Leadership Magazines Issue 17 Scott & Rhonda Ford | Page 66
FEATURE ARTICLE
Executive
Spotlights
Those that know the extent of Dr. Hill’s
essential oils expertise may be surprised
to learn that his first experience with them
was less than perfect. He says, “I had a
problem and I had already been to all of my
colleagues in addition to doing everything
I could, though nothing helped. At that
time a patient had come to me and said
she had a solution for me. She gave me
a bottle of eucalyptus essential oil and
told me to just put it on my skin, with no
further instructions. Well, I quickly learned
that putting eucalyptus oil on cracked and
bleeding skin is not a pleasant experience.
I went to the bathroom to wash it off,
which of course just made it worse. I was
very angry, and I took the bottle and threw
it in the trash. I determined I would never
have anything to do with essential oils again.”
But, sometimes life has a funny way of changing our minds.
He continues, “Later, one of my children needed some
special attention. I had a friend who knew about essential
oils, who encouraged me to investigate them a little differently.
One thing led to another and I found myself reinvestigating
essential oils, this time with a different purpose. Through my
research, the oils became very powerful for us as a family, and
we just stayed focused from that point forward. Because my
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dōTERRA ESSENTIAL LEADERSHIP I NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2015
first experience with them was not a very good one, I remain
committed to making sure people have access to good and
reliable information.”
What has been your biggest professional obstacle?
Getting involved in essential oils when they were not readily
accepted by other people or the scientific community was a
challenge. Essential oils were positioned as something only
used by people who didn’t know enough to use medicine.
But I began to see oils differently as I was exposed to them.
I saw them as powerful, safe, and easy to use, and I saw
that lives were being changed. I found myself wanting to
be a great voice for essential oils, and that was challenging
because I had a lot to learn. As my knowledge increased,
I began to feel like a great resource to others, not in a boastful
way, but in the sense that I could help more people. Although
there were many who began to see me as an expert, it was
still difficult because, amongst my peers and in medicine as
a whole, I was seen largely as a maverick out on the edge.
While the circumstances were individually challenging, they
allowed me to become more open and aggressive about
my opinions. That actually afforded me some pretty great
opportunities—and the very thing that was most challenging
made me well-known and positioned me as an expert.
How would you define your role in the company?
I’m the Chief Medical Officer and Chairman of the Medical
Advisory Board. I immensely enjoy my involvement with other
health-care professionals and scientists. There is so much yet
to discover and I anticipate dōTERRA will continue to redefine
essential oils for personal models of use and mainstream
acceptance. I love to educate others in the use of essential
oils. For me “education” is more than just sharing the value
of essential oils. As we foster more research and integrative
methods in health-care, I believe we can more appropriately
share increased understanding for their safe and efficacious use.
I am so grateful that there are so many who have found great
value in what they have learned about essential oils.
What is your vision for dōTERRA?
As a company our vision has been to share essential oils with
the world. We often say “oils in every home.” I believe this
is possible and is an integral part of our mission. On a more
personal level, I often feel that I can never do enough to help
others. As a physician I feel somewhat called to do this. I have
noticed that in general belonging to dōTERRA is synonymous
with helping others. For me it’s personal and very gratifying
when you see people have life-changing experiences with
essential oils. I feel an unwavering commitment to continue to
create an environment that allows others to find happiness and
success in their own use of our products.
What is your favorite quote?
“I’d rather be a has-been than a could-have-been by far;
because a could-have-been has never been, but a has-been was
once an are.” –Milton Berle
What is something few people know about you?
When I met my wife—my wife remembers this best—I was
wearing orange-tinted sunglasses and bright-orange cowboy
boots. I looked great! Thankfully she dresses me now.
What do you do for fun?
I love being with my family. I don’t care what we’re doing,
I just like being involved with my kids and grandk