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.

Following a successful debut at CHFA NOW Vancouver in 2024, the Retailer Roundtable—hosted by Bruce W. Cole, founder and former editor of CNHR—returned to the trade show and was met with an overwhelming response from retailers.

Carolyne Côté had never run a business before, but in 2019, she was handed the keys to one. After 15 years at the helm, Sandrine Guérin, founder of Verveine et cie, was ready to move on, and Carolyne—an employee since 2016—was intrigued by the prospect of carrying this legacy forward. Her passion for supporting healthy living helped her overcome the doubts of first-time ownership.

In the third part of our roundtable series from 2025, we’re sharing insights from retailers about the approaches that have been the most effective in fostering motivation, engagement, and resilience among their employees—especially during periods of rapid change and economic uncertainty.