This is part of a year-long ‘Love for Local’ series called NB365: portraits of New Brunswick entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations. Huddle is a media partner with Love for Local. Today, we hear from Claudine and Bruce Sweeney of Simply For Life in Saint John.

SIMPLY FOR LIFE BEGAN AS A LOVE STORY 20 YEARS AGO.

We met and worked at a call centre in Saint John, where we soon realized how we loved working together, but also how unsatisfied we were in our job. We knew that there would be limitations in finding work together, but knew we had the drive and work ethic to start our own business doing what we love.

We both shared a passion for health and wellness and saw a need for a program focused on education and support for the increasing health/obesity epidemic that was infiltrating most Canadian lives. Our basement business was born with the focus to promote whole foods and a healthy lifestyle as a positive experience, to challenge the stigma around healthy eating, including its association with a salad-only diet or with deprivation and hunger.

Our mission is to change that misconception, to promote the idea that healthy food means real food, food that has not been manipulated, processed and pulverized; food that is delicious and satisfying.

We continue to keep working to advance an alternative to empty diets and unhealthy, unsustainable food trends all with the common goal to make people feel friggin’ amazing! Local support is essential for all businesses, not only for the local customer base but also for having a support network amongst local businesses.

Working WITH local businesses creates a stronger opportunity for economic growth, collaboration and awareness. Too often, many businesses see other businesses as a threat to their own, when in fact there are opportunities amongst competitors that choose to work together for mutual benefit.

We’ve been able to build a national company through our local support network, create jobs and improve our local community’s health with the support of our local community, businesses and customers.

Supporting local businesses has a real impact because communities who work together, grow together, and prosper together. We are blessed to be living and working in New Brunswick. There is no place like it!