One Healthy Girl

Written for Pink Magazine by Linda Hopkins

Pink January 2009

What do you want to be when you grow up? The answer to the question, often asked of children, can be elusive for adults when faced with the very real choice of what to do with the rest of their lives. And like many young college-bound students, Carla Cappiello didn’t have a clue. “I was one of those lost souls,” she said, naming a variety of majors she tried on for size, none of which was the right fit. In 1994, she graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a degree in art history—a subject that interested her but didn’t clearly define her career path. All grown up, she still wasn’t sure what she wanted to be…

Fast forward and meet Carla Cappiello Golden, a woman who knows exactly who she is and what she wants to be. What happened in between? In short, she fell in love, got married and had a baby. But the epiphany came when her daughter, Bella, started preschool. As a stay-at-home mom, Carla suddenly found herself with time on her hands. “I remember dropping her off at school and thinking, ‘This is when I get phased out… Now I can reinvent myself; how exciting, but how scary!’”

She first considered becoming a Yoga instructor, but that just didn’t light the fire in her soul. It was her husband, Chad, who suggested massage therapy, offering to set her up with a space in his dental office. While it seemed like a practical choice, Carla was unprepared for the passion it unleashed. “Once I got into it, I loved it. I thought, this really suits me,” she said.

Carla studied at DoveStar and is certified by the National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Body Work. She specializes in aromatherapy and Raindrop Therapy, a treatment that involves nine different essential oils, specifically chosen for their healing powers. “That’s my niche in the massage market,” she said, emphasizing the quality and effectiveness of therapeutic-grade oils and the technique that delivers them into the body systems.

But Carla’s new career doesn’t stop at the massage table. “Once I got into massage, people began asking me about various ailments. Because I have a passion for health, I was always reading about it,” she said. Inspired to share what she learned, Carla started her blog, One Healthy Girl. “I try to give people little bits and pieces that they can incorporate in their daily life,” she said of her Web journal, which is chockfull of resources and advice on nutrition, parenting and healthy lifestyle choices.

Taking her wellness crusade a step further, Carla’s latest venture is to create a comprehensive online directory of alternative healthcare practitioners. Dividing the country into two “WellSpots” per state, she has devised an intricate “connect the spots” campaign for identifying and networking with providers nationwide. While she accepts advertising on the site, there will always be a free option, she said, which ensures that the list is comprehensive. “This is not just for business sake. It’s part of a larger movement to bring alternative healthcare further into the mainstream. The more people are aware of all their choices, this is going to be an easier choice for them to make,” she said. “I want to be an agent of change. I’m committing the rest of my life to spreading the word of how people can empower themselves to be healthier.”

Up Close

Hilton Head Island resident since: 2000 Source of inspiration: Author, Leo Buscaglia, whose writings started to “shift” her thinking. “It was my first introduction to the concept that you get what you give; how you treat people is going to be your experience in life.” New Year’s resolution: to exercise patience. “Your life can shift in an instant. I’m not impatient in that I’m cruel. I’m impatient in that I want people to have it NOW.” When not working, find her: reading, jogging or luxuriating in a long, very hot bath. Life motto: “Only boring people get bored.” Words of wisdom: “We all have the power within to be whoever we want to be and do whatever we want to do. If we can realize that, work together and collaborate, watch out world!” For more information: visit GoldenLMT.com; onehealthygirl.com; and wellnessdestinationscentral.com.