Our First Kash or Kind Business Sponsor

We are delighted to introduce you to our very first Kash or Kind Sponsor. Kash or Kind is a concept founded by The Life Academy of New Zealand. It allows you to choose how you wish to pay for any of the classes held at The Life Academy. Kash? Or Kind?

You are your greatest resource. Paying in kindness has multiple benefits. First, you get to connect with something meaningful by ‘giving back’ to one of our Kash or Kind Worthy Causes. Are you feeling a sense of disconnect? Are you wanting to bring a more natural flow of abundance in your life? It all starts with service and contribution. The universe works in miraculous ways - in giving, you shall receive. One of the things you will receive, is a class at The Life Academy of New Zealand.

How is this possible? Through our Kash or Kind Business Sponsors. One of our business sponsors will cover the cost of your class. It’s as simple as that. The only thing you need to do is turn-up, and give. We’ll arrange the rest. There are no conditions on who can participate in Kash or Kind - you choose how you wish to pay and choose one of the worthy cause activities. When you sign-up for a course, you can tell us how you’ll be paying.

Interview with Jude Randell

Owner of the Bethelehem Health & Tea Shop

Bethelehem Health & Tea Shop is an independently owned health store serving local people in Tauranga and all over New Zealand. In fact, parcels are even sent overseas to people who have found the store on the net and are drawn to what Jude has to offer.

We asked Jude about how her business came into being and what drives her to be a business with a difference, through making a difference. This is what she had to tell us:

Bethlehem Health & Tea Shop, Tauranga

“It was my childhood dream to be a nurse. As a child, I grew up thinking that is all I would do. At 17 I went nursing and spent many hours within a hospital as a part of my training. I just loved it.

I knew I would see and experience things I would never forget. I remember this poor old lady with diabetes, whose amputated leg had become gangrenous. Spending time with this lady and dressing her putrid amputation is an experience I shall never forget. At 17 I was very sensitive and at nights I didn’t sleep for what seemed like ages. But I learnt how to deal with it and carried on with my training.

Life changed and I moved away from nursing. I loved the patients, however ‘office politics’ and working with a very strong group of young women didn’t appeal so much. In hindsight, perhaps growing up in the country meant I hadn’t developed the social skills required to deal with certain tensions and team ‘dynamics’.

So, I moved on, married and raised a family. Like many people have and still do, I left my childhood dreams unfulfilled and thought that I might return to them at a later stage in life. Since that time I’ve been very blessed to have had some wonderful jobs. I once worked as a dental assistant/technician which I absolutely loved. Whilst I was raising my children I got a job at the local secondary school as a teacher-aid and Laboratory Assistant. Science was my thing. I worked with students and prepared science experiments so in roundabout way I hadn’t completely left my path. I also got my heavy truck license and was able to bus the kids on school trips. Over the eleven years I spent at a small secondary school I ended up working in the office as the Principal’s Secretary and Executive Officer.

At home, I was keen to do whatever I could to give my children as natural a diet as possible. It was something that was just really important to me. Whether it was coming from a farming background or just in my nature, who knows? So meals were always cooked from scratch.

Having travelled to various places around the world, I think New Zealand does a pretty good job at living back to basics. We still bake, and know how to cook with fresh ingredients. Unfortunately, there does seem to be an increase in the availability of convenience foods. I hope that we manage to make a comeback, before we’ve lost the art of basic cooking. And yes, I’d like to think I can be part of that.

It wasn’t until I was around age 47 that my path seemed to return to my original passion. I’d always got a lot of satisfaction from making a difference to people. My passion found me. I was looking through the local paper and saw an ad “business with a difference”. I knew straight away it was for me. A few months later I was opening the doors of The Bethlehem Health & Tea Shop. I have never looked back.

I’ve learnt heaps over the last five years. The training courses on so many aspects of natural health, and information shared to independent people like me is outstanding. And of course I learn so much from my team who are qualified and experienced in their own passions. I’ve become even more passionate about health and helping people to restore and maintain their natural health. I believe being healthy and happy is everyone’s natural right. More and more people are now increasing their knowledge of how to build a healthy level of nutrition into their lives.

I get huge satisfaction from seeing positive changes in people’s lives – of restoring our body’s natural function to heal. To run a business that uses all of the skills I have learnt over the years is extremely fulfilling. I could not have done this when I was younger, so life has given me the tools I need to be able to live my passion. I know medical practices and modern medicine does have its place in our lives but so does our natural ability to heal. I like to show that nutrition and natural therapies can restore us to our natural balance.

Why is Jude a Kash or Kind Business Sponsor?

I feel I’d like to give and make a difference beyond what I can do in my store. I know that emotional well being and leading  a happy and fulfilling life is a major factor in restoring our natural balance. It’s well known now that health and happiness go hand in hand. I’m so content running my health shop, it’s great to find other ways to help people. Being a Kash or Kind Business Sponsor with The Life Academy of New Zealand gives me the satisfaction that not only am I supporting someone to find their passion and purpose in life, this person will also be giving of themselves to a local worthy cause in return. How cool is that?”

Jude Randell
Bethlehem Health & Tea Shop
State Highway 2
Bethlehem
Tauranga 3110
Ph: 07 576 9442
Fax: 07 576 9445
Web: www.bethlehemhealth.co.nz

Are you a Business with a Difference?

Join the Life Academy of New Zealand as a Kash or Kind Business Sponsor and reap the benefits that giving to others will bring. Contact Us and ask for some more information.