We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Carleigh Golightly and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Carleigh, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I think a life without risk sounds awfully boring! Deciding to step into the journey of building a business is a huge risk in itself. I come from a long line of 9-5 salaried-job-with-benefits family members and had no idea what it meant to start a business. But my mission to help people heal with naturopathic medicine was so strong, I was willing to step outside my comfort zone. At the end of the day, if your mission is strong enough, you’ll be willing to step out into almost any risk. Whenever I feel overcome by the uncertainties of business ownership, I re-center myself on my mission: using integrative medicine as a platform for healing the body and freeing people to access emotional and spiritual health. I believe we were all put on this earth for a purpose. But no worthy purpose comes easy. Your greatest work in this life will take grit, courage, and a whole lot of risk.
Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I personally discovered naturopathic medicine through my own teenage struggles with crippling anxiety, hormonal imbalance, and IBS. Frustrated with the pills my doctors offered, I looked outside the box seeking truth about healing. Through years of personal research and trial-and-error, I was able to overcome my own health issues. It was that experience that inspired me to become a Naturopathic Doctor and help others do the same. After finishing my training at the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, I returned home to San Diego and founded EmpowerMed Integrative Clinic. Our mission at EmpowerMed is to empower patients with the knowledge they need to address the root cause of disease so they may live vibrantly and impact their communities in a meaningful way.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
First and foremost, you’ve must understand that I am an incredibly active person so my recommendations center on getting outside and enjoying the sunshine! I think any trip to San Diego would be incomplete without a visit to La Jolla to walk along the beach. For those who love thrill-seeking, head down to Mission Bay for an afternoon of paddleboarding, rollercoaster riding and Belmont Park, followed by a nighttime beach bonfire. This combo always brings me back to my childhood! San Diego is home to some of the best hiking around: Julian, Mt Woodson, Iron Mountain, Vulcan Mountain and Idylwild are all closeby local spots.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to dedicate this shoutout to the staff and management at Fitness Quest 10, but in particular, to founder Todd Durkin and co-owner Jeff Bristol. Since moving back home to San Diego, this gym has been a source of friendship, love, inspiration, and encouragement. It a place where people go, not just to improve their bodies, but also to improve their spirit. My life would be much less rich without them.

Website: https://empowermedclinic.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.carleighgolightly/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-carleigh-golightly-19b34a95/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmpowerMedClinic/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHfm5wuuP8_T7TNIueHJD0A/about

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSocal is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.