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  • Our Story

About LifeCo

“I’m letting go and then building some more, I’m building a business and a life and legacy, and I’m calling it Lifeco.”

Caschelle Smith,
Founder of LifeCo
Custom Essential Oils

It seems I have been using oils a “long time” and as I sit down to share my story it would appear that, if time is linear (and it’s not), that I discovered my the world of plant medicine about 7 years ago (its currently 2016 as I write this).

So 7 years ago, I broke my wrist during a 4th of July celebration (because I know how to have a good time, mmhmm). When my cast was removed I needed help getting it moving. During that time, I lived in the small town of Shelbyville, MO. I owned a hair salon and a client told me to go to Dianne, a woman who would prove to have a beautiful influence on my life. My thoughts of her create a warming sensation. As I grew to know Dianne in her home, way out of town, a love and passion of oils blossomed. Much of what I know I owe to her and am forever grateful. My grandparents grew very fond of Dianne as well. She gave body treatments to my grandma that allowed her to become more mobile than she had been in years! As they spent many healing hours at her house, I would go along to visit and learn with her and my grandma and grandpa.

The more time I spent the more questions and curiosity I had. Out there, my grandma bought my first and favorite essential oil desk reference book upon Dianne’s recommendation (she was probably tired of answering so many questions). It was her personal book, and rather than order me a new one she gave me hers that day!

Around this time I had a daughter of my own and refused to give her western medicine, topical or otherwise, and so I sought Dianne’s knowledge and wisdom more than ever. She was always there for me with an answer. She taught me very logical things like what a double boiler is and what my “go to” oils are for what ailments. She was very matter-of-fact and spoke very blatant and usually funny truths (which is probably why my grandpa liked her so much). She whole-heartedly believed in the healing power of oil and nutrition, sending her own cancer into remission taking “about 96 pills a day” of essential oils and vitamins. I remember seeing her fill capsules, as maintenance I still assume. A couple of years later, when I was pregnant with my second daughter, and after a battle of unfortunate ailments, Dianne passed away due to returning cancer that even the best of alternative doctors couldn’t heal; just before I was to “officially” mentor under her. Unbeknownst to me, I was being mentored all along. I mourned the loss of my friend and teacher as I was mixing and making concoctions as my small family needed both mentally and physically. I was skimming the water of making and recommending oils for my extended family and friends. A few months after her passing I knew that someone needed to carry on providing the community with oils and healing and advice, and I knew that someone was me.

I tip toed around the idea knowing I had big shoes to fill. I signed up for classes online for anything I could remember her mentioning; Reflexology, Indian Head Massage, Holistic Nutrition, Aromatherapy ( I learned more about oils from her than a book has taught me thus far). I practiced on existing clients and friends. I warmed towels and placed them over appropriate oils as I worked on instances of carpal tunnel and tight backs, recurring headaches, and congestion (much complimentary as I gained confidence). And when the universe let me know it was time, I officially launched an offering of oils and massages at my current beauty salon under the name existing salon name, Hennas. It seemed very fitting to quickly start adding cosmetic offerings. While I was cautious to take credit for any information and oil blend I had learned from Dianne, I am proud to say the universe blessed me with an innate knowledge for making organic essential oil cosmetics by my own right. Who knew?! With much trial and error and in learning to trust myself, I grew to know another realm of me. In that realm, existing an instinctive quality of my being that “just knew.” The being of me that is part of everyone and everything…the whole of me…. that knows all the answers even before the I’ve asked the questions. It carries lifetime’s worth of wisdom. What I’m drawn to, what I love, what feels like home, and what I seem to know as a feeling that my book later corroborates, is oils. I don’t know if I choose them or they choose me or both or if it even matters, but certainly when I’m still, as I’m learning to be, the “correct oil” reveals itself. I find this to be true over and over with more frequency as I venture into making blends! It’s not only oil, its relearning to trust my inner voice again that once was so strong and has been hushed along the way like losing my best friend and then finding her again as welcoming and as warm as ever. It’s a teaching that goes far beyond oil or myself.

After three years at Hennas with my new immediate family (the one as I had previously known was no longer because, life) I walked away from all I had built and created everyday, the salon and the oil. We moved to Arkansas to start a new type of stay at home mom life and have my third baby, my first boy. After getting acclimated with the area and my new SAHM gig and meeting yogi friends through teacher training, here I am, starting again, anew. I have found old and new parts of myself, while learning to unlearn. I am more at home and present with myself than I have ever been and I’m building! I’m letting go and then building some more, I’m building a business and a life and legacy and I’m calling it LifeCo…long for Life, because “there’s an oil for that.”  It has recently come as an inspiring surprise to me that while LifeCo continues to develop as what I thought was MY company, is actually its own entity. It creates and holds it’s own energy. It carries its own momentum and all it asks of me is to keep growing and unlearning and doing and so shines the guru of LifeCo that I am. Behind the scenes creating and manifesting what I hear, what I feel, what I’m asked.   Being guided by the energies of LifeCo, the orders as they come, and by my own personal preferences, and family and community needs as they arise.

The more I trust and delve in, the more local and universal opportunities show themselves. So, full of hopes and dreams, gracefully and with patience I go, without overwhelm and anxiety and expectations of what this all should look like. Growing a legacy, as I learn to leave old ones behind.