Leading Lady of Authentic Aging

CarolAnn Tutera makes women feel themselves with SottoPelle

By Dani VanCamp

At age 42, CarolAnn Tutera felt she had the insides of a 92-year-old woman. She had all the classic signs of menopause.

“I don’t know how I was putting one foot in front of the other,” she says. “I wasn’t burning weight.”

That was until she tried bioidentical hormones. She got her life back.

Tutera is now the co-founder and CEO of SottoPelle Therapy, an international company that trains medical providers on the product’s proprietary methodology of working with bioidentical hormones. As a medical entrepreneur she has won numerous awards and recognition for her ability to succeed in a male-dominated industry. She has become the leading lady of “authentic aging” and someone who commands respect in the bioidentical hormone therapy field.

She gained much of her success by mentoring and recognizing the talent in others. No success can be sustained if not led by someone who sees the value of people.

“You need to be compassionate with your employees,” Tutera says. “You need a vision that they follow, you need to be effective in communicating with them and you need an open-door policy with them.”

This recognition in the value of people extends to the patients and medical providers within the SottoPelle family.

Beginnings of SottoPelle Therapy

SottoPelle Therapy was founded more than 20 years ago, as the dream of CarolAnn and her late husband, physician Dr. Gino Tutera. But it was her passion and persistence in the day-to-day operations that propelled the dream into a reality.

“He learned about the pellets in 1992, in Rancho Mirage, California,” she says. “The doctor came up to him and said, ‘Help me put in a pellet.’ He said sure, but said, ‘What’s a pellet?’

“This was exactly what he was looking for—bioidentical products or hormones for women who have had hysterectomies or have gone are  through in the throes of menopause.”

The pellet is the size of a grain of rice and it is slipped under the skin. She says it offers “tremendous relief” of menopause symptoms.

“The pellets offer a nice, steady stream of hormones,” Tutera says. “When it’s placed under the skin, the heart regulates it. At rest, everything’s great. Your blood isn’t rushing through you as much. But when you’re stressed, your blood goes faster. There’s a need for more hormones. Your body is taking exactly what it needs 24-7. The body’s a beautiful tool and we’re helping the body regulate and function.”

A new patient consultation is $185, and the three to four office visits a year are $300 each.

“For me, it’s a godsend,” Tutera says. “I wouldn’t be able to do what I do.

“We’ve made it affordable for everybody. We could just charge a lot for the incredible process. But that isn’t us. Our goal is to help as many people as possible.”

The people positively impacted by SottoPelle are diverse in age, gender, occupation and/or sexual orientation. SottoPelle helps people in a natural but medically based therapeutic manner. Focused not on just disbursing a quick fix, but addressing all aspects of someone’s health, physical and mental well-being.

The SottoPelle lifestyle is not just about the remedy, but about the partnerships it creates with patients in advocating for their health. Tutera has created an international community of medical providers and patients who support balanced living.

This has proved challenging over the years as change and champions of that change are often perceived as controversial. Tutera has held steadfast in supporting the mission, determination and dedication to the only thing that matters—helping people. Common sense coupled with naturally based bioidentical hormone replacement therapy delivered via a medically based and proven protocol, has elevated SottoPelle to success with its patients and as a corporate entity.

Notably, Tutera has led the charge in advancing the healthy and balanced approach to authentic aging. She has supported many people via a plethora of charitable organizations for veterans and athletes impacted by traumatic brain injury.

Every day leader

What sets Tutera apart as a leader and influencer is her dedication and persistence. She encompasses all that most want to become and has done it by helping people every day change their lives.

After her husband’s passing, she was faced with not only a new challenge of continuing his legacy and dream but defining a new one for herself. She became even more steadfast in her mission to promote education and advocacy not only for hormone therapy but the total integration of balance into our lifestyles. Her greatest attribute is her ability to redefine herself and grow, she says. She is always seeking new avenues to grow and become the best she can be, too.

SottoPelle was created and has subsequently flourished because of her dedication to people and improving the quality of their lives. The next step and evolution for SottoPelle is to support the growth of empowerment in the 50 and older demographic.

Tutera advocates that “you can be the best you want to be at any age.” Ageism and the negative connotations associated with getting older are slowly dissipating under Tutera’s careful watch. Her newly launched podcast, “Adventures in Aging,” on iTunes candidly explores the complexities, challenges and obtainable joy that can be achieved with humor and balance.

“Adventures in Aging” is her way of life. Tutera supports regular meditation, exercise, eating nutritiously and balanced hormones. She found inspiration in LifeFit, a program of low-intensity formative exercises for integrated transformation. This method focuses on biomechanics and utilizes the innate strength within each person’s complete biostructure to maximize his/her strength physically and mentally.

“Everyone has to find their preferred medium to maximize their lifestyle and achieve overall balance; anything that keeps you active, happy and healthy is the ultimate goal,” Tutera says.

“Your way of life is typically established by a pattern of habits or behaviors over time. As we age, how we use our time and energy becomes a topic of focus and concern for many. It is never too late to refocus and redirect your energy to have the life you want at any age.”

As a 60 something, Tutera says she has never felt more vibrant and happier.

“I strive every day to learn something new and direct my life toward positive energy through my work and helping people,” Tutera says. “I have discovered there is no one panacea for aging, but finding a healthy lifestyle and balance puts you on the right path. As the old cliché says: age is just a number, don’t let yourself be defined by how old you are but how young you feel.”