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Inter: Hi, Mr. Legge. I appreciate the time you have taken to chat with me here today. I wanted to let our readers get to know you, your family and your business better. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Philip: We started our business full-time 23 years ago to help people with their overall health and wellness. My wife Mary and I, both felt a strong conviction to educate people about health and fitness.
Inter: Out of curiosity, how did you get started in this business?
Philip: I started seeing clients for nutritional consulting, and then we added deep muscle therapy and fitness training. As our children grew up we expanded into retail, and now we have 2 large retail stores in Southern Ontario, in Listowel and Fergus with over 12,000 sq. ft. of retail space.
Inter: That sounds like a good foundation to build on. So, what makes you special and unique as a retailer?
Philip: What we do for people is help them identify their health and fitness needs and goals, and then we can look at which products would be a priority for them. We consider 3 things when looking at a product. One, suitability of the product for the person. Two, their motivation to use the product on a long-term basis. And three, is it in their best interests to own the product. We don't want people to invest in a product without considering these 3 things. We want people to have a thoughtful approach to their purchase, and our concern is that they are happy with their investment on a long-term basis.
Inter: And on top of that you're a family business, right?
Philip: Yes, we are. My wife Mary and myself, and our 4 children all work full-time in our health and fitness business.
Inter: How do you get along? What's your philosophy to keep everyone working together peacefully?
Philip: Probably practicing unselfishness. If everyone is thinking of themselves first and wanting their own way, people can't work together as a team. But if the family team is the most important thing and people are willing to deny themselves for the benefit of others that creates a peaceful, harmonious working environment.
Inter: That seems like a wonderful approach. So, why did you choose this type of business instead of another field?
Philip: Both Mary and I had health challenges when we were younger, and we got valuable help from nutritionists, massage therapists, herbalists, fitness trainers and various people that worked in the natural health care field. They were able to help us more than the medical doctors who primarily use drugs and surgery. As a result of the help we received we wanted to devote our lives to a better understanding of health and wellness and then share our experience and training with our clients to help other people. That's another reason why unselfishness is important. If you are living your life to help others then your goals, your mission and your attitude is different than if you're living your life to please yourself.
Inter: Throughout your business marketing there seems to be a focus on having a balanced health and fitness plan or program. Do you feel that it's important for people to have a good health and fitness program in order to achieve their potential in life?
Philip: Absolutely, because God has given us a level of health that we inherit from our parents and our grandparents, however it's up to us to be a good steward of that and not abuse it. People can learn to abuse their body through poor diet, lack of exercise, a poor attitude towards life and of course with drugs, tobacco and the overuse of alcohol. There are many ways that people can abuse their health and it's important for us to be good stewards. If through my ignorance or carelessness I damage my health, I'm going to be a burden to other people. Other people are going to have to look after me. But if I look after my health, I can do more work, I can be more productive in business and with my family, and I can develop more successful relationships with people. I can have a positive impact in helping others, rather than being a burden to others.
Inter: So, it's really about being good stewards?
Philip: Yes. It's about good stewardship and taking care of what we have been given, and also being a good manager. It's about getting an organized approach to your health and wellness program, and getting some education and understanding about how the body works and what modalities or methods or tools are necessary to maintain and even enhance what you have been given.
Inter: Do you think people are becoming more aware of how to be healthy compared to previous years?
Philip: In the western world there is a growing percentage of the population that seems to be more enlightened and more in tune with nature and with what their body needs to be healthy.
Inter: We're always influenced by the "fast food" industry though, and that seems to have a big effect on people's diet, doesn't it?
Philip: Yes, it does. The fast food industry appeals to people's taste buds for sugar, salt, fat and caffeine, and people end up over-eating and eating food that's not good for them, and that's actually damaging their health. In the third world countries it's not the "fast food" industry, but a lack of food and a lack of hygiene that's damaging people's health.
Inter: Please share with us the most important thing that people should know about how the body works.
Philip: The body has a program and it's cellular based. There are 2 main functions of the body. One, cells pumping in nutrients and two, cells pumping out wastes. Most cells in the body are primarily fluid, like a microscopic water balloon. Cells are dependant upon movement to pump in nutrients and to pump out waste products. When a person is sitting, standing or lying down their body begins to decondition and atrophy, because they are not moving. Once they start moving, the G-forces of gravity causes the cells to jiggle or vibrate and the cell pumps in nutrients and pumps out waste products through the permeable cell membrane. In the space station, because there is no gravity, the human body can decondition and atrophy very quickly and within 48 to 72 hours a person can die. Creating artificial G-forces by using vibration devices allows astronauts to stay in space for over a year. What we learn from this is that exercise and movement is necessary for cells to function properly and be healthy. Healthy cells = a healthy person. If people are sedentary and get little exercise, cells will not pump in nutrients and pump out waste products efficiently and the cell will become unhealthy. Unhealthy cells = an unhealthy person. This information is sadly lacking with the general public and is perhaps the most important information a person can learn about how their body works. Go to our DKN Vibration Platform website to learn more about the benefits of G-forces and to check out some exciting new exercise videos...
Inter: Thank you so much for spending this time with us here today. It's really been an eye-opener and a look beyond the name. I would like to ask this final question before you go. If you could say one more thing to these folks, what would it be?
Philip: I think the whole point of living is to learn how to develop successful, happy, rewarding and fulfilling relationships with your family and loved ones. That's what life is all about. That's the purpose of living. That's why we are in school here in this life. People have said this life is like a journey, or like a marathon. At first we start off and we don't know how long the race is going to be, but the point of the race is to learn how to develop healthy relationships with people.
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