1. How would you introduce yourself?
The Renaissance Holistic Healer – transforming your mind, body and spirit as a Naturopathic Doctor, Ordained Minister, and Professional Fitness Speaker, or in other words, your healing servant.
2. What is the back-story behind your business?
Life by Dallas literally popped up in 1999 out of a desire to assist others in obtaining optimum health. After teaching a fitness class, I recommended the group increase their fiber intake with a popcorn snack, available at a health bookstore. Weeks later, the popcorn snack was discontinued. I took my knowledge in science, nutrition and fitness training to my kitchen and created a healthier version and sold it at the bookstore in small quantities. Dallas Popcorn was an instant hit!
3. How has building community helped your business? Do you have a specific example?
It’s interesting how this is usually a disconnect for people, but products are in fact sold by the millions that are independent of community. True Pop was specifically created to help combat a community problem, The Big 3: Diabetes, Obesity and Heart Disease. I created True Pop Popcorn to be “a better for you, healthy popcorn snack”, whose taste suggest it’s anything but good for you! That is directly related to the community, and therefore, as a naturopathic doctor, holistic healer, minister, and professional speaker – I have an intimate and continuous relationship with the community as I educate the community on holistic healing through diet and wellness, equipping them with fundamental information, tips, and tidbits to empower and encourage them to make healthy lifestyle choices!
4. Explain how owning a business has changed your life.
My goodness, I’ve been in business for so long (since 1999), I almost don’t remember life before it. So, I don’t know that it has changed my life, as much as it has built upon the pre-existing life of my basic character, which has enabled it to be a successful venture, almost independent of our products (True Pop Popcorn, our books, LBD Herbal Tea and EO Blends line) as well as our services. The innate discipline from my military and childhood rearing days, the structure of fundamental balance and symmetry in design and planning from my engineering background have contributed heavily to a life that allows me to manage my time, finances, and goals strategically and maintain the perseverance and aptitude to hang in there, independently!
5. What is your relationship to the Co-op? Why did you want to be a vendor here?
Community, as a provider for those in the community who love True Pop Popcorn, and to introduce a better for snack to the others. and as a consumer. I spend a large portion of my food budget on the bulk products that are sold at TPSS, as they’re the freshest in the entire health bulk food community, that I know of, they’re simply the BEST (addicted to the dried jack fruit and mango; the whole grains are exceptional).
6. What is your favorite product, out of all the products you sell?
I am equally excited about all flavors of True Pop Popcorn, as I created each of them specifically to target various health issues; Italy in a Bag has lots of Italian herbs which are green, which help to clean the blood, we all need to clean the blood, as green foods do, and to get this while having a pizza party in your mouth, well,; Garlic Overdose, says it all, nearly nothing can survive in an environment with garlic; the herbal combination found in The Crowd Favorite provides a plethora of healing herbs and provides an unparalleled and delectable taste; thinking of community and those who prefer simplicity in life but not to be omitted, Just Plain Good, is a simple but wonderful perfect blend of just sunflower oi and sea salt, offering that best of whole grain with oil; however, my absolute favorite flavor is the Ecstasy it’s the Garlic Overdose with a hint of cayenne pepper – so yum, and with the ability for cayenne pepper to help circulate the blood makes it a true health winner! But the answer to the question, my favorite Life by Dallas Product, for the Life by Dallas Inc company as we sell many LBD books, LBD teas and EO blends, my favorite product is our LBD Essential Oil Blend Simply Wisdom, the famous Greek Doctor “Galen” instrumental in the original holistic movement believed that oils were the most important in healing, Simply Wisdom (available in my practice and via www.lifebydallas.com) is just that a propriety oil blend I created, which is wisdom for healing, and I have seen it’s miraculous healing ability in so many of my clients for a wide range of sickness and ailments.
7. What is your favorite product at the Co-op? (It can be your own.)
Hands down, the bulk dried jackfruit tied with True Pop Popcorn)!! Not too sweet just right… the fiber content is AMAZING! Fresh Jack fruit when in season, is something you can find me purchasing the 25 – 50-pound ripened fruit at $3#, from the international food markets in Fairfax, to take home and cut up and gorge off the fresh yellow (juicy fruit taste) during the later summer months, the health benefits are phenomenal! I have videos of how to cut it open and extract the fruit on my YouTube Channel AskDrDallas)
8. What would you like to see change in your local food system?
EVERYTHING! Simply saddened with the lack of “natural” in our food system, just shy of criminal what we are selling and promoting as edible food, which a lot is just shy of, if not, poison and the culprit or huge contributor to the state of sickness in America, especially in the communities with health disparities. It should be mandatory education on how food additives, preservatives, and colorings effect on your health. I’d love to see local Eco City Farms in every 10-mile radius available (via hot houses) year-round…. This could easily be achieved – staffed – an effort to have those incarcerated learn agriculture, contribute to their health and the health of the communities that pay for their sustainability.. just a woman’s thought… and obviously that the differential in cost between organics and conventional be on existent – yes that would mean a society that only grows and sells organically.
9. What’s one message you would like to impart to the people reading this?
Life is what you make of it, the measure you give will be given back to you and so much more, so do good and life will do you good. What’s the point in doing anything in life, if it won’t be for the good and benefit of others? Shalom.