Pam McLeod decided she had had enough with Airdrie’s seeming lack of health-care options, so she took matters into her own hands.
She went back to school — while raising two young children — to earn certification as a clinical aromatherapist. Since then, McLeod has opened a herbal dispensary to help clients heal naturally and has begun studying to become a clinical herbalist, as well.
“I look at the population of Airdrie and how it is growing, and all the young families, and see it is lacking in certain health aspects,” says McLeod, who owns Vintage Apothecary in Airdrie.
“There is a common feeling of helplessness when it comes to our own health and that of our families. It motivates and gives me determination to empower people with options for their health.”
McLeod spent more than 12 years in the environmental industry before making a transition to the natural skin-care industry, aromatherapy and herbalism.
Nominator and husband Ryan McLeod said his wife is motivated through a strong desire to help others.
“Not only did she start a wellness company, but also took on the challenge of furthering her knowledge through education and practice in the holistic health and wellness industry,” says Ryan.
“I have watched her work with clients with unique health issues with compassion and a genuine desire to help.”