A spotlight on the best of our industry’s women: Interview with Stephanie Skalic
By Ellen Wheeler
“In Her Own Words” is a column that highlights outstanding female leaders and innovators in our natural health community.
Led by Ellen Wheeler, vice president of partnerships for Alive Publishing Group and publisher of CNHR, the column shines a light on industry women making a real impact.
In this issue, Ellen introduces you to Stephanie Skalic, senior merchandising manager at Nature’s Treasure by Fortinos. With nearly a decade at Fortinos, Stephanie has grown from department manager to operational specialist, now leading merchandising strategy for the natural foods category. Stephanie’s background blends business acumen with a strong foundation in wellness and communication. She studied holistic nutrition at the Institute of Holistic Nutrition and holds a BA in English Language and Literature from McMaster University.
ELLEN: You are a certified holistic nutritionist—can you talk about that journey and how it has guided you in your role?
STEPHANIE: I’m a certified nutritional practitioner, and I earned my certification through the Institute of Holistic Nutrition. After I left university, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I was unhappy, dealing with digestive issues, and stumbled across Wheat Belly by William Davis (HarperCollins Canada, 2012), which sent me down a rabbit hole. Learning how food affects the body and mind completely changed my perspective. Over the next year, I immersed myself in research, fell in love with whole-food cooking, and embraced a holistic lifestyle.
During that time, I was working in a financial institution and had a manager who noticed my passion—largely through my unsolicited lunchroom “lectures” about healthy eating! She helped me see that I could follow my passion and that changing career paths was possible. That same night, I went home, googled my heart out, found IHN, and enrolled immediately.
In my current role, that background is invaluable. It gives me a deep understanding of industry trends and, more importantly, our customers—because I am one of them. It also means I’m particularly rigorous about ingredient lists and nutrition labels, ensuring we vet products through a holistic lens so our customers can feel confident choosing anything in our department. It also builds credibility within the industry and with vendors. Fun fact: every manager and full-time employee in the Nature’s Treasure department is also a certified nutritionist. That shared expertise has given our vendor partners tremendous confidence in our ability to uphold the integrity of their brands.
ELLEN: Your title is “senior merchandising manager,” can you explain what that means in layman’s terms?
STEPHANIE: I get this question a lot! In simple terms, it essentially means category manager. I lead Nature’s Treasure department and team—also known as the Natural Value category—within Fortinos. My role is very holistic, touching everything from merchandising and operations to strategy and education.
ELLEN: Your role requires you to juggle many projects—can you share a little insight into what a day in your life is like?
STEPHANIE: Every day looks a little different, which is part of what I love about my job. Generally, my work revolves around supporting my team in creating and planning merchandising programs, seasonal promotions, and digital education pages. Each month’s health theme guides the nutrients, herbs, and remedies we highlight, allowing us to build flyer pages that truly educate customers on their wellness. I also oversee inventory flow across our 24 locations, onboard new brands and vendors, and lead planogram development—deciding which products come into or leave our assortment. These projects involve extensive analysis and planning and often take upwards of 10 to 12 weeks.
In addition to that, I manage all category metrics and targets; contribute creative, layout, and copy direction for our themed flyer pages and Back to Health brochures; and collaborate with the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM) to enhance our educational materials. I also provide analysis and insights to senior leadership on programs, promotional strategies, and performance trends, constantly identifying opportunities for growth and turning them into actionable plans.
Operationally, I work closely with our operations specialist to support stores in execution, ordering, and running our product education four-way merchandiser program.
It’s a full plate, but incredibly rewarding.
ELLEN: You carry a huge amount of responsibility. Can you share a little bit about your journey and how you got to where you are?
STEPHANIE: I started as a department manager in one of our Fortinos stores shortly after graduating from the Institute of Holistic Nutrition. I was genuinely impressed that a seemingly conventional retailer hired certified practitioners and carried an elevated assortment of food and supplements—many of which I had previously only seen in local health food stores. Six months in, our store underwent a major renovation to introduce Pane Fresco, and I ended up working closely with our former operations specialist to support the grand re-opening. That experience sparked my interest in the corporate side. Two years later, the opportunity came up to step into that same operations role.
From there, I transitioned into the merchandising manager position, which I held for four years. That role focused heavily on promotions, flyers, education, in-store merchandising, and working with our vendor community. I was lucky to learn from several incredible senior leaders while deepening my expertise in natural health and category management. For the last two and a half years—though it feels like just yesterday—I’ve had the privilege of leading the Nature’s Treasure team.
ELLEN: Did anyone stand out on your journey as a real mentor or guide?
STEPHANIE: I’ve been fortunate to learn from amazing leaders throughout my career, both inside and outside the industry. Two people in particular stand out. Lori, a manager from my banking days, gave me the push I needed to consider holistic nutrition as a real career path. And I’d be remiss not to mention Norm Wingfield—who you may know! When I first stepped into Category, I had no idea what a merchandising manager actually did. I was new to operations when Norm, newly appointed as senior merchandising manager, called me into an office one day. He asked, “What does a merch plan mean to you?” and I stared back completely blank. After fumbling through an answer, he gave me the signature Norm smile before breaking it down for me.
From that moment, he opened my eyes to the world of category management and helped me see how my nutrition background and interest in business could merge. His mentorship taught me not only the mechanics of the role but also how to listen—to truly keep the customer’s health at the heart of every decision. That mindset has shaped my entire career.
ELLEN: Fortinos is a powerhouse owned by the largest retailer in Canada. What impact does being part of LCL have on you that we may not realize?
STEPHANIE: When you’re deep in the day-to-day details, it’s easy to forget that you’re part of a massive organization, but when you take a step back and see the full picture, it’s astonishing. As part of LCL, and given the level of influence we have on how Canadians eat, we’re in a unique position to create real change. We have a responsibility to our consumers—who are really just all of us: our friends, families, and neighbours—to help them nourish themselves in a meaningful way. Our collective reach is incredible, and knowing that I can contribute to that, even within a small banner in Southern Ontario, is genuinely empowering.
ELLEN: What are some of the biggest challenges that you have had to overcome?
STEPHANIE: This is a big question! I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities I’ve had in life, and I know I’ve been very fortunate. But one of my biggest personal challenges has been my fear of failure. Retail moves fast, and we juggle so many responsibilities at once that it’s easy to feel like you have to keep every ball in the air perfectly. I’ve had to learn that mistakes are not only inevitable—they’re essential. The growth that comes from working through them is something you can only gain “the hard way.” One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that you truly have to move through discomfort to reach a place of confidence.
ELLEN: What part of your job gives you the most joy?
STEPHANIE: The greatest joy I get from my job is sharing my passion for health and wellness and empowering others to take ownership of their well-being. Whether it’s helping customers find the right products to support their journey, creating educational and approachable messaging in our flyers and programs, or even sharing knowledge with colleagues at my desk, I love being able to inspire, encourage, and support someone’s overall health. That’s the heart of why I’m in this business—and why I love it so much.