Sandy Gooch is the founder of Mrs. Gooch's Natural Food Markets. She was a normal Californian who rather suddenly started to have seizures and disruptive health issues. After doctors could not discover the cause of her ailment, her scientific father discovered that the food she was eating was poisoning her. She started eating natural foods and her body healed itself. From that incident, she created supermarkets for natural food, something unheard of in the 1970's. Many people attribute her as the founder of what we know today as natural food markets the world over. Her standards in the newly created industry were high. Her creativity sparked interest and kept the markets growing. She had intense passion to help people be well. She lectured about how to be well and also about her marketing skills. She was a leader in the Quality Assurance Alliance and helped to pass the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act in 1994. She wanted the average American to taste the goodness of healthy food. She educated her public. That was key for her. She won many advertising awards. She was generous to her loyal employees and helped numerous others. She was operating in a man's world back then. In 1993 she sold her company to Whole Foods Market. Her seven stores were bringing in 90 million dollars a year. After that sale, her goal was to save the world by transforming their body, mind, and spirit. She led a meal program in a Los Angeles school, served on boards involved with nutrition and also on empowering women in other countries. She consulted and still consults for free! The fact that she did not retire and live the "good life" on her own island somewhere after she sold her company, but rather now volunteers and serves for the good of people, is why I think she is an inspirational woman.
References
Rutberg, S. (2009). Sandy and the seven stores that changed an industry. Retrieved from
http://newhope360.com/business-directory/sandy-and-seven-stores-changed-industry
This is an incredible story! I had not heard of Sandy Gooch before, but she is clearly an inspirational woman. For her to be able to start a business in the time that she did and make it such a success is wonderful. I also think its amazing that even after retirement she still reaches out in all the ways that she can to help others. Great post!
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