Turning Pain into Purpose

Turning Pain into Purpose

Everything Natural has been a special place for me for a long time. 

When I was in my 20s, I developed an autoimmune condition that the doctors told me was “incurable.” They started me on several prescription medications – saying I would be on these medications for the rest of my life – and told me I would likely need surgery at some point. 

As a licensed pharmacist, I knew a lot about how these medications worked. And in the beginning, I accepted my situation for what it was. 

But over time, the reality of going from a healthy young man to a man on multiple medications who will likely need surgery just didn’t sit well with me.

What happened? What was going on? Why did this happen to me?

Answering these questions eventually became an obsession. And I found myself no longer accepting the destiny the doctors laid out for me.

So, I decided to learn everything I could about natural medicine and see if I could turn my health around. From reading about healing diets, herbal remedies, and even obscure things like applied kinesiology, I found myself researching and learning about natural health every day. 

Around this time, I started seeing chiropractors and naturopathic doctors, and I took various trainings in holistic medicine. 

As the years passed on, I discovered I felt better on a gluten-free diet. And as I searched the area for gluten-free alternatives, I eventually took the drive up to Clarks Summit and walked into Everything Natural.

As cliché as it sounds, I can still remember this first trip to the store today—almost 10 years later!

The store was clean and bright, the staff welcomed me with warm smiles, and I found myself getting lost in the aisles with a whole new world of products. From various herbs and supplements I had never heard of, to gluten-free breads and snacks, the amazing products at Everything Natural became my new playground.

I also would occasionally chat with the owner, Neil, about a variety of health topics. I found him friendly and knowledgeable, and this made my trips to the store even more memorable.

As time passed, I slowly started getting better from my health condition. Through a lot of ups and downs (even through a period of very serious illness where I was hospitalized) I was able to get off all my medications and avoid the surgery that the doctors told me was inevitable.

Fast forward to the winter of 2023.

My health had fully recovered. I had been working as a retail pharmacist for 12 years. And I was looking for a career change.

Working as a pharmacist no longer felt aligned with my values.  

While prescription medicine plays an important role in our society (and I am grateful for various aspects of modern medicine that helped me on my journey) I found that a majority of my customers were not getting better from their health issues.  

Plus, after seeing how my own body recovered through the use of natural medicine, I felt a calling for something more holistic and natural.

And right when I felt I couldn’t do one more year of retail pharmacy…the universe rang.

Everything Natural was for sale!

My wife, Gabby, and I spent a few hours on a Saturday afternoon mulling it over. Could we possibly put in an offer for the store?

Together we operated a small real estate company, owning and managing several rental properties. But we never did anything this big..

A few hours was all it took.

We put the offer in, and from then on it was off to the races.

Neil, the owner at the time, felt we were a perfect fit for the store, and he accepted our offer. A few months later on May 16, 2023, Gabby and I became the new owners of Everything Natural.

To say this was a huge blessing for our family, would be an understatement. 

I now spend much of my days counseling customers about organic food, healing diets, and various herbs and supplements. 

I get to help organize events and seminars centered around health and wellness.

And most importantly, I get to work a job I feel aligned with.  

And when I look back on everything, this is what the phrase “turning pain into purpose” is all about. 

If it wasn’t for my own struggle, I would never have been steered to the path I’m on today.  

They say that God works in mysterious ways.  

At the lowest point of my health journey, when I was sick and everything seemed hopeless, I often wondered why this happened to me…but now it all makes sense.

I turned my pain into purpose. 

If you made it this far, you now know a good part of the story that is behind the current owners of Everything Natural.

So thank you for reading, and I hope to see you at the store!

All the best,

Guy