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Natalie is a leading Confidence Coach who works to help women achieve their career goals, by developing confidence and mindset. She focuses on empowering women to dream big, follow their passion and have the confidence to make life changing decisions. Her warm, bubbly nature is infectious and her coaching is geared to get you unstuck and right where you want to be! Her personal and professional experiences have taken her on a journey of self-discovery and it is her own personal mantra that underpins her life coaching focus. ‘Act as if you are’. She is no stranger when it comes to stepping out and making a change (and is passionate about empowering others to move beyond their comfort zone, overcome their barriers and achieve their goals).
” In 2006 I decided to leave the sunny shores of South Africa and embark on a new life in London, away from family and close friends. I began a career in primary school teaching, but after 10 years within the educational sector, I was feeling stuck, unhappy and unfulfilled.
I began to look at other career options, and being a keen fitness enthusiast, was inspired to become a fitness instructor for GymBox. My love of health and wellness became my inspiration, and I knew I wanted to help women to be inspired, not only within health & fitness, but in other areas of their lives. I went on to complete a qualification in Personal Performance Coaching with The Coaching Academy, and I am now a successful confidence coach with an army of confident, powerful and happy clients as my client base. I am passionate about empowering others to move beyond their comfort zone, overcome their barriers and achieve their goals. My philosophy is simple: To find and live your purpose! Do what makes you feel alive, excited and fulfilled. Be the producer of your own story and create your OWN personal success.
I began to look at other career options, and being a keen fitness enthusiast, was inspired to become a fitness instructor for GymBox. My love of health and wellness became my inspiration, and I knew I wanted to help women to be inspired, not only within health & fitness, but in other areas of their lives. I went on to complete a qualification in Personal Performance Coaching with The Coaching Academy, and I am now a successful confidence coach with an army of confident, powerful and happy clients as my client base. I am passionate about empowering others to move beyond their comfort zone, overcome their barriers and achieve their goals. My philosophy is simple: To find and live your purpose! Do what makes you feel alive, excited and fulfilled. Be the producer of your own story and create your OWN personal success.
RB: Tell us the why behind your business
NC: One of the major influencing factors on starting my business definitely stems from my own personal journey. I’m all too familiar with the feelings of desperation, frustration and despair especially when it comes to feeling stuck within a career or situation that no longer fits you – its like trying to fit a circle into a square hole – it just doesn’t work! I recall countless times when I would be at my wits end, thinking “Is this it? Is this really what I’m meant to be doing?” Deep down I KNEW that there was something else I could be doing, value that I could be adding in different way that would allow me to feel alive, excited and fulfilled. I also know only too well how absolutely terrifying it can be to commit and step out to make those changes. Fear and self-doubt have been my companions for a very long time and I have experienced first-hand how easy it is to put off our dreams, thinking that we will make them happen when we ‘feel ready’, when we have more ‘experience, money or time…’ The thing is, nothing WILL change unless you actively decide to make a change. And that is scary, but I think what’s even scarier is NOT making the change, NOT fulfilling your dreams, and NOT doing what makes you feel alive. I love nothing more than to help women, who are exactly where I was, to realise that they too are able to reach their goals and that they are able to move from that space of despair into a place where they feel confident, alive, excited and fulfilled. Confidence does not come from doing what is comfortable, it comes from feeling uncomfortable but stepping out and doing it anyway!
NC: One of the major influencing factors on starting my business definitely stems from my own personal journey. I’m all too familiar with the feelings of desperation, frustration and despair especially when it comes to feeling stuck within a career or situation that no longer fits you – its like trying to fit a circle into a square hole – it just doesn’t work! I recall countless times when I would be at my wits end, thinking “Is this it? Is this really what I’m meant to be doing?” Deep down I KNEW that there was something else I could be doing, value that I could be adding in different way that would allow me to feel alive, excited and fulfilled. I also know only too well how absolutely terrifying it can be to commit and step out to make those changes. Fear and self-doubt have been my companions for a very long time and I have experienced first-hand how easy it is to put off our dreams, thinking that we will make them happen when we ‘feel ready’, when we have more ‘experience, money or time…’ The thing is, nothing WILL change unless you actively decide to make a change. And that is scary, but I think what’s even scarier is NOT making the change, NOT fulfilling your dreams, and NOT doing what makes you feel alive. I love nothing more than to help women, who are exactly where I was, to realise that they too are able to reach their goals and that they are able to move from that space of despair into a place where they feel confident, alive, excited and fulfilled. Confidence does not come from doing what is comfortable, it comes from feeling uncomfortable but stepping out and doing it anyway!
RB: What major challenges did you face when setting up your business and how did you overcome them?
NC: One of the greatest challenges I faced was learning how to manage my time effectively. Working in a full time job and then coming home to work on my business during the evenings and over weekends has been no easy task and often felt like an uphill struggle. Initially I would try to multi-task; doing all the things I thought I ‘should’ be doing, trying to cover all aspects. However I’ve learned the hard way, and after spending countless evenings like a little hamster on a wheel, being ‘busy’ but not achieving much, I eventually forced myself to focus on just taking it one small step at a time! This was a massive learning curve for me, but one that was so worthwhile! Funny enough, something else that I also found a challenge was to keep control of my mindset! Coming from a background within education, I didn’t feel as though I knew enough to set up my own business and at the start I certainly let my doubts and fears get in the way! At first I tried to do it all by myself, but I pretty soon realised that I would be needing support and help if I were to take it to the next level. I now regularly work with my own coach and mentor, as well as have various tools in place to keep it positively set!
NC: One of the greatest challenges I faced was learning how to manage my time effectively. Working in a full time job and then coming home to work on my business during the evenings and over weekends has been no easy task and often felt like an uphill struggle. Initially I would try to multi-task; doing all the things I thought I ‘should’ be doing, trying to cover all aspects. However I’ve learned the hard way, and after spending countless evenings like a little hamster on a wheel, being ‘busy’ but not achieving much, I eventually forced myself to focus on just taking it one small step at a time! This was a massive learning curve for me, but one that was so worthwhile! Funny enough, something else that I also found a challenge was to keep control of my mindset! Coming from a background within education, I didn’t feel as though I knew enough to set up my own business and at the start I certainly let my doubts and fears get in the way! At first I tried to do it all by myself, but I pretty soon realised that I would be needing support and help if I were to take it to the next level. I now regularly work with my own coach and mentor, as well as have various tools in place to keep it positively set!
RB: Who has been the greatest influence on you since starting your venture and why?
NC: Wow, this is a tough one, as I’m not actually able to put it down to ONE particular person. I have been blessed to have many great teachers, mentors and influencers in my life and I regularly work with my own mentor, which I believe is an absolute MUST for anyone who wants to start their own business. However, I would say that it’s definitely been a combination of my own internal desire and motivation (the deep knowing that this is something I just have to do) and then also reading, learning and observing the thousands of other people who have gone ahead and made their successes, despite the setbacks and obstacles that they’ve faced. Also, making sure that I surround myself with others who are supportive of my journey and who are on a similar path to me definitely acts as a great influence.
NC: Wow, this is a tough one, as I’m not actually able to put it down to ONE particular person. I have been blessed to have many great teachers, mentors and influencers in my life and I regularly work with my own mentor, which I believe is an absolute MUST for anyone who wants to start their own business. However, I would say that it’s definitely been a combination of my own internal desire and motivation (the deep knowing that this is something I just have to do) and then also reading, learning and observing the thousands of other people who have gone ahead and made their successes, despite the setbacks and obstacles that they’ve faced. Also, making sure that I surround myself with others who are supportive of my journey and who are on a similar path to me definitely acts as a great influence.
RB: What is the vision for your business and where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
NC: The vision for my business is to definitely reach a larger audience. Along this journey I have discovered that I love speaking and sharing my message and would therefore love to create an online space, through the use of webinars, group coaching and workbooks (I guess my ‘inner teacher’ is the influencer of this!) In addition to this I definitely want to take part in more public speaking events as I love engaging with the energy that fills a room. Teaching and working as a trainer within the personal development field is certainly something that is further down my list. For me it’s ultimately about the sense of fulfillment that I gain. Knowing that I’ve helped my clients make positive changes in their lives, knowing that my message has sparked an ‘ah-ha’ moment within the audience and triggered some of them to step out and start taking actions to change their lives!
NC: The vision for my business is to definitely reach a larger audience. Along this journey I have discovered that I love speaking and sharing my message and would therefore love to create an online space, through the use of webinars, group coaching and workbooks (I guess my ‘inner teacher’ is the influencer of this!) In addition to this I definitely want to take part in more public speaking events as I love engaging with the energy that fills a room. Teaching and working as a trainer within the personal development field is certainly something that is further down my list. For me it’s ultimately about the sense of fulfillment that I gain. Knowing that I’ve helped my clients make positive changes in their lives, knowing that my message has sparked an ‘ah-ha’ moment within the audience and triggered some of them to step out and start taking actions to change their lives!