We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Carly Melchert a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Carly , thanks for joining us today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

In 2019, I was two years into my role as the Executive Director of a small nonprofit. On paper, it was rewarding. In my body, it felt like a burden.
I was angry. Resentful. Exhausted. What once felt like a privilege had become a heavy obligation.

Looking back, I see that my ego had taken the driver’s seat. Not the flashy, arrogant ego I associated with cockiness—but the quiet, insidious kind. The kind that whispers “Say yes. Prove your worth. Be indispensable.” I wasn’t saying yes from alignment—I was saying yes to be seen. I thought, “They must really value me. They must see how great I am.” In truth, I was the new girl too afraid to say no.

By the time I learned that this was my ego—not my heart—running the show, I was so burned out that even the things I once loved felt like chores. Nothing brought joy, only obligation.

That realization changed everything.

Today, before I say yes, I pause. I ask:
Does this honor my path? My peace? My purpose?
Sometimes the most powerful decision I can make is to say no—with love.

This shift didn’t just change how I work—it transformed how I speak, listen, and relate. I no longer need to have the last word or prove I’m right. I don’t have to explain myself to everyone. Sometimes, the kindest thing I can do—for others and for myself—is to say nothing at all.
Not out of silence, but out of sovereignty.

Because now, my ego isn’t in charge. I am.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Hi, I’m Carly—owner and founder of The Restored Soul.

My journey in Health & Wellness Promotion didn’t just take me through classrooms and coursework—it led me inward. While many of my peers pursued personal training, I felt called toward a deeper form of healing and became a certified yoga teacher. What began as a personal refuge transformed into a powerful purpose. Teaching gave me my voice, my confidence, and a path to guide others home to themselves.

Through yoga, I connected with people from all walks of life—and with parts of myself I didn’t know I had been neglecting. As a deeply intuitive Pisces, I’ve always felt things strongly, but Reiki and yoga helped me truly trust that intuition. Reiki, in particular, became the key to unlocking and releasing long-held trauma stored in my body. It showed me that healing is not only possible—it’s already within us. We just need the right tools and someone to walk beside us.

At The Restored Soul, I offer sacred healing experiences—Reiki, sound healing, intuitive sessions, and various styles of yoga, including gentle, Kundalini-inspired, and chair yoga. Every session is guided by intuition, designed to help you feel safe, grounded, and at home in your body.

When people find me, they’re often feeling disconnected—from their bodies, their emotions, and even their purpose. That disconnection might show up as:

Physically:
– Chronic tension in the shoulders, neck, or back
– Fatigue that lingers no matter how much you rest
– Shallow breathing, like you haven’t exhaled in ages

Emotionally:
– Irritability or restlessness without a clear cause
– Numbness, or trouble naming and processing your emotions
– Anxiety that feels overwhelming or paralyzing

Mentally:
– Difficulty focusing or constant mental scatter
– Living on autopilot, going through the motions
– Doubt that clouds your instincts and decisions

Here’s the truth:
Disconnection doesn’t mean something is broken.
It’s a signal—a gentle nudge calling you back to yourself.
And the beautiful news? You can return.

You can rebuild the relationship with your body.
You can reconnect with your intuition.
You can feel whole again.

Through Reiki, sound healing, and intuitive practice, I help people like you remember what it feels like to come home to yourself—body, mind, and spirit.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Can you share the story of a time you had to pivot in business, career, or life?

If there’s one thing COVID taught me, it’s this: I know how to pivot. My former career required constant shifting, especially in times of crisis—but it was through that experience that I learned the beauty of leaning into the pivot instead of resisting it. That lesson has carried me through every area of life—personally, professionally, and spiritually.

As a business owner and intuitive yoga teacher, pivoting is something I do often. I don’t plan classes in advance because I believe in reading the room—feeling the energy, noticing the bodies in front of me, and serving the people who are actually there. One of my favorite examples was a class that included a 9-month pregnant woman, a man with a wrist injury, complete beginners, and a few intermediate yogis. I adapted in real time to create an experience that honored every body in that space. It turned out to be one of the most connected, beautiful classes I’ve ever led.

Right now, I’m pivoting again—reevaluating where and how I offer my classes. I feel a pull toward creating my own space, and I’m exploring what that next evolution of The Restored Soul might look like.

Pivoting isn’t just something I do in business—it shows up in my personal life, too. My husband and I have been trying to grow our family for several years. After three unsuccessful IUI treatments, my intuition led us to step away from fertility treatments and step into something equally meaningful: becoming foster parents. This journey has stretched us in every way. It’s not easy—it requires a constant willingness to shift, to open your heart, to let go of expectations. But it’s also deeply beautiful. We get to share our love with children who need safety, stability, and tenderness during some of the most uncertain times in their lives.

So yes, I’ve learned how to pivot.
But more importantly, I’ve learned that sometimes the pivot is the path.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

It’s funny—answering this question has me wondering: Did I choose this path, or did it choose me?

In many ways, it chose me. During my time as an Executive Director—especially through the heaviness of COVID—I had pushed yoga and Reiki to the back burner. I wasn’t teaching, and I wasn’t making space to be a student either. But one night, I finally gave myself the gift of receiving. I attended a sound healing session, and in the quiet stillness, Spirit gave me a little tap on the head and said, “Hey dummy, what are you doing? YOU are supposed to be doing this work.”

Now I know Spirit doesn’t always come across as gentle—but that message landed loud and clear.

From that moment on, I slowly returned to my practices. I started teaching again, sharing again, and letting my intuitive voice come through. And the more I shared, the louder that voice became. It became clear: I couldn’t stay in my ED role—I needed to step fully into this healing work. So while the work called me, I also chose to answer. I chose to walk away from a steady paycheck and reliable title to build my own business from the ground up.

I chose to trust my intuition—and to let the Universe catch me.

And I’m so glad I did.

This work fills my heart. Watching people come alive again, witnessing that glow return as they reconnect with themselves—there’s nothing more sacred to me.
Helping people find that connection? I’d choose that again and again.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://the-restored-soul.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/connecting_the_restored_soul?igsh=MTQxanFuanNremY3Zw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CEht4RqgQ/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carly-melchert-parlante-8ab68911a/

Image Credits

Images are courtesy of Tina Turner Photography and Gaia Dawn Studios