By Joseph Edelen

WILMINGTON — After she experienced a mental health crisis, Devin Johnson Carroll decided to leave her 17-year health care career to prioritize her own wellness.

Now, the remedies she discovered and her passion for personal development have led to her next endeavor: running The Cottage by Monarch.

At 120 Greenhill Ave., the business offers a range of goods and services, including an on-site esthetician for waxing and facials, in addition to self-care products like skin exfoliants, cold process soaps, incense, crystals and candles. The facility will also soon host weekly yoga classes.

As part of the “monarch movement” — a term coined by Ms. Johnson Carroll to describe the spirit of her brand — The Cottage’s owner hopes to increase its reach and ensure Delawareans are prioritizing their well-being.

“I’m just hoping that I can bring the healing, the positivity and the calmness that people need,” she continued. “They may be having their own mental health struggles and need just some pampering or just something to make them feel good. We want to be there for people and provide them ways to put themselves first.”

The site’s opening was a process for Ms. Johnson Carroll, she said. After resigning from her position as senior director of customer life cycle management at Siemens Healthineers last June, she signed the lease for her new enterprise in November, before officially opening its doors in January.

And, even though it’s been serving clients since, employees and advocates celebrated with a ribbon cutting Friday. Those in attendance included Rep. DeShanna Neal, who serves the business’s district, as well as Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Ayanna Khan.

During the ceremony, Ms. Khan noted that The Cottage became the chamber’s 701st member.

Ms. Johnson Carroll summed up her goal by saying, “I want us to always have a cycle of improvement, where we are reflecting on situations, identifying where we can improve … and doing that as many times as we need to until we are comfortable and satisfied with not only the product that we’re giving to our community but how we’re showing up for ourselves every day.”

Going forward, she plans to put her movement into action. For example, the business is partnering with the Sunday Breakfast Mission and the Food Bank of Delaware’s mobile pantry.

The Cottage by Monarch is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. All other hours are by appointment only. For information, visit themonarchmovementllc.com.