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NEWS OF THE WORLD LEADER IN ESSENTIAL OILS
WEDDING BELLS FOR NICOLÁS AND GIGI The Most Beautiful Wedding at the Young Living Farm in Ecuador Gary visits with Gerome Reynard, the manager of the first Young Living flour mill in Provence.
FOUNDER’S MESSAGE
Happy February! I feel excitement everywhere as we begin the second month of the new year. Young Living continues to have record sales each month, which could be the banner for the next eleven months to come. We, on the corporate side, readily acknowledge the amazing force of our members carrying our message of hope and opportunity to the world. Your success is our reward, as employees in our global offices celebrate with you. From the beginning, I have known that our farms are, and will continue to be, the foundation of our business; and I am constantly engaged in looking for more property to expand our crops. There are land possibilities all over the world, but I have to consider location, climate, soil health, good water availability, work force, and my ability to oversee the construction and operation. This puts a lot of criteria on any purchase. Most of you know about, and some have visited, our Skyrider Ranch in Tabiona, Utah. I have spent the last three years experimenting with different crops to see what might grow well there. We are thrilled that einkorn has flourished, already yielding more than 400 tons that are in storage ready to be processed. To my dismay, we have not found a mill capable of hulling this hearty grain; so with 300 additional acres to be planted and harvested this year, building our own flour mill is a necessity. I am happy to report that the ground for it is cleared and being prepared, the equipment is bought and being imported, preparation for it is almost finished, and construction will be ready to begin this month, with the help of our partners in France, who are currently in Tabiona, Utah, helping with this project. Last week, we met with the governor of Utah to discuss plans for Tabiona. Governor Herbert recently unveiled his plans for economic development in rural Utah to create jobs and opportunities where few have previously existed. So far, Young Living is the only company that has come forth with substantial plans to help bring the governor’s plans to fruition. He was extremely complimentary of our company, our growth, and our commitment to not only be a part of the community but to also offer ideas and implement our farming expertise to help other ranchers and farmers.
We celebrate the marriage of the Ecuador farm manager, Nicolás Chong, to his new bride, Gisela Garcés Rodriguez. On November 25, 2017, Nicolás Chong married Gisela Garcés Rodriguez at the Young Living farm in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Everyone who was there felt it was truly the most beautiful wedding they had ever attended. Words can’t describe the beauty of the farm, the beautiful blue sky, the golden sunset, the dazzling lights twinkling from every corner, the delicious food, the endearing family and friends, the words that were spoken, and the love expressed between these two young people that created an ambience of peace and serenity that filled the soul with contentment and joy. Nicolás Chong was only 20 years old when he came to Young Living in October 2008. He started as a consultant to the Accounting Department and in 2009 was hired as an accounting assistant. Eight months later, Gary asked him to take the position of purchasing agent, which he held until April 2012. The first thing we noticed about Nicolás was his dedication and sense of responsibility to his work. He was always smiling, always willing to help, and quick to do what was needed. It soon became evident that if something went wrong, we would call Nicolás; and he would have it fixed very fast—especially the computers, since most of us were still learning. He was always honest and his integrity meant so much, as his parents had taught him.
Nicolás was ambitious and very diligent about getting his education. He had a grueling two-year schedule, taking classes at the university from 7:30 to 9 a.m., working in the office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and then attending more classes from 6 to 10 p.m. School gradually became so demanding that he asked if he could leave the company for about four months to finish the school term and then would return. However, things did not work out the way he planned, as he started his MBA program. Although he was taking only night classes, he ended up working for the National Customs for fifteen months. We were in need of a farm manager, so Gary called Nicolás to see if he would like to come back to Young Living. School was not as demanding, with only a few classes; so on June 23, 2013, he started his new position as the manager of the Young Living Finca Botanical Farm in Ecuador. Nicolás was familiar with the farm and knew many
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of the farm employees but had never actually worked on the farm, making it a big challenge; but he was enthusiastic and eager to learn. He started with approximately 70 employees and has grown to 132 and continues to expand. In 2014, while managing the farm, he studied hard for his MBA and graduated in December 2016. We were really thrilled to celebrate with him and applaud his accom-
plishments. Nicolás has done so well, and we can only sing his praises. Our Ecuador farm is extremely well run, and the employees love and respect him as a leader they can follow. Although tough and direct, he treats all with respect and fairness and has created a great working environment. In Nicolás’ words, “Young Living has been a part of many important moments of my life. I also have had the opportunity to travel to Peru, South Africa, and Utah because of the work. Working for you has enriched my experience and my life. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be part of this beautiful company.” Giesela is a petite, quiet ball of fire, who is independent and knows what she wants. She has a talent for graphic design, which she studied at the University. About five years ago, Gigi began her career in visual merchandizing as a window display designer for De Prati, a very large department store chain in Ecuador, and after four years was put in charge of the department. She designed their beautiful wedding—the invitations, displays, decorations, and overall look. Gigi is learning quickly about Young Living; and with her passion for helping people and love of God, she fits right in with our Young Living family. We know that her love and support of Nicolas will give him greater strength and creativity as the farm continues to expand and become a greater destination for our members. Congratulations, Nicolas and Gigi.