Health Smart Bulk & Natural Foods and Talon Sports Massage are well-established businesses operating within the Town of Westlock for over 30 years, located at 17, 10030 106 Street. We are delighted to cast a spotlight on these businesses in recognition of their enduring and compassionate representation in the local business community.
Health Smart Bulk & Natural Foods is a one-stop-shop for all your holistic care essentials. With a vast selection of natural herbs, vitamins, personal care items and sport supplements, you’ll be sure to find exactly what you’re looking for at this unique downtown storefront. Business owner Janelle Woods, uses her ever expanding knowledge as a certified holistic nutritionist to research and vet each product that is hand selected for her shelves. Janelle places a high standard on the quality of products being provided to her customers. “Health Smart only stocks top quality herbs; no fillers or additives, just pure products.”
Talon Sports Massage offers an extensive range of personal care services that are unique to massage therapy and less commonly found in standard practices. Business Owner Trevor Woods has 28 years of experience in massage therapy under his belt, starting out as a practitioner in Calgary back in 1995. Over the years, Trevor has consistently evolved his practice through continued education and exploration of advanced personal services and diverse methods. Some services Trevor offers, although not limited to this list, are deep tissue massage, sport injury and motor vehicle injury rehab, cold laser therapy, shockwave therapy, RAPID NeuroFascial Release (RNFR) and the Graston Technique.
When asked about the goals for these companies, Trevor was eager to share his vision of “providing Weslock with a top-notch health food and massage therapy experience” while achieving the reputation for the best local shopping in Westlock. Not only does Health Smart provide a selection of quality products, but educating and assisting customers in fulfilling their needs is one of the most important services provided. In a discussion over online competitors, Janelle stressed the importance of providing her customers with personable, one-on-one interactions, “We like to offer that in person experience. People can feel comfortable talking with us about their problems and we can give them the right advice.”
Post-Covid has proven to be a bit of a challenging time for both Health Smart and Talon Sports Massage as they continue to navigate the recovery phase of their business. While Health Smart was fortunate enough to remain open during the Covid era, Talon Sports Massage was forced to cease operations for the majority of those two years, causing a fair bit of viability concerns moving forward. A major focus for each company right now is to increase their foot traffic and customer base so they can continue to be a vital contributor to the business community of Westlock.
Health Smart Bulk & Natural Foods initially put down roots on Westlock’s main street in 1993, owned and operated by Trevor’s mother, Jeannette Woods. In the early days of Health Smart, the business was primarily a bulk food store which slowly transitioned into a health food and vitamin store as the demand for those services became increasingly evident. Over the next few years, Trevor was traveling to Westlock quite frequently to provide massage therapy services as an added benefit to the business. In 1998, Trevor made the decision to move to Westlock permanently, where he and Jannelle put down roots and raised their four wonderful children.
Jeannette made the decision to start her own business with the intention to transition her husband out of the oilfield sector and as a opportunity to integrate her knowledge of natural foods into her livelihood. Trevor made the decision to become a business owner as it was a natural fit for him. Growing up, his father was a self-employed man his whole life, his mother became a self-employed woman once she opened her store. It seemed instinctive to gravitate towards becoming a self-employed man himself.
The name Health Smart Bulk & Natural Foods originated from a health food store Jeannette worked at in Stettler many years ago called “Be Health Smart”. Once Jeannette knew she wanted to establish a health food store in Westlock, she contacted her previous employer to discuss the potential name and the owner was more than thrilled to see the idea expand and live on. Talon Sports Massage was chosen as the name for Trevor’s massage therapy business as a reflection of strength and power; which came down to the talon of an eagle.
After some time on main street, Health Smart relocated to a space on 106th Street, and then again to the Capri Mall on the corner of Highway 18 and Highway 44, which would become their home for the next 15 years. As the Capri Mall was coming to the end of it’s viable days, Health Smart and Talon Sports Massage came into possession of their new ideal location, back on 106th Street, in the Associate Medical Center building. This area only seemed fitting as it complements their long-standing relationship with the medical clinics in town. Jeannette added that “people seem to really like this location because they can do their shopping downtown, visit the medical clinic and then stop by our store, instead of having to drive across town.”
When you walk into Health Smart, you will instantly feel the friendly and inviting atmosphere. The staff are laid back and always up for conversation as you browse through their store. Not only will you be greeted by Janelle or her employee, Rose, when you enter the store, you will also be greeted by their furry sales associates, Morgan and Sully! Many customers are known to stop in just to give these two pooches a good pet and be on their way.
In discussing what success looks like for each of these businesses Trevor humbly stated “obviously in business you want to be successful financially, but the retuning clientele is what is most important to us. Its easily just as rewarding when you have customers that are relying on your information and services.” Janelle added, “it’s about finding a product for someone that helps so that they come back because they are seeing an improvement.” A big indication of success is knowing that Health Smart and Talon Sports Massage are one of the first businesses a customer thinks of when the are in need of some personal services and/or products.
Be sure to visit Health Smart Bulk & Natural Foods on the first Tuesday of every month to take advantage of their 10% off sale, and 15% off for seniors discount. Keep any eye on their Facebook page for Feature Friday posts which will highlight a particular product on a flash sale.
Please join us in congratulating the Woods family and celebrating Health Smart Bulk & Natural Foods in their 31 years in business and Talon Sports Massage in their 29 years in business! Stop in for your personal service needs today and you may even be lucky enough to sneak in a puppy pet while you’re there!
Phone: 780-349-5750
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