DXtira (Dex)Brown CEO/Caterer/Planner is a Single Member L.L.C owner of Castle Gardens ILM. An immigrant originally from the Bahamas. As a child, I was always surrounded by lush gardens, tropical flowers, and breathing taking crystal clear beaches. A wife to a Wilmington NC native and mother of three children. We knew Wilmington would be the best place to lay our roots. Its rich history, strong communities, and beautiful beaches I was drawn to. It reminded me of home.

I was a health care and emergency frontline worker for almost 20 years. The pandemic gave me a new perspective on life. As I worked in the Emergency Department and Covid ICU and faced my own mortality, I realized that life was too short and precious. I didn't want to live my life with regret. I worked full-time nights and wasn't spending enough time with my family. My kids didn't really know Mommy and what she liked. I was the mom that was always tired and sleeping. I didn't want to die with regret knowing I should have made more time for them.

I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes at age 25 and the endocrinologist couldn't give me a reason why. As the stress from nursing shortages continued after the pandemic, my A1C kept climbing and I decided to step away and pursue my other passion event planning. Also it was time to get healthy through exercise and changing my eating habits. Organic was the key to a healthier me.