Owner of local wellness centers, Rochelle Cruz, offers healthier lifestyle to the community

by Myra Wong

Neighborhood Nutrition is a wellness center in the west end of New Bedford that offers a variety of nutritious shakes, teas, and supplements as well as local outdoor workout sessions, better known as fitcamps, for the New Bedford community. At the heart of this business is the owner, Rochelle Cruz, an uplifting, inspiring, and welcoming spirit. A New Bedford native of Cape Verdean descent, Cruz enthusiastically sat with BuyBlackNB to answer questions about the success of her business, the importance of her team, and her support for Black Lives Matter.

Walking in I was instantly welcomed with the numerous inspirational quotes plastered on the walls and a hard working attitude from the two coaches behind the counter. Rochelle greeted me kindly and once we exchanged pleasantries I began asking about her story. The more questions I asked, the more I understood why her business is so successful. Throughout the interview, Cruz expresses over and over how passionate she is about giving back to the community, and seeing as the mission of Neighborhood Nutrition is all about bringing a happier and healthier lifestyle to others, the two make a strong and successful pair. 

Can you tell me a little about yourself and your journey to Neighborhood Nutrition? 

“Through it all I was looking for an opportunity to make a difference in the world -- help in some fashion….I wanted to make a difference in my community so I put businesses here.”

I grew up in the West end, but I’ve lived all over the city. I’m of Cape Verdean descent and have several degrees in business management, healthcare administration, and communications. Through it all I was looking for an opportunity to make a difference in the world --- help in some fashion...I stumbled across this opportunity with Herbalife nutrition and their motto of making the world healthier and happier by starting in your own community really stood out to me, so I got the products. I ended up losing 52 pounds, kept the weight off for 5 years now, and through that a business was born. 

I had the opportunity to put my businesses in other locations and was actually encouraged to do so --- Fairhaven, Dartmouth...I wanted to make a difference in my community so I put businesses here. Since 2017, I’ve established two businesses: Neighborhood Nutrition and True North Nutrition, and we are growing exponentially, providing opportunities to people in the community to get healthier, to get happier, to create a financial wall for themselves and their families, and to give them opportunities they may not have seen otherwise.

Why is health and fitness important to you?

“...I wanted to take my knowledge of my culture and be able to show (people of color) a way they can still be true to their culture and enjoy those aspects while still living an active and healthy lifestyle.”

I’m a registered respiratory therapist, so I spend a lot of time working in healthcare. I struggled myself with exercise induced asthma, so I really had to focus on whatever I could do to try to keep people healthier. People of color are predisposed to some more significant health issues per environmental and cultural reasons, so I wanted to take my knowledge of my culture and be able to show them a way they can still be true to their culture and enjoy those aspects but still living an active and healthy lifestyle. The products we use here: the shakes, teas, and supplements, allow me to still eat some jag or some fried chicken if I so choose, but I still stick to the core nutrition of giving my body everything it needs.

What is something you love about New Bedford?

“I love that no matter where you go you see different people, different looks, different styles, different expressions of each individual.”

“...The number one thing I love about New Bedford is the culture. I love that no matter where you go you see different people, different looks, different styles, different expressions of each individual. That’s probably my most favorite thing, and it’s beautiful! The waterfront, the harbor...It’s got a small town feel in a lot of ways, and I love that as well. 

How do you think Neighborhood Nutrition can benefit the New Bedford community?

“We try to make everyone feel appreciated, valued, and important no matter who they are or where they come from. We try to be a source of positivity in the community.”

The vehicle that we use is Herbalife Nutrition which is the number one supplement company in the world. They’ve been around for 40 years, they have a great name, a great brand, and they can be trusted. So we utilize that vehicle to reach the masses in the community. A place like Neighborhood Nutrition (or True North Nutrition) allows us to have people come in searching for something, but it’s more than just shakes. It’s more than just teas. It’s more than just supplements. You see it here for yourself, when someone walks in through that door they’re greeted here with a smile. We try to make everyone feel appreciated, valued, and important no matter who they are or where they come from. We try to be a source of positivity in the community. 

We really engage as well, so a lot of our coaches, take Jess for instance. She works at St. Luke’s Hospital. She works in the ER, so she’s a portion of that community and can bring all of this to those people and say ‘Here’s what you need to get through the day. We want you to feel good,’ so she brings the product to them, and in doing that she’s able to translate that to the patients. Because she feels good, because she’s happy, she’s able to provide better care. We have teachers, principals, superintendents of schools, lawyers...all of them, when they come in here they get something and bring it out to where they work. It’s the positive spreading virus of happiness, health, and positivity.”

What would you say is Neighborhood Nutrition’s biggest strength?

“...the heart of the team, every single person in this organization is in it because they care.”

 Biggest strength would be our coaches. Our people. The people behind this bar, the people that are part of our organization. We also have a ton of coaches who don’t work behind the bar, but they’re a part of the neighborhood nutrition family...We’re really trying to spread as much as we can to combat the negativity. The number one though is that the heart of the team, every single person in this organization is in it because they care. They truly want to make a difference in the lives of even just their own circle.

Can you talk a little about fitcamps? Their start, their price, and who it is open to?

“They’re absolutely free, and they’re open to everyone...it’s really just a way for us to get everyone active and positive, especially coming out of this pandemic…”

The fitcamps we’re offering right now they run Monday through Sunday. Every single day we have something active that people can take part of. The fitcamps we’re doing right now probably are the best most well organized that we’ve ever had. We have them in different parts of the city now so you’re able to get to them no matter where you are. They’re absolutely free, and they’re open to everyone. Children as well! It’s really just a way for us to get everyone active and positive, especially coming out of this pandemic where people were stuck at home for a little while and maybe put on an extra few pounds or really just not feeling well. Whatever the case may be, even if you just want a social outlet, we can provide it.

Would you say that fitcamps are beginner-friendly?

“It doesn’t take a lot. You just got to get out and do it.”

We have something for everyone. We are able to adapt. If we have one whole class with different levels of athleticism or fitness involved there are modifications to the workout that are provided as well. We do things as simple as walk the harbor together. It doesn’t take a lot. You’ve just got to get out and do it. We have groups that go out on bike rides. We have groups that do more High Intensity Interval Training. We have some people that just go for a jog or go for a swim. So there’s literally something for every fitness level available to you.

Who can be a coach?

“If you want to make a difference in your community, that’s all it takes.”

Absolutely anyone. This is one of the most important things that I like to let people know. All you have to do is have a desire to make a difference.  If you really want to be healthier and you want to be happier, that’s all it takes. If you want to make a difference in your community, that’s all it takes. I constantly recruit people who are just looking for something. They want to belong, to be a part of something, and we have something that you can be a part of that is going to be positive as opposed to a lot of the negative things we’re faced with these days. 

How has the pandemic affected Neighborhood Nutrition?

“What we were also able to do during that time was give back to those who were not as fortunate as we were.”

We’ve been able to thrive through the pandemic because of who we are. Herbalife Nutrition is an essential food source for the world, so because of that we were allowed to stay open when many other businesses were not. What we were also able to do during that time was give back to those who were not as fortunate as we were. We are able to provide meals to kids who weren’t getting a meal at home because they weren’t at school. We were able to provide meals to some of the customers we knew were loyal but got laid off, and they didn’t have an income to afford it. Those were some things we were able to do throughout that time and that is really what makes me so happy to be a part of this.

On social media you were pretty active with the Black Lives Matter movement, were you hesitant at all to publicly support it?

“...everyone knows me. They know who I am. They know what I’m passionate about. They know what I believe in.” 

I was never hesitant to support Black Lives Matter. It’s something that’s very important to me and to the team. I never make unilateral decisions. I usually speak to all my coaches and get a feel for things before any decision is made. We have a very diverse team here. We literally encompass everything that New Bedford is. With that, it’s a touchy subject in a lot of ways, but everyone knows me. They know who I am. They know what I’m passionate about. They know what I believe in. Justice is obviously something that is important to all of us, so to tie it in to what we already do was a no brainer. 

What is something you would like to improve on?

“I’d love to reach my community a little stronger, a little deeper, a little more frequently.”

There’s so much growth needed. I literally try to work on myself harder than anything else. That goes for the business as well. I’d love to reach my community a little stronger, a little deeper, a little more frequently. I’d like to hit the streets more often and so some more educating and communicating with people from my neighborhoods that I grew up in as opposed to where we are now where everything is social media. I’d like to get out more in the community, engage, and really be a part of effecting change on a higher level than what we do now. 

What is something you are proud to have accomplished as a Black business owner?

“...for me to be in a position where I can speak to and mentor others who maybe find themselves where I was and kind of show them what’s possible. I think that is what makes me most proud.”   

I think the most important thing is providing opportunities for others. I very easily could have been any number of statistics myself. I didn’t always walk the best path. I didn’t always surround myself with the most positive people. So for me to be in a position where I can speak to and mentor others who maybe find themselves where I was and kind of show them what’s possible—think that is what makes me most proud

Visit Neighborhood Nutrition:

812 Kempton Street, New Bedford, MA

Phone:(774) 644-8138 | Website: https://neighborhoodnutritionclub.com/