We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dr. Natasha Ward a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Dr. Natasha , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you share an important lesson you learned in a prior job that’s helped you in your career afterwards?
I was in my earlier stages of education, and I was teaching at a Title I school with at least a 93% free/reduced lunch rate. My class had a range of academic levels from Special Education to ESL (English as a Second Language) to General Education to Gifted. Despite having every academic level, I had high expectations for ALL students, and I was, and still am, a firm believer that all students can and will learn as long as we teach and facilitate in a way that’s responsive to them.

Preliminary testing season was approaching, and I knew there was a lot to do with the students to prepare them for what’s to come. After the first testing season ended, the results came in. My Assistant Principal pulled me to the side and gave me my results. I looked it over with a smile on my face because my students did EXCEPTIONALLY well. All of the hard work paid off, and we had fun in the process. After looking over the results, I started analyzing the data to determine what I needed to do as a teacher to further their growth and development as students because the final testing season was now approaching.

As a teacher, you learn to allow the data to inform your instructional practices. Mid-way through my analysis, my Assistant Principal stops me, and she says, “Natasha, it’s okay to celebrate this small win. Your class deserves it. You can come back to the data later.” Hindsight being 20-20, I have used that advice throughout my professional career. When I accomplish a goal (whether it’s a bite-sized goal or a huge, monumental goal), I take a moment to celebrate and give thanks for the journey. Then, eventually the next day or so, I get back to it.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I’m Dr. Natasha of Natasha Inspires, LLC; we specialize in guiding women to become non-negotiable through honoring their whole Self–mind, body, spirit, and soul. Essentially, we teach women how to holistically nurture themselves emotionally and spiritually, so they can align their life with their values, set healthy boundaries, and reclaim their joy.

Everything that I’ve done and experienced has brought me to this point. I started breath work, meditation, affirmations, and visualizations at 3 years of age. So, I’ve been doing this type of work for personal growth and development over three decades, and I’ve seen the miraculous shifts over time through consistency and dedication of my practice. When I was in college, my philosophical thesis was entitled: The Metaphysics of the Internal Being– the Self: Mind, Soul, and Spirit. A couple years after that, I was ordained a Spiritual Doctor as a High Priestess of Light and Ministry, and I also was in the educational field. Then, I had a car accident that shifted the rest of my life.

I shared those aspects because I was always called to the self-care, well-being industry. I have lived it longer than I’ve been in official business with official certifications and degrees. The ongoing healing of the traumatic brain injury is what catapulted me fully into this life as a lifestyle both in business and in personal life. I have added a few more healing modalities over time like energy work, sound healing, plant medicine, and color therapy as women’s health overall has taken a hit. After learning that heart trauma is the number one killer of women in the United States, especially women of color, that was my call to shift from working only with corporate and educational professionals to working also with women who desire a life of overflow and to truly see themselves the way their Creator sees them.

Often, whether emotional and/or environmental, our heart trauma can come from the continued, chronic stressors of life–grief, loss, heartbreak, overwhelm, overworked, shame, guilt, looking at self-care as selfish, etc. It just piles up, and our bodies need a pause to try to restore itself. Natasha Inspires can assist you with restoration and your reclamation of joy. It’s not easy work, but I do call it fun, healing work. Afterall, on this beautiful planet, we are all in this together. So, come and be inspired to make yourself and your dreams non-negotiable and see yourself the way that the Source/Universe/God/Goddess sees you–divinely created and a masterpiece: a being chosen and deserving of joy, peace, and overflow. It’s your birthright.

What problems do you solve for your clients?
Each client comes with different problems, but some of the common themes of root causes are the following:

1. Burnout and Exhaustion: Many clients feel overwhelmed by responsibilities and struggle to prioritize self-care, leading to physical and emotional burnout.
2. Lack of Clarity: Clients may feel disconnected from their true desires or purpose, making it difficult to make value-aligned life choices.
3. Low Self-Worth: Sometimes, my clients often struggle with self-esteem and negative self-talk and may put others’ needs before their own, resulting in feelings of guilt or unworthiness.
4. Poor Boundaries: Many clients find it challenging to set healthy boundaries, leading to feelings of resentment, overexertion, overcommitment, or being taken advantage of. They have a difficulty with saying no/yes.
5. Neglecting Emotional and Physical Health: My clients might overlook their emotional and physical needs, which can lead to anxiety, depression, dis-eases, and relationship issues.
6. Fear of Judgment: Clients may fear being judged for prioritizing themselves, leading to hesitation in pursuing their passions or desires.
7. Inability to Manifest Goals: Clients may struggle to turn their dreams into actionable steps, feeling stuck or lost in their journey.
8. Struggles with Intuition: Clients may have difficulty trusting their intuition or inner voice, leading to confusion about their true desires and decisions.
9. Neglecting Creative Expression: This is a heart centered issue, but clients may feel stifled creatively, unable to explore passions that bring joy and fulfillment due to societal expectations or personal fears.
10. Difficulty Cultivating Gratitude: Many clients may struggle to recognize and appreciate the positive aspects of their lives, leading to a negative mindset.

By solving the aforementioned problems through holistic support, I am able to inspire women to nurture their hearts and honor their true selves, so they can truly pour from an overflowing cup and lead more fulfilling lives!

What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of the evolution of soul work in this world as well as my clients’ success. Ten to twenty years ago, if someone mentioned meditation, mysticism, energy healing, etc, people would look at you crazy and go straight into a judgment zone. Now, the same people are at least curious to know what it is and how it can benefit them. It’s almost normalized now. I am so proud of the evolution of this planet.

I am equally proud of my clients’ success. Every time, they show up, do the work, remove the blockages, and soar. I often stand in awe of the work that happens through me and the gifts that are offered through me to my clients. I am just a vessel, and when each client gets a breakthrough, it sends a positive ripple effect through their lives to their families and work life. As they honor themselves, everyone else around them eventually rises to the occasion, or the universe magically moves them away. It’s such a beautiful, humbling, enlightening experience to watch. Life truly unfolds.

What are the main things you want potential clients/followers/fans to know about you/your brand/your work/ etc?
I want you to know a few things about what I’ve learned over time in business and in life. I call these my four golden nuggets, and I value each dearly.

First, the other side of your fear is your success. With being a business owner, there are so many unknowns and uncertainties. There’s also at times a lack of stability and security. You just don’t know how well a new idea may work or financially, that month may not be your best forecast. However, one thing that has given me peace through the years of entrepreneurship has been: “Yes, all of these uncertainties are real, but on the other side of all of this doubt, what ifs, and fear is simply success. It may not be overnight, but if you don’t try, then you definitely will fail; if you do try and keep going, you will eventually succeed.” Essentially, this mindset lesson is of perseverance and resilience.

Next, to whom much is given, much is required. As stewards on this planet, it is our duty to Mother Earth to give back. Giving back looks different for each person and for each niche. So for me, if I’m receiving certain opportunities, then I’m also inviting and pulling someone else up in the process. As a business owner, I have not been able to be successful alone; it has taken mentorship, assistance, and help along the way. Someone else thought of me, and it is my duty to think of others as well. This lesson is the universal law of receiving and giving as well as gratitude.

The third golden nugget is, it is never too late to start, so just take the first step forward. As we age and we are trying to get by and pay bills for ourselves and for our families, sometimes, we forget our latent dreams, and when we remember, we put them on the back burner and think it’s too late. However, just like it’s never too late to dream, it’s never too late to actualize the dream either. One step forward many times is all it takes. This mindset lesson is on confidence and getting unstuck.

Finally, there’s enough room for everyone at the table. This is my favorite golden nugget because it shifts the mindset from scarcity to abundance. Yes, everyone around you has a purpose and may do things similarly, but, there is only one of you, and only you can do what you can do well. There’s enough for all of our successes and ways of being at the table. This mindset lesson is on abundance and worthiness.

Natasha Inspires can assist you with working through each of the aforementioned mindset shifts. It’s not easy work, but I do call it fun, healing work. Afterall, on this beautiful planet, we are all in this together. So, come and be inspired to make yourself non-negotiable and see yourself the way that the Source/Universe/God/Goddess sees you–divinely created and a masterpiece.

Have you ever had to pivot?
I often divide my life into two sectors: before Spring 2015 and after Spring 2015. Before Spring 2015, I was a high achiever. I graduated salutatorian of my high school, graduated Phi Beta Kappa and third in my class at Spelman College, attended multiple Ivy League programs, had dual internships, learned languages, traveled continents to learn, became a teacher, applied for my doctoral programs, etc. I was driven, on the move, and with a goal. I was very masculine-minded with the energy of do, do, and do. My manifestation power was off the charts. Then, things changed abruptly.

It was the year of 2015 that my life did a 180 and changed everything that I knew about myself and the human body. I did a pivot in business, my career, and life. I was rear ended at a red light by a truck going 65mph. My car was completely totaled with the motor in the street. My head hit the steering wheel, and I was left with bodily injuries and a traumatic brain injury. I also was starting my doctoral program at the time. So, I was constantly in pain in body, mind, and spirit. I had 14 doctors/specialists, and I couldn’t comprehend or understand what I read or what people were saying to me. I felt as though I was always tired, in a state of confusion and fog, constantly falling asleep, and had severe migraines while awake. It was like I was in the twilight zone because everything that I knew was real for me was no longer my reality. I no longer was the high achieving me that valued perfection or excellence. I just needed to stay alive. I had to learn how to rewire and heal my brain and body through neuroplasticity while also doing my best to complete coursework. It was a lot of right brain leading; my spiritual gifts increased immensely. I was intuned with the world we don’t see.

That’s when I had to examine what I was going to do with my current life in my current state. I knew that I could not go back to teaching or anything full-time in education, and I needed flexibility for healing and resting. I was healing my own body through a variety of metaphysical tools; I was learning more about my spiritual gifts that were dormant; and I was entering a world that I did not know could exist for me. Thus, Natasha Inspires (then, called Grow with Me in 2015) was born. That pivot was the best thing that happened to me because now, I value the importance of being, surrendering, rest, and unfolding. I, first hand, understand the importance of whole-care which is pretty much soul care and self care combined, and I can teach what I know because I’ve lived it for so many years of getting to the point where my cup continuously overflows. I move at a slower pace than before Spring 2015, and I am a happier, healthier version of myself.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
A lesson I had to unlearn is perfectionism, and that’s a lesson that I don’t think you ever unlearn completely, but I can always put forth my best effort. I am a recovering perfectionist in every sense of the word. I have always valued excellence and had a strong love for intrinsic motivation. I didn’t exceed or do well in school because of what others desired to see of me; I did well because I wanted to. I loved to see a project bloom from my mind onto a canvas of my choice or the teacher’s choice. I wouldn’t turn it in until I was happy with it. Simply, it made me happy to create. That sparked my love from excellence to perfection.

As an adult, that same drive for excellence and perfection often rewarded yet paralyzed me. The job was always done well, and every t was crossed, and every i was dotted, but how long did it take me to decide the job was done? It wasn’t until two main situations that I really took a look at my personal need for perfection: the pivot and writing my dissertation. I discussed the pivot in another question, but for now, I’ll dive into the dissertation aspect. During the dissertation phase, you always hear the saying, “A done dissertation is the goal.” While I was literally going through my stages of brain imperfection and seeing it play out in my reality at the time, I also was battling with the need to finish a product that I’m extremely happy with. It wasn’t until my committee members and my dissertation chair put some fire underneath me that I realized that perfection has no place here, and if I desired a place for it, I wouldn’t ever defend or graduate as Dr. Natasha.

Fast forward to other seasons of my life, I often remind myself that the goal is to get the message/product out and to share my gifts with the world. Nothing is permanent, and I can always adjust the product, project, or service along the way. I still value excellence, however, perfection has taken a back seat. She comes back out at times, and I’ve learned to embrace those lessons as they come.

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Image Credits

@daniellethompsonphoto