Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Felice Carlton.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was raised in rural North Carolina (in a one-stoplight town) with humble beginnings and family values which encouraged a strong work ethic. My very supportive parents always pushed me to do my best in everything I attempted, to put myself in situations that would help me grow, and to help others along the way. At a young age I was really interested in healthcare and I always had a passion for helping people, so it was a natural transition for me to pursue nursing as my undergraduate degree. Going to college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill showed me a high standard of healthcare.
For the first time in my life, I saw how a focus in preventative healthcare enabled others to live long healthy lives. The local clinic in my hometown was a trailer; and the focus was disease treatment as opposed to preventative care and wellness promotion. At a young age, I noticed that people in my family and community were dying of preventable and curable diseases. This eye-opening experience gave me passion for health disparities and serving the underserved.
My goal was to make sure that I received the best training, so one day my knowledge could help save the lives of others. After college I worked at the National Institutes of Health which is the gold standard for healthcare and research in our county. I actually took care of Dr. Anthony Fauci’s patients on the infectious disease unit. After gaining experience in the hospital setting, my passion for prevention and educating patients continued to burn strong. My interest was in focusing on clinic settings to prevent patients from ever needing hospitalization. While working in the outpatient clinics at the Department of Veterans Affairs, I noticed that I possessed a natural gift for helping patients decrease their blood pressures, blood sugars, and cholesterol levels without using medications. Subsequently, I became certified as an integrative health coach through Duke University to help enhance my skills.
I knew at the level of a registered nurse that I could not make the level impact that I desired, because nurses are not typically the final health care decision makers. For that reason, I applied to graduate school and was accepted to the Doctor of Nursing Practice program with a concentration as a Family Nurse Practitioner. During my grueling doctoral program, through personal adversity, I began to realize that underserved extended beyond geographic, economic, and cultural limitations.
My passion for the underserved began to extend to hard working driven women who were successful on the outside but were secretly struggling internally as their lives were falling apart. Through personal experience I learned that there is no safe place for us high-achieving women to heal, transform, and rejuvenate when we are suddenly thrust into transition in life. Society expects us to look beautiful, maintain multiple demanding leadership (and personal roles), and never to show that overwhelming responsibility is affecting our own self-care. Taking off an invisible superwoman cape is seen as a sign of weakness. As women take care of everyone else, we often lose sight of ourselves, and our ability to properly rejuvenate and release personal stress.
Through this experience, I created my company Felice Carlton Enterprises, LLC as a safe place for transformation specifically among high-achieving women. It has a focus mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional wellness.
Has it been a smooth Road?
Absolutely NOT there were MANY struggles! My company was birthed out of adversity. In 2015, I experienced a summer where my life fell apart. The outside world saw me as an image of success but secretly I was struggling and felt as if I had no safe place to go to receive help. On the outside, I was nurse of the year for the largest healthcare organization in our country, I was on a full-scholarship in my doctoral program, I had straight A’s in all my classes, I received an advanced certification through Duke University (while I was concurrently enrolled in a separate doctoral program), I worked full-time as a registered nurse, and I was launching a new business. All my responsibilities were taking a toll on my life and I was only sleeping about 30 minutes a night to keep up with all of my demands. Furthermore, during the summer of 2015 several pivotal and heart-wrenching things happened to me. Four people who I loved died in one summer, my boyfriend broke up with me, my doctoral program increased to 90 hours a week of homework so I had to leave my job (and only form of income) in order to keep my scholarship, I was extremely stressed, I gained 25 pounds in 3 months, I could not sleep, my heart rate was elevated, my blood pressure went up, I was sad and anxious, and my hair started falling out substantially. People kept telling me how they were so inspired by me, but they had no idea what was occurring behind-the-scenes in my life.
I felt so alone, overwhelmed, and did not know how to fix my situation without losing everything I worked so hard to finally attain. Later, I began to realize that there were other high-achieving women with similar challenges as me. We were all secretly suffering in our individual silos and were not aware that others also had similar obstacles in life. That is when I decided to create Felice Carlton Enterprises for women just like me. The outside world did not understand our drive and ambition, and oftentimes the people we could trust to secretly confide in (such as family) were not able to help us gain the real help, healing, and transformation that we needed.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Doctor Possibility story. Tell us more about the business.
Felice Carlton Enterprises is a professional speaking and coaching company that also hosts live events, workshops, and retreats. I coach professionals in transition to help them manage their stress, enhance their resiliency, and create a unique customized approach to a balanced mind, body, and spirit. Afterwards, we work together to help them brand themselves in their passion. Typically, this is done through individual or group coaching sessions that can be completed virtually. My live events create a safe space for women to be peacefully recharged away from the demands of their busy lives; and to leave with customized strategy that can be implemented immediately.
What makes us different:
Professional Medical Expertise | Health Coaching Certification through Duke University | Comprehensive and Customized Strategy | Outstanding Client Results that continue after completion of services
Not all health coaches are certified through accredited institutions, and very few have professional medical training that allows them to know the underlying factors that are currently manifesting in a client’s life.
I have a unique customized approach and proprietary system that I use to create sustainable change in the lives of others. My 11 years of clinical experience allow me to have greater insight on underlying medical considerations a deeper level. It also allows me to quickly detect subtle factors which may impact a person’s life without their knowledge. My integrative health coaching certification through Duke University gives me the ability to look at all factors of someone’s life and create a unique partnership that facilitates sustainable change. Before making any recommendations, I look at all areas of a person’s life: communication, relationships, career, rest, activity level, nutrition, mind-body connection, spirituality, physical environment, and their professional development.
Oftentimes, the challenges someone experiences in life are simply a by-product of a larger issue. I dig deep to uncover the root cause behind the manifestations. From there we work together to create a customized and feasible strategy. Clients continue to have amazing results in various areas of their lives even after they are done working with me.
As a speaker I am known for captivating audiences by inspiring, entertaining, and educating them on tangible strategies that they can implement immediately.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
My definition of success has changed as a result of life experiences. I once defined success by accomplishing major career and personal goals within set time frames. I learned that I sacrificed my health, enjoyment, peace, and other priceless things when I put all my effort into these types of ambitions. Now I say that success starts with peace, living in your authentic purpose, and using your calling to make a difference in the lives of others (realizing your calling may change over time). Success is being fulfilled and accomplishing goals in a way that is rewarding and also promotes your own happiness, joy, peace, and emotional wellness.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Future plans include: scaling and expanding my company visibility to impact a larger number of women, to train and collaborate with other qualified professionals (that are gifted in change) to bring this mission forward on a larger scale, and to create more online supportive communities that specifically address the needs of high achieving women.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.doctorfelice.com
- Phone: (980) 202-0393
- Email: Info@doctorfelice.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drfelicecarlton/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doctorfelice
- Other: Dr. Felice Carlton https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-felice-carlton-57459b62/
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