The Voice Online - Botswana

For the past ten years, Sally Pillar has been in the business of providing health products and services. She is the Managing Director of NatureCare Wellness Centre and the growing demand for good health in various aspects of life has seen the business flourish over the years. This week she talks to Business Editor INNOCENT TSHUKUDU about her business success.
Q. What is the nature of your business?
NatureCare Wellness Centre specializes in designing corporate coaching, self-development workshops and providing training on wellness and organizational transformation. It also helps companies and individuals develop more proficient wellness capabilities by focusing on a holistic approach to health and healing which empowers one to perform at their ultimate potential physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually at work and beyond.
Corporate wellness promotes the organizations productivity and effectiveness by making employees cognizant of their wellness status. If employees are trained to be in-charge of their own wellness, the organization will be able to meet its target and goals. Research has shown that many organizations lose a lot of revenue due to lifestyle diseases that lead to employees sick-offs, deaths, absenteeism and inefficiency. With training and education these diseases can be prevented and managed.
On personal wellness we advice people on diet, offer different therapeutic massages, counselling, detox programs and retail herbal remedies and vitamin supplements. There is also an interesting herbal drink called Energy plus – kombucha, it gently detoxifies and gives energy. It is a total delight, a must try for everyone.
   
Q. How long have you been in the business and what inspired you to venture into this kind of business?
I started 10 years ago, professionally I’m a Nutritionist and further did a course in Nutritional  Therapy – looking at nutrition for its therapeutic purposes.
I then became fascinated by the concept of healing and learnt that for one to heal they need to focus on their  “Mind , Body  and Soul” which became long and exciting journey for me as I ventured into the field of Wellness;  Transformation, Personal development, Counselling  etc. I now regard myself as a “Healer” I heal with my voice and hands - the power of the spoken word through radio program “Mokgothatsi in RB1, I’m also a  Massage Therapist and a certified trainer of Developing a Positive mental Attitude through a Louise Hay Program “healing the Inner child”.
 
Q. Please take us through your early business days and your success story.
It was very tough because Wellness is a new concept and people did not understand what on earth we are trying to do but passion kept me going.
I love my work with all my hear t– it makes me happy, it has healed me emotionally and spiritually. It has enabled me to deal with life challenges with vigour and grace but above all healing other people made me to see light at the end of the tunnel. We are slowly getting there, thanks to my team and family at NatureCare.    
 
Q. What services do you offer?
Apart from the above we have Massage gadgets for feet and shoulders, massage chair, Juicing machines for vegetable and fruit juices, psychological counselling, coordination of corporate wellness days, simply put we offer wellness solutions.    
 
Q. How affordable are your services?
Well, that is relative but I think it is affordable because once a person comes they become fascinated and refer other people to us. NatureCare  now has a big family, we worked hard to build a rapport with our clients, besides there is really no price tag to being healthy and well.    
 
Q. What challenges do you face most and how do you deal with them?
Like any other young business, capital to market the business vigourously was a challenge and telling people about something that most had never heard of before. Marketing a concept could be more challenging than marketing something that is tangible. Without any shadow of doubt positivity and optimism helped me face the challenges head on.  
 
Q. Do you have a family of your own, and if so, how do you balance your business and family roles?
I have a lovely daughter who is now my right hand in the business. Since she joined me the business has flourished. She has a great personality she has a natural flair for marketing and public relations. We spend more time together at the office, we travel together sometimes on business trips.
I am not married (Yet……. ha ha ha)
 
Q. How do you see the level of competition in the business?
Competition is healthy, it keeps one on their toes. There is some competition but enough for all of us.  Our secret is to do our work deligently with passion so that our clients would not want to deal with no one except us. During our training we connect with our participants so much that we know that there will be a next time.
 
Q. Who are your customers?
Our customers are from different walks of life and we strive to treat everybody as a VIP. Yes, we massage Ministers of Cabinet and Churches, CEO’s P.S
Directors and we have those who can not even read or write, yet often we have been told that we have the power to heal even before the person is attended to because we have the love, humility  and time for people.
 
Q. Where do you see the business in the next five years?
Big, in a 5 acre plot.