What if one of the simplest tools for changing how you feel, focus, lead, and connect was something you could experience simply by breathing? In this episode of The Story Engine Podcast, I sit down with Jessica Wiehle, founder of AromaWell and a formally trained clinical aromatherapist, to explore the surprising power of scent. We unpack how essential oils interact with the brain, why different aromas can influence mood, motivation, memory, stress, and focus, and how Jessica creates personalized "aromatic signatures" for individuals, businesses, healthcare facilities, and shared spaces.
But Jessica's story goes much deeper than aromatherapy. After losing her mother to cancer at just 19, Jessica discovered herbal medicine and eventually experienced the powerful effects of eucalyptus during an incredibly stressful period of her own life. Years of study, experimentation, and entrepreneurship eventually led her to develop customized aromatherapy programs—including work with memory-care patients experiencing severe cognitive decline. We explore the moment her work came full circle, the lesson she learned about solving everything through effort, and why sometimes the next level of growth comes not from trying harder, but from creating more space for pleasure, relaxation, and alignment.
Highlights
(02:03) – Why Jessica calls herself a "modern medicine woman" and how decades of studying plants shaped her approach to healing
(03:36) – How aromatherapy began transforming Jessica's work with memory-care patients and expanded into mental health, hospice, and workplace wellness
(06:23) – What actually happens in the brain when you smell an essential oil—and why scent can influence memory, mood, and motivation
(07:36) – Why rosemary and peppermint may act like a workout for the brain, particularly for cognitive stimulation
(14:23) – The realization that changed Jessica's business: why a purely clinical approach wasn't fully aligned with the way she wanted to help people
(16:48) – How Jessica creates a personalized "aromatic signature" based on your personality, story, goals, and the environment you want to create
(19:32) – How the same process can be applied to an entire business by aligning scent with brand story, mission, vision, and customer experience
(20:45) – Why aromatherapy offers something most personal-development tools don't: an approach that works in the background without requiring more effort
(21:47) – The hidden blocks behind motivation and overwhelm—and how Jessica uses scent to address them
(23:22) – The connection between breathing, cortisol, stress, and why a smell can become a simple reminder to slow down
(25:21) – Why pleasure matters and how scent can engage the subconscious in ways we don't always consciously understand
(27:39) – The deeply personal story that led Jessica to aromatherapy after losing her mother to cancer at just 19
(31:55) – The eucalyptus experience that convinced Jessica there was something powerful about aromatherapy
(33:04) – Jessica remembers being beside her mother in hospice—and the small moment of connection she has never forgotten
(36:05) – How Jessica went from a paralegal career to building a business around plants, research, and aromatherapy
(37:27) – What happened when Jessica introduced a customized aromatherapy program into a memory-care facility
(38:50) – How nurses tracked the effects of aromatherapy—and the dramatic changes they observed in some residents
(39:37) – The World War II survivor who told Jessica, "I don't know what's in this stuff, but it's working"
(41:06) – Kyle reflects on Jessica's story and the journey from standing beside her dying mother to helping others through aromatherapy
(46:49) – Jessica's reaction to hearing her own story reflected back—and what she learned about authentic storytelling
(48:14) – Why telling your story in a way that creates a personal connection can change how people experience—and respond to—it
(48:53) – Jessica's closing message about our capacity to evolve through our senses and become more conscious of what surrounds us
