Today we’d like to introduce you to JK DeLapp.
Hi JK, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Rising Phoenix officially started back in 2011, while I was still in med school in San Diego, although it was 2014 before we really started launching products.
Many that follow my work know that I work in Chinese Medicine. I’m in private practice in Atlanta. I spent some time working in three hospitals in Shanghai. In my earlier years, I spent my last year in university in Avignon and worked in Paris after college. I’ve been fortunate to have traveled extensively.
While in med school, we had to memorize quite a bit of information about hundreds and hundreds of medical substances, including the Chinese pinyin, the common English names, and the Latin scientific names as part of our education.
The Latin names started tugging at something in the back of my mind. It didn’t take me long to figure out that pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, fragrance, flavor, and the incense and spice trades were all built on the back of herbs. Herbs I was really diving deep down the rabbit hole on.
In my third year of school, something clicked and I realized, “I could be a physician. Or, I could be a physician, and… !” I wanted to tap into a much larger world that was built on the back of something most never think twice about: herbs. Foundations in a multitude of global modern-day markets.
Since natural oils distilled/extracted from herbs – what we call essential oils, “absolutes”, etc. – are really pharmaceutical-grade herb extracts, fragrance seemed like a natural place to start.
In practice – my office is very aromatic. The first thing new patients say in walking into my office is “it smells incredible in here!” Almost every time. Hehe The aromatics I use in practice are always very ambiant. Usually some of the incense we manufacture burning in the background. Occasionally some oils we may pull out and have the patient inhale while the needles are in (Acupuncture).
In regards to specialties – Rising Phoenix specializes in artisan Sandalwood, Oud (Agarwood), and Resin distillations. I compound all of our Attars with my pharmacy compounding and herbal education a in mind. Although I have different parameters in mind when making fragrance (enjoyable scent, longevity, complexity/development) – as they are all-natural and made from grades of material not generally available on the market – many people do take note of how they are like potent medicines in how they impact their psycho-emotional / mental / physical wellbeing when wearing or smelling our products.
Full Disclosure – I am not a Certified Aromatherapist. I did, however, attend medical school at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in San Diego (now known as Pacific College of Health and Science) – and I’ve taken that extensive herbal training and pharmacy compounding education and applied it to Natural Perfumery and Aromatherapy.
I am nationally accredited by the NCCAOM and licensed by the state medical board here in Georgia.
I’ve spent time working in 3 hospitals in Shanghai (2 locations of Long Hua, and also in Zhong Yi Hua Shanghai (“Chinese Medicine Hospital of Shanghai”) – where I also studied the local herbal compounding tradition known as Gao Fang).
I am also a member physician of an alternative Healthcare group – and I was the first “non western” practitioner brought into the group. Can read more about that here: https://hipnation.com/doctor/jk-delapp-l-ac-dip-om-acupuncturist/
In practice, I specialize in Kampo Medicine (the Japanese angle on Chinese Medicine) and am a specialized practitioner of “Fukushin” – which is a unique diagnosis and prescription method refined by blind practitioners in Japan since the early 16th Century. Fukushin is an abdominal palpatory technique.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Smooth roads … Ha! What are those?
The biggest struggle I’ve faced is growing a company organically from zero.
The kind of work that I’m in – both Chinese Medicine and Perfumery – these are rather unknown industries to banks and investors. Showing them the potential market and getting them to wrap their heads around the opportunities has been challenging. Compounded by my language barrier … I don’t speak Finance the way they want me to.
And so I’ve been left to grow slowly. Organically.
It’s been an education, to say the least – but it’s also been a growth hurdle I haven’t quite figured out my way around.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I have two faces to the work I’m doing currently – which I would say is the Point of Intersection on the Fragrance, Medicine, and Spice Trades …
The first is working in Chinese Medicine. I have a home office in Roswell, and I am working on opening another office in Alpharetta. In practice, I specialize in Kampo Medicine (the Japanese angle on Chinese Medicine) and am a specialized practitioner of “Fukushin” – which is a unique diagnosis and prescription method refined by blind practitioners in Japan since the early 16th Century. Fukushin is an abdominal palpatory technique.
The second is my work in Perfume and Incense … and it’s not what it sounds like. On the one end, I develop products for other companies. On the other, I have my own brand, Rising Phoenix, that specializes in high-value natural aromatics. I deal in things not easily found elsewhere – and specialize in Attars, an older style of perfumery than the more commonly known alcohol / spray perfumery we find in the West, and also in distillation of Oud oils – as well as high-value Agarwood and other raw materials.
I am rather unknown here in the US – but have a cult-like following in the Middle and Far East, as well as within niche circles here in the US and the West, in general.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
In light of the past two years – there is much more to being Healthy than what we see being discussed in the public arena. We could speak at length about how our health is being impacted in countless unforeseen ways, as well as explore just how much power you have at your fingertips to empower yourself and take back your health.
Finding a licensed practitioner of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine will fill a healthcare gap in a way that words alone will not make sense.
I, and others like me, are here and happy to help!
Pricing:
- Initial Appointment : $225
- Follow Up Appointments : $125
- Students and Uniforms Follow Up : $75
Contact Info:
- Email: JDeLapp@TheRisingPhoenixGroup.com
- Website: www.RisingPhoenixPerfumery-com.myshopify.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therisingphoenixperfumery/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RisingPhoenixPerfumery
- Other: https://hipnation.com/doctor/jk-delapp-l-ac-dip-om-acupuncturist/
Image Credits:
Photos provided by JK DeLapp Perfumery Course –> Floracopeia The man I’m pictured with is Tanaka San – former General Manager of Johnson & Johnson Japan
