We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sarah Shackelford a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sarah, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

Did you know that our sense of smell is the first sense we gain at birth? Neither did I, until I was introduced to the world of essential oils. Aromatherapy is so powerful!

I owe all of the credit to coffee for inspiring my entire business model. That’s right, coffee. A handful of years ago during an outdoor music festival I was grooving on the dance floor, when suddenly, the aroma of freshly ground coffee wafted over me. Perhaps it was coming from a nearby vendor or a fellow festival goer passing by, but the warm, comforting aroma completely transformed the feel of my experience. In that moment, it dawned on me how much power scent has over our reality. Those fresh-baked cookies, linens straight from the dyer, the smell of rain hitting the pavement… we all have those special scents that bring us back to the memories we hold dear.

It was not long after that night that I fully dove into the world of essential oils. I quickly recognized that oils would be the perfect vehicle to share these intentional experiences with others. I have spent the past 4 years discovering how to use oils to effectively aid common health concerns, and my passion lies in educating others how to incorporate practical uses of essential oils into daily life.

My intention has always been to play a part in elevating people’s experiences and to add drops of enchantment to even the most mundane aspects of life.

Sarah, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My goal is to make it easier to live a toxic-free lifestyle. I offer all-natural, 100% pure essential oil based household and personal products to encourage people to reduce their toxic load and guide them on how easy it is to make simple switches! One of my favorite things to create for my clients are custom roller blends that address a variety of health concerns, such as difficulty with sleep, stress & anxiety, focus & energy, seasonal allergies and more.

Find me teaching workshops at music festivals! Some of my favorites have been Exploring Sexuality with Essential Oils and Tarot & Essential Oils. Oils can truly be incorporated into so many practices.

In addition to my essential oil offerings, I create up-cycled accessories like embellished hats and hat pins using vintage and repurposed materials. Everyone deserves to look and feel their best! The wide-variety of Enchanted offerings are meant to cover all the bases!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

My educational background is in the field of Psychology, and I originally set out to become a Licensed Clinical Counselor. Throughout my journey it became clear to me that holistic health and wellness is where my passion lies. I pivoted from strictly behavioral health to a more integrated approach, where I began deepening my relationship with alternative healing techniques such as mindfulness practices and movement. That inspired me to position myself to become an essential oil educator so that I can advocate for wellness from a well-informed place.

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

This isn’t necessarily a sales story, but a touching story about how my creations made a huge impact on someone’s life.

I was vending at a local maker’s market in Cary, NC called Freckled Hunnies, (you can find me here often), when I met Hope. Hope was there perusing goodies with her husband when she spotted my Bee Happy hat. This was a vintage, cloche-style hat that I decorated using distressed bee embellishments and vintage findings from both my grandmother and great-grandmother’s vintage jewelry collection. I wanted to create a piece that brought sunshine to the wearer to make them feel bee-autiful. Tears streamed down her face when I told her the story behind the hat. She said that she was immediately drawn to it because it reminded her of her late mother. Hope’s husband kindly bought her the hat and she quickly put it on in excitement. She gave me a huge bear hug and thanked me for giving her something that would remind her of her mother every time she wears it. This is the reason I do what I do. Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the effort it takes to be a creator and an entrepreneur, but it is moments like these that remind me that my art has the ability to impact others so deeply. I’m forever grateful for Hope and for all of my customers who resonate with my work.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @living.enchanted
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EnchantedEssentialsLLC?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-shackelford-90399774/

Image Credits
Sara Joy Tiberio from Sara Joy Studio Photography