Meet Catrina Clark | Coach Catrina – Your Mind Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Catrina Clark and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Catrina, how does your business help the community?
My business – Louisa57, is aimed to make talking about and tending to mental and emotional health, the norm. With the tagline “Mind Your Mind” I am intentionally alerting any and everyone to pay attention to what you are thinking, why they have the thoughts, and how it’s making them feel. Most of our mental health imbalances are due to our thoughts being self-contained, which traps us in our emotions which then leads to health problems including mental health attacks such as anxiety and depression.

What should our readers know about your business?
Well, there are indeed a plethora of coaches now. However, I connect to those I do business with because of their story. I know my story is what sets me apart. Being a child who was from a mother who battled with mental health issues her teenage and adult life, which kept her separated from her 4 children, is what gives me legitimacy. I am a product of being in foster care and suffering abuse at the hands of family members. I and my siblings come from a family line who, for a few generations back, had mental illness deficiencies. Our mother had siblings who battled with mental illness. So, all of my markers would align to show that I should be on medication, living in a mental health facility, separated from my daughter and family. However, that is far from the case!

I hold a college degree, have several certifications, run an ever-expanding business, and have overcome so much mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. No, my journey was not easy. I have wanted to give up on my business several times but I do not enjoy working full-time to help build someone else’s passion for a few pennies of my worth. I have pulled on my determination to continually learn more and apply what I learn, being the one to lead my siblings since we do not have parents to call on, loving my mother with whom I did have 4 years of building a relationship and helping with her mental health before she left this earth, gives me that special sauce that others do not have.

My brand, Louisa57 is dedicated to Laverne Louise Clark, who passed away a few months before her 57th birthday. She battled mental health, hard. She was on medications, was separated from her children, and had other physical health problems. However, when she was not in her catatonic state or was functioning temporarily while being medicated, she was a sweet and loving woman. That is the part of her essence I am using as the catalyst for my business and advocate for everyone to tend to their mental and emotional health.

Mind Your Mind, everyone!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in the Washington DC area. Here, there are a plethora of restaurants and cuisine. For someone visiting this area, I would of course take them on a tour of Washington DC. DC has so many museums, that it would be best to visit one or two for over a couple of days. One that I think I’d take my friend to is the National Museum of African-American History and Culture as well as the African American Art Museum. Both of these are interactive and take up 2-4 hours of the day. We would take a bus tour of DC that would begin around late afternoon, tour the city, and then end the tour around sunset. Seeing the Washington Monument and city life at night gives a good mix of culture and nightlife. We would dine at any restaurant of choice on The Wharf of DC.

During a day outing, I would take my friend down U Street, near Howard University. There are a few well-known casual but retro restaurants there including Ben’s Chili Bowl and Smoke. DC also has a traveling Hip Hop museum. This is a unique experience that includes various hip-hop artists stopping by, conversations, and pop-up shops.

Of course, the DMV area also includes a ferry ride that connects to Virginia and Maryland. Both locations would be on our list to visit. The National Harbor on Maryland side which not only has a casino but has a strip of shops, including a candy store that I love, a Ferris wheel, coastal dining, and live performances from opera, circus, rock, soul, and comedy.

We would also include a few rides through some of the suburbs of Maryland. It is very scenic here, with vast areas of land, big houses, and country fare like carnivals, wine festivals, and street-side fruit and vegetable vendors.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The person I want to shoutout first and foremost is the one I am building a legacy so that the world will remember her, and honoring: Laverne Louise Clark. I also want to include my daughter, my brothers, all of my mentors and coaches, and spiritual leaders. I am a product of years of training, guidance, discipline, and support.

Website: www.louisa57.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamlouisa57/

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/catrinaclark

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

Other: https://www.alignable.com/pomfret-md/catrina-clark-louisa57