Natalie Jill, Lessons from Rebuilding A 7-Figure Business #nataliejillfit

We paid $350,000. We did the launch. The launch made $40,000. I'll just do the math.

That's not a good ROI. If anyone isn't a numbers person, you.

Have this voice just telling you what a loser you are. What's wrong with you? You're 35. You're overweight. Why are you getting a divorce? Is that where we end up? Is this all there is?

You did go on to build a multi million dollar business, this huge community.

Why was I having somebody else try to be my voice? Because I was told I should.

I've definitely fallen prey to seeing the way other people are scaling, thinking that that's the only way.

It wasn't my voice anymore. Person that crashed my business. We've gone down this really weird belief that aging is bad. And I don't believe there's any right or wrong way to age. But you should get a choice to be able to redefine it if you want to.

Change can feel scarier the older we get because we're more set in our ways or we feel like, well, I can't change at this point. I'm starting all over.

I have a method. I'm just gonna give you all the Cliff notes of it right now.

Okay, good.

It's so easy.

Natalie, Jill, welcome to Powerhousewomen.

I can't wait to chat with you. I always love talking to you.

I know. Well, it's so fun we got to connect now because you just moved to my neck of the woods, to Phoenix, which kind of fits in this whole theme that I want to talk about, because you had a lot of transitions, a lot of pivots in your life, especially in the last couple of years. And for anyone who can relate to that, just the feeling of being within a pivot. I know there's so much wisdom you can share.

It's interesting when people ask what I do. I used to say I kill fat for a living, which I still can help with that.

You still do.

But I. But really what I do is I help redefine aging. And part of redefining aging is embracing change. And it's stepping into change and deciding to change. And all those things that we did when we were younger with, we had no responsibility, responsibilities, and we tend to forget them as we age. So helping women do that helps them bring back their power.

Yeah. Which I'm thinking about this. You are my first podcast interview since I entered a new decade. I turned 40 a couple of weeks ago, and part of the reason why I've Been loving your content for a few years, but I remember connecting with you way back when you were publishing your first, like, your major publishing deal, the first, like, major book that you did. So take us back to, like, that time period and what has transpired since then because you built a really, really successful community when Facebook was a big thing. Yeah. So how has that evolved? Because it's so different now.

It's actually interesting because I built it before Facebook was a big thing, and it became a big thing, which is wild. And what I found over the years is whenever I share my authentic self and what I'm actually navigating and walking through, not doing the structured, what's my business plan? What's my grand idea? When I just actually share what I'm walking through authentically, I tend to create a loyal following that wants to learn and evolve with me. And when my brand first started, when you met me in my original days, that also started by accident. I was walking through my own transformation, my own journey, and I started sharing what I was walking through from a place of power I've never shared as a woe is me. I'm down on my luck more. This is where I am. This is what I'm figuring out. This is what I'm learning. And it tends to build community when I do that.

Yeah. And we. We sat down over lunch a couple of weeks ago, we were talking about that, how both of us have these businesses where when we try to follow the conventional wisdom, it's not like it doesn't work because we know it works for other people. But how much has that played a role in your journey, being able to just be your authentic self, whether it's the way people say you're supposed to build a business or not. Yeah.

It's so funny that you asked that, because I actually fight it every time. Every time there's something in me that I'm like, this is really who I am. This is what I need to share. This is what I want to share. Like, but you can't share that.

You.

That's not what you should be sharing. And I try to follow a business practice or what I'm told to do, it's not that it doesn't work. It works. It just doesn't work at the level when I do me, when I really, truly authentically me. And I've learned that. And it's happened so many times in my business career where I accidentally get successful, when I'm truly being myself and when I try to follow a plan, it feels like I'm trudging up a hill with cement. It's like, it just feels a lot harder. And I've told women, I've told man, I've told countless people in business to bring back their authentic self. And I don't know if they fully understand what that means, but if we can really tap into who that is for us, it is what makes us unique. It is what makes us stand out as a leader and you don't have to work as hard.

Okay, so what does that authentic self mean to you today? Yeah, what does that look like?

It means sharing who I am, what I feel, who I am. But from a place of power and growth versus victim mentality. Because I, I definitely, as I'm sure you do too, you'll go on to social media and you'll see someone posting vulnerable posts or, you know, and you're like, oh, gosh, what's coming? Or you see the crying and the tears and the, and the drama. And that's not what I mean by this. There's a difference between victim mentality and sharing down on your luck or this is awful and this is going on wrong in my life. That's very different than this is what I'm walking through and this is what I'm learning. People are interested in the latter. They're not interested in the first.

And for, for me as an observer, there's an energy, there's just an air of authenticity that you can't even really put your finger on. And, and you can feel it when it is coming from that really authentic place. So take us back to the very beginning with when you were accidentally forming this community by sharing your own struggles. Tell us a little bit about that season because then we're going to talk about the pivot that you made totally. Which is even an even cooler part of the story.

Yeah, it's such a funny story. To think back. So I was working in corporate America. I was a salesperson at heart. I mean, really, that's what I do. I help connect with people and figure out what problem they have and help help them solve it. That's what I love to do by nature. And I was living what anyone from the outside would have looked at as this personality, perfect life. I. I did all the things on the checklist. I went to college, I got the corporate job. I got married. I had the two dogs and baby on the way. And what people didn't know about me is I was truly dying on the inside. I looked like I was having it all together, but I was actually really sad and depressed. I was 35 years old at the time, which is a long time ago now for me, but not for a lot of your listeners. But I felt really sad and depressed because I knew I was supposed to be happy with the way that my life was, and I just wasn't. And just to explain what was going on in the world, it was 2007, 2008. The financial market had crashed. Our economy was a wreck. I had just had my daughter, and I had gained 60 pounds. Now, some of you can see me on video, some of you can't, but I'm 5 foot 2. So 60 pounds was a lot of McDonald's and french fries and hot fudge sundaes. I was overweight. I was having a baby. I was losing my house, and I was getting a divorce. And I felt super, super inauthentic at the time because I remember thinking, this is embarrassing. No one else can know what I'm navigating. They see this perfect life, and I need to keep that up. That was the conversation in my head. Yeah. And it turned into a full depression when I had my daughter. The kind of ugly depression. And some of your listeners might be walking through this now, where I just didn't want to get out of bed. I didn't want to do anything. And the only reason I honestly got up each day was for my daughter. And it was this pivotal moment. One day I was walking. So one thing I did each day, I would get out of my house with my dogs and my daughter in the stroller and go for a walk. And the whole time. And maybe you've had this conversation at some point in your life, Lindsay, where you. You have this voice just telling you what a loser you are. I mean, that's literally what I was doing while I was walking. Like, what's wrong with you? You're 35. You're overweight. You know, how did. How did you become such a failure? Why. Why are you getting a divorce? Just all the noise. And I remember passing one of those windows where they had a mirror reflection, and I had this just moment with myself, and it was a really weird moment with myself, but it was just this moment of, wow. Like, is that where we end up? Is this all there is? And I just remember looking at myself and being ashamed and embarrassed and sad and all the things. And just for a first moment, just asking myself, is this where we end up? And as I turned and started walking home.

I answered that question. No, I don't want to end up here. I Want something different. And I made a decision that I was going to create something different. I didn't know how. I didn't know any of that. But as I walked home, for the first time ever, I started my ask asking myself, what if? Like, what if there's something else for me? The whole way home, I'm having this voice, tell me you're a loser. You can't. But I kept asking myself, what if there's something else? I got home, and I never forget. I'll turn. I turned on Oprah, and she had Lisa Nichols on. You know, Lisa Nichols, okay. Who ended up being my coach years later. But at the time, I didn't know who she was. I watched Oprah. She's got Lisa Nichols on. And they're talking about vision. And I thought, wow, that's really coincidental. That's interesting. So I listened, and they were talking about creating a vision board and creating this idea of what could be possible. And something clicked for me in that moment that if I could think through a possible vision for myself, just a possibility, and start acting like that person now, that I could change my whole life. It was just like this. This weird moment of a thought and.

Had you ever heard that idea before?

Never. It was just. I had the question, and I think when we're. They always say, what is the saying when the. When the student's ready teacher appears? Yes. It was like I just had this moment. I get home, I turn it on, it's there, and it clicks. And I have that quick start personality. So when I actually get an idea, I want to run with it. So I'll never forget, I went to Facebook and Facebook. You said big Facebook. It wasn't big at the time. I mean, I had, like, my hundred high school friends.

Ye.

So I go onto Facebook with my hundred high school friends, and I say, okay, confession time. I'm not happy. Like, this is where I am in my life. But I'm gonna turn it all around, and I'm gonna start sharing my food here, what I eat each day for accountability. That's what I did. That's literally how I started. And what's interesting is I made that vision board I'm talking about, which now I call a decision board. But I would stare at it every single day and say, okay, Natalie, if you're the girl living in that board, if you're the fit girl, the healthy girl, the financially free girl, the happy mom, the happy. If you're all these things, what would you need to do right now, here today? How would you have to act. And I decided that food was one of those things. I needed to start eating different. So I started sharing it on Facebook. And because I shared from that place, like I mentioned earlier, it's not what was me. I'm so sad, you know, help me, everyone. Because then everyone just says, oh, I'm sorry, you're right, that sucks. Send me prayers. Like, it doesn't help me. But when you say. When I say this is what I'm doing for my own accountability, people start rooting for you and they start following along. So my whole business accidentally started that way because I was sharing from a place of vulnerability and what I was going to do about it. And I was sharing my meals. I was like the original what I meet post, what I eat post back.

When that was such a thing.

Yeah. But people started following and they liked it and they saw me start to transform. And I'm skipping a lot of steps here. But as I got fit, my sales hat kicks in, you know, because people are like, well, what are you doing? What are you eating? So I built my very first program, which was seven day jump start, and I did it in a weekend. I didn't proofread it, I didn't overthink it. I didn't have a business plan. I just wrote it on my BlackBerry phone.

Stop. You wrote it on a BlackBerry phone?

Yep. That was my first program. That program turned into multiple millions of dollars. It launched my whole business. Yeah. And again, I'm skipping a lot of steps and there's some years in between. There's this, right? Really, in the grand scheme, that's what happened. I mean, if I look back, that's what happened. That was my business. I shared, I taught, I shared what I was walking through, what I was learning, people wanted to learn, and I answered a problem for them. Yeah.

Okay. I want to dissect this a little bit because what's so powerful about your story is something where I think people intending to have similar results maybe go wrong.

Yeah.

Because you had the humility to just be in the journey yourself. You actually weren't trying to be the expert expert or the guru yet. And that's a fine line. Talk a little bit about the difference, like the different energy and intention behind that, because I think that's actually why you had so much success.

It's interesting. Every time I have a coaching client for like webinars or sales, because I take clients for that, they. They always ask me that, well, how am I going to share without not looking like the expert?

Yeah.

And I say you just tell. When in doubt, you just tell the truth. It's not, I'm completely green. I have no idea what I'm doing. That's not the truth. The truth is I'm figuring this out. This is what I'm walking through right now. And let me show you what I'm learning. That's it. It's the truth. It's not a made up story. It's not. It's just full on the truth. I did a masterclass last night and I had switched software platforms for where my program is going to be. And I'm doing this live masterclass. I've got hundreds of people on it and as people are buying it, which is great. Yay, sales. I somebody starts commenting that the platform's not working. Okay. And right away I could go into this, oh my gosh, hide the comment or what's going on. But instead then another person said, the platform's not working. And then a third person said, the platform's not working. And I said, hey, I need to interrupt right now. I know, I'm sharing this program. I gotta tell you all this funny story that I just switched this whole platform to this brand new thing. I have no idea how it works. I don't even know how to log into it. My husband switched it, My team switched it. True story. So to just be patient with us, I promise you it's gonna work. If you have an issue, you're just gonna email us is what's gonna happen. In fact, send it to Attention my husband's name because he's the one who told me to do this. I just made fun of it and told the truth and people laughed and it didn't hinder sales. So I think what happens is people overthink how they look. It's a looking good conversation.

Yeah.

And really no one wants to buy from the expert on the pedestal. They want to buy from and be in relationship with the person that was doing it with them, that was right there with them, one step ahead. That's who they want to learn from anyway. So we're missing it. People are missing it on social media, in their presentations from say I see it. They're missing that part. They're putting themselves up on this pedestal and wondering why the flocks aren't coming in.

Yeah. Okay. If we were to turn this into like a mini training moment, what does it sound like when someone's unintentionally missing it and what does it sound like when it's authentic?

Can you think of an example, okay, so unintentionally missing it is listing out all your credentials. Like, no one cares. No one cares about your whole list of credentials. They just don't. What they do care about is your journey and if they see themselves in your journey. So we've all learned to tell stories, right? I hear people, I hear my clients come to me with their story and I'm like, what does your story have anything to do with how you're about to help somebody? What is that? Unless it's tying into them and they can see themselves in the story, there's no point behind it. So what people are missing is they're making it about them and not about the person they're reaching down to help.

That's so good. Because if you remember when you were in the shoes of the person you want to help, you didn't have it all together, and you didn't have this pressure on yourself to have it all together because you were just looking for the solution.

That's right. And. And when you think about who you've learned from, we all learn from the person up on the pedestal at some level, but who you really learn from, it's the person a lot closer to you. It's the person that's one step ahead of you. So I think in business there's a big missing of that, and people hear part of it. They hear, I've got to be vulnerable or I've got to be authentic. And then they say, vulnerable posts coming. That's not. You're missing it.

Yeah.

You don't have to say vulnerable post coming, warning, vulnerable posts. Just be vulnerable.

I feel like where I've gotten a lot of my inspiration for, for this is watching people like you or our mutual friend Lori, people who impact me in that way. And then I can look from an outside perspective and go, okay, well, what was it that really impacted me about the way that they shared that or about the way that they show up? Yeah. So tell us a little bit about what happened in those years that followed because you did go on to build a multi million dollar business, this huge community, give us like some numbers.

And then it crashed, by the way. Like fully crashed.

Okay, I want to hear that too.

So. So it's not been all like, yeah, you know, fairies and roses and unicorns. I wish, I wish it had been, but it's not so ego. And I'm going to say when we get into this idea of being on a pedestal or conversation of looking good, that's ego. And when we live from There we will get corrected. I believe that now. So what happened to me is what happens to a lot of people. I got very successful accidentally. I didn't know why I got successful. I didn't fully dissect how that had happened. And I started thinking, I need to do it like other people are doing. I need to have a bigger team. I need to have somebody else writing my email copy. I need to have somebody else doing this. I need to get to a point where I had. I had all of a sudden, like 35 people working for us. It was like crazy. And I was spending an obnoxious amount on consultants and all the things. And I wasn't paying attention to true numbers because I was in my craft, just doing my thing. And I started not doing the things that made my business grow initially, like the real connection. It stopped being me. It wasn't me. It wasn't my voice anymore. It was a marketing person. And that crashed my business. I'm just gonna be really real. It full crashed my business. And it took me seeing that devastation, almost breaking up my marriage, like to really look and go, what happened? Because the initial answer to that was just to hire more people, just to spend more money. I didn't wanna look at myself. But when I could truly peel back and after spending way too much on way too many people that weren't able to fix it and really look at what had happened. What had happened was I had pulled out. So that was lesson one to go back in and be my voice. Now some people will hear that and go, well, what do you mean? You have to scale. You have to have a team. Yes, you do. And you still have to be in your unique ability. If it's your voice that built something, it needs to be you on those places.

What else did you see when you say that? That's so powerful to say. I wasn't. What I wasn't willing to look at was me, the part that I played. What were some of those other inner lessons that you had to see? Like you said, if that situation was delivered to you so you could see something for yourself, to be able to move beyond it. What were some of the things that. That you see other entrepreneurs get caught up in too? You know, sharing this as a way to say, like, this is a cautionary tale so that hopefully someone else doesn't have to go through that.

So you never want to delegate the thing that's actually your strength. So, for instance, I happen to be a really good writer.

Yeah.

And speaker. And that's something I'M strong at. I'm great at writing. I'm great at my social. My own social media. I'm great at. So why was I having somebody else try to be my voice? Because I was told I should. Because I'm supposed to scale. Because I'm supposed to delegate. That's not the things to delegate. The things that delegate are the things that are getting in the way of you doing your unique ability.

Sure.

So the things for me to delegate were maybe editors or were maybe people that are doing admin stuff or doing my cooking for me so I could be creative. So we have to think that way versus just so and so has a team that does these things.

Yes. Yeah.

You know, people are shocked to hear I do my own Instagram. But why? That's, that's my strength. So why would I have somebody else do that for me if it wasn't my strength? I would.

Yeah.

So it's looking individually at your own strengths and saying, this is where I'm actually strong. It may not be what you love doing, but the thing you're actually strong at, you've got to keep that. And what's really wild, Lindsay, is I have so many entrepreneurs that I know that have big platforms. It is them doing their own social.

Every time I hear that when we talked about this, I've heard other, bigger names with much bigger followings than, than I have currently talk about that. And it was the ultimate permission because I, I've definitely fallen prey to being in masterminds and seeing the way other people are scaling, thinking that that's the only way.

And that's what I was doing too, especially with email copy. Like, I thought I have to have copy. I spent more money on copywriters. They don't have my voice. And then, but then you think, okay, well, I don't want to sit down and write. So easy. Record an audio with what you want and then have someone turn that into a message. It's still your voice. So there's lots of workarounds with that. Also a big wake up call for me was, I'm strong at sales. That's my gift. That's what I did in corporate. That's how I built my business. That's what I'm good at. So why am I spending all this money on marketers to try to sell when I can just do it myself? So one example of that, there's lots of workarounds with that. Also a big wake up call for me was I'm strong sales. That's my gift. That's what I did in corporate. That's how I built my business. That's what I'm good at. So why am I spending all this money on marketers to try to sell when I can just do it myself? So one example of that. A lot of people use affiliates for their programs. A lot of them. And I don't like that model because I think it doesn't. It's very hard to convert on email copy. I want to be on. I want to talk to people. I want to be there. I'm strong at masterclasses and I'm strong on interviews, things like that. So why not have affiliates bring people to a class that I teach, things like that, like tweaks like that. So looking at your own unique ability and say, how do I take what I'm strong at and make this work in my business and then delegate the stuff that's in my way, even if it's the stupid stuff that you think you should just do yourself, if it's in your way of spending time on your unique ability, get rid of that.

Yeah. Okay. So this is already. Is so valuable and so much of what I also needed to be reminded of. But I want to go back now to this. When was the moment that you realized it had. In your words? You said it kind of crashed your whole business.

Oh, yeah.

And now you have this huge team on your payroll. Take us back to that moment.

What was your next step? Okay, so the fight. And I'm gonna. I'm gonna real numbers here. I was so convinced that I was gonna turn this business around with marketers and the right consultants. I hired a team for $350,000 for 90 days. 300. I just think about that. Entrepreneurs listening. $350,000 for 90 days. That was going to turn around and do this launch for me. They had it all. And I. My husband and I were fighting the whole time. This is right before he left my business. He's like, this is ridiculous. He was telling me, you're in your ego. This is. This is not working. He was so stressed out. I was. I. And I was telling him he was doubting. You're doubting my talent. My. You know. But my talent was not running a business. My talent was just doing what I do in the business. So we paid $350,000. We did the launch. The launch made $40,000. I'll just do the math.

That's not a good ROI. In case anyone isn't a math, a numbers person.

And we're already in, like, the Red on my business. And I'm thinking, okay, this is really not working. This is finally. I really need to face the music here. My husband's mad at me. This is a whole thing. So now this is. I have to really look at this. So I start looking at the numbers, and I start getting really sick looking at this. Because I had a lot of us also say, I'm not good at numbers. I'm not a numbers person. I don't know. I look at the numbers now. I look at everything. I'm very aware of the numbers in my business now. That's an exact example of something you cannot delegate out. You have to look at numbers. Someone else can do them, but you have to look at them as the business owner.

Right.

So I started downsizing right away, Got rid of my team, started doing. Taking back things. My husband left my business, and I was there to figure some stuff out on my own. So that was rebuild number one. Like, that was my second. Not as extreme as my initial rock bottom, but I had to refigure some things out.

Yeah.

And. And that took bringing back my own voice, doing things myself, first out of need, and then realizing, wow, this is really what turns things around, is me using my own voice.

And how many years into the business was that or what year was that was?

I'm trying to think back. I'm gonna be a little off on things. I would say that was probably seven years ago. That happen?

Yeah.

You know, so I'm. People are putting me on this, like, oh, Natalie, Jill has this big platform, but they had no idea that this was going on. So I was giving my heart out for my programs and showing up for people and all these things, but I was not making anything. I was making zero money.

And I mean, it's that kind of authenticity, first of all, that really is your trademark, but that entrepreneurs need to hear.

Yeah, it's real.

A lot of people who have big brands, I mean, we've had plenty of things behind the scenes where we spent a whole year spending were, you know, working with an ads team, only to realize that it brought in nothing. So we all go through these.

Oh, we do.

And. And they're the times that. Because maybe you don't hear as many people talking about them, you wonder, like, am I a terrible entrepreneur? Am I not cut out to do this?

Of course.

Should I just hang it up?

So, okay, that was me and many of those conversations.

I'm so glad that I'm not the only one. No major pivot number one where you had of Necessity. And then you get to this point, I've heard you talk about this on your show just a couple of years ago, where you realize it was time for something else to shift.

So I turned my business around and it. I got it back somewhat like to at least it was. I definitely was not in the red and I was doing okay. I was doing well again and I was building. But then what happened was I started my original business. The original idea came from my being a single mom at 36. 35. 36. So people followed me through that authentic journey. They followed me through the journey of let's have an eight pack and be buff. And they. I had an audience around that. Then I don't know what happened to my business for a few years. It got completely sidetracked. I had marketers. It wasn't me. It was just a whole nother. It was. It looked like it was me, but it was just a weird area. So after I started rebuilding with my own, what was happening is I was approaching 50 and I'm 52 right now. And things that I originally built my business on were just not feeling authentic to me again. Because yes, I was the broke, overweight single mom that got my body back then. Yes, I was the super fit. Just a whole nother. It was, it looked like it was me, but it was just a weird area. So after I started rebuilding with Girl with the Rings and the Balcony, people remember me from that. They were, I think you said you remember me from that. Like the balcony and I had the ocean and the baby and all the things. And I'd be doing these flips and had. So I had an audience for extreme fitness, my own. What was happening is I was approaching 50 and I'm 52 right now. And things that I originally built my business on were just not feeling authentic to me again. Because yes, I was the broke, overweight single mom that got my body back then. Yes, I was the super fit. And then all of a sudden here I was approaching 50, thinking this isn't really it right now. This doesn't feel good. And when women would go through my programs, what I found is what I was coaching into wasn't actually so much nutrition and workout. It was a lot more mindset. And the same thing that got me out of my depression and that got me through my business breakdown. Hum, was this idea of being really clear in your decision, really clearing your vision. And I started to watch that. That was Help Girl with the rings and the Balcony. People remember me from that. I think you said you Remember me from that like the balcony and I had the ocean and the baby and all the things and I'd be doing these flips and had. So I had an audience for extreme fitness. And then all of a sudden here I was approaching 50, thinking this isn't really it right now. This doesn't feel good. And when women would go through my programs, what I found is what I was coaching into wasn't actually so much nutrition and workout. It was a lot more thing to shape women a lot more. So I believe when you are really clear on what you want, things start working out in that direction whether you like it or not. So you gotta be really clear what you say out loud mindset. And the same thing that got me out of my depression and that got through my business breakdown, Hum water. What you say in your head about what you want because it starts going in that direction. That's what I think. So I was clear that it wasn't, this wasn't going to be my, my end thing. And just when that was this idea of being really clear in your decision, really clear in your vision and I started to watch that, that was helping to shape women a lot more. So I believe when you are really clear on what you want, things start working out in that direction whether you like it or not. So you gotta be really clear. What you say out loud started happening. I started getting injured. I started with a ruptured disc in my back, then I tore my bicep, then I broke my foot. I needed like four different surgeries in a matter of two years. It was kind of, it was really crazy. And I shared all of it on social. So yeah, all of it. And while that was happening, I kept thinking, okay, maybe this is God's way of saying okay, you said you didn't want to do fitness.

Like here, here's what you asked for.

You cannot do fit odor. What you say in your head about what you want because it starts going in that direction. That's what I think. So I was clear that it wasn't, this wasn't going to be my, my end thing. And just when that started happening, I started getting injured. I started with a ruptured disc in my back, then I tore my bicep, then I broke my foot. I needed like four different surgeries in a matter of two years. It was kind of, it was really crazy. And I shared all of it on. So just now you are injured, you're. And then I coupled that with aging and hormone changes and I started gaining weight. Things were changing on me. So I. And this is not too long ago, this is a year and a half ago. I said, I'm going to shut down my business as is. It was doing very well. Again, my husband was not happy with this, but I said, I'm shutting and stopping. I don't feel authentic right now. I stopped all of my programs. In fact, I shall so all of it. And while that was happening, I kept thinking, okay, maybe this is God's way of saying, okay, you said you didn't want to do fitness, like, here, here.

For what you asked for.

You cannot do fitness now. You are injured. You're. And then I coupled that with aging and hormone changes, and I started gaining weight. Just things were changing on me. So I. And this is not too long ago, this is a year and a half ago. I sent an email to my list, my large list of all customers and clients and said, hey, I'm not doing for the first time ever this year, a fat Loss live program. Go to my friends and I sent to somebody else. It's like, if you literally stop doing powerhouse women and we're like, go to so and so's. Yeah, it's just like all your hard work, you're like, go here. And it felt freeing and it felt scary and all the things, but I needed to do that. And I went into a little bit of said, I'm gonna shut down my business as is. It was doing very well. Again, my husband was not happy with this, but I said, I'm shutting and stopping. I don't feel authentic right now. I stopped all of my programs. In fact, I sent an email to my list, my large list of all customers and clients and said, hey, I'm not doing for the first time ever this year, a fat Loss live program. Go to my friends. And I sent to somebody else. It's like a tunnel. Just learning more about midlife.

Do it Change my podcast to midlife conversations, started interviewing people on the topics, started navigating things with my own body, figuring out what's happening with hormones, what's happening with my gut health, why? Why was I getting injured? Does my method still work for this? Where do I fit in with workouts and nutrition? Where do I stand? And through that journey, it was amazing. What happened if you literally stopped doing powerhouse women and were like, go to so and so's. It's just like all your hard work, you're like, go here. And it felt freeing and it felt scary and all the things, but I needed to do that. And I went into a little Bit of it. It reminded me of what happened at age 35. People followed on the journey. Yeah, my social media tunnel. Just learning more about midlife.

Do it. Change my podcast to midlife conversations. Started interviewing people on the topics. Started navigating things with my own body, figuring out what's happening with hormones. What's happening with doubled. My podcast downloads tripled. It was wild. People followed that journey. So it reminded me once again how being true to your authentic self and sharing your journey is what builds community.

What do you say to someone who's listening to this? And it's like gut health.

Why was I getting injured? Does my method still work for this? Where do I fit in with workouts and nutrition? Where do I stand? And through that journey, it was amazing. What happened.

Feeling that tug to make a pivot but is afraid of what they're giving.

Up then dabble with.

Reminded me of what happened at age 35. People followed on the journey. Yeah, my social media doubled. My podcast downloads tripled. It was wild. People followed. That's great, because here's the thing, I, when I said I'm leaving fitness, I didn't say forever. In fact, I'm launching another fat journey. So it reminded me once again how being true to your authentic self and sharing your journey is what builds community.

What do you say to someone who's listening to this and is feeling that tug to make a pivot, but is afraid of what they're giving up, then dabble with it.

That's great. Because here's the thing, I, when I said I'm leaving fitness, I didn't say forever. In fact, I'm launching another fitness and fat loss program right now. I'm back, dude. I'm clear now. Yeah, but I was very real that right now I can't do this. Yeah, right now this is not happening. But you can dabble. I, while I did made that decision, I still took some brand deals, I still did some other things with fitness. I. I just didn't do my own thing right then. So if it doesn't feel good to you, you know, maybe it's just you cut back in one area to focus on that other area. But yes, it does feel jarring. If you're like, oh, I need to shut down and change my whole Instagram, I didn't do any of that. I just shared what I was walking through and learning along the way. And now I'm more clear than I've ever been about what I'm building and what fitness and fat loss program right now. I'm back. I'm clear now.

Yeah.

But I was very real that right now I can't do this.

Yeah.

I want to create for women.

And what I observe from you, and now getting to know you is the authenticity is there because you are genuinely really interested. You're learning things right along with your audience. And there's no time in life when I think there's less information available, especially for women who want to age in a certain way and don't want to feel the way we've been told that we have to feel. I, I think you are once again, like, on the cusp, the cutting edge of a conversation that people are going to start to have more and more.

I, I, I feel that I, I was, I thought if I'm walking through this and wanting to understand this, then somebody else needs to. And what this is what's really funny. I wanted to build a new website, so I had my Natalie jill.com, but I wanted to build midlifeconversations.com and everyone said they didn't like the name. I'm like, I don't, I'm not going off of a marketing thing. I just want to call it's midlife conversation. So that's what I'm calling it. So I called it that. And I had my, my girl that does my web stuff. I was like, put some pictures of midlife women, and she could not find anything that didn't look like old nature.

And like, the Golden Girls.

Like, what is this? Why are we not representing? Come on. This is not good. So that just reassured me even more. Like, I want to redefine midlife. Like, we're not all walking all over with a cane and with, with gray hair, you know, dancing at the beach. That's not what we're doing. We're all we want. We still feel good. We still feel relevant.

Yeah.

So I wanted to represent that. And I don't believe there's any right or wrong way to age, but you should get a choice to be able to redefine it if you want to.

Exactly. So what are some of the biggest misconceptions that you hear or see especially for women as we enter this? And what do you define as, as midlife.

Yeah. So I, So forties to sixties is.

Welcome to the chat.

You're in there. You're in there. It's technically midlife. There's 52 million, 52 million in the United States alone. Midlife women. Just think about. That's a large number.

That's huge.

So we're not Irrelevant. It's. It's a big. There. But what. Let's see what's irrelevant about that or what. What isn't true about that. I think we've gone down this really weird belief that aging is bad, and aging is not bad. It's what you decide you want aging to be. I can tell you I feel better now this year than I did two years ago at 52. I feel better than I did at 50, because I feel really authentically in my own skin. I feel the healthiest I've felt. I think when we're told that you are aging and your metabolism slowing down or you're aging in this, we've assigned these meanings to it and we start believing it, then we bring that to fruition.

I totally agree, but it doesn't have.

To mean any of that. It really doesn't. And, you know, when people say to me, you look good for your age, I always giggle like, what. What is my age supposed to look like to me? Like, all my friends that are my age look like the actual this. Like, this is what we look like. So it has nothing to do, honestly, with just what you want to look like or what you look like. But let's just think about what we've made aging to mean, and there's no right or wrong way. It's truly what you decide. And honestly, I believe. I know I'm just getting started right now at 52. I have a lot of plans, a lot of ideas, a lot of things that I want to build. I've got lots of friends that are in their 60s that are still creating and building and doing amazing things. So you're not too old and it's not too late. And I think that's the biggest thing. We've got to break up.

Yeah. And so you mentioned you have a lot of friends who are even further along in their journey than you are. And we had this great conversation for your podcast on the power of community. Is that something you've intentionally done is built a community that is proof for the future you want to live into.

So I don't know that I intentionally did it, but I think about my friends, and then I think about the communities that I've built.

Yeah.

And where do they collide and overlap? And I think I've naturally been drawn to women that believe in possibility. So I have friends of all different ages. I mean, I've got friends from 20s to 70 all day. That doesn't matter to me. I. I like people that live in possibility. So I tend to Attract people that live in vision, that are positive, they're supportive of other women. And what I'm learning is I shared earlier about being that one step ahead of whoever you're teaching. I think the people that come into my programs, they like that next step. They want that, they see that. They're like, how do I find friends like that? How do I have community like that? How do I feel healthy and confident like that? They just want that next step. So I don't know that I was intentionally doing that, but that is what has started to happen.

Yeah, I. It's something I've put more intention behind in the last several years because what I was realizing is all the conversations I've heard about aging as I was still in my 20s and 30s, haven't been the kind of aging that I wanted to experience.

Yeah.

So having friends like you in my life that are just having a different kind of conversation has been really, really powerful. So I want to get into, as we start to wrap this up, just a little bit of like the psychology that you adopt. So if women are hearing this, and maybe this is the first empowering conversation they've had, hearing A woman who's 52 looks as vibrant, as healthy as you do, and is. Is honestly just I wanted to experience.

Yeah.

So having friends like you in my life that are just having a different. Entering the best of her career too. What is your mentality about? Let's go back to the beginning, what you said, the change piece, because change is inevitable. I think change can feel scarier the older we get because we're more set in our ways or we feel like, well, I can't change at this point. I'm starting all over.

How do you think about a great question. So I have this. I have a method. I'm just going to give you all the cliff notes of it right now. Okay, good. So it's so easy. So there's a three step process to change. And you can take this any age you are, but I swear, if you are, if you are in midlife, you've got to embrace this. This will change your life. It's three steps. It's so easy. Number one, make a decision. Make a decision for what you want in your life. And the decision could be as simple as, I'm going to age well or I'm going to be better this year than I've ever been. I'm going to be stronger, I'm going to have. I'm going to create the most successful business, whatever. Make a decision. So many Times we're complaining kind of.

Conversation has been really, really powerful. So I want to get into, as we start to wrap this up, just a little bit of like the psychology that you adopt. So if women are hearing this, and maybe this is the first empowering conversation they've had hearing A woman who's 52 looks as vibrant, as healthy as you do and is honestly just about what.

Is in our current circumstances. But we're not talking about what it is we actually want. So make a decision and a entering.

The best of her career too. What is your mentality about? Let's go back to the beginning, what you said, the change piece, because change is inevitable. I think change can feel scarier the older we get because we're more set in our ways or we feel like, well, I can't change at this point, I'm starting all over.

By the way. Is not optional, it's definitive. A decision is, I am doing this. This is happening. Like I am telling you right now, woman to woman, like, I am aging well. It's a decision. It's not an option. I'm not thinking, hopefully I do. No, I'm aging well. I'm decide. I've decided that. So make a decision. Make a decision that you're releasing the weight. How do you think? That's a great question. So I have this, I have a method. I'm just going to give you all the cliff notes of it right now. Okay. So it's so easy. So beat this year that you're building the business. Whatever. Decision number two, I go back to that vision that started with me at age 35. Be really clear on what it is that you want for yourself. Ask yourself, like, what, if anything was possible, what do I want? I don't think we as women ask that enough. We say what we don't want. I don't want to be overweight. I don't want to be tired. I don't want to be this. No. What do you actually want? What do you want? What does it feel like? What does it smell like? There's a three step process to change. And you can take this any age you are, but I swear, if you are, if you are in midlife, you've got to embrace this. This will change your life. Life. It's three steps. It's so easy. Number one, make a decision. Make a decision for what you want in your life. And the decision can be as simple as, I'm going to age well or I'm going to be better this year than I've Ever been? What does it look like? Like, what do you want? And then are you in that vision? The third step is actions. The actions you then have to take, are you taking them from the place of vision so you can't take an action from your circumstance? You see, most people want to operate from, like, their circumstance. Like, oh, I'm broke, I'm overweight, I'm this, I'm that. And I'm going to be. Be stronger. I'm going to have. I'm going to create the most successful business, whatever. Make a decision. So many times we're complaining. Why isn't anything changing? That's not how you change. How you change is you get in the vision of what it is you want to create for yourself and you think, what would that version of me do? Who would she talk to? What would she listen to today? What would she eat? What would she. Would she get up in the morning and start scrolling social media or would she listen to an amazing audible to start the day right? What would she do?

It's so simple.

And when you're about what is and our current circumstances, but we're not talking about what it is we actually want. So make a decision. And a decision, by the way, is not optional. It's definitive. A decision is, I am doing this. This is happening. Like I am telling you right now, woman to woman, like, I am aging well. It's a decision. It's not an option.

I'm not thinking, starting to make those changes. It feels like pushing a boulder uphill.

It can. Or it can be really fun. So again, it's another decision.

Making the decision. Yeah. So good.

We make decisions all day long. And you know how I can tell you anyone's decisions? Because it shows up on their body. It shows up in their bank account. It shows up in their house. Your decisions are not hiding from anyone because we're all a result of our decisions. And you're making them all day long. So for anyone listening, that's hopefully I do. No, I'm aging well. I'm decide. I've decided that. So make a decision. Make a decision that you're releasing the weight, challenging me right now. Or maybe I'm triggering you a little bit, which is good. That means I'm hitting something. But just make a new decision. Like, just decide that you can. That's the cool thing. You can. I. I just recently moved from San Diego to Arizona and I'm just. To be real. Lindsay, I know you love it here. I'm trying to figure out. I really miss San Diego.

Like, it's not very green, but.

But my point is, when we were deciding to move here, we decided. And I had that thought, what if I hate it this year that you're building the business? Whatever. Decision number two. I go back to that vision that started with me at age 35. Be really clear on what it is that you want for yourself. Ask yourself, like, what, if anything, was possible? What do I want? I don't think we, as women ask that enough. We say what we don't want. I don't want to be overweight and all. I can make a new decision. Like, you can always make a new decision. But I also know that I'm here, at least for the next year, for sure. I want to be tired. I don't want to be this. No. What do you actually want? Want? What do you want? What does it feel like? What does it smell like? And I'll probably be here. My. My husband really loves it here. I'll probably be here longer. But my. So every day I say what's my decision? Is my decision to complain about it or to find things I love? And I do. I find I found a lot of things I love here. So we can make decisions every day, all the time. And we've all. No matter what you. Where you are right now in life, anyone listening, like, we've all. And anyone that tells you they haven't is lying. We've all had hardships.

We've.

What does it look like? Like. Like, what do you want? And then are you in that vision? The third step is actions. The actions you then have to take, are you taking them from the place of vision so you can't take an action? All had setbacks. We've all been in circumstances. And the people that seem to be thriving, it's because they're making different decisions and different choices and focusing on different things.

Has there ever been a moment for you where making that decision and actually feeling the decision that you've made, like saying, I'm deciding to feel happy, where that's easier said than done. Or where you struggled.

Yeah. Your body takes a little while to catch up. Not gonna lie. It's just like, I don't feel like going to the gym all the time. When I do, I don't feel like waking up early. If I do. Like, sometimes I just wanna sleep till nine. But I just have to ask myself, like, what's that newer version of me do? Right? What does that person do? And you just do it. And eventually your body catches up from your Circumstance. You see, most people want to operate from, like, their circumstance. Like, oh, I'm broke, I'm overweight. I'm this. I'm that. Why isn't anything changing? That's not how you change. How you change is you get in the vision of what it is you want to create for yourself, and you think, what would that version of me do? Who would she talk to? What would she listen to today? What would she eat?

And I think if people know that they can now find your podcast, follow you on social media, what would she.

Would she get up in the morning and start scrolling social media? Or would she listen to an amazing audible to start the day right? What would she do?

It's so simple. And when you're. You really are one of those people where if you need someone else's belief to borrow.

Oh, yeah.

Until you build your own. Have you had those people, too?

So I. I would say the big reason I brought back my total body thrive, which is I'm, like, relaunching it for midlife women this year, the reason I brought it back is that is what women want. And they say that they need that. And so I tell them, if you don't have it with yourself, come into the community and borrow it with us.

Because starting to make those changes, it feels like pushing a boulder uphill.

It can. Or it can be one of my big rules. And I'm sure you have this with your people in your communities. Like, I don't let people in. They're really fun. Again, it's another decision.

Making the decision. Yeah. That's so good.

We make decisions all day long. And you know how I know I can tell you anything, anyone's decisions. Because it shows up on their body. It shows up in their bank account. It shows up in their house. Your decisions are not hiding from. Aren't gonna adopt this mindset and help lift others up. We practice it there. And if you don't have that for yourself, you have to surround yourself with other women that have it. That's how you build it. I'll tell you, Lindsay, I am not harsh about it either. I collect people in my life. I used to think I'm an introvert. I'm not. I know I'm pretty extroverted. Now I'm pretty anyone. Because we're all a result of our decisions, and you're making them all day long. So for anyone listening, that's. But I collect people in my life, but I also exit them if I'm not around people that are in this self Growth mindset. I don't want them in my life. I mean, I'm gonna bless them, release them. I don't mean to be mean, but I don't. I'm protecting that for me, too.

Yeah.

Doesn't mean my friends can't have a bad day or I'm. That's not what I mean. But, you know, the people that are the. Always the Debbie Downer and looking for what's wrong and living in circumstance that's not serving anyone. In fact, if I call you ever, Lindsay, and I say, oh, my life sucks, this is wrong. I don't want you going, oh, my God, you're right. That sucks. Yeah. I want you to say, what are you doing about it? That's what I want. That's what real empowering women do.

That's so good. Okay, so that was kind of a good segue to talk a little bit about where people can find your podcast, what else you have for people going on this year. Because, you know, whether you find yourself in midlife or life along with the both of us now, or whether you are someone who. Who wants to keep building your external circle of people, sharing possibility, where is the best place for people?

So my podcast is midlife conversations. And it's truly just conversations. Everything midlife. I mean, I do hormones. I do all the things.

I share everything, the things you want to know. And you might not even be asking or you might be too afraid.

Yes, I ask it all. I ask it all. And I. It's interesting. I don't take any, like, podcast pitches. I literally, as I meet topics and embrace them or I want to know, I want to interview about that. So that's how I find my interviews. And then my Instagram is probably where I'm the most active. I'm on all the social platforms. But there, I would say, is a great place to go because I. Real time, you know, I share literally everything about my life so you can see exactly what's going on. And whenever I have programs or free classes or any of that, I always share it there.

It's. And it's just. Just one of those things where it's that permission to be your authentic self. That's really what you've done for me from afar. But then also getting to know you now as a friend and for as long as I have you in Arizona, getting to. Getting to connect. So we'll make sure to link all of that in the show notes. And there's a question. I love to end all of my. My guest conversations with and it's really just an opportunity to acknowledge yourself, which is something I'm constantly practicing, practicing. And in especially practicing, acknowledging, acknowledging myself for things that might even seem small and insignificant, it can really be anything big or small. We just call it a powerhouse moment. So a recent powerhouse moment that you want to celebrate yourself for. So when I ask the question, like, what is a recent powerhouse moment you've had, what's the first thing that comes to your mind that you want to celebrate?

Oh, my gosh. Removing my implants. Honestly, I mean, that's been on a big journey. Yeah. I, you know, I have had. I had breast implants for 33 years. Different sets of them. Maybe that's not what you were expecting me to say, but being somebody in fitness and fat loss and body image was a big deal to me. So for me to remove those for health reasons and just be okay with whatever comes my way, that was a powerful moment. And I've got to share. I was also quite embarrassed that I was going to be doing that, and I ended up sharing it because I share everything. And the amount of women that have thanked me and have told me that I helped them figure something out because of it has really reinforced how important it is for us to be more authentic and share. So I'm. I'll guess I'll acknowledge myself for being transparent about that and for making the decision and realizing that, too, would help other women.

Yeah. And watching you navigate this season, because it's recent. It was just a couple of weeks ago that you officially had the surgery.

And.

And even watching you share the authenticity of, like, yeah, I have days where I really mourn my old body or my old physique is. It's like that in between. And to tie all this together, I feel like what I'm getting from this conversation is authenticity. Doesn't look like only sharing the good or only sharing the bad or announcing that you're going to share this vulnerable moment. It's the real human moment, and it's a spectrum.

And don't you. When you look at what you scroll onto social media, if you scroll, what are you drawn to? Because I know I'm not drawn to perfection. When I see all perfect, curated perfect moments, I want to, like, stab their eyes out. Like, like, literally, like, that's right through the screen. It just doesn't feel real.

Yeah.

But when I feel someone's sharing more of who they really are, I root for them.

And I think that's the era that we're entering. Everyone's talking about like our soft girl era. I think 2024 is our authentic girl.

I hope so. That would be amazing.

Thank you so much for being here.

Thank you for having me.