Dottie Barnett, Sea Moss Wellness Bar
Meet Dorothelia Barnett, affectionately known as Dottie. She is the visionary behind Dottie’s Sea Moss Wellness Bar in East Hartford, Connecticut - a vibrant sanctuary where wellness meets community. As a Certified Health & Wellness Coach, passionate Sea Moss educator, and former preschool teacher, Dottie has transformed her personal journey into a mission to nourish others from the inside out. Her welcoming, nature-infused shop offers wildcrafted Sea Moss gels, energizing smoothies, decadent cupcakes, and herbal teas - all crafted with intention and heart.
A woman of many skills - including nine years as Editor-in-Chief of Beautifully Inspired Women’s Magazine, a publication devoted to celebrating women over 40 - her passion has always been to connect and uplift her community. Whether she's curating stories of resilience, guiding wellness journeys, or simply offering a warm smile and heartfelt advice, Dottie brings purpose and care to everything she does.
With a deep belief in the healing power of nature and a gift for making holistic health approachable, Dottie greets every visitor with warmth, knowledge, and a generous spirit. She’s a teacher at heart, guiding each customer with clarity, patience, and a deep commitment to education. What sets her apart in the growing sea moss market isn’t just the quality of her offerings - it’s her unique approach: blending expert knowledge, heartfelt care, and one-on-one connection to help people embrace wellness with confidence.
Whether you’re dropping in for a quick consultation or savoring one of her new avocado smoothies, Dottie’s space invites you to slow down, learn, and reconnect with your well-being. Through her work, she’s not just selling wellness - she’s cultivating a movement rooted in empowerment, authenticity, and love.
Dottie, tell us who is impacted by the work that you do?
I’ve been blessed to hear from people of all walks of life - men, women, healthcare professionals, teenagers, college students, even athletes - sharing how my organic and natural supplement products have helped improve their health and quality of life. It’s incredible to see how sea moss and other wellness products can support folks in such different ways, depending on what their bodies need.
Do you have a personal connection to this work?
Absolutely. My journey with sea moss started in a very personal way. Years ago, I was diagnosed with a severe case of arthritis in both knees and painful bone spurs in my feet. After being under the care of a CT podiatrist and multiple orthopedic specialists for years, I was eventually advised to have corrective surgery on my knees and feet in 2021. Before undergoing any procedure, I agreed to try a natural mineral called sea moss “for ha ha’s.” In my research, I read that sea moss might have the ability to act as a natural anti-inflammatory and pain reliever. Once I committed to giving it a try, many of my symptoms improved dramatically, and some even disappeared entirely. I never ended up needing the surgery, even to this day.
That experience changed everything for me. At the time, I was still teaching preschool and started selling sea moss quietly through social media - just taking orders, no storefront, no logo, no grand plan. What sparked the shift wasn’t strategy. It was truth. For years, I had struggled silently, embarrassed by my mobility and how my appearance had changed. “I didn’t want to be seen. I didn’t even want to go out for groceries.” That’s how deeply it affected me.
Then came the nudge, something I believe was divine. I made a video testimonial: raw, unfiltered, showing myself walking, strutting, even in stilettos after being told I never would. I sat on it for weeks, afraid to share. But when I finally did? The response was overwhelming. People began knocking on my door saying, “I want whatever that is.” What I hadn’t realized was how many women were silently suffering too, and my transparency gave them permission to speak, seek help, and believe in healing.
It was at that moment I understood: this wasn’t just about me. My healing was meant to reach others. Even when I resisted - telling God, “I’m good where I am” - the calling grew louder. And when COVID hit, the urgency grew stronger. People were desperate for immune support, for answers, for hope.
So I pushed past the fear. Just like when I had moved to Jamaica years earlier to open a school, I stepped out on faith again. I retired from a 25-year career as an Early Childhood Educator and decided to channel my passion for wellness into something new - combining my background as a Certified Health & Wellness Coach with my love for helping others. I launched a new business as a Sea Moss Researcher, Educator, and Retailer, opening the first Sea Moss Wellness Bar in New England.
My goal in opening Dottie’s Sea Moss Wellness Bar was to educate people on how natural minerals like sea moss, along with supplements, herbs, and holistic practices, could potentially benefit their health and quality of life.
Entrepreneurship is hard work, especially when you pour into others the way that you do. Do you have a self-care routine that helps you maintain balance?
Entrepreneurship is demanding. It’s a whole different language, a whole different life. You’re not on the same clock as someone working a nine-to-five, so I’ve had to be very intentional about self-care. It’s not optional, it’s essential. I take regular nature walks to relieve stress, embrace quiet time, and stay active. I’m firm with myself about getting enough sleep on weekends so that I can start each week fully energized. Planning helps, and I always carve out quality time for fun, whether that’s with family and friends or a little pampering.
I pamper myself as often as I like (smiles). I treat myself to monthly massages at the spa. My daughter, who works at the hospital and is also a licensed nail tech, comes over every two weeks and pampers my feet. I enjoy sitting by the pool. I love gardening too, and just enjoy the little things that people often overlook.
Sundays and Mondays are my reset. I don’t go anywhere, don’t schedule anything. Sunday is church, online service, rest - and good sleep. On Monday, I ease back in: prepping inventory or catching up on emails later in the day. Maybe make products with my daughter later in the day. Every other Sunday we do dinner together.
I’m very committed to self-care and getting enough sleep, because if I’m not rested and restored, I can’t keep showing up for others the way I need to.
Has there been a particular challenge in your own life, where looking back now, you realize it was a pivotal moment in your growth journey?
Absolutely. For me, one of the biggest turning points was learning how to say “no” - and not feeling consumed by guilt or the need to please everyone around me. It took me a long time into adulthood to realize that saying no is more than just setting a boundary. It was about recognizing my worth and protecting what I was called to do. I had to learn to trust the process and accept the outcome. Once I did, I found more freedom to balance my time, be more constructive and productive in the facets of my life that needed my undivided attention.
As someone who’s always poured into others, I didn’t leave much for myself - not just time, but emotional space. Once I learned how to say no with intention, it was like opening a vault. It was therapeutic. I started making peace with the discomfort, with the reactions from people who weren’t used to me choosing myself. Saying no helped me reclaim time, energy, and focus - not just to manage my business, but to protect my peace and stay grounded in my ministry.
Tell us, who have you drawn inspiration from over the years?
My mother is a very strong, bright, and resilient woman who has always believed deeply in the importance of education, family, community, dedication, and hard work. As a single mother and an excellent role model, she instilled in me the value of being kind, being intentional, being present, and being strong, while still embracing femininity. She always told me to work hard now so I could play and enjoy the fruits of my labor later.
She’s retired now, and when I reflect on all the things she accomplished, especially as a community advocate and civil rights supporter, I’m in awe. What I remember most about my mom, and she’s still this way, is being resilient. She was always a hard worker. She went to school at night while raising my brother and me, starting as a telephone operator and eventually becoming a manager at a bank. All that while going back to college at the same time to earn her associate’s and bachelor’s degrees. Sometimes I look back and just have to say, “Wow”.
My dad is also one of my biggest influencers, supporters, and Sea Moss customers! His success as an entrepreneur for many years played a significant role in molding my decision to become an entrepreneur myself. Thinking about it, between my ventures, I’ve been in entrepreneurship for several decades now.
Lastly, what advice would you offer the woman with a whisper in her heart to lean deeper into her power?
Listen to your inner voice, weed out fear or doubt, do your research, believe in yourself, seek out other knowledgeable women, empower groups or organizations that can provide you with resourceful information, and some essential tools that can help to fuel your dreams, and then follow them!
