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I spent most of my grade school and high school years at two places – school or my Dad’s health food store in the City. When I was eight, my father decided he wanted to leave the car business and start a food business. Before I was born, he had owned a restaurant in Lebanon. My father dreamed of opening another restaurant in the United States. However, he did not open a restaurant. He opened a health food store named “It’s Natural.”
It’s Natural was part health food deli and part vitamin shop. It’s Natural offered health conscious sandwiches, juices, smoothies and snacks. Most of the food served was prepared at home – I recall my Mom preparing most of the food in our kitchen at home while I sat at the dining room table doing homework. From Sunday night through Thursday night, I watched my Mom preparing food and managing giant pots on all four burners of the stove top.
While not fully aware of it at the time, It’s Natural is where I discovered how hard it was to be an entrepreneur. Trying to find reliable employees. No vacation days. Long hours and back breaking work. My mother worked so hard she could barely use her wrists. My Dad would start his day at 4:30 AM and typically not be home before I slept. The only time I remember my Dad closing It’s Natural, with the exception of a holiday, was when he had shingles. He was laid out at home for two days. That was the only time I ever saw him in bed during the day in my entire life.
I also recall the thousands of bottles of Nature Made vitamins on the shelves. I remember receiving shipments of vitamins in large green bins, specifically Nature Made. I remember my parents selling a lot of vitamins. The one thing I enjoyed doing was using the price gun to put the price stickers on the vitamin bottles. It was old school. Each bottle had to be priced. And, it was one of the things I could do well. At the time, I did not understand why so many people were interested in buying Vitamins.
Now that I am a little bit older, I get it. I started taking vitamins about 5 years ago. Choosing a brand was easy. I went with what I knew and trusted – Nature Made. As part of my morning routine, I currently take my Nature Made men’s multivitamin. Some mornings, I reach for the bottles and I remember It’s Natural and all the sacrifices my parents made for me. I think it depends what is going on in my life. Some days, I remember specific events that happened or certain customers that would come in like clockwork to buy Nature Made vitamins. This helps to remind of just how fortunate I am and how good things in life are.
I truly feel blessed that my parents worked so hard to help me achieve success.