0:07

Welcome to Aging with Purpose and Passion, the podcast designed to inspire your greatness and thrive through life. Get ready to conquer your fears. Here's your host. Psychotherapist coach and empowerment expert Beverley Glazer.

Beverley Glazer 0:24

Psychotherapist coach and empowerment expert, Beverley Glazer. What if the path you never planned led you to your calling? Welcome to Aging with Purpose and Passion. I'm Beverly Glaser, and I help high-performing women navigate life and business transitions with renewed purpose, and so they can find their passion and their calling. And you can find me on reinventimpossiblecom. Linda Bolton never dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur, but under her leadership, the Natural Calm brand has grown into an award-winning seven-figure business. And also, Linda Bolton co-founded the non-profit company called Thrive for Good to improve health and empower communities all around the world. Her journey of service and giving back has earned her recognition as one of Canada's top female entrepreneurs. Keep listening about how following her heart led to a business that empowers communities all around the globe. Hi, Linda.

Linda Bolton 1:39

Hi Beverley, it's so nice to be back. Yes, I was just thinking about when I was chatting with you last time. How many months ago was that?

Beverley Glazer 1:48

Months, I think it's years.

Linda Bolton 1:50

Is it oh?

Beverley Glazer 1:51

my goodness Years. Yes, yes, it's delightful to be back, and it's always wonderful to hear your story, linda, because it's so empowering and everyone is going to listen to this and they're just going to love it, because everything stems from your heart. And how did it blossom? It was incredible. Bring us back, bring us right back to your career as a nurse, because that's really where you started. You were a nurse.

Linda Bolton 2:22

Yeah, I've always been in the caring, the giving industry, I suppose. I worked as a director of nursing for 20 years and also as a. I taught nursing at a college level and I worked as a CEO in long-term care and always had a real passion to work with seniors. It was interesting. I started at Sick Kids Hospital and ended up in psychogeriatrics and ended up staying there for 20 years and just loved it, and then after that I went through a really, really upsetting, difficult time.

Linda Bolton 2:51

My ex husband had affairs, took him back several times and in the course of time I met my present husband, a wonderful man, and we've been together. We've been married almost 34 years and we actually blended two families. So I had two sons and he had a son and daughter, and we also. Of course, they were part of the union and, you know, 34 years later, they're all we all have. We have a great relationship, and so my husband had previously been a pastor and so when I met him, we started pastoring together as a couple and we were what you would call church planters. So we would go into a community, start a church from scratch, literally, and then, you know, sometimes move on to a new community. We've been in Thornhill for 33 years and but what happened that was so significant was in 2004,.

Linda Bolton 3:41

Dale and I heard that there were 40 million orphans in Africa. I think there's now 70 million orphans in Africa and we were broadsided by that. We just couldn't believe it and decided to go to Malawi, poorest country in the world at that time, came back to Canada thinking what can we do to help? We have no money. We were making $30,000 a year between the two of us. We could not afford really to give a whole lot. And it was shortly after that we were praying. You know, god, what do we do Like? How can we possibly make a dent in poverty?

Linda Bolton 4:13

And it was shortly after that that my younger sister started using natural calm magnesium that had transformed her health. That literally transformed her health for severe migraines. She'd had them for 30 years, had tried everything, and she started using Natural Calm twice a day and went from three migraines a week to one about every six weeks. It was incredible.

Empowerment

Linda Bolton 4:33

I was in a state of shock and when I worked as a nurse, I knew magnesium was an important mineral because doctors would give it intravenously if a person came into hospital with heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure. So make a long story short, I started using it myself, helped me with sleep and muscle pain, and I bought a $200 credit card order. Didn't have any money and bought a wholesale order and started taking the product around to the natural health stores here in Canada and, much to my surprise, the store started taking it in, reordering it and of course, I had to apply for natural product numbers through Health Canada. And actually October the 11th 2004, peter Gillum, the original developer of the product, gave me the exclusive distribution rights for Canada. So it was absolutely awesome.

Beverley Glazer 5:22

I have to stop you because I mean, it just seems so magically easy when you're talking about it in retrospect. Yeah, but this took time. This took energy and way back then to go from nursing to pastoring, where you had a secure job and a secure lifestyle, and now I'm going to pastor and begin a church and many churches, and we are lucky together to earn $30,000 a year. How will you be able to just even make that transition?

Linda Bolton 6:16

I mean just emotionally it was very hard, in fact. In fact, when I first met Dale, he said to me how would you feel about quitting your job nursing? And I said are you crazy like I would?

Linda Bolton 6:27

have to hear the audible voice of God to do that like I. You know it security my identity. It was a very prestigious job. I was a CEO at a long-term care facility.

Linda Bolton 6:36

No, it was a very difficult decision and it took me several months to to come to that place and you know, I went from making 70,000 at that time 70,000 a year 30 years ago was a lot of money to making literally we were living on 12,000 a year to making literally we were living on 12,000 a year. And not only that, beverly, we were living in community so we ended up having adult other adults live with us in our house, sharing our kitchen, sharing our bathrooms in order to pay the rent. So it was quite a dramatic change for me Because you know my ex husband I'd lived on a farm on our own and you know very private because you know my ex-husband and I lived on a farm on our own and you know very private. Yeah, it was a big change. But you know my husband's pretty persuasive and he's such a great guy that you just what you do for love, as they say.

Beverley Glazer 7:25

Yes, and it was. It was really a mission of love. It really was and were you always on board to go to Malawi? Was this always an interest of yours?

Linda Bolton 7:37

Well, it hadn't been. We had been doing work in Haiti and Nicaragua, so we'd been to third world countries and we'd seen poverty and probably Haiti at its worst. But you know, when we heard that there were 40 million orphans, it's the first time we really went to Africa, first time we ever had our sights on Africa. And we went and we were so impacted by the people and by the poverty and the children and I would cry like I felt, like I was constantly weeping over the various things that we witnessed there and it was like how can you just go? We were 50 at the time, so we're 70 now. We were actually thinking of possible early retirement, like living in a you know, maybe going down to Caribbean and living on a sailboat. My husband had been a sailor and you know that had kind of been his dream. So you know, this was not even in our you know our sites. We had not thought of it for a minute. And yet when we started the company, we decided to be what you call a social enterprise. So we were giving money to Hope for the Nations, the original organization that we went to Africa with, and they were using that money to build orphanages and schools and drill water wells.

Linda Bolton 8:50

So the following year, february 2005, we went to Kenya for the first time, because that's where some of our projects were, and what we found is, everywhere we went, the mamas living in the mud huts would ask us for a bag of rice or school fees for the children. And my husband had grown up on a farm whose dad was a master gardener. Everywhere we went was just bare land, and he was why aren't these people growing their own food? And of course, you know, giving money for water wells and orphanages and schools is is great and it was wonderful, but it wasn't teaching them sustainability. So that's how we ended up developing organics, for orphans originally, which became thrive for good, and and Dale spent a month in the Manor House Agricultural College in Kenya where he learned about organic gardening.

Linda Bolton 9:40

And then I took a nutrition course from Dr Joel Furman. And then we also took a course. Anamid International, actually out of Germany, had been offering a course in Africa for years on the natural medicines, the indigenous plants that grow in Africa, a plant called Artemisia, for example. If you drink it as a herbal tea twice a day, it prevents malaria, which is one of the biggest killers of children. So it really it all just came together and then in 2008, we actually started our own. We actually built a building, a dormitory that would house 50 people, and so men and women came from various countries to take our what we call a one month seminar, and then they would go out into communities and teach a five day workshop to the mamas. So that's kind of the beginnings, yeah, yeah.

Beverley Glazer 10:30

But you had your own family too, and so did Dale. Yes, we did.

Linda Bolton 10:40

Now they're all involved in the company. But back then what was that like? We both had 14 year old sons and my son was a eight plus nerd and Dale's son was doing things that he shouldn't. You know, the typical smoking, drinking, doing some drugs, you know, and of course my son decided to follow his son and they went some drugs, you know. And of course my son decided to follow his son and they went down quite the wild path and of course that did cause some arguments and consternation as the years went by. And that's the way it is sometimes, and even in normal families that aren't blended. But you know, yeah, we had to work through those things.

Beverley Glazer 11:12

Yes, yeah, absolutely, and you are a normal family. Yeah, yes, and now everyone is involved in this company, which started only because you decided to try natural calm to go to sleep.

Linda Bolton 11:30

Yeah.

Beverley Glazer 11:31

Yes, and I was blown away and I had to discover it.

Linda Bolton 11:35

well, my sister debbie started using it for her migraines and did she tell you about it?

Beverley Glazer 11:40

was it? Why don't you try that?

Linda Bolton 11:42

oh, yeah, yeah yeah, so it really is um it in the united states, which is where you are right, beverly, I I'm in canada. Oh, you're in canada. What did I do?

Beverley Glazer 11:54

oh, I'm in montreal oh, right, right right.

Linda Bolton 11:57

I don't know why I was thinking Anyway, yeah, we've got to get together one of these days, absolutely. But yeah, it was gonna say the the the interesting thing with the natural calm is in the US it actually ranks number one out of 8000 products. That's including all the magnesium, all the other minerals and vitamins, etc. So it really is an effective product that, you know, just does marvelous things for so many things. Yeah, not just sleep, not just muscle pain, not just migraines. Great for anxiety and depression. Really important even for children children with ADHD, children with autism there's just so many. It actually activates over 800 enzymatic processes in the body, so it's a very, very effective and important mineral so.

Beverley Glazer 12:44

So the reason I mean you're in canada, you got it in the states, so you would have had to import it is that the reason that you started in the first place trying to bring it into canada, so that you didn't have to ask your sister to send it?

Linda Bolton 13:01

Yeah, I would say yes. My mother actually was the person who had shipped it up to my sister. We both live in Canada. Mom was in Canada and I would say I remember going into the store in Clearwater.

Linda Bolton 13:13

I was visiting my mom when I actually bought the product and the lady in the store said to me have you ever thought of distributing this in Canada?

Global Impact Through Philanthropy

Linda Bolton 13:22

She said we don't have a distributor and you know you could probably do really well with it. And that was the first time I even considered it or thought about it. Really, you know, I was very busy with our church and you know all kinds of things that we were doing, and the first thing I found out I went into a natural health store and the first thing I found out was I needed an NPN number, natural product number, and I needed French English labels and you know all the other things that go along with that, and I knew nothing about it. And so I just started researching. The first thing I did was read Dr Carolyn Dean's book called the magnesium miracle, and I got in touch with Health Canada to find out how to apply for NPN numbers. So yeah, and once you apply and you have what they call a submission number, then you can start selling the products in Canada and so you had to learn about business.

Linda Bolton 14:12

I did.

Beverley Glazer 14:13

That you completely knew nothing about as well.

Linda Bolton 14:16

That's right, and I actually I read every book I could get my hands on, like Good to Great and so many other books that you can't even think of now. But yeah, they were instrumental and you know, with technology what it is and so much information on the web, you can almost find out anything today. Sure.

Beverley Glazer 14:33

Yeah, it's marvelous.

Linda Bolton 14:35

Yes, yes, now let's talk about Thrive for Good. That's my passion. We're actually I'm excited because this coming January we're taking our daughter and two of our grandchildren to Kenya to see what we do there. So this, my one son, chad, did come with us and went three times and you know very much impacted by it, and one of our grandsons is 13, the other is 11.

Linda Bolton 15:04

And I really want them to see, first of all, what we've been doing, but, most importantly, the way the other people in the world live. You know, and I was telling the global stats the other day, I said, guys, there's 8 billion people in the world and only 2 billion live on more than $6,000 a year. So think about all those people around the world, not just in Africa, india, all over Central America and South America. Think of the people even here in Canada, even in the US, that are living in some of the worst conditions. And you know our grandkids, you know they're. They're, of course, they all feel a little entitled living here in Canada and having you know enough and more than enough, more than enough, and it's in it. I think it's going to be really good for them, I think it's going to be character building, it's going to give them a different perspective on life, and I would love to take my other eight grandchildren too over time.

Beverley Glazer 15:58

So oh yes. It's a step call to all of us. Yes, the impact it will have on a child is really.

Linda Bolton 16:10

Thrive for Good is actually now in 20 countries. We're in India and Sri Lanka, just did a one month no, it wasn't a month, it was a no, trying to think of how long. No, it was two weeks that we had a trainer and another interpreter go to Dominican Republic and do a two week seminar there for them, and they're looking at what we're doing right now. Beverly is actually partnering with other organizations, which is helping us to grow and expand even more and really get to the communities that we wouldn't be able to get to otherwise. So it's a good use of money, of donations to other organizations and to thrive for good.

Beverley Glazer 16:49

Yes, and you've brought in over a million dollars. You know you've brought in over a million dollars to help that cause.

Linda Bolton 16:59

Well, actually, to be honest, natural Calm Canada has donated $5 million. There you go. Natural Calm Canada has, and then there's been many other people that have donated as well over the years. So our budget started at probably $50,000 a year and now the annual budget is about a million dollars a year, but $15, like, for example, if one person donates $15 to thrive, that impacts a community of 50 people and that repeats itself, because 65% of our projects are sustainable after five years.

Linda Bolton 17:35

So to me, that's what this is all about. It's helping those mamas who love those children who are raising those children. They're the hardest working. I respect them so much and if you can give them a hand up, if you, instead of giving them a bag of rice, you're teaching them how to fish, you're teaching them how to help themselves. It means so much to them, so much to their, their level of pride, their hope, the hope for the future for their children. That's what they care about. They want their children to be educated. They want to be able to feed them. You know, three meals a day and many of them can only feed them a bowl of rice, you know, at bedtime. So it's for us, it was all about help, getting, teaching them to help themselves.

Beverley Glazer 18:17

Yeah, yeah. What advice, linda, would you give other women who are looking to redefine their purpose and create an impact in their lives and other people's lives?

Linda Bolton 18:28

Well, first of all, I would say that it's never too late. Like I was telling you earlier, I started, I've had three wonderful careers and I think you have to be a risk taker. You have to be, you have to. I think women don't give themselves enough credit for who they are and the skills and the experience and everything else that they have. And you know, I think it's important to get up every day with a purpose and a passion and a desire.

Linda Bolton 18:51

You always are blessed when you help other people, even if it's just a smile, going over to a person's home and helping them with something, having them in for a cup of coffee, and then, you know, for me, because I have a certain level of faith is praying. You know, god, what, what should I do here? You know, give me the wisdom, help me with this situation. You know, and and I have felt that that he has, you know, been a guiding light to me, and I just want to encourage women to really get out there and do something that they're passionate about or they're about. It doesn't matter what it is. You know, you don't have to be an entrepreneur, it can just be being a wonderful mom and a wonderful grandma to your children and being a positive influence in their lives. You know they'll always remember my children still remember my mom, the great influence she was in their lives.

Beverley Glazer 19:39

And oh, yes, and what I'm hearing is really giving and giving back. Yes, yes, for others, you really feel very good. You get out of yourself. Yes, you do. Yes, yes, thank you, you're welcome. Linda Bolton is a philanthropist founder and CEO of Natural Calm Canada, a leading distributor of natural health products, and under her leadership the brand has grown to an award-winning seven-figure business. She and her husband, dale, co-founded the nonprofit Thrive for Good to improve health and empower communities all around the world. Where can people find you, linda?

Linda Bolton 20:20

Well, the website is is uh. Well, my email actually is linda at naturalcomca and our website is naturalcomca. And also I'm found on Facebook and LinkedIn and Instagram. Yeah, and Bolden's Naturals is our other line of magnesium transdermal magnesium as well.

Beverley Glazer 20:40

Yeah, perfect. If you didn't catch all those links, they're also going to be in the show notes and they'll be on my site too. That's reinventimpossiblecom. And now, my friends, what's next for you? Are you just going through the motions or are you really passionate about life? Get my empowering self-coaching tips right in your inbox, and that link will also be in the show notes too. You can connect with me, beverly Glaser, on all social media platforms and in my positive group of women on Facebook that's Women Over 50 Rock and you can also schedule a quick Zoom to talk to me personally. I want to thank you for listening. Have you enjoyed this conversation? Please join me next week, subscribe, drop us a review and send it to a friend. And remember you only have one life, so live it with purpose and passion.

21:44

Thank you for joining us. You can connect with Bev on her website, reinventimpossiblecom and, while you're there, join our newsletter Subscribe so you don't miss an episode. Until next time, keep aging with purpose and passion and celebrate life.