It’s always wonderful to welcome “new blood” to our community
By Bruce W. Cole
While attending the Health First Network (HFN) annual general meeting (AGM) in Montréal, Quebec, this past spring, I made it a point to try and connect with people I’d never met before. It was very encouraging to meet some first-time AGM retailer attendees, folks who in many cases are brand new to our industry.
Over the years, I’ve written countless times about our industry’s history and the many players who laid foundation that the rest of us are now building upon. I loved the stories of them starting their retail businesses in their basement, garage, or back porch or beginning their journey as a buying club.
That said, it is always wonderful to welcome “new blood” to our community. I am always interested to learn where they were before, hear their ideas, watch them share their experiences, and see in what areas they expend their energies. Many of them bring concepts and structure from their previous work lives, while some are young and with not as much work experience, they are loaded with energy and passion, ready to take on any and every challenge.
During the HFN AGM, I had a chance to meet for the second time Priyanka and Haresh Sabnani, who are the still fairly new owners of Nature’s Way Select Foods in Kemptville, Ontario. I was happy to see them win an HFN Fueling Growth Award.
Sandi and Jess Wiest are the new owners of The Healthy Bug in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and it was their first AGM. They bought the store from my old friend Lou Liberatore, who founded The Healthy Bug more than 20 years ago. And it was great to spend some time with brothers Sebastian and Camilo Mora, co-owners of Afentix Natural Alternatives, a new store in Montréal, Quebec. They are part of the HFN mentorship program. I look forward to writing about them in a coming issue.
There were many people at the Health First event who have been part of our industry’s tremendous growth over the past 20, 30, and even 40 years. As a pleasant compliment, it was gratifying to meet people who have just recently found our industry, and it makes you wonder what they will contribute to the collective movement.
We keep attracting amazing, talented people to this industry to carry on the crusade and spread the word of natural health. It is a positive trend that I hope continues to gain momentum.