My name is Sol Solomon, and I’ve worked in the natural product industry for 34 years, first as a distributor of alternative life style magazines and books, and then personal care and natural healing products.

I’ve seen the industry grow from small health food stores selling supplements to giant natural food supermarkets with every imaginable product category.

I appeared to get into this work by happenstance, but I’m not sure I believe that any longer. I trained to be a journalist, and did work for a few years at a daily and weekly newspaper.

My wife Kathy and I moved to New Hampshire in 1975 to raise a family in the country. We’ve lived in the same house for 32 of those years, with a large garden in our front yard, and five acres of trees surrounding us.

When we moved to NH I had the promise of a job at a weekly newspaper, but it went under shortly after we arrived. Out of necessity I answered an ad to take over a delivery route in VT and NH of alternative lifestyle and outdoor living magazines.

Much to my surprise I learned I was good at selling magazines I believed in, like Mother Earth News, Solar Age, Vegetarian Times, Mothering, East West Journal, CoEvolution Quarterly, New Age, and Yoga Journal.

One thing led to another and soon as I was making the rounds in NH and VT visiting stores with an array of books, magazines, and personal care products. The store owner would often go shopping in my van, coming to see what was new. We sold many thousands of copies of Moosewood Cookbook, Laurel’s Kitchen, and other classics.

Early on I learned I could only sell something if I believed in it and thought it was of value.  I just could not sell crap, no matter how profitable. This rule led me to work with some of the highest quality companies in the industry, many still growing and thriving today.

Early on I also became exposed to homeopathic medicines. My fascination with them has become a lifelong passion. They are the perfect form of home medicine, and it is one of my life goals to help inform more people about them.

Despite the popularity of natural foods, much work still needs to be done to educate consumers about the benefits of natural personal care products, and natural healing modalities like homeopathic medicines.

The work now is to bring these natural products more into the mainstream so they become affordable without losing their quality, and accessible to everyone.