Ep.38: Christina Austin. "The best thing an indigenous woman can do in this business is be seen."
"The best thing an indigenous woman can do in this business is be seen." - Christina Austin
I've never felt more unqualified to share before and at the same time more calm in this because I am ready to grow from what I don't know.
In today's episode of The All Rise Up Podcast, I'm interviewing Christina Austin. You'll find her at @thealmosthippy on Instagram.
I learned in our convo, as you will, that this woman doesn't know how to not be authentic. She doesn't have time for it and the whole idea seems pretty tiring to her.
She's a mumma bear to 2 beautiful girls Harper + Ayla, which makes Christina a cuddle monster, a top negotiator, a referee, a cook, a cleaner, a driver, an art critic, a builder of barbie houses, and a healer.
As a preface to this podcast, I want to share that at the time I'm going live with the podcast, that the recordings are three weeks old.
I don't edit podcast episodes much. As you may know I want real-raw-un-edited convos in the world. But this one was a little different, which I'll explain in a moment.
So on the day I was editing this episode, three weeks after the last recording of it, there was a terrorist attack in Christchurch, New Zealand which killed 49 defenceless New Zealanders, praying in their mosque.
There was a great deal of anger around how the story of the massacre was portrayed in the media, and Christina herself was vocal about this across her social media channel.
While living in Western Australia now, Christina is a Maori from New Zealand and the events that occurred 3 days ago have rocked her.
The terrorist was a white Australian man. Those he massacred were Muslim's.
The topic of white supremacy & privilege were voiced by powerful voices like Christina's in the media and of course, rebuffed by others.
I realise now that for me, the politicisation of events like these feel like they're on a pendulum. Something happens, the topic gets heated, then it swings away. From me. Because of my privilege. Because of something I'd never even thought of before. Again, privilege.
For Christina though, this topic is one she's passionate about, and one that is hers on a cellular level. Her fierce stance is like hot blood in her veins.
I bring this information to the front of this podcast because when I interviewed Christina, we did something I never have with previous interviewees. We recorded two conversations on two seperate days.
The first was epic. You'll hear it for yourself in a moment. I freakin' LOVED IT.
Before the first interview, I'd asked my own Diamond Leaders what they'd be interested in hearing from Christina and one of my gals Danyel Waters, who'd spent time with Christina on a doTERRA Co-Impact Sourcing trip to Nepal, said I had to get her talking about her passion for being a voice in her community for indigenous women. Amongst other topics of importance.
In the first conversation we recorded, I skirted the edges of these questions knowing that if Christina wanted to bring this to the table, it was set and ready, and she did, in part, bring conversations that I had never considered before to me, and to us.
After we recorded the first part of this podcast, Christina realised that the platform was open for more, and we later recorded another hour where we got deeper into these topics.
I got schooled in these recordings.
I realise I have no qualification to speak about white privilege.
I realised I had no fuc*ing idea how to talk about white privilege, or how to ask questions about it without sounding like a dim-wit (I've not cut this out because I am here to learn too), and basically my friends, I learned that my privilege has made me blind to... well... my privilege.
During the recording of these podcasts, I realised that there's been numerous times I have personally been ignorant to my own privilege in the world and in doTERRA.
I came to this business as the second most powerful person in the world. A rich, pretty, white female in a Western society.
Second only to my own husband. A rich white man in a Western society.
The finance and freedom I earn with doTERRA, and my own business prior to doTERRA even granted me the opportunity to extend what women don't have access to in a corporate box, and create limitlessness and choice that amplified my privilege.
Has my own ignorance to this privilege meant I've said and done things that
may not have sat well with others? Now, I'm sure of it. And for that, I am sorry.
I even sat numb at one point in the second recording and considered the profile of my previous guests. All amazing. And in honesty, in the same bucket as I am. No diversity.
The biggest question is now 'What am I going to do about it?'.
Maybe this is a start.
I fumble. I sound like an idiot at times. I can hear that I try to agree and even mirror points in this that when listening back to, hold zero relevance or ' sameness' at all to what Christina is saying.
I am shook in a good way and I know there is so much more depth to this.
This is a big episode. Please listen to the whole thing with an open heart and mind and like me maybe, with the understanding that I've got it wrong before and am just only now walking with wobbly foal legs into this.
I will continue to make mistakes in this arena, I'm sure. But I am willing to be wrong, and corrected and wrong and to do something about it.
And I can't forget to mention that you're also going to hear some absolute gems when it comes to inspo for your doTERRA business.
At the core of this conversation are three points:
doTERRA can be and is the most incredible platform for growth, expansion and opportunity for any culture.
The work that doTERRA do with Choice Humanitarian is to be applauded
WE need to get better at appreciating, celebrating and welcoming diversity.
Personally, I hope this episode start conversations that need to be had.
I hope that together we can recognise and then action areas for growth. I hope that some of us, as we listen, have the same response as me 'Aaahhhh wow. I didn't/haven't/wouldn't have ever thought of that'.
And then 'And now I am thinking of it, I can't let that thought float off. I now have a role and responsibility to play in this'.
There's some resources I want to share here with you that were discussed:
Resources:
https://thelifecoachschool.com/podcast/244/
Other topics we cover off in this podcast include:
Christina's first experience with the essential oils and why she bought her first kit
Why Christina went into a rage the first time she saw the doTERRA business plan
Why it's so cool that in doTERRA 'We're just a number'.
Privilege
How Christina introduces the oils and business conversations with her enrolments
Ranking to Diamond while enrolling 3-5 people per month (10 max!)
How Christina built a team when she didn't even have time for a shower, let alone world domination.
Why you don't have to be a yoga teacher to share the oils and create an epic business.
Why presenting the business opportunity differently to every person is so valuable.
How doTERRA gets the it so right when it comes to supporting local indigenous cultures
The difference the 'money' makes: doTERRA creating conscious entrepreneurs. "We want to make massive change. We aren't pretentious money-makers. "
Who the first people are you'd want to share the oils and business opportunity with, and so so so much more.
