We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dr. Natalie Phillips. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dr. Natalie below.
Dr. Natalie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.
I grew up on an island and craved connection. I learned how to connect changing majors throughout college and moving through 6 different states in my professional life. Connection is a huge part of who I am and I am now a connection coach helping people connect to their vision and passion, on social media, at events, and also to give back to the world.
Would you believe that at one point in my life, I said to myself, “I will NEVER work with or befriend another woman ever again.” What led me to this statement was an event that took place one night – the night that I was stabbed – and it turned out to be the one of the greatest gifts I have received.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a wife, mom, speaker, author, philanthropist, business owner, and connector.
I am passionate about building deep relationships and authentic connections to help make a difference in the world together. I am committed to assisting individuals and businesses to become more of who they are and to live out their brand. I believe in creating environments in which people can connect on different levels to help their businesses succeed. I created and am Founder and CEO of Connect4Excellence, LLC, a company dedicated to guide individuals, entrepreneurs, and businesses to connect to their own mission and culture, to connect to others at organized events, to connect to their own voice with a bigger audience on social media, and to connect to be able to give back and create social impact.
As Co-Founder of ACT Now Consulting, LLC and Co-Author of ACT Now! A Simple Guide to Take Action on Your Greatest Goals and Dreams, I believe that many of us have great ideas and were created to bring something unique to the world. I believe that no matter where you are in your journey, we all need accountability and environments to motivate and learn together so that we can all take ACTion!
I am owner of Audiology Center of Northern Colorado in Fort Collins, Colorado. In addition to seeing patients and diagnosing and treating hearing loss, tinnitus, and balance disorders of the ear, being involved in research and on clinical advisory boards, I have been blessed with opportunities to volunteer my time to travel overseas to India, Peru, Guyana, and Mexico as well as served in the United States as a Global Hearing Ambassador to deliver the gift of hearing by fitting hearing aids on people who are unable to afford the technology.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I grew up as a little girl in Hawaii, on an island, feeling somewhat disconnected from the world. As I went to college, I initially entered in as Pre-Medicine, but as I started to take classes and meet people, I switched my major to Theater and finally found my home in Audiology, or at the time, Communication Disorders and Speech Sciences. Finally settling on a major allowed me to feel more connected with a group of people who were like-minded.
As I finished my college years and moved into the professional world, I moved around and lived in 6 different states, each time learning how to not be lonely and how to make STRONG connections that would last. When I moved to Colorado, I immediately got plugged in with a group of professionals and met a woman who became my “partner-in-crime”. We shared business successes and struggles and grew close. I started a group at national conferences to help unite other women through mentorship and discussions surrounding purpose and confidence.
In addition, I served as a global ambassador for an organization affiliated with the United Nations Foundation and funded by Dell to provide resources and funding to women-owned businesses. I learned about entrepreneurship and made many new and inspiring connections with successful business women.
The POWER of connection started to revolve in me and I started to cherish each and every connection I made.
Until…9 years ago, at a conference, I was broken. This is the story of the night I was stabbed.
My memory is so vivid of this particular night. I was getting ready in my hotel room, until let someone in the room. The beating and blows started and I was in SHOCK. I was frozen, I could not move or speak. My skin was ice cold and clammy as I felt the blood draining from my body. I was weak and dizzy, then I felt nauseous.
The stabbing that night was NOT from a knife, but from WORDS spoken to me.
– You are NOTHING/a NOBODY.
– I make more money than you so why would anyone be interested in you?
– You are only where you are because I am with you.
– People don’t care about you.
Looking back, following this moment, I locked myself in a hole for over a year because of the stabbing.
I didn’t bounce back and crawl out of the hole overnight. After all, I was angry. The culprit got away and no one knew what happened. I felt guilty. I had to walk away from friends in our group and not bad-mouth this woman. I went “dark”. I didn’t speak at events, post on social media, or get myself out there as I believed “noone cared” and “I was not important.”
It took me a YEAR to unwrap, open, and understand that this was one of the GREATEST gifts I could have received.
My initial lessons I learned were:
1) It’s not about me.
2) Not my person.
3) I am not alone.
I attended a Billionaire weekend for women with 100 successful women and went begrudgingly. I did not feel that I was special and did not want to list in a “look book” about what I was working on and developing. BUT, I was supposed to be there. I met my best friend, and other women who believed in me and lifted me up. What turned it around for me was on the last day of this event, a woman from Canada who was extremely successful stood up and fought back tears about being bullied and never wanting to work with a woman again until NOW.
My tears started flowing as I knew I wasn’t ALONE. I was supposed to be there. I needed to climb out my black hole and arrive. I started to make connections again and look and embrace the opportunities that came with them.
My initial LESSONS now turned into THOUGHTS and over time BELIEFs for me.
I believe in taking ACTion. Taking action means to embrace opportunities and EMBRACE YOUR JOURNEY. Say YES and GO. Taking action also means sometimes you have to DISCONNECT to connect. Disconnecting and walking away is ok. As women we may feel guilty to walk away or say no. Identifying my core values freed me and lifted a weight off of me – if something or someone doesn’t align with my values or where I am going – it is ok to say no.
I believe in the POWER of connection. I believe in surrounding yourself with the RIGHT people.
It is not just “surrounding yourself with GREAT people.” It IS about YOU and who you connect with and who you align with who truly want to see you succeed. My strength continues to come from the people that surround me.
I believe that NOONE is YOU and that is power. We all have a story to share. We all have unique experiences with feelings and emotions and LESSONS. Share your story. Don’t EVER let anyone EVER take that power away from you.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I have been an Audiologist for over 25 years and an entrepreneur for longer than fifteen years. I have learned that I am not “just a ___________”. For many years, I introduced myself or have caught myself saying “I am just an Audiologist” – as if it defined me. It was my identity because it was what I had my degree in. BUT, I have learned that I am much more. I have developed my language and beliefs into introducing me as a “connector.”
As an Audiologist, I connect people back to their life and their loved ones through restoring hearing and communication breakdown. I connect people to a diagnosis and treatment of their hearing loss, tinnitus, sound sensitivity, dizziness, brain injury, processing difficulties. As an entrepreneur, I find opportunities to learn. I enjoy finding solutions and taking on projects with an open mind to collaborate and connect to those who are doing it better. I bring what I know back into my industry and share these ideas. I use my curiosity to reach out to learn how to constantly improve what I am doing.
I speak and hold workshops to share what I learn. I help educate the community and consumers by hosting a live show and podcast. I spread awareness on social media and engage with people because I believe connection is what helps us thrive.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://drnataliephillips.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drnataliephillips/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drnataliephillips/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-phillips-8a787254/
- Twitter: https://x.com/audiodrphillips?s=21&t=ATzArVEvo9pZl393W8na-w
Image Credits
Starkey Hearing Foundation
Secret Knock Women