Your words of encouragement to others can be life-changing
By Bruce W. Cole
Not everyone in our industry knew Brenda Parkes. She was one of those people who didn’t crave attention, who worked quietly behind the scenes, and who worked best in one-on-one situations to make everyone around her better. She just wanted to help improve the lives of those she worked with or came in touch with. For this reason, I’d say Brenda was very much the living embodiment of the spirit of the natural health industry.
Brenda—whom I would consider a friend for more than 25 years—passed away in the spiritual room of her local hospital, surrounded by loved ones, last October. In the wake of her passing, the most incredible thing happened: I began to hear from a number of people whose lives were impacted by her.
Deb Larocque, national sales manager at Assured Natural Distribution, said, “Brenda was good at people. She just had this innate ability to help people with everything. She helped some through the darkest parts of their life. She helped people see the possibilities and options. She could get people to open up.”
Brenda had an almost magic touch when it came to hiring, and she was responsible for bringing some amazing people to the Preferred Nutrition team. Deb—who was one of Brenda’s prized hires—said she believed in people. “She believed in me. She hired me at Preferred Nutrition. She saw people’s qualities and saw the good in them. Brenda could see their goodness, their skills, and what they were good at. She saw their potential. She gave people a chance.”
When Preferred Nutrition became part of the Natural Factors family, Brenda stepped away from active duty and enjoyed a couple of quiet years before taking on a new challenge. In April 2019, she joined her sister, Rhonda Taylor, in Hazelton, BC, in owning and operating The Hazeltons’ Health Food Store. By all accounts, Brenda threw herself into the role, quickly establishing friendships and relationships with the people of Hazelton and in the nearby Gitanmaax First Nations community. Because of her ability to connect, she became a much loved and valued member of the region in a very short time.
Brenda was truly one of a kind. Yet I would say that she was emblematic of many people in our industry: quietly, and without fanfare, inspiring and helping people see the strengths in themselves that they might not have otherwise seen.
Hearing the amazing stories about the influence Brenda had on so many made me hope that she knew how many people she helped. And I hope it reminds everyone of the influence you can have on the people in your life, especially the new and young you work with, who could use some words of encouragement. Guidance and advice from you can help them be their best and clearly identify their strengths.
Your words of encouragement can be life-changing.