We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Natalie Tuman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Natalie below.
Alright, Natalie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
I feel like I’ve taken a few risks along the way in my journey.
The first risk I took was when I left my full time corporate career in business development for a large hospital organization. I was doing personal training and running a boot camp while also growing my online health and fitness business. I had 2 young children at the time and sat outside of the hospital every day with dread and a knot in my stomach. Not because I didn’t love my job, but because I knew that I was being called to more purpose. I knew what my heart’s desires were and it was to do health and fitness on a full time scale.
Leaving the stability and income of a corporate job to grow my own business was a HUGE risk. But I took it and it turned out to be one of the best decisions ever.
I was able to scale my online business to a larger degree which allowed me to be living my passion while also bringing in a significant contribution to our family AND being able to work a more flexible schedule.
Fast forward 9 years later and I took another significant leap of faith by founding our non-profit organization. After going through my breast cancer journey, I knew that I was destined for more. I was feeling lost and looking for what my new purpose was because after all that our family had gone through, I was a different person. I was needing a way to give back the support that I was offered in some way but wasn’t sure what that looked like. So in 2021, I founded the Tuman Breast Cancer Foundation to financially and emotionally assist women in our local communities throughout their breast cancer journey.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
As a wife and mom of 3, health and wellness is my passion and I love being able to help others through this platform. While on maternity leave with my first child in 2012, I got my very first fitness certification in Power Pilates. Since then, I have been the face behind ‘My Think Fit, Inc.’ on social media for more than a decade. I have experience as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor as well as fat loss nutrition consulting. I have taught and trained at local gyms, have owned my own bootcamp and trained clients online from all over the country through my virtual platform and personal programming.
Through several certifications and training a multitude of women, I strive to share my knowledge and experience with others to help them find a long term and sustainable solution for the fat loss lifestyle. It’s a true gateway into FINDING A BALANCED LIFE…my focus is to help women find their perfectly imperfect strength through fat loss methods and mindset hacks.
In 2018, after 3 kids and while at the pinnacle of my health and fitness journey…I got the most devastating news of my life. After finding a lump on my breast from washing with my hands, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, “breast cancer”. While no one’s journey is a cake walk, we had many turns and deviations throughout treatment which caused it to drag out more than a year with some life threatening scares a long the way. We fought hard with many obstacles at every turn, but in the end, I learned more about what my purpose truly is.
Through my struggles with my health it better aligned me to see that not only do I have the passion to help women with their physical health but it is my purpose to help others through mindset inspiration. Leading women to find triumph through tragedy is paving a new road and I know I have been guided to do more with my life through others. Along with my wellness and lifestyle alignment strategies, I work with mentoring other breast cancer fighters, survivors and their support systems.
My breast cancer journey also led me to become the Founder and Executive Director of the Tuman Breast Cancer Foundation. Through this foundation, I have been able to help make sense of the mess and pay it forward to women in our local community. Our foundation partners with local businesses to help provide services to women and their families currently in breast cancer treatment. When you first get diagnosed, you don’t even KNOW what you need. So we offer services such as financial assistance, lawn maintenance, laundry service, house cleaning, meal delivery, childcare, and more. It has been SUCH a blessing to our entire organization to be able to help others in this way.
These days I wear several hats! I am currently a support trainer with Burn Boot Camp Prosper where I have spent the last 2 years instilling confidence and strength into others through personal training in our group setting. I also co-host a podcast, Unraveling a Life that Works where we unravel life’s issues one episode at a time. In addition to that, I still strive to uplift others on social media and run the Tuman Breast Cancer Foundation.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
Prior to my cancer diagnosis, I was in pretty good shape. I ate well, I worked out religiously and I worked on my personal growth regularly. I felt physically strong, mentally strong and spiritually strong. However, in the industry I was in, the outward appearance should did play a big part in success. The more I could show progress on the outside, the more people would be drawn to getting the same results. However, I had to learn that there is more to strength than numbers on the scale and ripped abs.
When all that is physically attractive is stripped from you and all you have left is a mutilated body with scars and a bald head with sores all over your face…you quickly realize that those physical things can be taken from you in the blink of an eye. When you don’t have the physical aspect, what is left? You’re left in the quietness of your mind and the battles you face internally.
It’s been a hard lesson to learn and truthfully something I still struggle with. I still have to battle the idea of being as fit as I was on the outside pre cancer and it’s hard to look at the scars and see the changes in my body. But at the end of the day, my actual strength was a HUGE blessing to me through my journey. I learned it wasn’t the muscles I needed but the strength. Had I not been in physical and mental shape going into my diagnosis, I think the outcome could have been a lot different.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
Through the last 13 years, I’ve gained extensive training and knowledge in the health and fitness world. I love reading and learning and actually kind of geek out over it! It excites me!
But I truly feel that my personal experience has been even more helpful. I have ridden the roller coaster from ultimate health to the bottom of the barrel and back again! I know the struggles that every day women face as well as those who are fighting to regain their identity in finding a new normal
Contact Info:
- Website: www.natalietuman.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natalie_tuman/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NatalieTumanWellnessLifestyle/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/natalieatuman
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAFCVeWfF8pLA9WPHtWziLA
- Other: www.tumanbreastcancer.org https://www.instagram.com/tumanbcf/ https://twitter.com/tumanbcf https://www.facebook.com/TumanBCF