Meet Celeste Potter, Founder of Serenity Sips

Hi, I’m CJ!

If we were sitting together over a cup of coffee or a matcha, I’d tell you my story isn’t a straight line. It’s a mix of detours, pivots, and moments where life handed me a plot twist and I had to rewrite the next chapter. Through it all, I’ve learned that wellness isn’t just about health—it’s about finding the spaces, people, and rhythms that help you feel whole. Serenity Sips is one of those spaces, and I built it with the hope that you’d feel that wholeness the moment you walk in.

My family has been my “why” from the start. From the early days, their presence pushed me to become more than a statistic—to build a life that was intentional, resilient, and rooted in service and connection.

I graduated from high school at 15 and stepped into healthcare administration in 1999, starting as a file clerk. Over time, I worked nearly every role—insurance collections, billing, department coordination, and eventually full-scale private practice management. That hands-on journey gave me a 360° view of how care actually happens and a deep respect for the people who keep it moving.

College wasn’t a sprint; it was a long, winding path I maximized on purpose. While working full time and raising my family, I stayed on a pre-med track and packed in extra coursework—business, desktop publishing and marketing, financial planning, accounting, and advanced sciences—because I wanted every tool I might need. I earned my undergraduate degree in 2010 and my MBA in management in 2013. It wasn’t a perfectly executed plan; it was a 12-step map with plenty of reroutes—and it’s still evolving today.

By 2009, I was ready for a chapter that was mine. I enlisted in the U.S. Army National Guard as a 68W Healthcare Specialist (combat medic)—Basic at Fort Sill, AIT at Fort Sam Houston. I served from 2009 to 2014, including one year of active duty in 2013 at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base as an Acting Readiness NCO/S1 NCO supporting a deployed Military Police unit. I supported over 200 troops full-time while also managing my civilian work—an intense season that strengthened my discipline, leadership, and ability to serve under pressure. (I personally did not deploy.)

In 2011, my path led me to The Woodlands Institute for Health & Wellness with Dr. Mila McManus. I began as her Office Manager and, over the years, grew into Practice Administrator. From day one, I was immersed in an environment that looked at health differently—root cause over symptoms. I brought insight, research, strategy, and team-building to help the practice grow and to serve patients with both skill and genuine compassion. Dr. McManus taught me how to balance her extensive medical knowledge in holistic wellness with compassion, structure with flexibility, and business with heart. I watched patients transform not just because of treatments, but because they felt heard, supported, and understood. The connected, patient-focused team we’ve built together remains one of my greatest joys.

By late 2015, I launched Potter Business Management (originally called CJV & Associates—with no associates yet, just big dreams). I consulted on startup formation, structure, HR, operations, marketing, and financial strategy. This began with helping friends and friends-of-friends navigate the realities of owning a business. Those years sharpened my ability to see not only what a business is today, but what it can become with the right foundation and the right people.

Then December 2019, everything changed. A traumatic brain injury didn’t just challenge my body; it challenged my identity. My older kids stepped in to help in ways no parent wants to need, and my youngest had to adjust to a new version of “time with mom.” The hardest part wasn’t only the physical recovery—it was navigating the mental and emotional work of not being who I was and deciding what life looked like now. I leaned on my husband, sister, and parents (my biggest cheerleaders), on the guidance of Dr. McManus, and on the same wellness technologies we now offer. That season deepened my compassion and belief that environment + community are essential to healing.

By 2024, our family took those lessons and built Serenity Sips Bar & Wellness Emporium—together: my husband, my sister, my parents, and me. We created a family-run space where handcrafted beverages (artisan coffee, ceremonial matcha) live alongside innovative, non-invasive wellness technology and intentional hospitality. It’s more than a café or a wellness center; it’s a second home where you can pause, reset, and feel cared for exactly as you are.

I’m a researcher at heart—always learning, solving problems, and listening to personal development and business strategy books. In 2025, I became a Certified Naturopathy Practitioner and Holistic Nutrition Consultant, and I’m pursuing board certification to expand how I serve. I’ve also completed advanced training and researched functional lab testing and therapies to better understand what’s available to patients, working with Dr. McManus to implement those offerings at TWIHW or Serenity wherever they fit best. Titles aren’t the point; people are. These are tools and knowledge to serve our community better.

I love stories and connection and never tire of hearing someone’s “why.” Whether I’m welcoming you at the bar, guiding a team, or mapping strategy with a fellow business owner, my goal is the same: show up with empathy and excellence, meet people where they are, and make room for restoration.

So when you walk through our doors, know that every detail—from the drink in your hand to the technology in our wellness rooms to the way we greet you by name—is intentional. Serenity Sips is the space I longed for in my hardest season. My hope is that it becomes a chapter in your story of recovery, connection, and feeling whole again.

I’m so glad you’re here. Here’s to your health, your wellness, and your next chapter. — CJ