LEXINGTON \u2013 After nearly three years of overcoming construction delays, plumbing hurdles, and health department logistics, Dani Lee Stose is almost ready to open her newest nutrition shop in Lexington.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has been a very long project, but we are very excited to get open. We are aiming for September and it is turning out nice,\u201d Stose said.<\/p>\n
Stose, a Lucas graduate, said she has been eager to bring a nutrition shop to the area for a long time.<\/p>\n
While Stose lives a couple of hours away, she plans to be at the Lexington location a few days a week. Her 18-year-old nephew, Jadenn Lacey, will also be working at the location quite a bit.<\/p>\n
Health struggles spark passion for business<\/p>\n
She has been growing her business for seven years, with the Herbalife nutrition products.<\/p>\n
When Stose began suffering from autoimmune issues, she discovered a local shop where she now lives, learning more about nutrition and her body.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was struggling a lot with my health, and I ended up being taught quite a bit,\u201d Stose said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI ended up working at that shop a couple of days a week, then fell in love with the products and business,\u201d Stose said. \u201cNow I\u2019ve opened five of my shops and built a team. <\/p>\n
\u201cTogether, that team has 13 locations total. While independently owned, they all use Herbalife products.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stose said the Lexington community is what has drawn her to the location.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like that it\u2019s very sports-oriented around here because I\u2019m big into sports and helping athletes with their nutrition,\u201d Stose said.<\/p>\n
She also said she has a passion for helping those who suffer from autoimmune issues. Having her history with complicated health issues has fueled her to do research and find ways that she can help others.<\/p>\n
Lex Nutrition will serve as a wellness spot serving gourmet meal shakes, protein bites, protein parfaits, and energizing teas.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always laugh because people are like I don\u2019t like tea. They have a tea base, but we add flavor to them, and there are different add-ins that we have, like a hydration booster, recovery booster, stuff like that. It tastes like healthy juice,\u201d Stose said.<\/p>\n
She said the energizing teas are the shop\u2019s most popular item. Tea kits to-go will be offered, so a customer can still make teas out of town.<\/p>\n
Lex Nutrition is a total nutrition company with the opportunity to order supplements.<\/p>\n
Creating a comfortable environment <\/p>\n
Starting her journey at 25, Stose understands how intimidating it can be to walk into a nutrition shop and not know what to order. She said she hopes Lex Nutrition can be a place where people feel safe asking questions.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wanna be able to connect with you, we want you to ask questions, we want to be able to help you the best that we can,\u201d Stose said.<\/p>\n
She hopes to help people learn more about their bodies and what they need, hoping they can feel healthier.<\/p>\n
Lex Nutrition will be training everyone behind the bar as a nutrition coach. They will learn how to answer any questions people may have. <\/p>\n
She said whether it is about protein, macros, or specific diets, they will answer and help people the best they can.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody behind the bar is an Herbalife distributor. They will have the Herbalife training, then we do our own training to learn what\u2019s in the products and what they do,\u201d Stose said.<\/p>\n
If you are interested in joining the Lex Nutrition team, Stose said the shop is still looking for good hands to help. Part-time employees are needed for the busy morning trade.<\/p>\n
While her shops usually close in the afternoon, her nephew, Lacey, is passionate about staying open later for athletes. Stose said they will be looking for afternoon help as well, so they can push for this.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey can reach out to us through\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0for job inquiries,\u201d Stose said.<\/p>\n Helping students learn healthy habits<\/p>\n Stose said her shops are always very involved with the schools in the district. Doing what they call \u201ctea drops,\u201d where they designate one day that week for the students to order online and have them dropped off at school.<\/p>\n \u201cWe do have our app called Engage. You download the app, connect it to the store, and you can order anything on there, pay ahead, people can do that when they\u2019re on their way to work,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n They will also be offering some athlete-focused options. Healthy post-workout shakes and pre-workout drinks will be available for purchase.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, with teenagers, you have to be careful with the stuff you give them. So, we like to have people come in and ask questions and work with them, to give them what their body needs,\u201d Stose said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want this place to be successful and fuel as many people as we can with good nutrition and a friendly, positive environment.\u201d<\/p>\n (Pictures of the Lex Nutrition shop. Credit: Hannah Martin)<\/p>\n \t