ESSENTIAL oils have long been known for their anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties, and in recent years, have also been used to uplift and support a healthy mood, an increasingly important benefit in a post-pandemic society.
In April 2008, a company by the name of doTERRA was founded in the state of Utah in the United States, with the mission to share the purest, highest quality essential oils and products with the world. From a small rented office space with only a few founders and staff, doTERRA is now the biggest essential oil company in the world, positively impacting the world one drop, one person, and one community at a time.
The company opened an office in Malaysia in 2017, and last weekend, celebrated its 5th anniversary by reaffirming its mission to share its oils with consumers, while also donating to social impact initiatives through the doTERRA Malaysia Healing Hands initiative.
theSun got a chance to sit down with Ethan Wang, General Manager of doTERRA Malaysia to find out a little bit more about the company’s ongoing mission to bring a positive impact to the world.
Can you tell us a bit about the history of doTERRA in Malaysia?
“In April 2017, we officially started our business in Malaysia. We were working in a tiny rental office for more than a year.
“Despite the less-than-ideal situation we were in, we were supported by our beloved customers who trusted the Company, and our leaders going the extra mile to build doTERRA Malaysia.
“In June 2018, we started to construct our Office in KL Eco City, and we had our opening ceremony in August 2018. That was also the month where we celebrated doTERRA Malaysia’s 1st Anniversary.
“Not only that, the year 2018 was when we first started our Diamond Club programme. It has proved to be one of the most important programmes we have organised.
“We also launched our first Malaysia Healing Hands programme with the National Autism Society of Malaysia (NASOM) to help autism children. Since then, we have completed many Healing Hands projects and helped even more people.
“Since 2017, doTERRA Malaysia has managed to grow consecutively for the past five years with more than 400% growth.
“The increase in numbers of members and leaders means we can reach out to serve more people. It also means that we have managed to impact many people.”
What is the meaning behind this year’s theme, Impact?
“It refers to our own ‘Impact’ [which is seen in the tagline] People Empowered. Lives Improved. Communities Served. Progress Made.
“First, we take a look at the Lives Improved. As of this moment, we have more than 60,000 Wholesale Customers and Wellness Advocates who have personally tried and used doTERRA essential oils. Over the past five years, we have launched 67 single oils, 43 blend oils, 33 personal care products, seven food products, and more.
“We believe that our essential oils will help to heal people emotionally and improve their well-being. Through our products, many have become calmer, more positive, and more productive in their lives.
“On the Communities Served, we do this through doTERRA Malaysia Healing Hands initiatives.
“Over the last four years, we have helped many NGOs such as NASOM, Tenaganita, Dual Blessing, National Cancer Society of Malaysia, Global Shepherds, HOPE Selangor and many other organisations around Malaysia through sales of doTERRA SPA Rose Hand Lotion and Hope Touch.
“When we talk about People Empowered, we mean our Wellness Advocates. Since the Wellness Advocate is the heartbeat of the doTERRA culture, they are responsible for the enrollment and reoccurring orders of doTERRA users. This is a role of labour, time, and love.
“They show up daily to serve and educate about doTERRA essential oil products and culture to the public. They also inspire others to join them to invite more customers in trying our products.
“Their efforts have helped to empower women to become more independent, to empower people in their financial health, and have also empowered mothers and fathers with tools to take care of their family well-being.”
Can you give examples of some of the achievements of your Healing Hands initiatives?
“As of this moment, we have given RM745,533 in cash and kind to help the people in need.
“In December 2021, we participated in the global Healing Hands effort to support Sanaag Specialty Hospital in Somaliland, whereby we raised RM113,740 to support the Hospital.
“Besides being one of the most important Frankincense harvesting regions, Sanaag is one of the poorest regions in the world, it is also home to one of the world’s highest maternal and child mortality rates.
“The Sanaag Specialty Hospital is a testament to our commitment to the harvesters, their families and communities who provide us with Frankincense essential oil we all love so much.”
What else is doTERRA is doing to give back to the harvesters and communities who help provide the essential oils in your products?
“It has always been our intention to not only help to empower peoples’ lives through essential oils, but also to serve the people on the other side of the bottle, namely the farmers, harvesters, and distillers who contribute to doTERRA’s oil sourcing.
“The doTERRA Co-Impact Sourcing model helps to ensure that the small-scale farmers and harvesters in disadvantaged areas are treated ethically.
“It means we purposely go the extra mile to make sure our farmers and harvesters receive the income they deserved. The more we share the oils, the more product we will need, and the more people we are able to help.
“In 2019, some of our Malaysian leaders and I had the chance to experience Co-Impact Sourcing first-hand during a trip to Nepal. We were able to change lives when we joined in the Water Project during the Wintergreen Co-Impact Sourcing Trip, which involved constructing water tanks and laying pipelines in order to serve villages in the area. This construction is important because these villagers have had no access to pipe water for many generations.
“I really hope that the pandemic can be over soon so that we will have the chance to join another Co-Impact Sourcing trip in the future.”
Speaking of the future, what is next for doTERRA?
“Well, doTERRA has a new mission this year. It is to triple our Impact by year 2030. We are not talking about tripling our revenue. Rather, we are talking about the mission to triple the lives we can improve, triple the people we can empower and triple the people we can help.
“So, how are we going to do this?
“Our Wellness Advocates will be focusing on the core values of doTERRA that we believe can be put into actions. The six core values are Be the Legacy, Be Pure, Be Curious, Be Empowering, Be Leader Focused, and finally Be Customer Obsessed.
“In a nutshell, this means becoming the ambassadors of doTERRA products and culture, building trust with our customers, learning and embracing growth, continuing to empower others, supporting our Leaders, and understanding our customers’ needs so we can serve them with excellence.
“These six core values will help doTERRA to achieve our mission.”
To learn more about doTERRA, its array of products and its social campaigns, you can head to www.doterra.com.
