NutraWomen Wednesday: Suzanne Shelton, CEO Shelton Group
“My first career was in the music industry and it was so much fun and my timing—I gotta say my timing, musically, it was fantastic because there was the beginnings of punk rock and then going into new wave and the beginnings of goth industrial and I was like right in the middle of it,” Shelton reflected.
"The music industry is as misogynistic as anything else and to make it in that field, you've got to be pretty tough and tenacious. And I was so passionate about the music, I wasn't going to let anybody get in my way."
Shelton eventually found something else that matched her passion for music.
“My first natural products trade show was Expo West. And this is like 33 years ago and I felt like I was home, like these are my people!” said Shelton. “I very quickly started getting some clients and it kind of evolved into the supplement side of the industry. And then right around the time, DSHEA passed, I was like, ‘okay, I'm all in.’”
Indeed, Sabinsa has been with the Shelton Group 25 years and NOW Foods 20 years. Herbalist & Alchemists is approaching the 20 year mark.
Shelton said that her and her clients are all very dedicated to well-manufactured and sustainably-sourced products that are made to the highest standards.
“They’re the best of the best in their categories and so I just feel like I've been so lucky. I went from better alternatives in music to better alternatives in healthcare. How the Ramones and Curcumin C3 Complex equate is that they're better than mainstream offerings.”
Shelton said that her clients know what they’re getting with her, adding that they are amused by the unconventional.
“I’m still a punk rocker at heart,” said Shelton. “My clients and I are all passionate about the same stuff. I think they enjoy the work we do together and I think they appreciate the results that they get. It doesn't matter that my hair is blue and purple.”
