"My clients are always happy to get essential oils sent with your love. I appreciate you and your love of the essential oils very much. I am a proud member of Wisdom of the Earth.” Yoko Y. - Japanese Master Distributor
WOTE Team
Our beautiful community of dedicated WOTIES helps bring the oils to each and every one of our valued customers throughout the world. From sourcing oils to pouring oils, from taking orders to packing orders, from visioning the future of WOTE and translating that vision into the offerings we create, to supporting the wonderful WOTE Master Distributors & Teachers in the US and abroad…this is the team that makes it happen.
Audre Gutierrez
Hi! My name is Audre Gutierrez, and I am a Master Medicinal Aromatherapist and the Co- founder and Owner of Wisdom of the Earth Essential Oils. My life literally changed in the late 1990s when, seeking relief from a shoulder injury, I was introduced to essential oils by Barry Kapp during a massage treatment. I had no idea what they were, how they could benefit me, and certainly had no idea that they would change my life. It took only that first introduction to stimulate a transformation that would ripple through my life over the next couple of years. In short…daily and intentional use of pure essential oils brought me to my authenticity and, with that, the realization that I had to leave the corporate, executive environment that had dominated my life for over 25 years and pursue my love of plant medicine and natural healing modalities.
Shortly thereafter, Barry and I partnered to create Wisdom of the Earth, leveraging his deep knowledge of and love for the oils and my extensive management experience and passion for these beautiful healing gifts from the Earth. We shared a vision of education, purity, and respect for the perfection of nature embodied in these exquisite oils and began a journey that has culminated in the teaching of many hundreds of students, personally, and via our network of highly talented and compassionate teachers and the stewardship of a thriving company devoted to serving those who value pure, natural essential oils from all over the world.
Barry retired at the end of 2019, and I became the sole owner of Wisdom of the Earth, where I consult with clients about Aromatherapy use, in person, by phone, or via Zoom. Additionally, I offer the WOTE Level I and II classes at Wisdom of the Earth in Cornville, AZ, with Cynthia Olivera and through Zoom. I also teach private Level I classes, both in person and online. My approach involves sharing extensive aromatherapy knowledge and cultivating a deep, intuitive connection with both the Plant Kingdom and my individual clients.
Alongside Cynthia Olivera and Barry Kapp, I co-authored a compelling compilation of stories and accounts about 19 essential oils titled Voices of Light, Voices of Love: Messages from the Plants and Trees. This book is a collection of life-changing stories from WOTE Level I students, detailing their personal journeys with essential oils. Carefully curated and edited, these accounts reveal the unique, spiritual connection between humans and the Plant Kingdom, making this book an inspirational aromatherapy read like no other.
In terms of my educational background, I hold a Master of Arts in Teaching and pursued Doctoral Studies in Organizational Behavior at the Wharton School of Business. I've studied Aromatherapy in France with Dr. Malte Hozzel and in the US with Barry Kapp, John Steele, and Dr. Kurt Schnaubelt, among others. Additionally, I am a certified Reiki practitioner.
Before Wisdom of the Earth, I had a successful executive career, including seven years with a major drug development company and over 10 years in the Public Accounting industry as a Human Resources Executive.
Feel free to contact me by emailing [email protected] or texting me at (928)300-5090. Join us in empowering individuals to become active masters of their life and their health.
Cynthia J. Olivera
Hello there, I am Cynthia J Olivera, a Master Aromatherapist and the Educational Director for Wisdom of the Earth. I have dedicated two decades to working with the essences, the plant kingdom, and WOTE, and I have loved every minute. I really don’t know how people can live without the help of these beautiful oils.
I taught children music, movement, story, and theatre early in my career. This work transitioned into working with adults and children with movement for brain integration and meditation. I then created a process called Inner Landscape Work, a movement/meditation process for self-empowerment through the body with the help of the plant devas.
The next journey found me writing The Book of Anointing: A Divine Rebellious Act of Love, where I remembered my path as a sacred anointer and developed processes of anointing with the oils for people to go within and find the divine light that lives there. I had the privilege to co-author a book, Voices of Light, Voices of Love, Messages from the Plants and Trees, with Audre Gutierrez and my ex-husband Barry Kapp.
My lineage is built upon a generation of mother curanderos from the Caribbean and backward in time to the high kingdoms of Africa and the Mediterranean. This lineage brings me deeper into remembering the plant kingdom and my connection to it, allowing their consciousness to speak. I have humbly learned to listen to the voice of light and love that exists in all things.
I love our WOTE community and the many people I have met on my travels, teaching worldwide, and at home in Cornville, AZ. I collaborate with many wonderful teachers creating empowering retreats in the US and abroad.
Working with Audre and teaching WOTE level I and II Certification courses has been a great honor.
I am available for anointing ceremonies, essential oil consultations and teachings, retreats and spiritual counseling. You can reach me at [email protected] or my website cynthiajolivera.com.
Bronlin
Hi, I’m Bronlin, I work as a Sacred Pourer at Wisdom of the Earth. My journey with essential oils began a number of years ago. I was making a major life change as I was moving away from the restaurant business where I had been a chef for many years. I was also moving my life and my family from Wyoming to the Sedona area to live and to go to massage school.
Due to the stress of making a change, I was having issues with anxiety and digestion. My mother, Susie, whom I now work with at WOTE, brought me in and I met Audre for the first time. Audre suggested a number of essences for my issues, which I began using. I soon met Cynthia and Barry during further trips to WOTE. Essential oils soon became a way of life. I use them every day for myself and family and in my practice as a massage therapist.
My favorite part of my job at WOTE is receiving the essences from all over the world. Opening them, smelling them, and examining their qualities is a joy. It’s like far off parts of the globe are saying hello and we now get to care for the precious gifts before sending them as medicine to heal the world. I have always felt a close affinity with Mother Earth and her plants and creatures. It is my honor to be a part of this process. Much love to all my fellow essence enthusiasts!
Susie
Hi! My name is Susie and I have the honor and privilege of hand-pouring the essential oils for Wisdom of the Earth. From the time I was a small child I have loved working with my hands. Anything I could make by hand made me happy and brought me great peace. Hand pouring the essential oils was a natural for me. To work every day pouring and communing with the essences, inhaling their fragrance, and mediating on what they have to teach, has been profoundly satisfying.
Outside of work, I am the owner of a brick-and-mortar art, antique, and gift shop named Calypso’s Daughter where, you guessed it, I also carry Wisdom of the Earth essential oils. Other interests include hiking, treasure hunting (rocks, shells, and odd pieces of wood and antiques), travel and anthropology (my educational background). I earned a MA in cultural anthropology with a specialization in Medical Anthropology.
I am joined in the Pouring Station by my son, Bronlin.
Darlene
I truly enjoy working with plants in many ways! Whether pruning, installing a garden, making a batch of body balm, or recommending essential oils for a client’s particular interest, working with the Plant Devas is an absolute blast for every aspect of my being.
My position with Wisdom of the Earth is known as the “Hot Seat”. At the risk of sounding cheeky, I do like it HOT. I am usually your first point of contact for placing orders or addressing a customer service issue. This is something I am truly here for! The more questions you ask, the more we both learn together.
Melissa
My name is Melissa and I work in the shipping department at Wisdom of the Earth. Maybe you are reading this and, like me, are a relative newcomer to the healing art of aromatherapy. Perhaps we even share an amazement of the incredible variety of essences we offer at WOTE.
At least once a day, as I'm preparing a package for shipment, I come across an essence I've never heard of and probably can't pronounce correctly. I'll note the oil in question and at my first opportunity visit the tester bar at the front of the store to experience the aroma first hand. If the oil speaks to me, and I don't mean to make you jealous, I have full license to not only smell but slather. (We have a running joke in the office that we are walking human diffusers.)
Marry this access of healing plant medicine with an office culture that is infused with love, intelligence, integrity, and laughter and you start to understand what it means to love your job. My wish for you, our valued customer, is that you experience a rush of joy when you open a package from us. That's what love does.
Laura (Smokey)
As a retired professional clown, who got a Jay Leno nose job at an early age, I have always been one to follow my big nose. My early childhood was filled with mystical experiences in nature, one of which still takes centerstage in my memory.
At five years old, in my grandmother's rose garden, I experimented with making my own perfume aromas. Using flower petals, twigs, and leaves, I soaked them in oils, water, and condiments. The mayo was a huge fail, but the successes remain lingering in my Grand Canyon nostrils to this very day.
Now, here at Wisdom of the Earth, I cherish working at this healing company. I’m delighted to do IT, research, production, and administrative work. I've also just completed the Level 1 class and it’s my favorite class ever! Indeed, this magical place - with beautiful essences wafting through the air - is a constant reminder of my connection to Mother Nature. Audre and her amazing team at WOTE enhance the beauty in my life daily and I am forever grateful.
It is with all this in mind that I do declare, "a Happy Nose Makes a Merry Heart".
Maija
I grew up in a Finnish family in Sedona, AZ (and Verde Valley) back in the 1960’s. I have been blessed with an amazing husband for 51 years, children, grand-children, and great-grandchildren. I am a nature lover, dancing with trees and plants, a rock collector, and a co-creator with the Universe!
I have shared my love of the essences at Wisdom of the Earth by doing a myriad of jobs, training new employees, consulting with customers, packing the essences with love, organizing files, and helping with events. I have lovingly been referred to as “the glue” in the office.
I so enjoy partnering with the plant and tree essences and seeing how they have helped awaken and heal the hearts and lives of so many people – one drop at a time!
