A Year in Review

Yesterday was my one-year anniversary with Virgo publishing. That, along with ringing in a new year last week, has got me contemplating my first year immersed in the natural products industry. First off, I have to say it was a great year. I truly enjoy my job and I’m not just saying that because my boss reads this blog. I have learned so much, from DSHEA to why phthalates are harmful to the myriad benefits of omega-3s and CoQ10 to what retailers can legally tell their shoppers and more. I can't list everything I've learned, but I do know it has changed my life for the better. I was surprised at how fun it was to write a market insight story on metabolic syndrome for Natural Products Insider, got to enjoy many natural product samples, and got to meet great people at SupplySide West and Natural Products Expo West.

And, the absorption in the natural products world has changed my eating and supplement habits. When I started one year ago, I took a multi and fish oil every day and occasionally, echinacea when I felt I was getting sick. Those supplements have stayed the same, but I’ve added vitamin D and a calcium supplement to the routine. You will also find more organic products in my cupboard and fridge than ever before, and this year, I’ve also increased my tea drinking and downgrading my meat eating.

I have also become so engrossed that I forget “regular” consumers don’t know as much about natural products as I do now. For instance, over the holidays I had lunch with a high-school friend who has since left Phoenix, but returned home to visit family. In an offhand comment, I mentioned probiotics. “Probiotics?” she said, “I don’t know what those are.” What? How could someone not know about probiotics? It amazed me and made me listen extra carefully to an NPR story I heard the next day. Harry Balzer, vice president with the NPD Group, was on All Things Considered and said yogurt has increased in our dietary habits more than any other food during the past 10 years. Interestingly, the word “probiotic” was not mentioned once in the news piece. Shocking!

I still have a lot to learn about this industry and I am motivated by the challenges that are to come. I hope I have many more years here at Virgo and in the industry. Here’s to finishing my first year and starting my second! I can’t wait to see where it leads.