Sometimes our resiliency is all we have. This week’s guest shows us that no matter what happens we have to have our own back. We can be our own superheroes as long as we keep fighting for the life we deserve. 

Natalie Nunez, a dynamic and empowering coach, is dedicated to igniting transformation in her clients – whether guiding them in finding purpose, launching a business, or up-leveling their careers. Rooted in a deep understanding of challenges faced by Latinas and first-generation professionals, Natalie’s coaching is fueled by her own growth and empowerment. Her personal journey encompasses rising above loss, heart disease, corporate imposter syndrome, and now working mom struggles, equipping her to connect with others authentically. In bringing her full self into her business, she also brings expertise and knowledge gained from working in marketing, partnerships, and small business coaching at Fortune 500 companies like Google, YouTube Music, Deloitte, and Twitter.

At her core, Natalie is a loving wife, soon-to-be mother, and loyal friend. With a love for humor, design, nature, and dogs and a passion for personal development, she is always eager to make those around her feel confident, heard, and empowered.

In this week’s episode, Natalie tells us all about her incredible story of strength and resilience. After her mother suddenly passed from heart disease, she had to assume the stereotypical gender role for women in the family and start cooking and cleaning for her brothers and her father. When she got older and joined the corporate world of marketing she became affected by the same heart disease and started to affect her work. From there, she started her search to find solutions and work with her body rather than against it. Then she started looking for solutions to solve her career problems the same way she had solved her health problems. A few years later she was laid off from Google and decided to pivot towards coaching women and helping them transform their lives just as she had. 

Connect with Natalie:
Instagram @‌thenatalienunez
TikTok @‌thenatalienunez

Follow Erika on:
Instagram @‌theerikacruz
TikTok @‌theerikacruz
LinkedIn

Website:
http://www.theerikacruz.com

How to work with Erika:
Join the waitlist for Courage Driven Latina here.

Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST.

Episode Transcript

Erika: Hello, hello, and welcome back to Ch*ngona Revolution podcast. This is your host, Erica Cruz, and I am recording this introduction from Nashville, Tennessee. I have just landed in Nashville maybe a couple of hours ago because I am here for a business mastermind. So pretty much A group coaching program where I’m a student and I’m so excited.

This is the biggest investment I’ve probably ever made. Yeah, actually it’s the biggest investment I’ve ever made. for sure. My family was like, are you insane? But I really do believe that I am the best investment and I am the business. Right. And my learning and development is so important when it comes to running a business and this mastermind was.

Brace yourself 25, 000, but I am so committed to ensuring that I become the best possible coach for my clients that it is worth every penny for me. And this program hasn’t even started, but just being in this container and getting access to some of the curriculum, I already know it’s going to be transformational.

And of course, I did not start off investing 25 K. I started off. Invest. I think the first course I bought was like 1, 000 and then 2, 000 and then 6, 000. And every time I’ve made an investment, I’ve seen the return on investment because you are your best investment. So for today’s episode, I actually have a guest who is a client of mine.

We also used to be colleagues in UC Berkeley and this. has always been a leader. Always been ambitious in the most beautiful way has always been extremely resilient. And I’m so excited for you to hear this conversation that we have, because essentially this client went from. Working her way up the corporate ladder, working at Google, working with top 500 companies, working at Accenture and then being laid off and deciding what she wanted to do with that.

Was she going to run back into the rat race or was she going to use this layoff as a launch pad to create her own thing? And that’s what she chose to do. So in this episode, we talk about how to take something that may seem Like a downfall or a failure and really use it as a launch pad to create something else and something beautiful.

So what I’m the most excited about for this episode is that when I work with my private clients, a lot of times I’m testing new curriculum, new concepts. And this particular client was the last individual that I had as a private client. And I had already been testing.

Something called the Courage Cycle, which is what I now have implemented in the new Courage Driven Latina curriculum. So with, this client, her name is Naali, which I’m gonna read her bio in just a second. But with Naali, I went ahead and tested out this new framework to see if it would help her go from not having a business to essentially booking out by the time we were done working together and creating her own empire.

And this. Amazing client and soon to be mother is now. Pretty much funding her own maternity leave and creating the life of her dreams. It is amazing to watch. And as I watched her progress and really analyzed what we worked on, I was like, okay, this, this curriculum is legit. So as we look at Natalie’s story, she’s a.

Perfect example of somebody going through Courage Driven Latina, taking the ch*ngona CEO path, because now courage driven Latina has four different paths. The first one is the confidence path. So you could work on a confidence, courage project. The second one is a content creation path.

The third one is career path. The fourth one is the ch*ngona CEO path. You don’t have to take every path. You can take one path at a time. And then because the program is 12 months long, you’re able to take multiple paths. But as I look at Natalie’s journey, hers started off with the confidence. And then content creation and then CEO, like they all built on top of one another.

And it’s just incredible to see somebody who is resilient and determined create something from nothing. And also just following this simple framework of the courage cycle and then picking these paths, even though we weren’t calling it at that time. That’s essentially what we did during our time together.

So I’m so excited for you to listen to this episode because Nathalie gets very vulnerable. She shares her story of her upbringing. She shares about her heart disease. She shares a lot of challenges that she had to overcome culturally, from a, like, self-doubt perspective on a career level. And then as I mentioned, the layoff, and it is just such an Amazing and touching story.

I can’t wait for you to listen to it, but Natalie Nunez is a dynamic and empowering coach and she’s dedicated to igniting transformation in her clients, whether it is guiding them in finding their purpose, launching a business or upleveling in their careers. So rooted in a deep understanding of the challenges faced by Latinas and first generation professionals, not that he’s coaching is fueled by her own growth and empowerment.

man, I mean, I really cannot wait for you to listen to this episode because Natalie is just, I mean, somebody that I can’t wait to continue to keep in my circle because she really isn’t just resilient in her own life, but she is also. So focused on giving back to the community. I mean, since our first call, that’s exactly what her, what her goal was to give back to the community.

So now watching her grow a business and grow her family is just incredible. So without further ado, let’s get into today’s interview and I hope you enjoy it. If you took anything away from this, be sure to let us know and let’s get into the show.

Natalie, welcome to Ch*ngona Revolution Podcast. 

Natalie: Thank you so much, Erika. It’s so, I’m so happy to be here. I’m 

Erika: happy to have you here. I feel like we, I’m considering, I’m including myself in this journey, but I feel like we’ve been through like such a transformational journey together. I mean. How’s 

Natalie: the morning sickness?

I mean, 

Erika: it’s just been so, like, I, I, it actually gets me a little bit emotional thinking about it. Like when we started working together to where you are now, it’s just been such a beautiful evolution of so many different things. It feels like it was so much longer than it was because of all of the things that 

Natalie: happened.

The most transformational time of my life absolutely happened. And I was so happy that I jumped and, and jumped into like coaching with you. Cause I had someone to help me with that, but so many things changed. And I, I really can’t even imagine what, where I would be without your support, without the support of the Latina community and, and the support of all my friends and family from going.

From being laid off to pregnant, having a successful company. And now in thinking about what’s next and the next level. And not only that, but like the power that comes to me, like feeling empowered when I’m helping other women do the same. Like, yes. I’m so happy that I can offer that now too. Yes. 

Erika: So right now, I mean, we’re going to give people context because we literally just jumped into 

Natalie: it.

We really did. So as 

Erika: we look at Natalie now, she is this amazing CEO that is funding her own maternity leave, making her own schedule, changing lives, helping people with their mindset, helping people launch their businesses. And I mean, this is what we see now, but like so much happened before you got to this point.

And I mean, I want to take it back to little Natalie. Tell us a little bit about your childhood, a little bit about your upbringing and what occurred. That made you the resilient person that you are today. 

Natalie: Absolutely. I think the childhood of any person, right, is, is that growing period. And it’s so foundational to who we become and, and how we deal with our struggles.

So I think had I not gone through the childhood that I, that I went through, I would not be here today. And I just want to premise with that because it was a tough childhood, but I, I am so grateful for it. And it’s taught me to continue to be grateful for what we have, but demand what we deserve. And so growing up, I, I am a, I’m a daughter of immigrants.

My parents came from Mexico and the part of Mexico that they came from was the villages in La Sierra, Durango and Sinaloa. Like there was, there wasn’t electricity. There wasn’t plumbing. I would go for months at a time, even. Working on packets from school and really live with them. And that lifestyle was stuck in a different time era.

So not only just like a different culture, but a different time era. And having to balance that, like the balance of what my family is in the Mexican traditional household and what the American dream is and what like women were inspired to do and continue to do was very different and hard. Like, where my parents grew up, women would grow up and have their quinceanera, then get married, then have kids.

There was no higher education. There was no high school. If they wanted to continue their education, they had to go two hours away to Culiacan and do something, but it was very discouraging. It was very much discouraged, especially for women. so really coming from that and then growing up in, in the United States where my dad was really pushing education because he knew that value of that.

And that’s why we moved over here and, and being the only of three. I have three brothers being the only of four kids. Only girl was. Hardened itself with the traditional Mexican household norms, right? Of what a woman should do and what a male should do or what a boy should do in that time. And so, my brothers and I could arguably say we had completely different childhoods.

And, and I was really in charge of like the household with my mom. So me and my mom were inseparable. I was with her and my brothers were with my dad and we lived on a ranch. So we had ducks and chickens and cows and horses and everything. And I’m telling you, the three brothers were harder to deal with and all of that, like all together.

But it taught us a lot of the value of hard work, in different ways and. And so when, when we grew up, we kind of really solidified that and within ourselves. So I felt like the expectation and that responsibility of taking care of my brothers and my dad with my mom. And unfortunately, right before cutting into high school, I lost my mom.

We all lost our mom and she, it wasn’t that she was sick and that we saw her become sicker and sicker. It was really from. One, one day to the next that we lost her and we all knew that she was mala del corazón, is what she would say. She’d be like, ay, corazón. And, and we can’t walk that fast. Or, you know, we’ll have to stay back or something.

And I was always with her. And then I realized like, oh, what is mala del corazón? It’s like, okay, well, she had a stroke and I researched what a stroke was. And I’m like, oh my God, like, what does that mean? And, she had a stroke the day of my eighth-grade ceremony. And I think she was just really emotional, and she was so attached to our family, and then she went to the hospital and came back.

So I was like, we were all like, okay, easy peasy. No one ever thinks that anything like that is going to happen. They never brace themselves. Everyone expects it and knows it’s an inevitable, but there’s no, no bracing of it. Like when you see something, you know, like a punch going towards your head. And so, We kind of just like, okay, she came back and less than a week, she had another stroke on the day of my brother’s graduation from high school. And so I went with my dad and I was with her while my, my dad, my brother graduated with my other brothers. And then less than a week later when she was going to come out and just be in a rehab center next to our home.

That’s when she had her last stroke and she passed away. And we, again, didn’t expect that we would, we expected her, you know, her to go into rehab. Us help her start to walk and start to get into normalcy and we lost her and I think that already is hard for anybody to go through, but then I think that added responsibility for me of, okay, now I have to take care of three brothers and a dad.

I have to cook for them. I have to clean for them. I have to wash the clothes. And I did that and my siblings helped as much as I could, but there was already that expectation set. and I don’t think I wouldn’t have had it any other way. And I don’t like cooking now. Like, if you asked me to cook, I’d be like, I could tell you how to make a bomb ass enchilada, like, dish, but y’all could do it.

Like, I’ll tell you how to do it. I just, definitely still working through that trauma, but, but I think it really harnessed something in me, or ignited something that, like, things are gonna happen, and You need to keep going and all of us needed to so I was lucky to have my grandma and then later in life My stepmother who helped a lot with with helping me stay a child for for during that period because then I went to high School and I had to do what would deal with all that but with the high school drama of everything and I was not a girl’s Girl, I grew up with boys.

So like when I went into High school, I didn’t know how to manage relationships yet. I didn’t know how to do all that stuff. I grew up in the country like that. We didn’t, we didn’t have conversations about a lot of the things that when, when I went into high school, where all of the. Little schools went into so I stood I kind of focused on the studies and focused on Everything that I had control around and then and I think that really made me resilient and made me like understand Okay, you get back up.

It doesn’t matter how many times you fall You just it only matters how many times you get back up and you need just one more time to get back up and I went and I Graduated with honors and 4. 0 and everyone’s like how did she do it? And not only that, but shortly after my mother passed away, I was diagnosed with the same heart disease.

So while my mom was saying I never thought like I could be , like I, I, I’m like, oh, okay. Like, that’s something. But it was something that she inherited and so did I. And so I had to go through hospital checkups and catheterizations. And heart transplant classes during all high school and I don’t, I really don’t know other than like the resilience that sometimes it’s just like, I believe, you know, I’m, I’m a faithful person only because I’ve seen it happen of like, I don’t know how I did it.

And then I read the Bible and it’s like, you brought me back from the grave. And I’m like, that’s, that’s what happened. The universe, a greater power and surrendering to that, I think helped me understand like, okay, this is. This is what I can help other people go through in that. And that’s the only way that I can then contribute from my experiences of that.

but it, it was, like I said, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Cause I know it was not, it was a plan meant for all of us. and, and it was hard, but I think, I think it was something that was meant to be, and I, and, and it’s really hard. And I know everybody, anybody who has gone through something like that, it’s very hard to explain and it’s very hard to, to.

You know, ask the question of why, but that, but every day we get back up and we just continue to do it and it gets easier and it, and our bodies and our minds are meant to like help us survive. So little by little, we’ll find the ways to survive and we got to kind of lean into that like, okay, how do we, how do we.

Keep them with us as we continue to go. And so I graduated high school by, by the grace of God, really. And I went to Berkeley, which is where we met and, and that was a whole other, other, like. Kind of transformational time, right? It’s like, you go from, I went from riding horses to riding buses at Berkeley and like, dodging homeless people and go to people’s work.

So that was like, wild and not something that was expected of me even then. Like, yeah, education was something that was emphasized, but. but it wasn’t after that they’re like, okay, wait, you graduated high school. Like, it’s cool. Like, don’t go that far. Like, what are you doing? And always kept hearing like, no, says that.

And I’m like, Hmm, I’m going to be ambitious. Like, that’s what I wanted to do. And so went to UC Berkeley, learned about Latina dad. Cause that’s where everyone, you know, kind of learns about. That they’re, that, that they’re still unique, like, because when we go through it, it’s our story when people say like, oh, like, when you go to the doctor, just like, how do you feel?

Normal? I don’t know what else is not normal. So I’ll tell you from what I grew up with, until you get this comparison. Right? And I think I’ve heard it from you. Comparison brings clarity. Yeah. And like, I was like, okay, what does Latina mean for me? And what does Mexican American mean for me? And what is like, you know, coming out and being a representative of, of my community mean at Berkeley and graduating.

So I was in the rat race. I was like, okay, what am I going to do? Got into Deloitte. And tell me if I’m talking too much too. 

No, 

Erika: I want to continue with the story, but can we take a quick break so I can comment on like the early childhood stuff? Because I actually, I knew your mom passed, but I didn’t really know the story until now.

I just, I mean, I know that this is in the past, but I’m so sorry for your loss, and I’m so sorry that little Nathalie had to go through that, and then carry the burden of like, oh my gosh, I’m now the only female, the only one in this gender role in this house, and then having to carry all that with that transition of then going to high school, which in itself is already such a big change and transition, and then to find out that you’re diagnosed with the same heart disease, right?

It’s, like, I just can’t even imagine what that experience was, was like, and, I just want to celebrate the teenage version of you for sticking through that. And then getting yourself to Berkeley. And then also we’ve talked about this in our, our coaching about, Oh, don’t be too ambitious. No ses ambiciosa.

But like the fact you were able to like reframe that and like, Oh no, I am like, it’s actually a really good thing. And so as much as you were. In this gender role, you also, like, it’s almost like your higher self or like a higher power was like, oh, no, you’re meant to be ambitious. Like, yeah. 

Natalie: So, go ahead.

Letting that take you, right? Exactly. That that’s gonna, like, guide you, right? Yeah. I appreciate that and I receive that and, yeah, I think I, I, we’ve worked so close together for so long. And it’s the first time that I fully share this story with like others, other people. not just one-on-one, but I mean like at a scale of your, of your audience and others.

and I just felt comfortable. So I, I, I do want to thank you. And I wanted to start off thanking you for inviting me into creating and for creating the space for us to share our stories and not just mine, but like all the badass Latinas that you’ve had on this podcast. And, and that really encouraged me to sit.

to share my story. I’m like, you know what? Like, Yanet’s awesome. Like, Jen’s awesome. Like, I’m the, Cat’s awesome. Like, I want, I want to be part of that. And I think being part of a community comes with vulnerability. Yes, 

Erika: exactly. We can’t have courage without vulnerability. And I think even just you having the courage to share that.

I mean, I, you’re going to get so many DMS about it because so many people have gone through similar, even if it’s not the same story, right? Like that has resonated with so many people and stories are what connect us. So, so thank you for that. So, okay, you, you go to Berkeley, that’s where we meet. And I remember like you, I remember you were ambitious and I was like, damn, like, I wish I could be as involved as she is.

And I was off like working. a job and like try to, I don’t even know what I was doing in college, but, and I remember whenever you reached out, I didn’t recognize you cause your hair was short and light. And then like, I looked at your page and I was like, Oh, 

Natalie: this is Natalie from Berkeley.

Erika: So you end up going to Deloitte. So what happens there? Obviously, like you’re like, no, I’m going to be ambitious. So you start working your way up the corporate ladder and what happens?

Natalie: there is a time, and I think this happens with a lot of first-gen is you start making money and you’re like, what is this? Like, okay, like, what do I do with it? is this a lot? Is this not a lot? And the scarcity mindset comes through? Or you start realizing, like, Oh, you know, I could actually afford things now.

Like, I could afford my mental health now. I could afford things for me. And then that kind of comes with survivor’s guilt, right? So, like, I think Deloitte was that time period for me where I was being like, Okay, now I’m getting paid more money than, you know, than I could imagine. Cause I didn’t have any references before exposure to different careers growing up in high school.

I wanted to be a reporter because that’s all I saw on TV. I was like, they beautiful Latina and confident and intelligent. Like I, and I went in, I’m like, I’m going to be a psych major and a media studies major. And I’m going to be a Spanish minor. Like, cause I had it planned out. but you know, when I went in there, I started to kind of understand like the concept of, of money and the, like what that means and what, what it can change and coming like, you know, in college, I was where I was shopping at the dollar tree for my groceries.

I was putting myself through college and with scholarships and working nearly 40 hours a week at the library. And that’s a tip. If you’re a college student and you want to, you know, put yourself through college, working at the library is key because you could do your homework while you’re working. I think so.

Right. It’s the best job that you can get. and so I, like, I made it happen because I was determined to, like, graduate without, loans. But then at the end, I’m like, you know what, I’m going to take an extra semester study abroad, which is another tip. Always study abroad, even if you have to take a couple loans out for that one.

That one was worth it. but, but yeah, so I, I realized I’m like, okay, so here’s the money aspect of, of being a badass Latina in a corporate setting. And then, and then I was like, okay, but what am I doing? And I was doing advisory consulting and, or I was consulted for Deloitte advisory practice, and I looked at my manager and I’m like, do I want to do what she does in a couple of years?

And then I looked at my senior manager. Such a good question, 

Erika: right? Yeah. Such a good question to ask yourself if you’re in an industry and you’re not sure if you want to be there, look to the people that are your manager, manager’s manager, and then ask yourself the question that Natalie just asked. Such a good tip.

Natalie: Yeah. And so I was like, and then I would be up, you know, I’m like, cause senior manager, partner partner was fun. I was like, I could do that, but I, how do I jump all of this? and I realized I’m like, this is not what I want to do. And my team kind of knew, like I was talking about being creative and doing different things and they, they were really kind to me and being like, maybe you should look into marketing, you should do this.

So I. Deloitte with all the beautiful perks that I came with of like this money. And like, ultimately they would track on track for promotion and for six figure income and all these things that like, I was like, this is what success looks like and I’m like, but I’m not happy I quit, I paid back my signing bonus.

Cause it was shy, I think two weeks shy of a year. And I’m like, damn, I was like, I’m, I’m doing this. And I went into, a startup incubator. And I tried to do a startup, failed real fast. I’m going to tell you, if you want to, if you’re going to fail, fail fast because then you learn, you learn faster. so I, I did that.

 and I just felt like I needed to do something different. And during that time period, I also applied for Google and I got through like a few interviews and I didn’t get through and I was really bummed about that. And I’m like, I need, it was almost like my, early twenties. Midlife crisis or something where I’m like, I’m going to start a company.

And I think everybody was in that boat at some point. so it failed quickly. And then I decided to go into marketing and I’m like, I feel like my breadcrumbs that I’ve been leaving myself behind has been telling me that marketing is a good path for me. And so I jumped into that. And, and even during that time, I was like kind of still planning, like, okay.

I’m going to study for my GMAT. I’m going to apply for this digital marketing role so that it can help me with my startup if I want to go back to it.and I got that role. And then I’m going to apply to Google again, because I really admired this APMM program. And APMM stands for?

Product marketing manager. Okay. Great. And, and so went through a year and learned a lot at the small company. It was like 90 percent women-led. So that gave me so much power too. And it was within interior design too, which is amazing. Your little spot where it’s like, Ooh, okay. I can learn about marketing and still set up a cute little bedroom scene and take pictures of it.

So, At the end of that, I reapplied to Google and this time I got in and I got into the APM program as an experienced hire, and that was like, that was it. I’m like, I made it. I finally found a job that’s going to like fulfill me and I don’t have to think about the hustle mentality anymore. I don’t have to go for my GNET.

I don’t have to do, you know, kind of juggle all these paths. And, And it got in and it was, it provided so many opportunities. It was wonderful. I’ve got to, I went in as a Latin American or LATAM is what we called the Latin American market, marketer. And so I got on million dollar campaigns in Mexico, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Brazil, and I went in being like.

I am a first-generation Spanish speaker, like, like I, yeah, like I know how to speak and in conversation we can speak, but like, in a corporate setting, I’m like, I don’t know if I can do this. A whole other ballgame. A whole other ballgame. Yeah. Well, like, that’s where they put me. I’m sure I was one of the few, and was one of the few Spanish-speaking APMMs.

And we found each other, obviously. and, and I like, I thought to myself, I’m like, okay. And I asked them, okay, this role, how much Spanish do I really need to know? And they’re like, 20, 20 percent Spanish, 80 percent English. Don’t worry. It was that for the person who didn’t speak Spanish, like obviously for the person who speaks Spanish, it was 80 percent Spanish, 20 percent English, but it like pushed me into out of my comfort zone and out of my comfort zone, even with my Latinidad.

Yeah. And so Google offered that. And it was beautiful. I’m like, I don’t know. If you’ve ever gone through that, like, am I, am I not Mexican enough? And not, am I not right? Like, and, and so Google really gave me, gave me a wonderful start. And then I got to move into YouTube music in LA. Cause I, you know, there’s still the rat race in you.

There’s still that, like, Oh, I want to be good. I want to get the sex job and the coolest cool stuff. And, and so I was like, okay, like that’s it. That’s the best job for me. And, and I got to work at the Latin Grammys and I got to work with Juanes and Sech and Rao and Alex and, and, and the Spanish world.

And then, you know, Jack Harlow and Coyle Ray and Broadway, you know, Oh, it was the sexy job for sure. And I was so grateful. And my team. I was like my family and there was definitely oversharing on my part like now I know I’m like okay Maybe oversharing is not the best thing but I told him about my mom and my heart and I’ve always kept them Updated on like how I was doing physically Which I think is a double-edged sword where it’s like like mixing blurring the lines of a friendship and like and work relationships and managers and your superiors right and I learned that little bit where I felt like I had to over-explain or overcompensate for my condition.

Cause at the time I was, it was getting rough to work through of just symptoms and everything. And I was attributing a lot of the, Oh, I’m not getting my work done or I’m tired or all those things to like laziness. And to, I’m just, I’m just not good enough. Imposter syndrome and all these things. Until I started to really, I took a medical leave.

And I’m like, I really need to understand my body. I believe I researched, I experimented on myself, what times of day I have energy, you know, talk to my doctor and ultimately I learned so much about my heart disease for the first time because it was the first time I had time to just focus on myself.

I wasn’t in school. I wasn’t working. And I learned a lot about my heart disease that then told me like. You’re not lazy. You’re tired. You’re not, like, forgetful. Your short-term memory is actually impacted by your, by your low heart rate. Like, all of these things, and I’m like, oh my god, I thought that was my personality.

And now it’s, it, I’m realizing, like, and I, that I was shamed of. And now I’m like, oh my god, it’s, it’s my heart. So. I learned a lot during those corporate years, and then, ultimately I just felt like my condition, like who I am and, and what I come along with, including my heart disease, was not meant for a job that is so, so highly paced and so, emotional and up and current with the culture, like it’s so fast-paced and, and YouTube music was amazing and it brought so much to me.

Awesome memories and opportunities, but it was something that just didn’t work with how my mind and my body works. Like, I’m like, I love this, but it’s not meant for me. And, and then I found coaching or I found grow with Google. And I moved into a team that helped nonprofits and partners through coaching, through small business coaches, through justice-impacted communities and, and work.

And so I was like, I was like, this is it. I found it. I’m like, Oh my God, I’m giving back to the community. I always loved coaching. I always thought that would be something I did. So I was training coaches to help their community on how to build businesses for the community and the black community and the just community.

And then I got laid off.

When you think you have everything, right? You’re like, I’m good. I found it. I found myself. I found the role. 

Erika: Oh my goodness. The universe. Yeah, and it almost sounds like the universe was preparing you. If you wouldn’t have taken that step, you wouldn’t be prepared to do what you’re doing now. 

Natalie: Right?

Absolutely. 

Erika: The other thing I wanted to quickly say is, like, as you talked about your heart disease and, like, laziness, I think within our culture, laziness is one of the worst, like, things that you can say to somebody, right? Because we value, our culture values hard work so much, and, like, almost overworking, and then I think even just you growing up on a farm.

And then coming from the family you came from where like that, you literally had to work to survive, right? Like you just had to keep the farm alive. You had to work non stop. So for you to like have that, it was almost like an identity shift for you of like, Oh no, I’m not lazy. I’m just understanding who I am more and then being able to make that transition to grow with Google and like coaching and it was just like it teed you up perfectly right and you’re right like sometimes we get everything we want and it can just be taken away and it’s like who are we then and how do we view ourselves so like what was that experience like for you to like be in this place where you’re saying to yourself okay already I found it I’m here I have what I want and then be laid 

Natalie: off.

Natalie: Um, there was, a process of mourning that old Natalie, that like rat race, not, not, and that’s so much rat race, but, but like ambition, which is, which I love, like, I’m like, we, we want it to be that we just want to be aligned with what we’re going for. Definitely like I had to mourn that person.

I had to be like, okay, like, cause I, I had already decided that, like, I wanted to go on my own. Like I, when I got my, that, that email, first of all, like the layoff was one of those dramatic layoffs where no one was talking about it. Like no one thought Google, it was Google’s first major layoff. and so no one was expecting it.

We wake up, you open your email and you just get, first of all, you can’t even open your email. You’re like, you can’t get access to anything. I had partners waiting for me on a meeting, an early meeting. and I was like, what’s going on? And I went to my personal email and had this, like, your, your employment status.

I was like, my employment status. And I looked at it and I’m like, okay, this is funny. Like I still, it wasn’t landed. and then I was getting messages of like, Oh, I’m sorry. And this and that, and like, that scared me that like, like, I was like, what’s going on? And finally my manager who I just adore to this day, she’s just amazing.

And one of the reasons why I felt completeness and like. Really confident to take on this different, this next, you know, stage of my life, she messaged me and she’s like, it’s all true, you know, you know, this many people were laid off. People are going into the office to badge and see if they’re at, they were laid off or not, you know, cause it was so out of, out of nowhere.

And. I felt some peace to it because I felt like I had always told myself I’m going to leave Google at some point because, I’m, I’m a woman, I’m not a woman of one career. I’m a woman of like, I’m going to fit my career to my lifestyle. I’m going to fit my, my purpose to what I need in my life. And so I knew that at some point I was going to leave Google.

I did think I was going to go through my child-rearing years during that, like, or at least birthing years to get the benefits. and so I wasn’t expecting it this, this soon. I kind of asked myself sometimes, like, would I have actually left? Like if I wasn’t let go, I was going to ask 

Erika: you that question.

So I’m glad you brought it up. So what, 

Natalie: what do you think? I don’t think so. I mean, like, I don’t know. I don’t know. Maybe I, I don’t, I don’t think so. Like, you know, they call them the golden handcuffs for a reason. Like, you know, they, they take really good care of you and it takes some time maybe to write the, find the right team.

But I, I was genuinely happy there. And, and I don’t know, I, you know, I, I just don’t know if I would have, maybe, maybe later, but I’m glad I didn’t have to make that decision and that the universe made it for me because I was at peace when it happened, like, and I went, I think I went to lunch with some friends, I had planned for that day and I’m like, I light up and I had like a big smile and they’re like, well, That’s not really a normal reaction.

And I know I was in a privileged spot to be able to, to, you know, accept that and have my partner and my husband support me during this time. Severance is great too. Like, and even now I know there’s multiple layoffs coming, you know, happening. Yeah. And so I, I acknowledged that, like, I was definitely in a position where I was able to, to receive it easier than, than most people or than others.

And, and so there was, there was this like piece to it of like, okay, like, what, what am I going to do now? Like, what, what am I going to like. Go for like, is this the time to start my own business? And then I saw you and your posts and you’re, you know, you’re, you’re asking for, and I think you were saying like, you’re ending your, your private one on one at that time or something like, yeah, I was launching 

Erika: Courage Driven Latina.

And then you reached out about, yeah. And then you were the last private I took. 

Natalie: Yeah. And I was like, I’m like, please let me in. No, I was, I was so grateful for that. Cause I, I’m like, you know what, I’m going to jump into this. I’m like. and so the, the morning didn’t happen until like we worked together because I was like, I was on a high of like, Oh, this is my new, my new purpose.

Like, I finally found it. Like, you know, I’m primed for it because I was doing it for Google. Like, and so in the moment it’s like that high and then all the self doubt and the imposter syndrome and the morning and the self identity work, all that came. And I was like, not expecting that. I thought like, okay, I’ve decided it’s going to happen.

And that’s not really how it works with entrepreneurship. so I, I’d like, you know, I’m like, I decided I started working with you. And then as we started working together, I started realizing one that it’s that the hard part of starting a business Is the work behind it. Right. And we were talking about this earlier, like the quote of starting a business is easy, becoming the person to do that.

That’s the hard work and, and staying consistent and growing. And so that was the work that I really needed help on that. I didn’t realize I did. Like, I really thought like, I’m like, Hey, I’ve done this before. I’ve like, you know, started companies here. Like, I’m going to, I’m going to do a coach. Cause I’m really serious about this because if I’m going to be a coach, like I, I, like, I believe in this work, you know, and so I’m really glad that we started working together.

Cause that, that self mourning of like, you put it so well one time you’re like, you’re an. Natalie in a big, in a big yacht, in a big boat, Google, and you had your role and you’re working the sales and now you’re Natalie in a small boat, like, and, and you’re figuring out how the sales work and you’re figuring out not to sink and all this stuff.

And, and there’s some warning of like, who that person was and also the, oh, I was a first gen and now I’m working at. Google, you know, and now, you know, I made it to, to the morning that, and it wasn’t, it wasn’t easy, during that process, but it was definitely something that had to happen, but as I was growing the company or the business and, and, and it was, there was times then that I was like, Oh my God, like.

I, I’m not, you know, I was chosen for a reason, like to be laid off. And, and it was completely random, of course. And, you know, or don’t really know exactly how that happened, but, but I went through a time period of like, of, you know, of course they chose me. I’m, you know, not good for this work. I’m like, what, like, I need to go back to a different company.

And there was times where I talked to you, right. I’m like, you know, maybe for a little bit or this or that, and I never pulled the trigger there. And I’m so glad I didn’t, because then it’s another, you know, golden handcuff or something. And there, it’s hard work to start your own business. It is very hard.

And the hardest part is just to keep going. Yes. Like, it’s, it’s, it’s the mental. challenges and the exercising new routines and setting deadlines for yourself and keeping yourself accountable. All that stuff is really hard, even finding the right strategy or the right goal or the right way to do things.

and so working with you was helpful cause we did that. And now I’m so help, like, I’m so grateful that I got to go through that experience so that I can help my own clients figure out and find clarity on their purpose. And that’s, that’s not, that’s just one piece. Then there’s like finding the right way to serve that purpose.

Totally right. Vehicle, the right vessel. Yeah. It’s not easy, but it’s worth worth doing. 

Erika: Yes. And I just want to highlight that. Entrepreneurship is one of the biggest self-development journeys you will ever go on. It’s going to make you see sides of yourself that you don’t like. It’s going to make you deal with rejection.

It makes you face the fear of failure head-on. I mean, there’s so many things. So just starting something is scary, but I think for your situation, starting something after having such A cushy job that was very prestigious and admired by so many people. Right. And it’s like, you know, our aunts and uncles know what Google is.

Like everybody knows what Google is now. And it’s like, Oh my God, I have seen Google. So there comes that. So it’s a blow to the ego and then, you know, have. And then you’re like starting entrepreneurship. So you really go from to use like the yacht analogy, you go from hanging out on this yacht and you’re like cute bathing suit to like rowing a boat, trying to plug the holes.

And it’s just like, why am I doing this? When I could go back to a company like Google and it’s so tempting. And I remember those conversations and. Like what you mentioned earlier, right? Like starting a business is easy, like embodying that identity of who you need to be to like become the CEO and become a business owner, that’s where the work is.

And that’s what the majority of our time was and that’s now what you’re doing with your 

Natalie: clients. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. And that’s why we, like, yeah, focusing on that mindset. And focusing on like what and, and understanding yourself, right? Like what I did when, when I was on my medical leave of understanding how my body works, like I had to go through that all over again, because I had my own schedule and then I got pregnant.

It’s the hormones came in the sleepiness, the fatigue, the self-doubt, the like, is, is, you know, like there’s times when I’m like. Telling my husband, I’m like, are we ready? And I’m like already pregnant. I’m like, are you sure? But absolutely. I think in all things of, of that requires effort, there’s the mindset that needs to be exercised and ready to take those challenges on.

and it’s not, you know, much easier said, easier said than done. But like, you know, meditation worked, helped a lot for me. journaling was something that I didn’t know how, like, I had to learn how to effectively journal. Like, I thought it was like, Oh, I don’t know what to write about. But then, like, giving yourself a piece of paper, a sounding board, that will let you continue your thought process and really getting to your why.

Like, and that was like a really, moment for me of like, Oh my God, journaling is really effective. Like it’s, it’s fall, like it’s doing math for your brain, you know? And you can’t do math, hard math in your brain. You got to do it and write it down. Like you got to write down your thought process. And, and so working through that was super pivotal, pivotal in creating my business.

and now being a mom or a going to, you know, soon to be mom. Yes. Like I, and that was really, I think. Starting my business was when I wanted to give back to the community. And that was always my purpose. And it’s, it’s changed, you know, that, that vessel has changed throughout my life, even when I didn’t know that that was my purpose.

and now I’m like, I’m thinking, okay, this is my opportunity to now help moms, you know, and help pregnant women. Like, what does that mean, you know, to, to do this and starting, like, it wasn’t even, I never thought I would get here to the point to, it was mostly like. I want to create a lifestyle, a business that’s flexible for me and my growing family.

And that’s what we talked a lot about. Like, why are we doing this? What’s your greater why? Like, you know, how do you maintain motivated is reminding yourself of that greater why of like, Oh, it’s to, to build something that’s sustainable for me and my family and for the community. And, and, and I’ve, you know, been so blessed to be able to work with a wonderful community like you and others to build this.

And so now as I’m like thinking like, okay, how can we do this for moms? How can we do this for expecting pregnant women, you know, or pregnant people? And I’m also thinking like, how do people, how do people do this while they’re at a nine to five, like when I was, when I was so fatigued and so tired. I’m like.

And I see the, the TikToks of like, I’m like, Oh, are you hungry? Or, you know, like, yeah, I’m parched or something. I don’t know. But like, joking around that, like, I don’t, of how sick women get in their first pregnancy or the first term of, and, and feeling and having gone through that and then realizing like, Oh my God, how.

Like, and not realizing like, Oh my gosh, these people that I worked with that had children too, like they probably went through it or maybe they didn’t, but like, even if they did, like that would have been horrible. Like, so I think, I think we need to change policy in that regard. Like for sure. For, for moms, like we need to start disability as soon as people are pregnant and be like, let them heal, let them grow a baby.

but, but so that’s kind of like where I’m at, where I’m like, okay, for those who need that extra help of how to, you know, work with their career and their business or their mindset and becoming a mom, like. I’m just now, I love that for so long because I, I never gone through this experience. and I just give so much props to the women that have gone before me and all the moms.

Like now I’m like, I have this newfound, like admiration and just, respect for, for women and moms and, and people who have babies and carry babies through. Working full nine to fives, like that’s wild. And I want to be some help in supporting them, whether it’s a nine to five, their own business, or just the mindset work of becoming an entrepreneur, becoming a mom, becoming their, their better selves.

Yeah, 

Erika: and I want the people listening to just be mindful of, like, 

as we’re hearing Nathalie talk about this, you’re not a hundred percent certain about your purpose.

You’re allowing yourself to evolve and pivot. And that’s like one of the biggest. things that you learn in entrepreneurship. You just have to be okay with uncertainty because nothing is ever really certain. But I love how you’re allowing yourself to explore this curiosity and explore this new avenue of coaching.

Like, I totally see this for you. This makes so much sense. 

Natalie: No. And, and when I announced this and started taking clients, everyone was messaging me like, Oh my God, this was so meant for you. Like, Oh, this is like, this is so obvious. Sometimes ask your friends and family because they might see it and it might be more clear to them than to even yourself of like what your purpose is in that stage of life.

and, and for me, I was like, I was thinking, I’m like, okay, I’m gonna go out of the blue. No one really knows that I do this or this, that, and everyone’s like, oh, my God, this was meant for you. Like, you were already doing it at Google and you were already doing speaking engagements and moderating like with Isabel Allende and like.

Working together, you know, like all these things. I’m like, Oh my God. Yeah. Yeah. And like, like sometimes we don’t give ourselves enough credit. And yeah, we were like, I went through it where I’m like, okay. If Google was paying me big bucks to do this type of work. Why am I so hesitant to do it for myself?

Like, 

Erika: I remember our conversation around like you not having an issue promoting Google whenever you were with Google, but whenever it was yourself, there was some resistance there, which is so normal, so normal. And then you got to that 

Natalie: realization. Oh my God. And I think when I understood the value of what I was doing and, and that was, you know, me understanding that was really understanding like what I was getting from you as well.

Like the work that we were doing, I’m like, oh my God, I understand the value of this now. And I had to overcome that. Like, how am I charging my own community for this work? Like, that’s really hard. You know, like how, and now I’m working with my own clients. I’m like, you’re worth it. And you got to believe that that’s your value and people are lined up to do, to want to work with you and, and you got to give them the opportunity to do so like, so definitely, you know, and, and coaches talk about this all the time where we’re always coaching ourselves as we’re working with our own.

Cochise. Like, exactly. 

Erika: You’re trying for like a mirror back to whatever you’re working on. It’s kind of crazy how that happens. It really 

Natalie: is. but it’s, it’s, I’ve been so blessed to, to be able to be in this, position and, and, and be able to. You know, run this business and have clients and help them get promotions and help them start their own businesses, help them find clarity and, even, you know, the simple things of, of creating habits to like really build to the person that you wanna be.

That you’re like, this is who I aspire to be in the mornings. Like, alright, let’s do it. Like, we’re gonna do it. Let’s what? Let’s talk about what’s keeping us from doing it and work on. The ways our mind of work with our mind and our bodies to, to make a plan to successfully do it, not just write the goals down.

Like, that’s, that’s the easy 

Erika: part. Exactly. Yeah. So I want to just do a little bit of like, before and after when we started working together, I’m looking at your entry survey. said that you were struggling with social media anxiety, which I think you’re like one of the best content creators, focus and prioritization, procrastination, imposter syndrome, and self doubt.

And now you are a soon to be mom. You made it through your first trimester and still managed to become a fully booked coach. You’re now getting ready to go on your own maternity leave that you’re funding and you’re deciding like when you leave and when you come back and you are really just this. CEO that is purpose driven and giving back to her community and helping other women do the same.

How does it feel to hear that? 

Natalie: It feels good. I receive it. I will, I, I have, yeah, I have to, right? I mean, I’m so used to being like, Oh no, like not me. I’m like, no, I, you’re right. I did do this and I feel so proud of myself and I have a new reason to. Do better, you know, with my baby girl who’s coming, who I just want to be an example for her.

And I don’t ever want her to question her, her, her power and what she does. So I have to follow that. example and I feel, like it’s been a lot of work and there’s been times where I didn’t think it was meant for me, right? You know, I mean, like that’s part of the process and, and I think ignoring it is not good.

It’s like really tackling it ahead on and realizing like, oh, it’s because of this or it’s because of that, you know? and, and really combating that like imposter syndrome because everybody feels it. And helping others kind of get through it too. And so, yeah, it feels wild to think, you know, how, where we started.

And even now, like I, I still think of my social media as something that I’m like, I’m going to do when I need it. You know, like, like I’m not going to blast everybody’s social media. Maybe I will later. But like, you know, I, I, you and I worked on like, okay, what, what, what does it serve you? Like, how can you work with it?

Best serves you. Right. So I, so it’s been a wild ride, but I have a lot, you know, a lot to thank you for. So I appreciate it. Oh, 

Erika: thank you. And I’ve got to say, you know, like you are very coachable and, but you also listen to your intuition. And I feel like that is the perfect balance when you can take coaching, whether it’s hard coaching or right.

Cause sometimes it’s the coaching is calling you out. So receiving that without taking it personally and actually applying it, but also listening to yourself because there were strategies that you came up with that I didn’t tell you about. That worked really well. And I was like, I like, you know, and I could have told you a bunch of different advice, but I can’t tell you how many times people get coaching and they don’t actually take action with it.

And you did. So just celebrating you so, so much. And I’m curious. So if people want to work with you, like what should they do? Like, where should they find, where can they connect with you? Where can they find your content? And then, I know that you’re currently accepting people on a wait list and you’ll let people know whenever you’re taking clients again.

So give us all of that info. 

Natalie: Absolutely. Well, I’m just to kind of clean it up or not clean it up, but close it all out here. Like. If you are interested in finding your purpose and finding goals that fit your mind and your body, and you are looking for help and accountability with that a partner to just work with you and finding, the best ways to work with all things, career, business and mindset.

You can reach out to me on my Instagram at. At the Nathalie Nunez, and you can, there’ll be a link there and you can join my waitlist for one on one private coaching. I am going into maternity leave whenever this releases. I’ll probably be in it. But please reach out anyway, because. I do want to come back and in full mode and help everyone who is looking to start a business, looking to uplevel in their career, looking to start a business while they’re pregnant.

Like if you’re in that boat, let me know. There is a lot to talk about. so yeah, so Instagram is the best way right now to reach me and, and I’ll be posting here and there some, some tips and anything, and the more that I can offer my community, the better. So let me know if there’s anything that you guys would like to work with me on too, like if, if.

You’re not, you know, totally understanding or like, or if you’re new to coaching, that is, I was new and I jumped in with Erica and that investment was heavy and that was hard, you know, and like, and I think it was even harder for people who, for me, who had a scarcity mindset with money, growing up the way that I did.

But, you know, talk to me and we can work through that. Like our jobs, right. Is to help, help you understand what the best path is. And so if you’re, you’re interested, reach out Instagram, wait list, and maybe I’ll be doing some short VIP days where we kind of work together. so keep an eye out for that. as I go into my maternity leave and come back.

Erika: Amazing. So we will have all of that linked down below. And Natalie, I just have to like sum it all up really quick. Like you grew up, went through some shit in your childhood, like really had to grow up fast, really learned resiliency, became like worked your way up the corporate ladder. And then. laid off, but literally use that as a launching pad to go start your own business.

You didn’t give up. You didn’t go back to corporate, even though it was really, and there’s nothing wrong with going back to corporate. Right. But like, you knew that you wanted to start this business, you stuck with it and you grew your business. And you’re growing a baby. So it’s just like such a beautiful, like full circle moment to see all of this come to, it’s like a little pretty bow at the end and like, you’re just going to keep evolving and growing.

I mean, you were literally just telling us like the, where you were thinking about pivoting. And I just think you’re going to continue to evolve and grow. And it’s just been such an honor to work with you and to develop this friendship with you. And I’m just so excited about where you are. 

Natalie: so much. For your help in this journey.

I thank you for the flowers. I appreciate everything that you’re doing for our community too. And it’s lovely to just feel loved. So I appreciate that. And I’m so happy that’s met together and again, right. And again with our businesses. So, thank you. And thanks for, your listeners too, for hearing my story.

And it was, it wasn’t easy to tell, but I was so ready to, to share it with, with my community. We’re 

Erika: glad you did. So for those of you listening, if you took anything away, take a screenshot, be sure to tag both Natalie and myself. We will have her Instagram down below. We want to know what resonated with you and I will see you all in the next episode.