I first followed Nat at the beginning of a college when a close friend, Danielle Knapik, pointed me in her direction. Since then, Nat has not only inspired and helped me grow, but has touched the lives of thousands. I think I first fell in love with Natalie when I realized we shared the same obsession for TJ’s and FIGS! She brings hope to many people who struggle with chronic illness and shares her journey of living with ulcerative colitis. She is also a holistic health coach and business coach. Nat’s stories make me laugh everyday and her recipes ARE SO GOOD (you gotta try the paleo fig bread and chicken burgers.)
HERE is a link to her website
Definitely check out her beautiful IG @plentyandwellwithnat
Here is my interview with Nat <3
Tell me a little about you. Where were you born and raised? Where do you live now?
My name is Natalie (but most people call me nat) and I’m the face behind Plenty and Well. I’m a 24-year-old online chronic illness mindset coach, blogger and podcaster! I was born and raised in Washington state and after attending Linfield College in Oregon, I moved back to Kirkland, WA where I currently live in my cute little one bedroom sanctuary.
What would you say is your current “passion project” or what part of your job gets you out of bed in the morning and why?
I would say my entire JOB is my passion project in a way! I started Plenty and Well as a wellness blog right after my freshman year of college and it took off from there. Once getting diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at 21 I started weaving it into the blog here and there, but when I took it full time as a business and got my holistic health coaching certification, I knew I wanted to coach other women with IBD (and other chronic illnesses) to help them accept their diagnosis, gain confidence and find joy again. I now coach women 1:1 and also run my group program – The Path to Empowered Acceptance. 🙂 Getting to help and inspire others every day to live their fullest life despite their chronic illness literally leaves me giddy every single day.
What is your favorite way to move? (mountain bike, ski, the gym, run, hoola hoop) and why?
I am a lover of movement in GENERAL so this is so hard! I would say my favorite forms of movement are hot yoga, lifting weights, long walks and running. I used to be hugely into long distance running (and even ran a marathon in 2017 right after my diagnosis), but since then my body can’t handle it as well. I love to still run here and there because it’s always been a huge mental outlet for me and is one of the things that gave me so much grit and mental strength. I love lifting because it makes me feel STRONG and I love pushing myself in that way. I love hot yoga because it centers me, brings me back home to myself and is about the mind more than any aesthetic component.
Where is your favorite place on the planet to do said activity?
If I could run, walk, lift and do yoga in Kauai every day for the rest of my life I would!! I went last June with my family and did all of my favorite activities there and something about that place just electrified me. It’s actually where I finally stepped back into the yoga studio after so many months (maybe even a year?) away from it and it reignited my love for yoga.
if you could give one piece of advice to your younger self what would it be?
I would tell my younger self to not care what other people think. I know it sounds cliché, but little nat needs to hear it. I cared SO much about my appearance and reputation growing up and I definitely held back from showing the true me through school up until college. It’s so funny to me because now I talk about my life with ZERO filter on social media and the internet for thousands to see and read and I’ve never felt less judged. It’s amazing what just being YOU does.
What is your favorite go-to dinner recipe, snack idea, or food item? (you can share a full recipe or just fav food)
I’ve honestly been LOVING the Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi paired with roasted broccoli, sautéed spinach, ground turkey and vegan pesto!
Are there any other people you look to for inspiration? Could be instagram accounts, pro athletes, bloggers, or actors
My biggest inspiration is @thebalancedblonde – I love her fighting spirit while battling chronic illness, her positive outlook and her intuitive nature with the universe.
If someone was visiting the town you live in now, what three tips would you give them? (what restaurants, places to explore, juicy local details)
If people were visiting Kirkland I would tell them to go to Revolve Food & Wine in Bothell (a town over) because they have the BEST entirely grain free and gluten free menu (the grilled chicken sandwich on a paleo bun and housemate taro chips?? Say no more!). I would also suggest running or biking on the Cross Kirkland Corridor trail and heading to the Ballard farmers market on Sundays.
What tips do you have for female entreprenuers that are just starting out in their business career?
I have SO many tips but I think the biggest tip I would give is BE YOURSELF. People love personality. When I started being my true, authentic, goofy self on my stories and Instagram, I got a lot more growth and my clients felt even more connected to me. Because think about it – there are tons of the same coaches or types of businesses out there… so what makes someone choose you over them? Well… YOU! So make sure you’re showing “you” a lot. 🙂 I would also suggest finding a niche, being consistent with content, and BELIEVING in yourself. Cut out self doubt and know that businesses take a long time to grow and that’s okay!
What does you current workout/training/yoga schedule look like? What are some tips you have for younger athletes/wellness gals just getting into your sport/practice?
It’s actually quite fluid right now because of social isolation, so I’ll share what my routine WAS and what it looks like now! Before being socially isolated, I would run and lift about 4 times a week and do hot yoga 2-3 times a week. Now, I’m really trying to just listen to what feels good! I’m going on long walks daily to keep me sane, running about 3-4 times a week, doing at-home resistance band and bodyweight workouts about 4-5 times a week and a virtual yoga flow here and there!
