What does it take to lead Canada's largest distributor of natural and organic foods? In this episode of In Conversation with, host Bruce Cole speaks with Stacey Kravitz, President of UNFI Canada. Fresh off UNFI’s recognition as the CHFA Distributor of Distinction, Stacey reflects on her transition from a 20-year career at Kraft Heinz to guiding UNFI through a major corporate turnaround.

Stacey shares candid leadership lessons that every executive and entrepreneur can learn from. She discusses the career-changing power of accepting tough feedback, mastering active listening, and balancing global corporate strategy with local Canadian market needs. She also gives a behind-the-scenes look at how UNFI identifies high-potential emerging brands and prepares them for shelf distribution.

Whether you are a retailer, brand founder, or aspiring leader, this conversation offers actionable wisdom on navigating supply chain realities and driving business growth. Tune in to gain practical strategies from one of the natural food industry's top executives.

In this episode of “In Conversation With,” Bruce Cole sits down with Johnny Larocque, Director of Sales at St. Francis Herb Farm. Following CHFA Toronto, they reflect on the brand’s Brand Excellence Award win and the family roots, commitment to quality and dedicated team behind it.

Johnny Larocque shares his journey from Fortinos’ Nature’s Treasure department to roles at Renew Life, Health First Network and St. Francis Herb Farm. He's a Registered Holistic Nutritionist with experience on both sides of the shelf; he brings insight into retail relationships, grocery expansion and herbal manufacturing.

They also explore how independent retailers can stand out through community connections, practitioner partnerships and unique shopping experiences. From rising costs and emerging trends to the three-year development of Deep Immune gummies, the conversation offers a look at the industry’s challenges and opportunities.

In this episode of In Conversation With, host Bruce Cole sits down with Amanda Kenny, founder and Chief Merchandiser of Hive Retail Solutions, to explore what really happens after a product earns its place on the shelf. Drawing on her unconventional path from sales and brand brokerage to building a nationwide merchandising company, Amanda shares how she identified a critical gap in the industry: getting into retail is only the beginning. Staying on shelf, maintaining visibility and creating consistent product movement is where the real work begins.

Amanda breaks down the strategies behind successful store-level execution, from taking a “narrow and deep” approach to distribution to balancing high-impact promotional blitzes with ongoing continuity merchandising. She explains why details like shelf placement, visible price tags, planogram compliance, displays and regular store visits can have a major impact on how a product performs.

For emerging brands looking to scale, Amanda shares practical lessons that can prevent costly mistakes. From testing packaging on real retail shelves and understanding competitive pricing to getting buyer feedback before committing to large production runs, she explains why successful growth starts with strong fundamentals. The episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at the realities of retail and a clear reminder that long-term velocity is built through consistent execution, strong retailer relationships and attention to what is happening at the shelf.

In this episode, host Bruce Cole sits down with David Nelson, award-winning co-owner of Inside U, a natural health retailer in Woodstock and Norwich, Ontario. David shares his unconventional journey from writing video games and personal training to studying naturopathic medicine and developing supplement formulations. He also reflects on receiving the Health First Network Brock Elliot “Solid as a Rock” Award.

The conversation explores planetary health and the connection between personal wellness, our communities and the health of the planet. Drawing on his work with the Nova Institute for Health, David discusses nutrient deficiencies, ultra-processed foods, soil health, gut health, the oral microbiome and the science behind supplement formulation.

Beyond the science, David highlights the important role independent health retailers play in building stronger, more connected communities. He shares his “triple bottom line” approach to business and discusses regulatory advocacy in Ottawa, industry collaboration and what the future of natural health in Canada could look like.

In this episode of In Conversation With, host Bruce Cole sits down with Lynsey Walker, Vice President of Marketing and Communications, and Scott Sulz, Director of Business Development and Member Experience at the Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA), for an inside look at CHFA NOW Toronto. Taking place September 25–27 at the Enercare Centre, CHFA NOW Toronto is Canada’s largest natural, organic and wellness trade show, bringing together retailers, brands and industry leaders from across the country.

Lynsey and Scott preview key event highlights, including the Retailer VIP Program, exclusive trend breakfasts, travel perks and the new Buyer Hour. They also introduce Move and Thrive, an immersive storefront experience developed with Hive Retail Solutions to inspire merchandising strategies for summer 2027. The conversation also explores The Greenhouse, CHFA’s year-round platform supporting more than 70 emerging Canadian brands, and the highly anticipated Launchpad pitch competition.

Beyond the event, Lynsey and Scott share practical advice for emerging founders preparing for retail, from understanding shelf placement and realistic margins to leading with curiosity and following up effectively after the show. At its core, the episode celebrates the collaborative spirit of Canada’s wellness industry and the shared belief that when retailers succeed, the entire industry moves forward.

In this episode of In Conversation With, Bruce Cole sits down with Norm Wingfield, Key Account Manager for LeBeau Excel. Norm reflects on his 32-year journey in the food and retail sectors, starting as a clerk at the local Barn Fruit Markets chain in 1991, moving up to store manager, and later transitioning to corporate logistics. He discusses spending 18 years managing Ontario grocery inventory and offshore buying for Loblaws before ultimately pursuing his personal passion for wellness.

Norm discusses his time as the head buyer for Nature's Treasures, the health food section within Fortinos supermarkets. He notes that the natural health side of retail is uniquely complex compared to standard grocery because it requires managing overlapping relationships between vendors, brokers, and distributors. He explains how he overhauled the department by implementing strict nutritional certification standards for full-time staff and systematically resizing store planograms to accommodate incoming product innovation.

Shifting to his current role on the vendor side at Lebeau Excel, Norm highlights the distinct value that specialized brokers offer independent retailers and CPG accounts. He emphasizes that broad-line distributors manage massive brand lists and lack the granular, deep product knowledge that brokers use to connect brands directly to consumer needs. Concluding the interview, Norm shares his personal philosophy for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, boiling it down to three fundamental practices: eating whole organic foods, staying physically active, and supporting one’s local community.

In this episode of In Conversation With, Bruce Cole speaks with Tia Loftsgard, Executive Director of the Canada Organic Trade Association. Celebrating her tenth year with the organization, Tia shares her journey from studying human justice to advocating for global food security and fair compensation for farmers. She also explains how COTA’s small team supports the organic sector through government relations, regulatory affairs and critical data collection.

The conversation explores key challenges facing Canadian organic agriculture, including complex international trade agreements and the decline in organic acreage. Tia discusses COTA’s advisory role in assessing organic standards and addressing threats such as contamination from unlabelled genetic engineering.

Looking ahead, Tia highlights COTA’s marketing initiatives focused on industry growth, consumer education and stronger retail storytelling. She also previews the new independent retailer Trailblazer Award with CNHR magazine, the Organic Leadership Gala and the Organic Summit in Ottawa. The episode closes by celebrating the pioneers of Canada’s organic movement and the innovations inspiring a new generation to champion sustainable agriculture.

In this episode of In Conversation With, host Bruce Cole sits down with Trevor Sibanda, widely known across Canada’s natural health and CPG industries as “the storytelling guy.” Having worked behind the scenes with innovative brands including Mid-day Squares, Mitsoh, Cedar Valley, Nuts for Cheese and Gingerbug, Trevor explains why strong products can still struggle at retail and how the right commercial narrative can turn passive shoppers into loyal brand advocates.

Trevor also shares the personal journey behind his creative approach, from taking on childhood responsibilities in Zimbabwe to building a career across South Africa and China. His experiences in entrepreneurship, theatre production and documentary filmmaking shaped his belief that the most powerful brand stories are built through simplified messaging, founder vulnerability and genuine human connection. Most importantly, he explains why the customer should always be the hero of the story, while the brand serves as their trusted guide.

Looking ahead, Trevor offers an honest perspective on navigating digital noise, changing algorithms and the rise of artificial intelligence in creative work. He also shares a practical four-part framework for launching and growing a product, with a focus on regional marketing, community building and documenting the challenges alongside the successes. Whether you are an emerging founder, natural health retailer or marketer, this episode is filled with practical insights for creating a brand people can understand, connect with and believe in.