Georgia’s Naturals

When Carrillo and her sister Donna Cheffield launched a holistic health store in Georgetown two years ago, Carrillo said the name Georgia’s Naturals seemed like a natural fit.

“When it came down to picking a name, it just popped into my head,” she said. “[My grandmother] was a big influence for me.”

The sisters sell supplements, health food and offer consultations. Carrillo, a certified nutritionist, has a bachelor’s degree and has worked in the industry for nearly 15 years, and the store also brings in a nutritionist once a week for those looking for longer consultations. Carrillo and Cheffield also send out a monthly newsletter detailing new items available in the store, articles about specific herbs or nutrients, and a list of classes from local practitioners offering holistic-based treatments.

Since each customers’ response to the products could vary, Carrillo said the store does not make definitive claims to their effectiveness. What speaks volumes to her, she said, are the recommendations from her customers.

One customer is Judy Curtis, a Georgetown resident who has been visiting Carrillo since before she launched Georgia’s Naturals. She said Carrillo discovered she had an autoimmune disease called Sjogren’s syndrome. Curtis starting taking supplements, which she said have made a difference.

“She looked up every nutrient that would prove to be supportive of that condition to help strengthen me and help me,” she said. “It really was a result of her pointing me in the right direction; I went from feeling really bad and feeling worn out and tired all the time to being high-energy.”

Carrillo said customer needs will help determine the future of the store.

“I think right now the products that we bring in, any expansion that we do is going to be based on what the demand is,” she said. “We’ve tried a lot of things to see what the community would gravitate to, so we’re at a point where we’re seeing where we go next.”