Meet Rise Riyo

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rise Riyo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rise, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
In February 2019 I was physically assaulted and stalked by a former male coworker. Due to this incident I became emotionally and mentally traumatized while falling apart as my little daughter and husband helplessly watched me. I knew I needed to do something so I sought professional help. I was clinically diagnosed with depression, PTSD, agoraphobia, insomnia with reoccurring nightmares, and developed severe anxiety.

One day my husband noticed that I was playing around with essential oils so he encouraged me to take a course to get my mind off of the incident. I came across an online school, Aromahead Institute, based out of Montana that taught the craft of aromatherapy. But by the end of 2019 the Global Pandemic hit. While the US’ infrastructure began to shut down and people became sick and worried about getting sick with Covid-19, I on the other hand became fixated on learning about aromatherapy. As the pandemic became worse, I dived more into aromatherapy as a way of also dealing with my lawsuit against my former company for not addressing what could have simply been prevented.

I couldn’t focus on code as a software developer and therefore couldn’t work so I went on disability. The next few years were incredibly difficult for me. I struggled with my mental health and emotional wellness. During this time I blended various plant-based butters, carrier oils, botanical herbs, and essential oils which were certified organic, organically-grown, sustainably wild harvested, and ethically-sourced for my daily self-care routine. I began making blends for my little daughter and husband. My neighbors and friends began asking me to make them aromatherapy blends in carrier oils, salves and butters, and more. One of my friends suggested that I sell my blends so I created a boutique on Etsy and then moved over to GoImagine which better fit my products as they were all handcrafted by me.

In hindsight, I realized my fixation on aromatherapy, self-care and wellness was a way for me to deal with the trauma that I had experienced several months back. It became another way for me to heal my traumatic experience and move beyond the gloom and doom that shrouded my spirit and soul.

I didn’t major in business nor was the founder of a previous business. I simply dove into making my microbusiness into one that provided other complementary options to use for emotional and mental wellness, and addressed other community-based needs. My business pipeline embraced sustainability in light of climate change and the global plastic waste crisis.

So my thought process behind starting my business was a very deep, personal one that stemmed from a horrific experience yet very slowly evolved into a healing one.

What should our readers know about your business?
I’ve always been involved with local and global issues affecting unserved and under-represented communities, the environment and animals. In light of climate change and the global plastic waste crisis, it important to me to know that my microbusiness pipeline implements as close it can the practice of sustainability. The climate crisis does not discriminate. It affects everyone and everything living on Earth. In 2024 my microbusiness became green certified in the California Green Business Network in the City of Carlsbad.

Running an eco-friendly focused microbusiness has its hurdles especially in light of rising costs in my materials and supply chain, the global tariffs, the rising shipping costs, obstacles in on-time delivery, and decreasing consumer spending. I am the sole proprietor of my microbusiness so I do everything myself. Without continuous funding and revenue, I cannot hire temporary staff or contractors to help me in different areas of my business such as website maintenance and improvement, marketing, and outreach/networking to other brick-n-mortar small businesses that host pop-up events for small and microbusinesses.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
It’s important to support local small and microbusinesses. I would suggest the following venues for a tourist or friend to visit:
– local farmers markets such as Cardiff Farmers Market
– Shine Natural Market (a zero-waste grocery store) in Encinitas
– Balboa Park and its wonderful gorgeous museums
– any beach along PCH, especially in North County San Diego
– local breweries
– Onny’s Thai Cafe in San Marcos
– Kaito Japanese restaurant in Encinitas
– Botanical Gardens in Encinitas
– Yogasix Bressi Ranch, Yogasix North Carlsbad, Yogasix Scripps Ranch
– OrangeTheory Fitness North Carlsbad, OrangeTheory Encinitas
– any pop-up shop event in which my microbusiness is participating! Thank you!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to dedicate this article to my family, Joshua D. Hoaglund and my daughter Mayari Riyo-Hoaglund, my friends and neighbors who have continuously provided emotional support and encouragement to persevering through these current turbulent times in the US. They gave wonderful constructive feedback which has helped me to improve my blend recipes and my microbusiness as a whole. I would also like to dedicate this article to the late Andrea Butje, my instructor who shared her knowledge and love of plants and their healing properties, her partner Cindy Black who taught anatomy and physiology, and last but not least Karen Williams and her family of Aromahead Institute.

Website: https://www.fusionessentialsllc.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fusion.essentials.llc/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/riseriyo/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063491294798

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@fusionessentialsllc

Other: https://www.pinterest.com/fusionessentialsllc/
https://www.tiktok.com/@fusion.essentials.llc

Image Credits
Images by Rise Riyo