasonic – Sally (One of the best live-bands in Hip hop I’ve ever seen!!!), Jill Jones – G-Spot (Probably the best song Prince gave her), 3rd Base – Pop Goes The Weasel (Children’s song rap-style), Derek B – Bad Young Brother (English Rap – US style), Derek B – We’ve Got The Juice (Old-school), Jesse Johnson – She I Can’t Resist (Former guitar player of The Time/Prince), Mantronix – Ladies (Oh Yeah!!!) & Atlantic Ocean – Waterfall (Peter Parker’s Remixes White Label)…

On the way out I found out that a couple of guys I know (Formerly Known as DSS Rookies) were playing ball against the local team in Oosterhout (Twins), which happens to be like 10 minutes away… So I dropped by to see them and cheer them on. Good weather, great company, Successful Day!!!

All I got to do now, is figuring out what to have for dinner… GUYS!