Pulling Back the Curtain

I love helping people with their business. It’s what lights me up. Today, this podcast episode will do just that and I hope it lights you up, too!

Because of COVID, I haven’t been able to do a lot of the public speaking that I started doing over the last few years. But this episode is a recording of a speaking event I was asked to do by my mentor Russell Brunson. I share the most powerful advice for business I WISH I would have known years ago. 

I didn’t have anyone showing me the ropes when I first started, which is why I now feel really passionate about doing that for other people. But I really think that even if you’re not in business, my story and what I’ve learned is applicable in a lot of areas. 

During this speaking event, I share my story, my struggles, my wins, and what I’ve learned. I talk about connection, and how creating authentic and strong connections with people turned into my magic superpower. 

My talents aren’t about writing books, making workout programs, or even marketing! My talent really is just learning how to connect to people through authenticity and vulnerability. 

Through numbers, data, and testing, I learned what works. And what works is connection.

I hope you love this episode!

Thank you for listening!

xo Natalie

P.S. I would love it if you would rate and subscribe to this podcast! It really does make such a huge difference!

Okay, this isn’t the most exciting or sexy topic… but it’s a topic that is on many of our minds every day!

Money. Bills. Budget. 

I was never really taught about money. I think money is sort of a taboo topic in a lot of families, and it felt like that in mine. We didn’t have a ton of it, but we never learned about saving, or interest rates, or credit, or anything like that. 

My ex-husband was great with money and taught me a lot about a budget, though I was resistant to it at first because it felt controlling and I didn’t like the restrictions. We had a lot of student loan debt (listen to more on that HERE on another podcast episode), and I ran across Dave Ramsay’s content. I really geeked out on it! And now I have a ton of tools in my tool belt in terms of budgeting. I stopped looking at budgeting as ‘restrictive’. I started looking at it as a tool to track behaviors… and it’s your behaviors that create the outcomes that you want.

In this podcast episode, I go through my actual budgeting spreadsheet. I talk about tracking expenses, tips for saving, and how it can be fun to play around with retirement savings tools. I talk about looking at your finances each month, and also annually. I discuss talking about budgeting with your spouse, and gift alternative ideas when you have a big extended family like I do. 

I know budgeting and money can feel overwhelming, but these are the tips that helped me. Trust me, I didn’t come from a lot of money, and my ex and I were once in $170,000 in student loan debt that we completely paid off. I have walked the talk!

Just remember, budgeting is hard. Give yourself grace. Just because you’ve failed doesn't mean you're a failure. 

Good luck with your budgets!

If you have some budgeting, saving, or financial tips, share on social media! Also, if there’s a topic you want me to talk about on this podcast, let me know!

xo Natalie

P.S. I would love it if you reviewed this podcast and subscribe! It really does make such a huge difference! 

Resources from this episode:

Our Womanhood Free Trial

Sample Budget Spreadsheet 

5 kids, an 8 figure business, and 1 amazing story from one of my favorite people! 🙌

Jaime Cross is an amazing mother, an incredibly successful business owner, and a close friend of mine! I love Jaime’s story because it’s inspiring, and it really shows her tenacity, faith, and willingness to take risks. Her story proves hard work and taking a chance can really go a long way in terms of success and overall happiness.

Her business was truly built from the ground up, and her products speak for themselves! Her skincare products are great, even for someone like me who has notoriously sensitive skin. Her journey from corporate life with kids in diapers, to having her cards declined, to asking God for a billion dollar idea, to literally going door to door with that idea, is one that truly shows her grit and determination.

In this podcast episode, I interview Jaime about her story.  She talks about identity, empowerment, vision, and what drives her. We talk about hardships, how she expanded her business, and how mindset plays a big role in her ability to continue with forward momentum. 

She’s passionate about helping women succeed, helping people heal, and building the best life she can for her children. 

In the words of Jaime, there’s no message without a mess! 

Trust me, you don’t want to miss this episode! Jaime proves that building a successful business while raising kids is entirely possible. She proves hard work and passion are powerful tools to find happiness. 

I know you’ll love her just as much as I do!

Thank you so much for Pulling Back the Curtain, Jaime! 

Enjoy!

xo Natalie ❤️

It’s been a while.I haven’t recorded a new podcast in forever!So I wanted to hop back in and just fill you guys in on what I’ve been up to, why I took a break from the podcast, and what I have up my sleeve coming down the pipeline for you in the next few months :)

So part of the reason I took a break from the podcast is because I was feeling overwhelmed. I had a lot on my plate and some things had to get curbed for me to feel like I could get everything else done. But this podcast is something I truly love doing, and I’ve missed it.  So if you are in a phase right now where you’re kind of feeling overwhelmed (I mean...hello...2020 has been hard on nearly everyone!) Here’s what I would recommend.Give yourself permission to say no to some things if you need to. It doesn’t mean you have to say no forever, but prioritize the things in your life or in your business that really are important and move those higher on the list.

So there’s a little sneak peek, and if there are any other stories, or topics, or lessons you want me to talk about let me know on social or email! I’m always up for getting ideas from you guys.  In the meantime, I’m so happy you are here and am so excited to start sharing on this podcast again. I hope you guys will subscribe, and share this podcast on social media or with your friends. It means so much to me when you do, and if you tag me in your stories I will always re-share.I appreciate you guys!  See you next time!

Have you heard of @fit2fat2fit? My friend Drew Manning intentionally GAINED 70lbs in 6 months (back in 2011) and then spent the next six months losing the weight.😳And guess what? Nearly ten years later….he’s doing it AGAIN🤯But this time, with a totally different perspective and understanding.  His new journey is called Fit2Fat2Forty (because he’s turning 40 in December) where he is currently spending 4 months gaining 60lbs and then he’ll spend the next 4 months getting back in shape. He’ll be sharing his workouts, meals, etc all online (all for free) so you can follow along too.🙌🏻 I brought Drew on my podcast today and asked him alllll the things!  We go through things like:🔬 The science behind what is happening/going to happen in his body, and also advice on what health markers we should ALL be getting tested on a regular basis.❤️ The emotions he is experiencing (food cravings, brain fog, body image), what it’s like for his daughters (ages 9 & 11), and how his relationship with his girlfriend @juliefreedom is being impacted by this experiment.🥞🍝🍻We broke down what a typical day of meals looks like for him right now in the weight gain phase. One of the cool things we talked about is how he’s breaking down a lot of the popular fad diets as he does this...Vegan, Keto, Paleo & Vegetarian. He’s going to show how you can do all of those the right way OR the wrong way.✨ My favorite part, though, is where Drew explained his genuine intention and goal for doing this. He wants to bring empathy to the forefront of the fitness industry and show how having an empathy-first approach can have so much more of an impact than what you typically see in the fitness industry (get skinny, get a 6-pack, etc) and make everything all just about body image.💥

I really think you’re going to love this podcast with Drew (who is a long-time friend of mine).  You’re seriously going to want to follow along on his new journey...I know I am excited to see how it goes!  👇🏻Hit play to listen -- link in bio!

You can learn more about Drew at:

https://www.instagram.com/fit2fat2fit/

https://fit2fat2fit.com/forty/ 

https://www.facebook.com/fit2fat2fit/ 

“So many things in our food system actually are making us sicker. In my quest to heal my son’s ulcerative colitis, I learned that what actually was working with nutrition was in direct conflict with what I had been taught during my formal education and past 20 years experience as a Registered Dietician Nutritionist.”✨

That’s what @shana.hussin.rdn told me during our conversation about taking control of our weight, health, and illnesses.  She explained how the majority of Americans believe that following standard nutrition will make you healthier (i.e. eat less, lower your fat intake, and move more) when in fact, it often can actually be the driver behind obesity and chronic illness.🤯🤒🙅🏼‍♀️It was so fascinating for me to hear Shana tell her story of how she had been in the medical nutrition therapy field for 20 years but then in 2016 her son was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and got severely sick. She found that through nutrition, you can work together with your body to not only lose weight, but reverse many symptoms of chronic illnesses (and the best part...her 14-year old son is thriving and healthy now)💕Shana is a master at helping others take control of their weight and health, and now even helps other practitioners and nutritionists who want to understand the core reasons behind obesity and chronic illness.3 moments you’ll want to listen for:💫“The timing of your eating is just as important as what you eat”💫“I don’t give people any kind of special foods, I don’t have them take special supplements, I don’t have them count anything. And they are having sustainable, long term amazing results.”💫“In our school systems, young kids are being fed breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, and often times sugary treats and drinks. What that means is that they are telling their bodies to store energy all day long. This can be one of the biggest drivers for children and weight gain.”🎧📱You can listen to this episode wherever you listen to podcasts -- Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play Music, and more! You can learn more about Shana’s 28-Day Fast To Heal Challenge we talked about in the episode here! 👉🏻https://www.fasttoheal.info/

Registration Link to Shana’s challenge: https://www.subscribepage.com/f9h3j4

“If I just lose ten lbs I will feel good about myself again…”“When I’m thin I get so many compliments on my appearance…”“If I don’t follow my plan perfectly and to a “t” then that means I’ve failed…”“I can’t keep any sweets in my house or else I will gorge myself on them…”Has anyone ever had those thoughts before?I know I certainly have in the past 🙋🏼‍♀️ In fact, truthfully, it took me years to learn how to rewire my brain out of wanting to constantly diet.But once I learned to change the way I looked at food….it was the most wonderful freeing feeling ever.I’m so excited to share my newest podcast with you guys! I brought on Maria Simpson (@bodyloveboss) to talk about the amazing movement she is creating teaching others how to end the diet cycle, to love your body, and to never have to diet again.In our podcast, we talk about:-Her past experience of disordered eating and compulsive exercise-How her body started shutting down from extreme dieting and overexercising-How she struggled with thyroid issues, gaining weight, losing her hair...and how she overcame that-Ways you can cultivate positive body image for your own children (Maria is a mom of 5!)-The first step you can take as you learn to break out of the diet cycle.“It came down to restriction. Your brain wants what it can’t have. That’s human nature. Knowing in my brain that I was going to restrict food again caused me to obsess about it and want it. It was a constant craving and obsession and having to fight against it. I decided “what if I never restrict again? What if I just take that off the table and my body can trust me that all food is available at all times. There’s not a scarcity.” It really changed the game. Knowing that if I wanted a cookie I could have it. Food lost it’s power once I decided to take restriction off the table.”Maria has an incredible way of using empathy and compassion to share her own journey and help others as they are navigating through that as well. She has amazing programs where she helps teach other women how they can learn to love their bodies and never have to diet again. You can find more about Maria www.bodyloveboss.com!XoNatalie

Have you ever thought about investing but weren’t really sure how to get started? If so, you will love our newest podcast episode. Kiana Daniel (@investdiva) shares her wisdom and guidance on this topic and how investing even just an extra $100 a month can radically change your future.I loved having Kiana, and we really ‘pulled back the curtain’ to talk about a topic that often times can trigger a lot of shame or insecurity for people.Kiana has the coolest story! She shares in this episode how she was living in Japan when she started to learn about investing (something she didn’t really grow up around), and how she grew up in a culture where women weren’t really taught to run businesses or manage money.In our podcast we talk about things like:-What is the first thing someone should know when it comes to investing?-Should you use someone else to manage your money or should you be doing the investing yourself?-How to talk to your spouse about finances in your marriage and if that is a touchy subject...ways you can work through that and get on the same page.-Should you invest first or pay off debt first?-How you can teach your kids important money principles at a young age (Kiana has the sweetest little baby girl!)I love how Kiana’s superpowers are: helping people understand complicated financial concepts, empowering women to remain feminine in male-dominated industries, and helping people grow their wealth by investing (even if you don’t have a lot to invest - she started with just $500!).I really, really think you guys are going to love this new podcast as much as I enjoyed recording it.  Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts or if you have any questions! I’ll answer them in the comments!Learn more about Kiana here 👉🏻https://bit.ly/InvestDivaXoNatalie

I brought on one of my friends, Brad Gibb, who has SUCH a cool program and process. Once, I was joking with them and asked, “Are you the anti-Dave-Ramsey”?

To understand why I asked him that, you can listen to today’s podcast. (:

He has a process that will make you Financially Free in ten years, or less! It’s REALLY really interesting. To hear about his perspectives, his philosophy, and his reasoning behind it is something I think you’re really going to love.