Meet Carlie Sturtz | Mental Health Author and Public Speaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Carlie Sturtz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carlie, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My thought process behind starting Bloomie Brained was that more mental health resources needed to be readily available. Writing and public speaking are crafts that have always been inside of me. They are truly something that I would do for free, and I still do for free quite often through donations, but I think that’s when you know that it’s right. That is how you know that it is passion-driven. Many people don’t realize that the word passion actually derives from its Latin root word patior, which means to suffer. Anything that we are passionate about means that, at times, it’s worth suffering for. Long nights, early mornings, you get the gist. I believe that is what life is all about. Finding something that you are so obnoxiously passionate about that it truly makes life worth living. Before Bloomie Brained I was making money, paying my bills, and living a great life. But there was no passion. Every day was bleak and colorless, and quite frankly, most days felt like Groundhog Day. It wasn’t until I set out on a quest to explore the unknown, leaving my comfort zone in the dust behind me, that I was able to soul-search and find true passion within through business.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As a writer and public speaker, I carefully curate my art to reflect my background in the beauty and wellness industry. I believe that beauty is more than skin deep and begins with taking care of your mental health in addition to your physical health. Thus far, I am most proud of my first publication, Becoming Bloomie Brained: Your Guide To Self-Care my first wellness tracking journal that doubles as a book filled with a variety of helpful information, such as good food, books, and podcasts for your mental health. There are portions in the journal for habit and emotion tracking, in addition to a plethora of journal prompts to help you dive deeper into your soul, in turn promoting self-awareness. I got to where I am today truly by meditation and faith. Quitting the noise of everyday life between work, life, friends, family, social media, etc. to sit with myself and discover what it is I truly want and how I plan to accomplish that. It certainly wasn’t easy after losing my father to suicide just three months before the global pandemic, and oftentimes it feels quite lonely. But I think when you remind yourself that you came into this world alone and one day you will leave this world alone, it definitely makes spending some of the time in between alone far easier. Because, after all, you are the only one in the entire world living your life and harnessing your dream. You can’t expect others to make your dreams happen for you. This lesson was hard to learn, but so needed. In my darkest moments, I would remind myself, “No one is coming to save you, Carlie. You’ve got to save yourself. You’ve got to want to save yourself.”

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If a friend was coming into town for the weekend, I would probably take them to Zeke’s Beans and Bowls at Wrightsville Beach for breakfast or an early lunch, and then we would walk the loop, or hit the beach! They would most certainly have to see how gorgeous the turquoise water is at Wrightsville Beach, as most people don’t realize it is so blue because of a direct current that flows here from the Gulf of Mexico! In the afternoon, I would want to take them by Figgy Co. and Cloth and Design to do a little local shopping. Maybe a little late afternoon hike at Carolina Beach State Park or a drop-in yoga sesh at Yoga Salt. Dinner at Indochine, The Green House, Kipos, or Ceviches! Drinks downtown at Underfront or The Blind Elephant. The next day I would take them for a little recovery breakfast hot bar at Tidal Creek, and pop into the infrared sauna at Healing Leaves. Hopefully, we could catch a concert at the Greenfield Lake Amphitheater! That is my favorite venue. For dinner grab a little fresh seafood from Seaview Crab Company and enjoy a nice sunset down in Fort Fisher.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to take the time to dedicate my shoutout to my mother. She has set a positive example as a female role model in my life and when faced with adversity, she never gave up. Through the loss of my father, she continued to get out of bed in the morning. She never stopped pushing forward, even on the most difficult of days. I would also like to dedicate my shoutout to author and motivational speaker Ed Mylett. His book, The Power of One More: The Ultimate Guide to Happiness singlehandedly changed my life for the better, and I simply cannot recommend this book enough. This book is certainly one that everyone can benefit from.

Website: https://www.bloomiebrained.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bloomiebrained/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlie-noel-sturtz-348ba7261/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC04TiacwRSkd9MApcY0BwgA

Image Credits
Jason and Kate Douek Cameron Smith