We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Natalie Jambazian a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Natalie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?
As a licensed marriage and family therapist I wanted to go beyond the scope of just seeing one on one clients. In the realm of mental health and well-being, the path from a mere idea to the realization of one’s vision can be transformative as it is challenging. For me, the journey began with a simple notion- an idea that started in my heart and mind, driven by my passion to make a difference in people’s lives. Today, as a practiced therapist I took on a voyage to write a book on narcissistic abuse recovery. I had come across many clients who I recognized went through challenges and are currently struggling to heal from these types of toxic dynamics. As I was going through my own healing I really wanted to help others around the world who didn’t have the means or the resources to seek therapy. So, I started jotting down notes, researching, watching videos online and using my own personal experiences to incorporate in my book. This journey was not without its twists, turns, and moment of self-doubt. Through many hurdles and feeling stuck I hired a business coach. Coaching helped me get out of my head and not fear success. It helped me create goals and a system that worked for me. I had limiting beliefs on not being successful and through series of coaching it helped me launch my website. Social media is also a widespread network that I also wanted to be involved in. I hired a videographer who filmed me while I talked about how to break free from narcissistic relationships. By being consistent it helped me grow my platform on TikTok, Youtube, and Instagram. I also hired a publicist who helped me to be featured in articles I specialized in. As you can tell, although I had the knowledge and expertise on the topic of narcissism I did not specialize on the other things such as marketing and getting my name out there. Seeking help from people who have their own specialty I developed a group of supportive people that elevated by business. As I currently work on the last drafts of my book to be released January 2024, I look back and recognize that seeking help and investing time, money, and energy from others built my confidence and encouraged me to pursue my dreams beyond being a therapist.
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 used to work in the entertainment industry as a personal assistant to a celebrity. In my 20s I thought that was the coolest job, and it was, at the time. Yet, I wasn’t fully happy and fulfilled, I learned every rejection was a redirection for me. I knew I was meant to be more than a personal assistant. I have always been intrigued by psychology, how the brain works and why people act the way they do. For that reason, I decided to go back to school to finish my bachelor’s then my master’s to become a psychotherapist. Once I was on that journey I truly felt like I belonged. With a passion for empowering individuals, I started working in private practice over 7 years ago. I specialize in working with clients struggling with anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, trauma, and individuals recovering from narcissistic relationships. What sets me apart from other therapists is my expertise in understanding and guiding clients through unique challenges posed by narcissistic dynamics. I also work with clients to unpack childhood wounds that impact them as an adult in their intimate relationships. As a licensed marriage and family therapist I take immense pride in my journey of helping individuals and families to navigate dating and relationships in this modern age. What I am most proud of is my unwavering commitment to fostering positive change in the lives of my clients.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I discovered social media has been a platform for all entrepreneurs, through that realization I decided to embark on a journey to build my social media presence. It all began with a passion for a specific niche, helping others to love themselves by recognizing their self-worth in order to let go of toxic/narcissistic patterns in their lives. I started by identifying my niche, something that I was genuinely passionate about not only because I have had experience in narcissistic relationships myself but I noticed many people were struggling with these types of dynamics. Armed with my passion, I hired a business coach which helped me set up a vision and actionable steps to build quality engagement. I first started with a photoshoot to show others who I am in an authentic way so that people can relate. I used captivating captions and stayed consistent with my posts. I wasn’t afraid to learn and grow, I researched trends, attended webinars and followed social media experts. The knowledge helped me understand the algorithms and gained insights into what worked best on each platform. Over time, I developed a unique brand called self-love society that set me apart from others in my practice. Engagement is key. This built a loyal community around my content. I constantly networked with other therapists and created a group of supportive individuals by collaborating with them which helped me gain more exposure within my niche. Occasionally, I would also share personal and relevant stories by creating my own podcast with my business partner called two friends, two therapists (available on apple podcast, spotify and all other podcast platforms), this humanized my brand and made me more relatable to others. As social media evolved, so did I as I adapted to learning ways to be on TikTok, Instagram, and youtube shorts. And so, my story of building a remarkable social media presence continued to unfold and still does until this day. It is a journey filled with dedication, creativity, authenticity, and it is far from over, I am just getting started. My presence has become a source of inspiration for many, proving that with passion and persistence you can achieve anything you set your mind to. I also recently hired a publicist who is a powerhouse with getting my expertise out there to the world. It truly takes a village.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
My journey began when I found myself entangled in a narcissistic relationship. This painful experience pushed me to seek help, and through my own therapy, underwent a profound transformation. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to help others from enduring the same pain. I realized the need for specialized knowledge in this area. I pursued additional training, research, and certifications in narcissistic abuse recovery, attending workshops, creating agendas based off of my personal and professional experience in this field. My experience gave me a unique ability to empathize with my clients. I understood the intricacies of emotional turmoil and the challenges faced in breaking free from toxic relationships. I started facilitating a support group and online communities of survivors that can connect, share stories and find solace in knowing they are not alone. In the interim, I started writing a self-help workbook on narcissistic abuse recovery to help others who don’t have the resources to seek therapy or feel shame from dealing with this type of abuse. I became a passionate advocate for raising awareness about this form of toxic dynamics. I didn’t limit myself to traditional therapy methods. Instead, I developed innovative therapeutic approaches tailored to narcissistic relationships, providing clients tools for healing. As a therapist in this field, you face resistance from skeptics who doubt the severity of narcissistic relationships. Yet, I persisted through my fear, armed with research and experience to help transform the lives of many. Over the years, I witnessed incredible transformations in my clients which encouraged me to work harder and never give up, for me and for other survivors. My story is a testament to resiliency, compassion, and unwavering dedication to helping others transform their lives and create resiliency themselves.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.shermanoakstherapy.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/selflove__society/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natalie.jambazian
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-jambazian-6bb78025/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/NJambazian
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@NatalieJambazianLMFT/videos
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/sherman-oaks-therapy-sherman-oaks-4
- Other: TikTok: @selflove_society
Image Credits
Adrine Davtyan, LCSW