A second act
How Priyanka Sabnani turned lived experience, family values, and a belief in natural health into business ownership at 46
By Alexa Everett
Surprise was the first emotion that washed over Priyanka Sabnani when she heard her store’s name called. Sitting among her peers at the Health First Network (HFN) Conference and Annual General Meeting in 2025, she made her way to the stage to accept the Fueling Growth (Medium) award.
“I was totally clueless. I thought it sounded like our store name but wasn’t sure,” she recalls. “I was happy beyond words can describe. And it wasn't just about me receiving the award, it was about all of us: the family, the team.”
This recognition came just two years after Priyanka took over Nature’s Way Select Foods and Brewing Supplies. After purchasing the Kemptville, Ontario store from Gerty Tenbult, who owned it for 29 years, Priyanka entered the natural health retail industry. At 46 years old, she was ready to tackle a new chapter despite having no formal background in business ownership.
Taking the leap
Priyanka immigrated to Canada from India at 21. With no built-in support system, newly married, and far from her extended family, she decided to stay home with her children until they reached grade school. “It was important for me to be there for the kids when they were younger,” she says.
Once her children entered school, Priyanka began carving out a space for herself as a library technician. As the years unfolded, a quiet ambition took root: owning a business of her own.
That idea gained traction when her son, Ishan Sabnani, who had entered the real estate industry, began exploring different ownership opportunities—one of which included the listing of Nature’s Way Select Foods.
“As soon as I learned about it, my heart was like, ‘This feels right. Let’s go take a look,’” she says. The entire family visited the store together. “With every breath I took, I thought, ‘Yeah, this is us.’ You know when you walk into a place and everything you see resonates with you? It was just amazing, everything just felt good,” she says.
In March 2023, Priyanka and her son Ishan officially took ownership of the natural health store, stepping into a role she had long been dreaming of.
Leading the business
Though new to the industry, Priyanka had a deep-rooted connection to natural health. “I grew up with Ayurveda and the idea that the first healing comes from the kitchen,” she says—a philosophy further cemented while navigating unfamiliar food sensitivities in a new country.
“Coming to Canada as an immigrant, starting my life here, raising my kids, and then encountering health issues like peanut and egg allergies with my daughter, then … needing to go gluten-free and dairy-free [myself]—I’ve lived it in some ways. It’s part of me,” says Priyanka.
When the Sabnanis first took over, the store had five employees, all of whom they initially retained. As roles and fit became clearer, the team shifted. “It’s not only us acquiring something new,” she says. “For them, we’re new people they’re dealing with too.”
Employee management was one of Priyanka’s early learning curves. “The relationship piece is key, and you’re respected for the work you put in,” she says. Priyanka says that having once been an employee herself helps her lead with empathy. “I’m not just a business owner; I know how I would and wouldn’t want to be treated,” she explains.
Today, Nature’s Way Select Foods operates with three employees, including a nutritionist—two retained from the previous ownership and one new hire. The team is also a family affair: Priyanka’s daughter works the floor, her husband helps when needed, and she runs the business alongside her son.
“Everyone can handle everything,” she explains. “We want everybody to be on the floor, greet the customers, help them the best we can, and know a little bit of the logistics.”
Knowledge as power
Training is a tool Priyanka uses to bridge product knowledge and customer care. She regularly reaches out to companies to request in-store training sessions or webinars, many of which she attends alongside her staff. During trainings, Priyanka emphasizes notetaking, conversation, and collaboration, ensuring the team can reference the knowledge thereafter. “Later, we get to talk to each other and say, ‘You remember what we learned about that?’” she says.
For Priyanka, trainings are the key to success. “I think the only way you're able to do this job well is to make sure you also have training,” she says. “We’re all wanting to help the customer, but how is anyone supposed to sell anything if you don't know about the product, the company, or the sweat and blood that went into its formation?”
Making changes
Priyanka credits the store’s three decades in business to Gerty’s ability to evolve alongside the community and keep pace with current needs. Since taking over, she and her son have done the same: they’ve preserved the brewing supply section of the store to continue serving long-time customers but have adjusted procedures and the interior layout. One of the most significant shifts, however, was becoming intentional about product selection.
“When I took over, there were around 20 or 30 brands of vitamin D,” recalls Priyanka. “For me, having my few top brands is enough, because we believe in them. I’m looking to have the best possible product on the shelf.”
At the same time, she says she remains committed to meeting customers where they are. “If we don’t have something on the shelves that a customer wants, we look into it for them,” she says. “That’s their need, and we want to cater to it.”
That passion is what keeps her moving forward. “It’s ongoing,” she says about the knowledge she’s acquired. “There’s so much—the industry is very vast, and you cannot be in it if your heart is not in it. The whole core of your being has to be ‘I'm here to help.’”
Navigating uncertainty
Nature’s Way Select Foods serves a loyal base of customers, many of whom are seniors who value one-on-one conversations and advice.
“They come back because it’s a family business,” she says. “You get a conversation, and we’re right here to answer any questions.”
While her customer base remains steady, external factors have brought uncertainty. Navigating tariffs, emphasizing Canadian products, and adapting to a tax-free holiday period weren’t straightforward.
“We took care of those tariffs ourselves instead of passing them along to the customers, so we can provide stability,” says Priyanka. “Yes, their products are available, and no, prices haven’t gone through the roof. It was a family decision; we absorbed them because we had good faith that it’s all going to turn around.”
HFN
Nature’s Way Select Foods had long held an HFN membership, which Priyanka reapplied for when they took over. “It's been a very fulfilling part of the journey,” she says. “HFN is a big blessing. It's like being part of not just a community, but a family. Support is an email or phone call away.”
With access to exclusive products and a flyer program, Priyanka says the membership has been invaluable—an affiliation that led to their HFN award. “We’re stronger together and better together with our HFN family,” she says.
Looking back at the last three years, Priyanka speaks with gratitude. “We've had major leaps, but we've been enjoying the ride,” she says. “When your heart is in it, it's all good—and we’re in it together.”