We live in a world filled with stories of triumph over adversity, but few resonate like the journey of Natalie Graham. She’s a remarkable woman whose story is nothing short of inspiring. Not only does she show resilience and determination, but being an extremely hard worker, further proving it as she conducts our interview on the go as she’s preparing to head out of the country for some much needed time off.
We start our conversation by exploring a little bit of the early days, in which Natalie speaks of her childhood, being born and raised in a small town in Hartsville, South Carolina. Her first challenge in life, coming as early as at age 11, with the passing of her father, prompting a move from her small hometown to Columbia, South Carolina. A few years later, a new challenge arose…the birth of her son at age 15.
“After that, I was told that it’s probably not going to happen for me statistically,” says Natalie, when speaking about becoming a teen mom. “After high school, something told me to just jump and move to Atlanta. Everybody’s like, ‘you’re moving to Atlanta and you don’t have no job, no plan, no nothing?’ I am. I got on the road and really never turned back.”
Since touching down in Atlanta, Natalie has proved that even with the odds stacked against her, she’s built to prevail. After getting married at 21, and then divorced at 29, Natalie found herself at a crossroads: was she going to wither away at her corporate job making little to no money, or take a leap of faith to pursue bigger and better things. She chose the latter.
“I came across network marketing in the travel industry. Everything about it were things that I desire to do. I wanted to travel more, and I want to make more money,” she says. “So I decided to take my chances on something that would yield me the financial freedom and time freedom that I desired.”
At 31, Natalie speaks on the light bulb finally coming on for her. This is something I can personally relate to as after I turned 30 recently, my own light bulb came on. It’s an indescribable feeling that makes you feel unstoppable! I knew that’s the exact feeling Natalie had when embarking on her new journey – one that would bring her more personal and professional satisfaction than she could ever imagine.
Although this would be a new path for Natalie, from the corporate world to the perils of entrepreneurship, she handled it like the true boss that she is. Not only did she find success, she absolutely dominated her industry! Finally, her circumstances were starting to look like the reality she had always dreamed of. But just like any large gain in life, comes a level of sacrifice that can disrupt your flow and cause you to take a moment to reflect.
“I’m super competitive and I never wanted to get bored. The biggest thing would be that I would leave my family for periods of time in order to maintain this lifestyle and leave wealth for them,’ reveals Natalie.
Natalie then reflects on how much she had to sacrifice in the beginning of her journey by giving up time she really didn’t have and even missing her child’s first steps because of how much she was on the grind, which has truly paid off. She’s one of the number one marketers in the world within the travel industry and has been able to achieve some of her greatest desires such as being able to purchase properties in different places in the world.
Although she’s achieved great success, she’s not solely driven by financial gain. She has an innate desire to uplift and inspire others around her. She wants her children to be able to see not just the fruits of her labor, but what it took to get there. She also desires to use her resources to create spaces for people who need homes, such as women who have survived domestic violence or struggling single moms.
“I want everything that I do to be legacy built. So I want to make sure that I’m leaving behind things of importance.”
She closes our conversation by disclosing that her drive comes from her late father who was always a working man. It was through his example that she learned exactly what it takes to provide as well as how hard she didn’t want to work with little to no freedom, both in time and money.
By creating this life for herself, she has also learned the true value in taking time for herself. She admits that she’s a much better mother, leader and business woman when she’s able to nurture herself in moments of peace and quiet. Her alone time is precious and she achieves it by journaling, taking long showers, going on walks and going on short vacations, which is where our conversation started as she’s preparing for her next trip.
Natalie remains grounded, embracing the essence of who she truly is—an introvert with an insatiable love for people and a penchant for making others happy. She shows no signs of slowing down!
To stay connected with Natalie Graham:
Website: PlannetMarketing.com
Instagram: @thenatalielifestyle
Facebook: Natalie Nicole Graham
