Transcript

Phillipa: Hi everyone. It’s Phillipa O Wirangi here. And today I have with me Natalie E Falconer, who is an amazing 55 years old entrepreneur, lover of animals that wants to help animals and also empower women all around the world to really, really live their dream life. She is a stay at home mom of teenagers, and I’m super excited to get to speak with you today Natalie, and I’d love to know for the first question, what does freedom mean for you?

Natalie: Thank you for having me. Freedom means to me the ability to have choice. I’ve been a stay at home mom now for 18 years, gave up my career and being financially dependent on my husband has become a big thing for me to want to change because I felt like I was always having to choose A or B. It was always a compromise. So for me now I’m aiming to be financially independent, to bring choice into my life, to free up where I want to be placing money or my time without having any judgment or having to justify exactly where that is going.

Phillipa: Yeah. Awesome. And I’d love to know how long have you been an entrepreneur online? How long have you been inside of the community for?

Natalie: I said yes to the community about 15 months ago. And it has been the most life changing thing I have done in my life.

Phillipa: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Yeah, yeah. Also, so being someone that is 55. What was your experience like when you were coming into an online business in terms of, did you have any kind of doubts or fears being of an older generation coming into this and how did you work through those? If you did.

Natalie: I was totally petrified. But there was just something that wouldn’t go away, that nagging. Because I was looking for something to earn money, but I also didn’t want to be going outside of the home. It was terribly scary, but it just wouldn’t go away. And my friend Carmen Smith, who actually showed me exactly what this business can do, basically just said, “If you don’t know unless you try. Unless you actually just take a leap.” It’s not something that you’re chained to once you say yes. And I had no experience at all. That’s what was really scary. There’s no technology experience. I didn’t have any social media experience, have very few followers on my page. It was just an absolutely totally out of the blue thing that came at me, this opportunity that truly just wouldn’t go away. So I had to say yes. I mean, it was just a challenge I guess. So fear and excitement feels the same to me. So yeah, I just took the leap.

Phillipa: Yeah, yeah, totally. Fear, that nervous fear and excitement are definitely the exact same feelings. I love that you said that. And so you’re passionate about animals, you’re passionate about helping women, kind of explain to us what that means for you.

Natalie: Well, to help women step into their own financial independence first and foremost is a big thing for me because I’m seeing the potential of what this business can bring, the opportunities, the chance just to, yeah, have A and B without that compromise. And for animals, well, I’ve always been connected with animals even since I was a little kid, always had animals around me, but what really gets into my heart is the fact of animal cruelty. And I’ve had horses and I rescued many horses, so I’ve taken horses off the track, those sorts of things. I think having this business will give me this opportunity in my vision to actually have somewhere where these horses can go and just retire and not be left to those that are not capable of looking after them, or yeah, or basically giving a sentence before they’re due to live out their life. So yeah. I’m feeling very passionate about both those things.

Phillipa: Yeah. Amazing. Amazing. And being part of The Freedom Era community with the platform or the training or the mentorship, the masterminding, how has this community in particular helped you to really open up that passion, that vision, that freedom that you’re wanting to create?

Natalie: This business… It’s hard to even call it a business. It is such a community. And I think that has drawn me to it and has kept me going with not just earning an income, but also just the whole community that backs you, that makes you believe that there are no limitations to your thoughts, your feelings of where you want to go in your life. And it has all of that education, that stretching the mind is the best thing ever to know that you actually can create your reality and chase those dreams. I mean, those little dreams have just been sitting in the back of my mind. I’ve always wanted to help people, always wanted to help animals. And now I realize that actually that can become an actual true vision in my world. Did that answer your question?

Phillipa: Yes. Yes absolutely. And so with that, one of the seven pillars within The Freedom Era is skillset, and that means learning a lot of the technical things that you need to know in order to create a business online. So what have been some of the trainings that you’ve gone through within The Freedom Era that have particularly been helpful for you to learn new skills?

Natalie: Sure, sure. Well, when I started I was a total technophobe. And let’s just put it out there that I did not have a laptop for 15 years. What I’ve learned from this business before even not included in the training was managing my way around a laptop again. So the social media has been a big, big learning curve for me, I’ve learned so much about Instagram, about Facebook ads. I love the mindset training because I’ve realized how much mindset has on the power of controlling your thoughts and what you want to achieve in your life. I’ve done quite a lot. The 30 days was initially, it was the most incredible start where having no experience at all, that step by step training too was absolutely gold for confidence building. And the mastermind as well and the master classes. I could go on. I hadn’t read a book for years either, and now I read every day. And so all of this training has been absolutely epic. But the social media stuff obviously is something I’ve never ever learned before. And it’s so easily explained and yeah, it’s given me so much confidence.

Phillipa: Yeah. So awesome. Yeah. Each week we have a guest expert consultant come into The Freedom Era and deliver a master class on something. So far what has been your favorite master class that has happened within The Freedom Era?

Natalie: Oh that’s really hard. Oh gee, I’d have to say, because I’m so interested in how Facebook works and algorithms and ads and that’s been something that has not been one of my strong points, so I’ve focused a lot on it, but I actually really loved Ben Simkin, who is one of the leaders in Facebook ads and the social media marketplace. I was in the hot seat, I actually did a video ad, and to have him actually give a review of it, helped me with it, he told me it had no meaning, but he gave me reasons why it had no meaning. Because I mean, I didn’t know about a clue what I was doing, but I just wanted to give it a go. And if you don’t give it a go, you don’t know. So I was very brave and I put it out there and not only did it help myself, it helped others in the collective as well. And I got so many comments back going, “Oh, you were so brave, but that was so helpful.” So pretty much I think that Ben Simkin has been gold for me.

Phillipa: Amazing. Well, that’s the kind of feedback that you need, right? If you want to grow sometimes you need to get that very direct and blunt [inaudible 00:10:17].

Natalie: Yes. I mean, to actually speak with him personally, you were looking at five figures to just spend an hour or so or a half a day with him. Yeah. So I feel very blessed for that.

Phillipa: Yeah. So, so awesome. And what have you been able to create so far within your life, maybe your time, in your health or in your energy since being part of The Freedom Era and the community for 15 months?

Natalie: I have achieved a real purpose in my life that I haven’t had for a long time. So I sort of lost it as a mom I guess, in that 18 years, gave up my career, et cetera. Well, I get to be at home. I get to be at home. I don’t have to be going to work. I can work from home. I can still be here, present. My kids actually still live at home. One’s at uni and one has their own business. I can be present for them. I’m spending more time at home, have more time with my husband. And because I used to be going off to work and I’d come home, and you’d have other jobs to do. Yeah. Work is never finished at home. And I just have time to spend for me to go out on walks along the beach during the day and just sit and take some time out. Yeah. I’ve learned just so much about taking that time out for myself and filling my cup and this business has provided that time for me.

Phillipa: Amazing. That’s the dream, right? More time for you, more time for your family.

Natalie: Yes.

Phillipa: Yeah. And so from here on out, what’s your vision for yourself, for your business, for the impact that you want to make?

Natalie: Well, where do I start? Well, because I know now that I’m unstoppable, I just want to help women see that at 55, I want to prove to them, show them that you can give up a career, spend your life bringing up your kids and then have another chapter. I want them to feel that… Oh, I’m getting goosebumps. I want them to feel that they are important. Their job is not done. That there is more to show the world. And you’ve got experience, there are more adventures that are being asked.

I mean, geez, I want to be able to travel and see the world a bit more. I mean, I have had quite a bit in my life, but to do it at this stage of my life, now that I’m aware of how amazing our world is. That’s pretty much the start, inspiring women to just take that leap and not be so scared because I’m not dead yet. And then from there to help animals, to help those that aren’t being looked after. I haven’t sort of fully gone into the vision there because my vision straight up at the moment is helping other women step into their power at midlife, basically.

Phillipa: Yeah. Amazing. And what’s one piece of advice that either it’s just from yourself or maybe you’ve received from another mentor, leader, someone in your life or business that you would want to share with those who are watching this interview today?

Natalie: Well, Carmen Smith has been an amazing inspiration to me. We’ve been friends for a long time. She has inspired me so much to just step up, to honor what I feel, to be sort of who I am and to not feel that I should be judged for it. And I think that has been my biggest takeaway so far. That’s what always rings true to me every day, that I just have that slightest bit of doubt, she says, “It’s the what if. What if.” When your dreams are as powerful as you make them, there is no sort of cap on what you can do. And yeah, she reminds me of that constantly. And I just hear her. I mean, I feel like I’m hearing her right now going, “That’s right, girl.”

Phillipa: Oh amazing. So, so powerful. Thank you. Thank you Natalie for sharing the space with me today.

Natalie: You’re welcome.

Phillipa: Yeah. And if you’re watching this then please let us know in the comments, after watching this, how do you feel? How does listening to Natalie make you feel inside? We’d really, really love to know that. Thank you so much Natalie.

Natalie: Oh you’re welcome. Thank you for having me Phillipa.