Elke Chapman is hugely passionate about helping and providing support, particularly to children, with their health and emotional wellbeing. Here she tells her story of why she started ELChemy Essentials and why she is so passionate about what she does.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
I was standing over my collection of essential oils one night in a state of despair. Tearful, a little fearful and questioning what I could do with my life. What could I contribute to make a difference? What would fit around life as a single mum of two beautiful souls? The answer was staring me in the face…Essential oils.
My daughter had respiratory complications and my son was diagnosed with a learning difficulty and was having significant issues behaviourally both in the home and at school.
Around the same time my marriage was disintegrating. It was not a happy or pleasant time. Everything was in chaos and falling apart, yet I was confidently facing my days despite enormous emotional stress.
We’d been having such amazing success with our oils. I was already telling others about all the fab ways our health was improving, or how our moods had alchemised from grumpy gozica to happy optimistic humans. That’s not to say our problems were solved, far from it. They were just easier to face head on. It just seemed like a natural fit to be compensated for sharing doTERRA essential oils.
Working for someone else wasn’t an option. The impact on our family dynamic of three when working for others was not worth the effort or remuneration, and further encouraged me to find something that could slot in around us. The most important job then and still today, has been being front and centre for my children and their many ongoing challenges. Especially given my son struggles with anxiety and trauma.
And so ELChemy Essentials was born. My initials are ELC and I just love the magical concept of alchemy. So, I merged ELC and alchemy and created ELChemy.
In many ways, having essential oils in our life has absolutely alchemised a run of highly stressful and emotional life situations into bearable and manageable experiences – all of which I am grateful for.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
Initially it was simple – talking about how essential oils were making a significant difference to our individual health. You could see it was benefiting us – that’s pretty hard to ignore, although I do still catch myself marvelling at the positive impact doTERRA essential oils has had on us. It’s truly amazing.
It’s just wonderful to watch the positive change that happens in other’s lives as a consequence of turning to a bottle of pure, chemical-free plant medicine. There have been many tears shed at the difference doTERRA essential oils make to another’s life. And not just the end user – we are changing the lives of many in impoverished circumstances all over the world.
In my experience, you either have a pre-disposition to natural therapies, are open to them, or you have become completely disillusioned with modern day medicine as a consequence of a major health issue in your life and are desperate to try something new or different. Ironically, essential oils are not new! There is no money to be made in being healthy – corporations, pharmaceuticals and governments have a lot to answer for in my opinion. I am not saying there isn’t a place for modern medicine – there is and the two can work together synergistically.
Change is already happening. You’ve only got to look at the supermarket shelves to see that - packaging has changed to be more natural. Alternative medicine has got mainstream acceptance, so much so that supermarkets and pharmacies are now stocking it on their shelves. It’s wonderful to see that we are returning to what mother nature has provided for us.
Not all natural products are the same quality or potency. Many are watered down with synthetics that are increasingly difficult to detect. It is important you do your own research, find support and educate yourself in order to make informed choices.
The Rotten series on Netflix - specifically the episode about the honey industry – explains the lengths corporations will go to, to dilute a natural product so as to increase profits. Or Stink, also on Netflix explains the dangers of long-term exposure to chemical fragrance. I highly recommend you watch both these shows as soon as possible for the sake of your child’s health.
There is absolutely a global shift, People are more open and ready for plant-based products in the home to ease many common health and emotional issues. Not to mention non-toxic cleaning – the air quality in my home is fabulous, you’ve only got to look at my thriving plants. My cut flowers last for weeks and weeks on end as a consequence of one drop of doTERRA Melaleuca essential oil in their water.
I don’t have anywhere near as many store-bought medicines or cleaners in my home. We haven’t needed antibiotics for several years. That’s a significant financial saving, not to mention our bodies are happier, stronger and just better for it. The more we’ve reduced chemical-based, store-bought products, the healthier we’ve become. It’s really easy to do and should be a gradual transition for long-term success.
