We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Amy Anthony. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amy below.

Hi Amy, thanks for joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Risks. I think we take risks every day! But to answer the question, I will focus on the risk I took stepping away from the seeming security of a corporate job to what was, at the time, unknown. The backstory, the thread, is that I love being outside with plants. Being alone with plants, observing what is around me. I grew up gardening, weeding, tending to plants, the landscape as well as camping with my family, hiking and overall exploring the wetlands and wooded areas around our house. My mom loves plants, my grandmother loved plants. I planned a small herb garden when I was around the age of 16 and started keeping a journal of different plants and their Latin binomial names. I was hooked! Fast forward–I “had” to partake in what culture says is right to do: go to college, get a good job….that whole path. When I was a teenager we moved to Western NY for my father’s career–I spent 4 years in the area and yearned being back on the east coast–fixated on getting to New York City–not only for opportunities but for culture, the art, music, diversity of food, people, experiences. Also the romanticized “grit” that used to be NYC. These amazing feats of humanity are still very important to me. But I knew something was missing as soon as I moved to NYC: feeling grounded (literally living stories above ground level) and nature–a connection with plants, insects, sunlight, moonlight, stars. But I was on the path: earn a degree and get a job. I was working since I was 14; mowing lawns, then working in hardware stores through college until, still in college I landed a job in a field I was interested in: market research. An interesting world of qualitative (surveys, data analysis, statistical analysis) and quantitative (focus groups, depth interviews) information, data. Fast forward some years and I couldn’t do it anymore. I ended up at a global bank, “living the dream,” but afer a few years I couldn’t do it anymore. It just wasn’t me. At this time I thought I would become a professional organizer, helping people with their stuff….but I wasn’t ready to start my own business. Even before this time, before I left the corporate life, essential oils found their way into my life. I’m pretty sure it started with a bottle of Eucalyptus oil that I bought at Whole Foods, which I started putting drops of oil into one of our humidifiers. I was fascinated: what are these oils, where do they come from. I was down the rabbit hole! Totally hooked on learning–I sought out books. I remember taking my first aromatherapy workshop in 2012. I needed more! More reading lead me to an obsession to seek aromatherapy certification. After seeking schools offering in-person certification classes, the universe was saying yes: a few blocks from my home was the recently opened NY Institute of Aromatherapy. I signed up! I earned my level 1 & 2 certifications and was asked to teach workshops, then I was asked to become certified to teach certification classes. Suddenly I was a free-lancer and needed business cards and a website. There I went from not wanting to own my own business to having a business and fly by the seat of my pants! I LOVE teaching. I never knew I could teach. Looking back, I realized this had to be done, I needed to find a way to connect with plants, connect with nature. The essential oils “found me” and I blindly went down the path, saying yes, yes, more, more–these aromatic essential oils filled a need in me. I remember NEEDING to sign up for certification but not being able to articulate why. Now it is my passion to help people connect with the oils to help them achieve realizations, wellness, wholeness.

Amy, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m incredibly passionate about sharing my love of plants and the power of aromatherapy that I won’t stop talking about it! I offer private aromatherapy experiences, where clients visit with me, and we discuss their goals and how aromatherapy may support them. It is from there that I create a custom blend of essential oils for a client to incorporate into a bespoke aromatherapy product such as a massage or face oil. It is all very personal and experiential. I also offer custom aromatherapy, 1-on-1 educational sessions (in person and virtual). My practice, NYC Aromatica, is educational at its foundation; it’s about sharing aromatherapy and deep knowing, about sharing and experiencing the oils. That’s what I love about having a practice–it changes and evolves! That’s what I offer clients: knowing and expertise with a level of deep care. I know the deep connection the oils can bring to us. They work with us emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. To be blunt I’m not here to push product, for someone to have yet another product in their home. I’m here to help bring connection, to help someone with a hurdle they may be having, to make something beautiful for them that they can incorporate into their lives to help get over that hurdle. The hurdle could be anything: grief, transition (e.g., new job, leaving a job), confidence, anxiety, sleep issues, a lack of connection, a need for motivation, and more. When I step back and look at my passion, what I am doing, I see myself as a guide to help people, I cannot do this through me–it is through the plants, specifically the essential oils. Plants, being with them, being outside gives me great joy, great solace. I am here to communicate that and offer that through custom experiences.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I think this is a very human lesson, so many people talk about it, a lesson many people learn. It’s saying no, setting boundaries. Saying yes, but not when it doesn’t feel right in your gut. There’s the phrase “stretch yourself.” Um, sometimes, but not when it is really going against your instinct, your gut. Looking back, I often “go with the flow,” not always, but often. Someone wants to do something…”sure!” I’ve learned that just because someone ELSE wants to do something or needs something from you, it doesn’t mean you have to say yes, or to “go with the flow.” I’m still unlearning this. There are a lot of back stories to this, but I’ve really started to try to stop and wait, say “let me think about that” instead of giving an immediate answer. One thing my business background keeps reminding me is project flow: what’s the proposal, lay down your cards, it doesn’t mean the person has to accept your proposal. Part of this has to do with self-worth–you’re worth it. Your experience, training, money spent, materials used. You’re worth it–make that count. Saying no enhances this.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

I love this question because it reminds me of a great life lesson: the beauty of AND, rather than OR. I wouldn’t do anything differently. To directly answer the question: yes. Heck yes to aromatherapy. I love the vagueness of it, the mystery. How it is experiential and us silly humans are only beginning to understand the mind, neurotransmitters, and so on. I am grateful for my education, for the experiences I’ve had, for the failures and anything we could call a success along the way. I remember falling down, being in a bit of identity crisis after leaving my first “adult” profession–we’re often valued by what we DO in our culture. Aromatherapy, immersing myself in it, was part of healing that. Back to the “AND”, yes, I can be “left brain” AND “right brain”, I can try to look at the whole sphere, all sides. I find I really enjoy connecting with people on a deep level, that sounds fake doesn’t it…but I mean that. Going deeper than the superficial, touching places deep inside–aromatherapy helps do this. Aromatherapy is a chemistry channel to touch us deeply. Would I choose this again? Heck yeah.    

Contact Info:

• Website: https://nycaromatica.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nycaromatica/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nycaromatica

Image Credits
Pictures were taken by Liam Dom