Danielle Gauvin enjoys every moment of being involved in a “feel good industry” that is flourishing.
Gauvin’s ownership of Sequoia Natural and Organic in downtown Moncton and Dieppe suits her to perfection.
“It’s really cool because I get to help a lot of people lead healthier and better lives,” said Gauvin, an energetic Riverview native who has owned the Highfield Street location for almost six years and the Dieppe store for more than three.
“People come see us and, as clients, they starting living cleaner, healthier and better overall lives so we get a lot of satisfaction from seeing them enjoying all of the benefits they get from their new lifestyles,” she added.
Gauvin earned a degree in public relations then worked as a marketer with chambers of commerce in Halifax and Charlottetown before hearing there was an opportunity to purchase the Sequoia store in downtown Moncton.
“I grew up in a family of entrepreneurs so I always had a strong desire to own and operate my own business”, Gauvin said.
“I jumped at this chance. In my eyes, this was a great chance to get involved in a cool, ‘feel good’ business. I’m happy with the way everything has turned out.”
Sequoia, which employs about 15 people in both stores, offers organic and natural bulk foods and groceries, cleaning supplies, personal care, and nutritional supplements.
“We’ve done a pretty good job of educating the community about the kind of healthy products that are in our stores,” Gauvin said. “We have provided a lot of clinics about healthy living and the community has responded in a positive way.
“What people don’t know is the local origin of many of our products. We have 60 to 80 local suppliers that we support in our stories. It’s a great win-win situation for everyone involved and the customers love to support the local businesses.”
The Dieppe store is on Gauvin Road and the Moncton outlet is on Highfield Street, but it will soon be moving to become the anchor at the new Tannery Place at the corner of Main Street and Vaughn Harvey Boulevard.
The new 2,000 square-foot store will offer the same healthy product line with stellar advice from Gauvin and her staff.
“It’s an exciting time for us” she noted, “and we’re looking forward to working with a long-time customers and bringing in some new ones.”