We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Natalia Ronceria Ceballos. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Natalia below.

Natalia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

I think of this often in truth, as I work with other small business owners and nonprofit organizations in all the work I do, and one of my first questions is always “what is your definition of success?”. If we are not clear with ourselves on what success means to us, then it can be hard to figure out which makes more sense for you, having a job or doing your own thing. In addition, without clarity here, it is easy to jump into a job or business idea thinking it will be a great fit, but then when things start to get hard, that initial drive can disappear super quickly. So all that said, I think it is very natural when you are working a job, that there will be points when you might think it would be easier, or you’d be better off, if you ran your own business. The same is true for business owners. I think it is very normal that at some point you sit back and wonder if it would just be better to go work for someone else, collect a check, and not have to worry about juggling all the elements of running a business. That whole grass is greener complex! Though in reality we know every scenario has its pros and cons. There is an expression, “an entrepreneur is the only person who will work 80 hours a week, just to not have to work 40 for someone else.” I share that as I think it is very telling, you have to be of a certain character to really want to build your own business…a nd stick with it long term. It takes a ton of time, energy, talent, and treasure to get all started and keep all going, and in reality it is not for everybody…and that is OK! So yes, I have had moments where I have been incredibly cash poor, working long hours, where the thought of just being able to collect a check every two weeks seemed pretty freaking enticing, but the feeling has never lasted that long. I’ve come to realize after becoming self-employed that I am much better at being independent than I am fitting into an employee structure. I’d much rather deal with the challenges of owning my own business than having to work within someone else’s vision, culture, or parameters. I love being able to work with diverse clients, teams, and communities on specific projects instead of supporting the efforts of one brand / entity. Who knows, perhaps life will make it so having a job again is what is best in the end for me, but for now, and for the foreseeable future, I am definitely happier doing my own thing. These past 6-7 years of owning my own enterprise have been some of the most rewarding in my career, and I have yet to regret taking the leap, even with the rollercoaster ride of an experience it has been so far.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I now brand myself as a bilingual (English / Spanish) Facilitator of Knowledge. I have a passion for connecting peoples needs with the resources available, especially to new information they can then put into action. Much of my work these days are with nonprofit organizations as a Facilitator, where I offer services like: Discovery Sessions to help with Action Planning or development/revision of Mission, Vision, & Values, ensuring all consider passing this work through a JEDI lens (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion); Board Development; Team Building; Leadership Development; Intercultural Competency as it relates to DEI efforts and creation of Organizational Culture. My background is in the nonprofit sector so I always see myself supporting various organization’s efforts in this space.

My other focus area is supporting small business owners, again in a bilingual manner, via Technical Assistance programs which are now offered throughout the valley. I provide General Business Support to help primarily early stage businesses ensure they have a strong foundation to grow from. Services include: Business Model Canvas Sessions, Business Plan Development, Strategic Planning, 101 Hard & Soft Skill Trainings, Company Culture / DEI related efforts.

I am now looking to build myself more as a public speaker, emcee, & educator, to continue living my passion as a Facilitator of Knowledge, while having opportunities to connect to broader more diverse audiences. I am always open to speaking to youth groups or schools, sharing my story and the importance of investing in ones education while building relationships for free, as I think it is so incredibly important to help others along their journey, for we never really achieve any type of greatness alone. I’ve spoken at various conferences on topics such as Cultural Appreciation vs Appropriation and Connecting Authentically to Latino/Hispanic/Latinx/Latine Communities, and hope to have more of these opportunities in the near future. I am a big persona, and love to emcee events as well, so am always open to gigs like this. The performer and artist in me always is ready to put on a good show no matter the stage! lol

What I hope you see here is that while I do focus currently in mainly being a facilitator and business advisor, I am still on an ever evolving journey. Since I am my brand and my brand is me, I am on a constant mission to improve my skill sets, while always exploring what could come next. I am open to entertaining new unique projects, to see how I can continue to grow and challenge myself as a person and professional, while providing positive impact to community, so don’t hesitate to reach out! I work very transparently and believe there is plenty of work to go around, so if I am not the right fit for your needs, I make sure to do what I can to connect you to someone or something that is. I will never stop learning and evolving, and encourage all I interact with to do the same.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I have a very wise colleague who told me his mentor once advised him to “let the work speak for itself, do good work, and you’ll never have to go hunting for clients” (or a version of that lol) This is really what I think it boils down to. That and a good attitude and staying authentic, transparent, and respectful. Being a consultant is a unique type of entrepreneurship. We have low overhead, and often times are parties of one, working in collaboration with others but not necessarily building out big teams of our own. So while other types of businesses do have to invest heavily in things like marketing and advertising, what I have found in this type of work is that it is really about delivering high quality work and maintaining strong client and colleague relationships. I am honest and upfront about what I think I can provide of value to any project, and will not take on work that is outside of my skill set, instead I opt to bring in collaborators who have strengths that I do not. All of this, alongside having a good sense of humor and staying flexible and adaptable, have really worked well for me. I think the consistency of experience people have with me, no matter the space, with all I already mentioned, is what I can thank for the reputation I have to date.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I think I am still unlearning, but it is all in the realm of societal expectations around what it means to be professional or successful. I have been working through unpacking and unlearning what white supremacy culture has normalized for us as a society, picking through what I want to let go of and not perpetuate. For example, we are taught that money is the ultimate factor of success, but reality teaches us something different. While money is a necessary tool we use to acquire what we need and desire, it is by no means the only measure of success. Helping someone discover their strengths can be a success. Helping someone get time back to spend with their loved ones, or invest in themselves is success. Running a business for 30 years then being able to retire from it, not a millionaire, but comfortable enough, is success. You don’t have to have a certain title, or income, to find success in this life, you just need to be clear on what success means to you. Another example, a strong leader does not have to be dressed in a suit, some of the most impactful people wear t-shirts and jeans, yet we still hear issues around dress or hairstyle not being “professional” enough. I think this is changing with younger generations, but is still very prevalent.

For me, even though I am well educated, and come from a mixed-race / mixed-ethnicity family, I present as a brown woman and have always struggled with undervaluing myself. I am guilty of taking less pay, being hesitant to charge “too much” for fear “they” won’t see me as that valuable, being willing to take on whatever challenge to prove I am worth taking up this space (in whatever office, conference room, or the like), not speaking up for fear of retaliation, and many other examples. I know I am not alone in this, and hope that through my own experiences and learning I can help others get out of this mindset that has been often labeled “imposter syndrome”. I don’t like using that term much anymore, after learning about its roots, but I use it here as I know it resonates with so many. I was taught in various systems that as a woman, as a minority, my voice was welcomed at certain times, but not all the time. It has taken me till now, at 40 years old, to unlearn the silencing of self. Even as the boisterous person I am, I often in my early career would bite my tongue to uphold the status quo, to not ruffle feathers, to say safe. I now know that I can always use my voice, that speaking the truth, even when uncomfortable, is what is most important. I also now know that I can do so in a way that stays true to who I am as a person. Using my voice fully has been incredibly liberating; and while I continue to work on not undervaluing what I bring to the table, I know I am still in process, and that that programming runs deep.

We all have so much to learn and unlearn still in this life; I am grateful though to be in a time where more are recognizing this truth and are willing to try new ways of working together and relating in general. Poco a poco as I always say ;)

Contact Info:

• Website: http://lanrc.co/
• Instagram: @lanrc
• Facebook: @lanrcllc
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/nataliarc

Image Credits
Karianne Munstedt