We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Princess Castleberry. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Princess below.
Alright, Princess thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
From a twenty-year career in corporate risk management to launching my own business as a professional speaker and wellness consultant, the concept of understanding, calculating, and embracing risks has always captivated me. I’ve been on a journey of taking career risks and breaking boundaries since the very beginning, working in a male-dominated industry with few Black men and women leaders.
Despite facing self-doubt, fear, micro-aggressions, and discrimination, I developed expertise in enterprise risk management, commercial insurance, business continuity and disaster planning, HR compliance, learning design, and wellness. In January 2019, I took my first executive leadership role, but it turned out to be a disastrous move. Feeling misaligned with the leaders around me, I became miserable, depressed, and experienced strain in my relationships, leading to burnout.
Taking control of my situation, I made the risky decision to resign and launched my business, GO BEYOND WELL, in October of that year. However, just as things were getting started, the world shut down in March 2020 due to the pandemic. Suddenly, I became the teacher to my first and third-grade sons while struggling to build my business. Despite only generating $24,000 that year, far from my previous six-figure salary, I refused to give up. I persevered, working to protect my family and build my dream.
Today, I am proud to be a recognized TEDx Keynote Speaker, wellness risk consultant, and coach. Through my company, GO BEYOND WELL, I help people solve their wellness challenges inside and outside of work, empowering everything they’re apart of to thrive. My specialization lies in helping leaders burnout-proof their lives and teams.
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.
I help people solve personal wellness challenges through collaborative learning experiences in the forms of keynotes, workshops, and coaching. When most people today think about challenges with their mindset, communication, boundaries, stress management, and goal attainment, they turn inward to self-care. I believe that self-care can be elusive though and people spend too much time trying to figure out how to go it alone.
Through corporations, trade associations, employee resource groups, and chambers of commerce I build experiences that teach people the skills they need to thrive in life and at work before personal wellness issues become workplace wellness issues. My background sets me apart from other professional speakers because I spent two decades leading teams and solving organizations challenges arising from injuries, accidents, crises, employment relations, non-compliance, lack of performance, and process failures all stemming from human behavior. Combine that with the expertise of an instructional designer and wellness coach, and the energy, humor, and wit of a Detroit West-sider and you’ve got Princess.
My clients respect my messages for being clear, practical, and actionable. My work helps them to create a sense of belonging among diverse populations, build skills for emerging leaders, improve communication, combat decision fatigue and burnout, and overcome limited thinking.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
When people hear my titles – TEDx Keynote Speaker and Wellness Risk Consultant – they don’t immediately envision me as a creative. When those same people see me in person with a brownish-blonde curly twist out, big earrings, colorful clothes, and red lipstick they find my chosen profession intriguing – baffling even. The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is that we don’t play by other people’s definitions or rules – we create our own lanes. Creativity equals freedom for me.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
There are so many incredible, free business resources offering through organizations like Great Lakes Women’s Business Council, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Michigan Women Forward, and Small Business Association to name only a few. Starting a business can feel daunting, especially for people who’ve historically been pushed to the margins, but there are an overwhelming amount of resources available and more people need to know about them. 
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gobeyondwell.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/princessatgobeyondwell/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GOBEYONDWELL/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/princesscastleberry/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@GoBeyondWell
- Linktree: https://linktr.ee/princessatgobeyondwell
Image Credits
Photos by: Shaleena Cole of LeoSage Images, Shawn Lee of Shawn Lee Studios, and Shadia Amen of Shadia Amen Photography