Wellness Brand Establishes National Partnership in 1st Year of Business

Valencia McClure founded The Artistry of Essential Oils in December of 2019. Within a year of business, and in the midst of a pandemic, McClure landed a national partnership with Talbots’ new lifestyle brand Haven Well Within. 

Prior to starting her own business, McClure worked in corporate America in the energy industry for over 30 years, where she was a VP of Governmental External Affairs. In 2015, McClure faced a life-altering diagnosis of early-stage breast cancer, which required five weeks of daily radiation. To mitigate the side effects radiation and surgery had on her skin, and to keep her mind uplifted and in a positive state during her cancer journey, McClure turned to essential oils. After cancer, she wanted to eliminate as many toxins from her life as possible, so she became certified in aromatherapy. 

Courtesy of The Artistry of Essential Oils. Captions: Valencia McClure, Founder of The Artistry of Essential Oils

In the process of earning her certification, she began to formulate products for friends and colleagues suffering from issues like headaches and hot flashes. The response and feedback she received about the positive impact her products were having on their lives, especially from an emotional standpoint, made her want to educate a broader population on the emotional health benefits provided by essential oils. 

So McClure retired from her successful career and launched The Artistry of Essential Oils, a brand that uses plant-powered technology to formulate essential oils and skincare products with a mission “to improve your emotional well-being and your quality of life using the highest quality essential oil blends to uplift your spirits.” As someone who serves on the leadership council for the North Texas chapter of Susan G. Komen, McClure ensures that The Artistry of Essential Oils is also a  cause-driven business, giving a portion of their proceeds to organizations like Susan G. Komen, other organizations committed to breast cancer research, and organizations that promote the empowerment of young girls. 

With an emphasis on continual professional development as an entrepreneur, McClure was able to establish a national partnership in her first year of business! Her line of essential oil rollerball blends, hand sanitizer, and muscle relief oil will be available for purchase on the website of Talbot’s new lifestyle brand, Haven Well Within. Later this year, her line of diffuser blends and facial oils will be available there as well. She was also asked to be a lifestyle expert for their website’s rejuvenation series and will be speaking on the benefits aromatherapy and essential oils have on emotional and physical health. 

While the partnership is rooted in both brands’ aligned visions of being a part of creating and maintaining daily wellness in one’s home, McClure shared what she believes put her business in the position to attract and be ready for such an opportunity. She joined an organization for women entrepreneurs where she had access to tools, resources, and a like-minded community for encouragement and accountability. She created positive customer experiences by providing quality customer service and a “wow” experience with her packaging. She brought on a strong PR team, received phenomenal press from reputable local, regional, and national publications like Forbes, and ensured her branding was on point for her products and website. 

Most important though were the products and her “why.” To produce the best products possible she worked with a chemist to design the products and incorporated feedback from customers in their creation. McClure also noted the importance and value that is attached to your “why” for starting your business, your personal story, and the vision you have for your company. Again, it was the alignment of The Artistry of Essential Oils’ vision with Talbot’s vision that truly made such a partnership valuable to both brands.

You are definitely going to want to try The Artistry of Essential Oils products and follow the entrepreneurial journey of Valencia McClure. The brand is looking to expand distribution, provide more educational tools on the use and benefits of essential oils, and expand its product offering to further meet the wellness needs of customers. It’s not just a product line, but rather a wellness hub created just when we needed it most!