“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
―
Maya Angelou
HEY
I'm natalie,
And I am so grateful that you have made it here here! I hope this page lets you know more about my journey, the highs and the lows! Lets go back to the start...
I was born in 1982, into a family full of the kindest, loving hearts! But this family was also plagued with addiction! They drunk their problems away, not able to deal with hurt and pain. It makes me so sad now to look back, and see how much pain and trauma they were carrying!
I can't remember ever living as a family with a mum and dad, as they split up when I was a baby. I was brought up by my great grandmother (who was in her 80s/90s!). I grew up in one of the most Poverty stricken area's of Edinburgh, Nidddrie- Drugs were rife, as was crime! I was one of the lucky ones that had the most important thing- love!
School was ok, but by the time I got to high school I didn't enjoy it and spent more time skipping classes (I would get the bus to the airport and people watch instead)
I was not the smartest and I had a major issue, I didn't like to ask for help, so I would fall behind and then make the situation worse by avoiding it! (wonder where I learned the avoidance behaviour from)
At 15 I got a boyfriend and at 16 I got a flat! In those few years i learned more about relationships than most adults do in a lifetime. It was physically and mentally abusive- I wanted out, but I didn't know how. I was so lost and in a state of depression!
This is where Personal Development first entered my life
Books had always been my escape, I loved reading as a little girl. Books have taught me so much! As a child I loved to share what I was learning in school- I am still the same!
Anyway at 17 I bought 2 books called "Stop Thinking, Start Living" by Richard Carlson and "Feel the Fear and do it anyway" by Susan Jeffers, and my life changed forever!
I learned that I could control the thoughts in my head and that I could take control of my life!
I started to read as many books as I could on Personal Development and my life started to change!
By the time I was 18, I had managed to get my life together. I had a good job and had escaped the relationship! I started to date Stephen and I was doing the things that teens do! Having fun and enjoying life.
But at 18 it started the succession of 9 bereavements in my family. The first one being my mother.
My mother had a loving heart, she was intelligent and her life before I was born, looked promising. But something changed and she held deep pain that she masked by alcohol. She spend most of my childhood in and out of hospital. I don't honestly think I ever knew her. She would often tell me that it was me, that had ruined her life! I carried that with me for years. I know now, that she didn't know how to deal with her pain so ran away from it and blamed everyone else for her pain.
A few months after my mother died, my auntie died. My granny lost her eldest and youngest child within 4 months of each other. My 20's to 30's seen a lot of pain and sadness. (if you know human design, I am a 4 line, so this makes sense) but it also seen me continue to grow and thrive!
Personal Development really started to change my life! At 21. Stephen and I went down to London to attend a Tony Robbins seminar, I had my mind blown! As I walked on burning hot coals, I believed I could do anything.
When we got back to Edinburgh, we were determined to create an amazing life. We looked in the "Sunday Times, Rich List" and everyone at the top was involved in property. So we decided property was the route to go down!
We started to attend networking events and reading books about property. We showed up to everything and learned as much as we could. We saved up enough money to go onto a property training course with an American Company called Russ Whitney!
We learned enough from that training to start to buy property and we ran with it! Within a short time we started to build a portfolio and everything we learned started to work! The more we invested in ourselves, the more money we made! I felt on top of the world.
By 23 we had done a self build and had a property portfolio of 5 properties, we set up a letting agency. But then as life happens, 2008 came along and the credit crunch hit!
When the recession hit, we could no longer gain access to funds. I got a job in home care and Stephen went back on the building site!
I continued Personal Development, doing courses in reiki, NLP and more. One night I went along to an event by Hay House Author and GMTV Life Coach Dawn Breslin! From the minute I met Dawn, I loved her!
Dawn was just about to launch a new programme called "Consciously Female" Dawn and I clicked straight away! I started to work with Dawn on this project, and I remember this time fondly as I felt alive, radiant and passionate! Dawn taught me the importance of giving my soul a voice and balancing the Masculine and Feminine Energies!
I started for the first time to really love myself! The pic of me is at a Consciously Female event! Seeing women transform their lives lit me up so much and I was so proud to be a part of it!
By my late 20's Stephen and I spoke about having kids, but like all area's of my life- this came with its own challenges. Unexplained infertility, rounds of drugs and procedures took its toll on my mind and my body.!
After many years of heartbreak in 2012, I got my miracle baby, Isla! I promised this little baby that I would be the best mummy, I could ever be to her! First Promise was for her to never experience what I had. Not that I was a big drinker, but I decided to stop drinking- I haven't since!
I let go of my dream job and set up a Architectural Practice with Stephen!
I loved being a mummy, I read all of the parenting books and had YouTube as my on the go guide of "how to be a parent" since I didn't know what a real family looked like! I was so happy!
Fast forward a few years and I started to feel unwell, my friend encouraged me to do a pregnancy test and to my shock, I had a surprise baby on the way! I was overjoyed!
Shared is a real pic, a few hours after giving Birth to Eliana (keeping it real)! Eliana was a baby that didn't like to sleep, fussed over eating, did not want to be put down and cried a lot! But she was so perfect in every way. Not having anyone around was tough and even though I had read all of the books, done the courses- I let myself slip down the road into depression!
A depression that lasted many years. I felt exhausted, alone and empty! I felt a failure as a mum.
It made no sense to me why I was so unhappy, I had more than I could ever dream of! Family, the house, the business, the cars, the investments! But I just could not get myself out of the rut I was in! I remember on my Birthday crying the whole day long- I needed help! So I reached out to Lynette Gray! Lynette replied to me straight away. Lynette supported me along with Jill Ritchie to get my life back on track and encouraged me to look at becoming a coach!
As soon as this thought entered my head, something clicked! I decided to take all of the tools and courses I had done for myself over the years and put them into practice helping others! I became obsessed learning about coaching modalities!
I became a coach and I have never looked back.
Nothing lights me up more than seeing someone who is stuck and cannot see a way out, transform their life! I love a good underdog story!
I realise now that all of the hurt and pain that I have went through, allowed me to be able to hold the space for my clients. My motto and many of my clients motto is:
I AM THE CHANGE MAKER, HERE TO CREATE CHANGE!
So this is the journey that has brought me here! I am not a coach that has only learned from a book! I have real life lived experiences, and those are backed up with certifications.
I wanted to show you that, I am no different to you! I have not had an easy path- but what I have had is the resilience to keep on moving forward. I never stop learning and this wisdom is passed to my clients.
From my personal experiences, nothing scares me! what you read here is just the tip of the iceberg!
To my Business Experience- my first Business was set up at 20 years old selling handmade cards, I have set up a home care business, a property letting business, building company, architectural practice, a personal development membership and more!
I support Jody Shield in her Opulent Business coaching programme and this year I completed a business strategist Certification!
I became a best selling author in my contribution to a book for teen girls found here
You are in Safe Hands!
One of my wonderful clients Sarah Barbour wrote this poem about me, and this encompasses the work I do so beautifully. I am a life cheerleader, I believe in the potential of everyone! I believe we all hold a power to transform our lives.
My life is far from perfect, I still make mistakes and I am still learning every single day! But I know that my life experiences and my passion for learning and growing has brought me to this point in my life, where I know that I can and do make a difference to peoples lives!
I am a Transformational Coach, a Business Strategist and a life alchemist! I support every person I work with to become the greatest version of themselves!
I do this not as a job, but as a soul calling! I couldn't help my family change their life, it was too late. But I am so relentlessly committing to my clients transforming theirs!
ACCREDITED COACH
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