The Desire of My Heart: Why I Started Sovereign
At 16, I knew more clearly than at any other stage in my life what I wanted: to contribute to a thriving way of life in my rural community and communities like it.
Carly’s senior photo
I’d just graduated from Malone School and Chipola College and stepped into a role traveling across Florida, the U.S., and the world with the Florida FFA Association.
By 17, I was living in Gainesville and studying agricultural communication at the University of Florida—driven, focused, and ready to contribute.
What most people don’t know is how many times I tried to come home.
Six times—seriously.
I tried to leave UF and move back to Jackson County during my first two years of college (which, thanks to advanced coursework at Chipola College, were actually my junior and senior years).
Each time, I was convinced to stay a little longer.
“Too much potential.”
“Too many open doors.”
And my personal favorite:
“If you leave now, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”
That’s heavy at 17.
And honestly? I stayed because I didn’t want to waste what had been poured into me. My family, my hometown, my community—they had all invested in me. They believed in my future, and I felt a deep responsibility to make them proud by making the most of the opportunity I had to earn a “real” degree from a major university.
So I stayed. I pursued a combined bachelor’s and master’s degree, graduating with my bachelor’s at 19 and already halfway through my master’s coursework. I had momentum, a blossoming professional network, and a strong work portfolio.
But something was missing. For all the education and accolades at my young age, I still didn’t know how to build a life—how to create financial stability, meaningful work, and a future in the place that mattered most to me.
Because how do you do that with a degree in communications and an intrinsic value of rapid innovation… in Marianna?
The Answer Took a While
It didn’t happen overnight. It took trial, error, mistakes, and a whole lot of work and life experiences in a lot of places.
Before college, I was already putting in reps—
Working in agricultural research at the North Florida Research & Education Center in Marianna
Writing for the Jackson County Times, telling local stories from the ground up
Shadowing the outstanding leadership at the Chipola College Foundation as a paper-pushing administrative assistant
In college, I did my best to say “yes” to every opportunity—
Launching first-of-their-kind ag policy issues social media campaigns with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Promoting U.S. beef genetics internationally for a progressive cattle company and consulting firm based in Miami
Then came my “dream job”—managing social media for the UF College of Business. But shortly after, I got sick with Lyme disease, and everything changed.
I came home and worked again with the Florida Department of Agriculture—this time in stakeholder relations and public policy.
Then it was ag biotech PR out of Los Angeles.
Then administrative director for the UF Diabetes Institute.
Then entrepreneur and business partner.
Then consultant.
And finally… through a silver lining in life, I made it. I moved home.
Through it all, one question kept pulling me back:
What would it take for every young person in a rural community like mine to feel like they have a choice — exciting ones — to build a life at home?
After my father unexpectedly passed in 2024, the question became:
What if we didn’t have to trade time with our family for financial security?
Eventually, I realized I wasn’t supposed to find the answer. I was supposed to build it.
That’s when Sovereign was born.
What We’re Building at Sovereign
Sovereign is a business infrastructure company designed to help rural communities thrive through local businesses.
And it’s already happening—right here in Jackson County and across the Wiregrass:
Sovereign Ventures is helping new businesses get off the ground with strategy, structure, and support.
Sovereign Consulting is guiding small businesses and organizations through systems that make growth possible.
Sovereign Agency is giving brands a clear identity and modern marketing systems.
Sovereign Media is creating powerful stories across platforms—through photo, video, and podcasting.
Sovereign Academy is developing training to up-level internal teams and distribute expert knowledge through courses and certifications.
Sovereign Press is making it easier than ever to make your brand and customer experience tangible through print, apparel, event collateral, signage, and more.
What started as a skill set I wasn’t sure I could use at home has become a business that’s helping others plant roots, too.
And now, we’re going even further—with the launch of the Sovereign Business Club on July 4.
Because if you want to build a movement, you have to build a team.
Sovereign Business Club is our newest initiative designed to equip founders, client partners, and emerging talent with the tools, training, and community needed to scale what matters—together. We’re not just developing strategy; we’re developing people. Training our own staff alongside the founders and teams of the businesses we serve.
Because leadership is local—and the future belongs to the builders who grow their capacity and their crew.
Planting Your Vision
Sovereign is built on the belief that your “Field of Dreams” doesn’t have to exist yet. You can plant it.
We’re here for the people who are ready to work—not just dream. The ones who want to turn their ideas into income, their gifts into growth, and their hometown into the kind of place future generations won’t have to leave to find success.
Whether you’re a business owner, a builder, or a bold-hearted beginner, Sovereign was made for you.
Because sometimes the desire of your heart isn’t calling you somewhere new.
It’s calling you to build what’s never been done—right where you are.
Carly Barnes Montuani brings end-to-end expertise across every dimension of modern owner-operated business building.
As the Founder of Sovereign Company, she operates at the intersection of strategy, storytelling, and systems—designing infrastructure that makes rural entrepreneurship scalable and sustainable.
From idea to execution, Carly equips others to build businesses and organizations that elevate quality of life and expand opportunity in rural communities.
Interested in working with Sovereign as a client partner, or joining their team? Email carly@getsovereign.agency.