Most people know him as “Peanut.” “I had the nickname before a real name,” George Perdue said. After being born in Germany, he has lived in Danville for the last fifty years. Perdue retired from Lowes after thirty years of service. Recently, he married his best friend, Jessi, on Bridge Street in Danville. “We love riding motorcycles, and we are pet lovers. My wife and I are both small business owners which keeps us busy. We are blessed to have the life we have together.”
Retirement allowed him to pursue a passion for a healthier lifestyle. “I am also a sober alcoholic. I don’t believe life is as much about being perfect as perseverance. After having a total knee replacement, shoulder surgery, and other health concerns, my quality of life was becoming less and less.”
Perdue turned to a friend for help who introduced him to holistic healing. “Soon after I retired, my mother was on hospice care and a friend of many years came into town to visit her. As we were catching up, she shared she was a holistic health practitioner.” Perdue explained to his friend some of his health concerns and the many medications he was taking just to get by. “She worked with me on supplementation, as well as making better diet choices, and hydration. As I saw positive results, my interest grew,” Perdue added.
Not long after the first conversation, the concept for Revitalization Station came to Perdue. “In my quest to better help our clients, I enrolled in courses to become a certified natural health professional, followed by a certified holistic health practitioner,” he said. As Perdue continued his studies, he was introduced to the processes of Emotional Code and Body Code, which help to heal issues through energy. “Certification in and broadening my experience with these modalities has been a major focus over the last 3 years. This has been a life-changer for not only me, but many clients as well.”
Perdue’s philosophy is a good quality of life isn’t a given. He added, “It takes effort, discipline, faith, and positive choices to make the most of our health. Setting our mind, body, and spirit up for success instead of waiting on something to break, and then masking the symptoms.” Perdue follows the “one step at a time” approach to better health. Even the smallest change is something to build on. “So many people approach becoming healthy as all or nothing. My experience has been we won’t reach perfection but can celebrate the victories along the way and build on them.”
While sharing a guide to better health with others was his motivation to open Revitalization Station, Perdue enjoys the flexibility to do things from the heart that comes from owning a small business. “After over 30 years in retail at a large company, I saw many changes, and often the growth seemed to come at the expense of service,” he said. Being able to see the impact he makes on people’s lives is another plus. “I am a people person and often my sessions run long because my work is as much about the relationships as the processes.”
Perdue also holds his employees in high regard. “I’ve had the privilege of being able to employ great people. Hopefully, they feel appreciated for the work they do as well as how they do it.”
The experience of interactions with employees is the biggest imprint on customer service. “People are our business. The products and services we offer are there to take care of people,” Perdue said. In any business, problems are a given. The way issues are handled is crucial to a positive customer experience. “Mistakes will eventually happen. We take responsibility, seek to correct the situation, and learn from it.” Perdue and the store’s manager, Amy, have personal relationships with most of their customers. “Amy often knows the products clients want before they ask. In a world where convenience is replacing the personal touch, we hope people look forward to coming to see us.”
Owning a small business comes with challenges and misconceptions. Perdue noted time management as an ongoing challenge. For him, small-business ownership means juggling clients, bookkeeping, and continuing education. A common misconception is owning a business equates to wealth. “If a small business isn’t making money, the owner must find a way to make up the difference. And if it is making money, you are reinvesting in the company’s future.” Perdue urges aspiring entrepreneurs to have realistic expectations of yourself and the business. “If you have a dream, realistic expectations, and the drive to take a chance, owning a business can be highly rewarding.”
With developments surging Danville forward, there is a positive buzz about the economic climate. “The influx of people and growth have the potential to really boost small business opportunity,” Perdue said. But he warns against today’s shopping conveniences. “Society is becoming comfortable trading service and quality for convenience. If this continues, we may look around in a few years and find fewer brick-and-mortar options for shopping.” Perdue still has a positive outlook about the future. “I hope we can continue to build on the community spirit of small business in Danville, encouraging and supporting each other.”
As for his future, Perdue said, “Many things that are core parts of my life today were not on my radar at all 5 years ago. I hope I can just try to keep doing the next right thing with the best possible motives.”