Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to JK DeLapp, L. Ac. DAOM. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

JK , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What was your school or training experience like? Share an anecdote or two that you feel illustrate important aspects or the overall nature of your schooling/training experience.

In going a very different medical route and attending Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in San Diego, I learned very quickly that our modern medical understanding – not just of how our bodies work, but how nature in general is interconnected – is drastically oversimplified and almost infantile. Often reduced to “I don’t need to worry about that, I’ll just go to the doctor and take a pill” kinda mentality.

Imagine growing up in a world where every game is Poker – only to run across MaZhong. You can’t explain MaZhong in Poker terms. The language is different. The rules are different. The game is entirely different.

Part of what makes this a great analogy – is that half the people I use with with have never even heard of MaZhong, let alone how to play it!

Imagine learning that there are “multiple games” being played inside your body, and also outside in the world, but we are only taught that there is ONE Game, and one only?

Your body is not unlike a modern computer. There is Hardware – the physical computer and attachments and components – and there is Software. All Software interacts with the Hardware (it is Hosted by the Hardware, after all). Some Software interacts with other Software. Some Software and Apps stand alone. Not all Softwares integrate well. Some Softwares operate on different programing – some on similar – making integration of Softwares much like games of cards or checkers. Some similar and related – others entirely alien to one another.

This is how I have come to see Chinese Medicine. There is a lot of overlap with a Western Medical understand of how our bodies intersect with health and wellness – but there is also a lot of very different perspectives and understandings that in no way intersect or translate in to a Western Medical understanding. They are both Sciences – but are also both very different Sciences.

Many of the patients that walk in to my door are generally not walking in to see their first specialist. I’m usually at the end of the line. Where one game has failed them – this other game has answers and understanding and solutions.

We are much more complex creatures than we are led to believe. I think as many begin to find and explore Chinese Medicine as an additional medical science with new (quite old) perspective and new (quite old) diagnoses and treatment strategies – many of the gaps in our modern, western perspectives begin to close.

Chinese – and by extension – East Asian schools of medical thought have taught me to look at the world with new perspective that I have applied not just in the clinic, but also in my relationships, politics, and business.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My company, Rising Phoenix, officially started back in 2011, while I was still in med school in San Diego, although it was 2014 before we really started launching products.

Many that follow my work know that I work in Chinese Medicine. I’m in private practice in Atlanta. I spent some time working in three hospitals in Shanghai. In my earlier years I spent my last year in university in Avignon, and worked in Paris after college. I’ve been fortunate to have traveled extensively.

While in med school we had to memorize quite a bit of information about hundreds and hundreds of medical substances, including the Chinese pinyin, the common English names, and the Latin scientific names as part of our education.

The Latin names started tugging at something in the back of my mind. It didn’t take me long to figure out that pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, fragrance, flavor, and the incense and spice trades were all built on the back of herbs. Herbs I was really diving deep down the rabbit hole on.

In my third year of school, something clicked and I realized, “I could be a physician. Or, I could be a physician, and… !” I wanted to tap into a much larger world that was built on the back of something most never think twice about: herbs. Foundations in a multitude of global modern-day markets.

Since natural oils distilled/extracted from herbs – what we call essential oils, “absolutes”, etc. – are really pharmaceutical-grade herb extracts, fragrance seemed like a natural place to start.

In practice – my office is very aromatic. The first thing new patients say in walking in to my office is “it smells incredible in here!” Almost every time. hehe The aromatics I use in practice are always very ambiant. Usually some of the incense we manufacture burning in the background. Ocassionally some oils we may pull out and have the patient inhale while the needles are in (Acupuncture).

In regards to specialties – Rising Phoenix specializes in artisan Sandalwood, Oud (Agarwood), and Resin distillations. I compound all of our Attars with my pharmacy compounding and herbal education and in mind. Although I have different parameters in mind when making fragrance (enjoyable scent, longevity, complexity / development) – as they are all natural and made from grades of material not generally available on the market – many people do take note of how they are like potent medicines in how they impact their psycho-emotional / mental / physical wellbeing when wearing or smelling our products.

Full Disclosure – I am not a Certified Aromatherapist. I did, however, attend medical school at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in San Diego (now known as Pacific College of Health and Science) – and I’ve taken that extensive herbal training and pharmacy compounding education and applied it to Natural Perfumery and Aromatherapy.

I am nationally accredited by the NCCAOM, and licensed by the state medical board here in Georgia.

I’ve spent time working in 3 hospitals in Shanghai (2 locations of Long Hua, and also in Zhong Yi Hua Shanghai (“Chinese Medicine Hospital of Shanghai”) – where I also studied the local herbal compounding tradition known as Gao Fang).

I am also a member physician of an alternative Healthcare group – and I was the first “non western” practitioner brought in to the group. Can read more about that here : https://hipnation.com/doctor/jk-delapp-l-ac-dip-om-acupuncturist/

In practice, I specialize in Kampo Medicine (the Japanese angle on Chinese Medicine), and am a specialized practitioner of “Fukushin” – which is a unique diagnosis and prescription method refined by blind practitioners in Japan since the early 16th Century. Fukushin is an abdominal palpatory technique.

My work has taken me all over the world. I have a natural perfumery course that is hosted by Floracopeia (Aromatic Artistry). I’ve been a speaker with The Shift Network, and will soon be speaking with The Aroma Summit. I was also a cast member in the documentary Ancient Secrets : The Essential Oils Movie, which was up on Amazon until recently, and is now available through their website. I have even been fortunate to contribute to scientific research about sperm whales and the production of Ambergris. I have even somehow managed to become a respected niche perfumer, and have contributed to several brands on the product development side of the industry, as well as a supply resource to domestic perfumers of various materials my company produces.

I feel quite privileged to be doing the work I am doing, and am thankful to have patients and clients in over 5o countries.
The world grows ever smaller.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

How about the last 2 years? haha

For many medical professionals in private practice – Covid wrecked their practices. Hard to treat people when they stop coming in. Practically killed one of my offices, and in two years, that location has not recovered.

The same can be said of many other businesses – where people either stop coming in to purchase products, or people simply stop spending money due to their financial uncertainty.

And for those of us importing or exporting – myriad shipping challenges aside – new VAT Taxes were taking a big bite out of business, whether here or abroad.

On July 1st, 2021 – the EU instituted a new 25 % VAT Tax that took an immediate bite out of 30-40% of my revenue. So I had to start thinking about pivots.

Up until this point, we’ve been making natural perfumes and incense. Expanding our product line up was always the long term goal – the new VAT Taxes has expedited exploring them. New product categories open up new customer channels.

We are in the process now of developing a new line of cosmetics – both leaning on my unique medical background, as well as my aromatic talents. As I already import raw materials from all over SE Asia, the Gulf, and Europe – we’ve also begun exploring some other products that intersect with our company ethos of Medicine / Aromatics / Spices, including some rare coffees and medicinal honeys that are not available in our market, as well as a few other materials / products that are in the pipeline of development.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

It’s been my experience that it’s very difficult to hate people that feed you well.

Cuisine, for me, is the easiest way to learn about Peoples. I am a foodie. I also love to cook I was approached in my early 20’s to film a pilot with one of Martha Stewart’s producers for The Food Network, back before food shows were a thing. (I’m always way ahead of the curve, unfortunately).

I find being Adventurous – with food, but also about learning about the world and the people in it – is invaluable. It’s not a skill that is really taught in school, unfortunately. Nor something Americans, in general, are known for. Genuine curiosity and an adventurous spirit I find broaden your palette of life, so to speak. People notice these things, and as it is difficult to hate the person feeding you tasty food – I highly recommend broadening your food experiences as a way of expanding all of your palettes. Talking about food and sharing food porn are often some of the first bonding experiences I have with new clients and new suppliers. Thankfully – Atlanta has a thriving foodie scene !

Contact Info:

• Website: www.etsy.com/shop/RisingPhoenixPerfume
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therisingphoenixperfumery/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RisingPhoenixPerfumery
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jk-delapp-l-ac-9891313/
• Other: Coming soon : www.RisingPhoenixPerfumery-com.myshopify.com

Image Credits
Images provided by JK DeLapp The perfumery course –> Floracopeia Dodo provided by Zoologist The man in the photo with me is Tanaka San, retired former General Manager of Johnson & Johnson Japan