SAN ANTONIO, Texas —Michael’s healthThe national vitamin company known in the natural foods industry for transforming the way supplements are formulated is celebrating its 40th anniversary.
Founder Michael Schwartz, NMD, is known for pioneering so-called synergistic blend supplements, which contain multiple ingredients that work best when combined in specific combinations and ratios, whether in tablet, capsule, powder, or liquid form.
It was introduced in 1984, the same year Schwartz founded the company.—Before synergistic combinations were the norm, a typical supplement contained a vitamin, a mineral, a combination of the two, or a mix of herbs, but in doses that were generally meaningfulAccording to Schwartz, it’s not potent enough to increase energy, vitality and life force within the body.
Three years later, Schwartz introduced a gender-specific supplement to the natural foods market that is now sold by every national brand.
Michael Schwartz and Lily Majorshe While working as a mind-body and nutrition counselor at Majors Health Foods in McAllen, Texas, she launched the business that would eventually become Michael’s Health. Owner Lily Majors was also looking for natural remedies to help improve her health.
Majors’ daughter, Jo Lynn Majors Hassler, who now runs her mother’s store, recalls Schwartz looking at the wall of vitamins in the store and realizing that instead of just having a bottle of vitamin C or a bottle of vitamin A, she wanted them to sell combinations of these ingredients for specific purposes.
“My mother looked at him and asked, ‘Michael, why don’t you do it?’
“I saw a light go on in his eyes.”
With Lily’s approval, Schwartz started the company in the back room of her store with $25 he borrowed from her. By 1987, Michaels had outgrown the space at Major’s and moved to the Alamo City.
A dual approach to synergistic blends
Schwartz took two approaches to this challenge.
He incorporates five basic naturopathic principles into the care plan for each of his nutrition counseling clients.
- Find the cause of imbalances in the body.
- We treat the whole patient, not just the symptoms we see. We look for contributing factors beyond the physical symptoms.
- Give your body what it needs to return to optimal health without harming it – proper nutrition rather than drugs or other harsh treatments.
- It utilizes nutrients found in nature to activate the body’s natural healing powers.
- We teach others how to apply these principles to harness the gifts of nature, including the nutrients found in food, to achieve balance and optimal health.
He also kept meticulous records of his clients’ progress — what worked and what didn’t. Combining these principles with data, he began to develop products, first for family and friends in need, and eventually for the general public.
He started with all-natural therapeutic skin care products that, according to Schwartz, were “clean enough that you could eat the salves and drink the lotions.” Topicals were followed by supplements in tablet, capsule and powder form, and tinctures.
Michael’s catalog once featured about 80 products; now it’s about 50. At its core, it’s about the elements of life.—20 targeted program groups designed to naturally support the body’s organs, glands and systems, including perennial bestsellers Blood Pressure Factors, Kidney Factors, and Teen Boys and Teen Girls Daily Multis, all synergistic blends, most suitable for vegetarians and many certified kosher.
Revisiting Naturopathy Principle 5 – Educating Others
Majors-Hasler also recalled that Schwartz was a dedicated teacher. “He would say, ‘First of all,educate“He made complex messages easy to understand, he was a great teacher and his clients remembered him,” she said.
“At least once a month, customers come into our store asking for his products. Lately, many of them have been asking for immune boosters like Quick Immune Response and his original ointments and lotions. With creatively named products like RCTL Herbal Moisture Replenisher, you’ll see immediate results. and done!”
Owners and staff of health food stores that stock Michaels products over the past 40 years have almost certainly met Schwartz when he came to their stores to train them on his products. He regularly visited with customers and prospects, and his training sessions over breakfast, lunch and dinner were legendary, participants said. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, he continued to offer training sessions over the phone and Zoom calls to any stores that wanted them.
Staff who organized training sessions for Michael over the years estimate that he averaged 100 sessions a year for at least 25 years, and he still trains, but less frequently.
When Schwartz visits stores to train them, he encourages owners to give public talks to consumers at the same time. He estimates he has given “about 1,000” of them. “Now, that might not seem like much, but… just “I don’t know the figure,” he laughs, “but it’s definitely in the hundreds.”
“When you add to that Michael’s radio appearances, podcasts, books and YouTube videos, the impact is even greater,” says Phyllis, Michael’s wife of 50 years, whom Schwartz credits with being instrumental in both the founding and success of Michael’s Health.
“Both he and the company remain committed to helping others,” she added.
Schwartz has also dedicated his time and support to industry associations such as the Natural Products Association (NPA), where he served on the association’s board of directors from 2006-2010 and was honored in 2014 by the Southwest Chapter of the Natural Products Association for 30 years of contributions to the health food industry.
Still thriving and still family-run
Schwartz said the number of family-owned health food companies like Major Health Foods and Michael’s seems to be declining these days.
“We’re grateful that so many of the independently owned health food stores that began as our customers in the 1980s are still in business and doing business with us today,” Schwartz adds. “We’re both pleased and humbled, and we want them all to survive because they’re the bedrock of American business.”
“But there are aspects of business.And life— Change is inevitable. No one disputes the impact that big-box stores and e-commerce have had, especially on small businesses. Our staff, which once numbered 35-40, is now down to about a third of that number, with some positions being lost to stores preferring to use automated ordering systems.
“Some customers prefer to order directly by voice, and most know our customer support staff by name and vice versa,” Schwartz says. “It’s reassuring to still have that special, personal interaction. It’s an extension of our service.” Michael’s Family.
But regardless of size or change, it’s important to make the best possible product and provide good service, Schwartz stressed. Above all, he added, it’s essential to stay true to the company’s values and mission.
The next 40 years: staying on the path
No matter what happens, Schwartz says his personal and professional mission is to continue making high-quality supplements that work and offering them to his customers at the best possible prices.
“There’s talk of ‘back to basics’ in the supplement industry, but Michaels® never shys away from it. Forty years later, we remain committed to helping improve the health of people around the world by improving the health of each and every one of our customers.”
Majors Hassler, whose family-owned store celebrated its 42nd anniversary in January, agreed: “Caring for people and doing the right thing. Michael truly embodied those attributes and brought integrity to our industry.”
Michaels is celebrating its anniversary with special promotions for its independent, family-owned stores.
Content provided by Michael’s Health. Michael’s Health Products are sold throughout the United States and in several international countries through international distributors. For more information, please visit www.michaelshealth.com or call 800-845-2730.
