In 2015, Natalie received news from her job that she would have only two days to give birth and then go back to work. Instead of accepting this, Natalie decided to take control of her situation. She started her own virtual assistant business, which allowed her to work from home and earn money in a way that suited her.

Her business grew quickly, and within just three months, it was making over six figures. Natalie didn’t stop there. She expanded her entrepreneurial endeavors and now owns Nadora, a software company that helps businesses easily create websites, emails, and automations without having to spend hundreds of dollars on multiple systems and platforms.

Natalie manages to balance her successful career with her personal life, raising her family in southwest Florida. Through her inspiring speeches, she motivates others by showing them that with determination, resilience, and unwavering passion, we can make our dreams come true.

Key Moments

[00:00:35] Natalie Guzman: Virtual assistant and TikTok star.

[00:05:56] Google search launched my new work-from-home life.

[00:08:09] Amazing surgeon specializes in reconnection surgeries.

[00:11:50] Entrepreneurship: from red to black, liberation from debt.

[00:12:59] Entrepreneurship: flexibility to manage family and business.

Find Natalie Online

https://nadora.org

https://ngvirtualassistant.com

https://instagram.com/itsnatalieguzman

https://titktok.com/@itsnatalieguzman

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Transcript (Provided by CastMagic.io)

Seth [00:00:00]:

Entrepreneur’s Enigma is a podcast for the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, for the wins and the fails that we all face being entrepreneurs, how we learn from adversity. Every week, I talk to a different entrepreneur with a story to tell. I’m Seth Goldstein. Come with me on the journey. This is Entrepreneurs’ Enigma. Let’s get started. Hey, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Entrepreneur’s Enigma podcast.

Seth [00:00:35]:

I am, as always, your host, Seth. Today, I have Natalie Guzman on the show. She is a Oh, she’s a virtual assistant, but she owns a virtual assistant agency. She is the head of a market of a marketing networking conglomerate, I guess we all call it, called Nadora. I hope I said that correctly. She’s very prolific on TikTok. I was watching your TikTok prior to the show, and it it was very enjoyable, very TikTok y. And she’s based down in Florida, and It all started, the entrepreneurial journey, in 2015 when her jackass bosses said that she had 2 days to give birth, pause on that for a second there, and I had to go back to work.

Seth [00:01:21]:

So she said f you pretty much. I said, like, that’s ridiculous. Like, I kinda understand that. And she took control of her situation, started her own virtual assistant business, which let her work from home, Earn money and do it the way she wanted to, damn straight. Love that. Her business grew quickly. Within 3 months, I was making over 6 figures. Woah.

Seth [00:01:42]:

Hotshot. I love that. That’s great. Mine mine was a little slower when I started my business. And then She didn’t stop there. She expanded her entrepreneurial endeavors and now owns Adora, a software company that helps businesses easily create websites, emails, Automations without having to spend 100 of bucks on multiple systems and platforms. So that’s really cool. She met manages and balances her life and successful career with a personal life.

Seth [00:02:08]:

She has a family down in Southwest Florida, hopefully avoiding all these hurricanes. And she travels the world, Hopefully, you know, avoiding these hurricanes, giving speaking engagements on what she does. So, Natalie, how’s it going?

Natalie [00:02:24]:

Oh, man. I’m laughing back here because we do not avoid the hurricanes. We move every 2 years in Florida, and I just happen to be in every path of the hurricane for last Three hurricanes starting with the letter I. Myers. Yeah. So, when you Oh, no. Yeah. So we got hit by Irma.

Natalie [00:02:40]:

I was living in Sebring. And so that was a hurricane, category 5 right through my backyard. Oh. Yeah. And I had a Right. And a 1 year old Seth at that time. So

Seth [00:02:55]:

Now you’re going to the question. Yeah.

Natalie [00:02:58]:

Yeah. Right?

Seth [00:02:58]:

It’s just that doesn’t get a lot of, hurricanes. So you kinda move into hurricane central. And then in hurricane central, pit the hurricane central in hurricane central.

Natalie [00:03:07]:

Yeah. And then we moved every 2 years. And then we were in Arcadia, which was like Puna Gorda when Ian hit, so my office was completely destroyed. Our town was surrounded by 17 feet of water. We were an island, in this kind of town.

Seth [00:03:20]:

Kinda tragic with me because it’s kinda like went out on our island for a few days.

Natalie [00:03:24]:

Yeah. They they had boats and people delivering food and things like that. Yeah.

Seth [00:03:28]:

It was Now why are you still in Florida?

Natalie [00:03:31]:

Yeah. This is where we so we moved more north, like, central north. We’re like, we’re not gonna hit. Would follow you. Yeah. My well, I go with my husband. So my husband’s job moves us around every 2 years. So if we don’t choose it, our job chooses it for us.

Natalie [00:03:46]:

So, Yeah. It stinks, but we went to, like, Central Florida. We’re like, we’re not gonna get hit. We’re nowhere near water. And then this newest hurricane came along, but luckily, We didn’t get hit too too bad, but we were in the

Seth [00:03:59]:

down. What was the what was the name of it?

Natalie [00:04:02]:

It was start with that I.

Seth [00:04:04]:

Oh, oh, yeah. Oh,

Natalie [00:04:06]:

I know. It was, like, Adalia. Hurricane Adalia.

Seth [00:04:09]:

Yeah. Exotic hurricane. Hey. Look. Go figure. I I so I guess you’re used to it by now. You’re saying, like, alright. Hurricane’s coming.

Seth [00:04:18]:

We gotta do x, y, and z. Kids like me,

Natalie [00:04:21]:

I mean, I’m not gonna

Seth [00:04:22]:

get yeah. What’s that?

Natalie [00:04:24]:

Buy a few extra chocolate bars and you’re good to go.

Seth [00:04:28]:

Yeah. I guess you’re used to it. I mean, you never get really used to hurricanes, like, you know, but and I’m in Philly, and we get hurricanes every now and then, and we’re like, it’s an event.

Natalie [00:04:37]:

Yeah.

Seth [00:04:37]:

It’s not like Florida where it’s like, alright. You get in line. You queue up. It’s kinda orderly because you’re just used to it. Philly is, like, all hell breaks loose.

Natalie [00:04:45]:

Yeah.

Seth [00:04:45]:

I mean, during the pandemic, everyone well, it’s everywhere, but everyone went after toilet paper. Go figure.

Natalie [00:04:50]:

They still they do that during hurricanes. Water, toilet paper, and bread.

Seth [00:04:53]:

I can understand. You need to wipe your butt. So Yes. I get it. And we and we went there, everybody. We went there. Yeah. We went there.

Seth [00:05:00]:

So, yeah, let’s talk about your journey. So Before the show, we were talking about how this this a holy company gave you 2 days to give birth. Was this your first kid?

Natalie [00:05:11]:

This was my 1st kid and we were high risk. We had lost multiple children before this one. And so we

Seth [00:05:17]:

And then their jackass is enough to say you today, oh, screw you.

Natalie [00:05:21]:

And they were mad I waited till I was in the safe zone as well, because, you know, I had lost multiple, Also, I didn’t tell everyone this time around until I was in the safe zone. My doctor said it was okay to tell people. And then I told the job, and they’re like, well, you should’ve told us earlier. You have 2 weeks, 2 days to give birth, and then you have to go back to work.

Seth [00:05:41]:

Well but karma’s a bitch. Or karma’s a wonderful thing because they’re they’re now bankrupt. Serves the

Natalie [00:05:46]:

money. Abrupt.

Seth [00:05:48]:

Karma. Love it. So then you went out and see on your own. So what made you do virtual assistants? The virtual assistant thing.

Natalie [00:05:56]:

Yes. I always say that my whole life started with a Google search because Oh. I just Google searched jobs that I can work from home. Right? As a new mom and a baby, like, it really put me in perspective. Like, I was I knew that this was a very high risk pregnancy that my daughter might be born with a lot of health complications and things like that. So I was like, Man, I was trying to rearrange my life with 2 weeks off. Now I quit the job. I want to Be at home with this child, and that’s what I wanna

Seth [00:06:26]:

do now. Make your own decisions. Damn it.

Natalie [00:06:28]:

Yeah. Exactly. That was my biggest thing. I don’t wanna be in control of how I make money. I don’t want anyone else To be able to put my family in risk like that. And she was born only at £2, Seth. So she was

Seth [00:06:41]:

a Mikey was a 4 pounder. So I didn’t know you Yeah. Yeah. Blue pounder. Wow. How is she now? And

Natalie [00:06:47]:

then she is amazing. We have a little bit complications with their health. But besides that, she’s in charge.

Seth [00:06:53]:

I mean, I mean, come on. Not having this developed, so they have to develop later. So it’s like yeah.

Natalie [00:06:57]:

Yeah. We got really lucky compared to most accounts.

Seth [00:07:01]:

Like, it was 6 weeks early. I mean, yours was clearly much earlier. And

Natalie [00:07:05]:

Well, I I also had a condition. So they stopped growing at 30 weeks. And so, even if she was she was born, I think, 8 weeks early, and even then, if she was only at, like, 30 weeks. Yeah.

Seth [00:07:18]:

Oh my goodness. But she’s, like, strong but watch. She’s probably strong as an ox, so it might as if you would help

Natalie [00:07:24]:

calm down. She’s that little girl on the top of the pyramid.

Seth [00:07:29]:

And so what so is she really tall now?

Natalie [00:07:31]:

No. She’s tiny, so that makes her a flyer. So the girls at the top The pyramid and cheerleading that get thrown and tossed everywhere, that’s my daughter. 7 years old.

Seth [00:07:43]:

That’s terrifying. I mean, like, you you like, do you know how much it went you you put me through to get you here? Now you’ve been tossed around like, what are you doing?

Natalie [00:07:50]:

Yep. You’ll you liked my TikTok, Seth? I have a TikTok on it. You’ll enjoy that one. Awesome.

Seth [00:07:56]:

Out, but my goodness. Yeah. Because my kid was a was 6 weeks early, £4, 9 ounces. Of course, they drop weight, which is they always drop weight when they come out. Surgery at 2 weeks, 2 days because he had bowel obstruction.

Natalie [00:08:09]:

Yeah. I

Seth [00:08:09]:

mean I mean, at CHOP, surgeon’s hospital in Philadelphia is amazing. I mean, he says he’s like if for those who are watching the video, he was, like, this big, And they may have to re reconnect his intestine. He’s now almost 11. Tallish, not too tall. Like, he’s I mean, his mom’s short, so go figure. He’s not gonna be the tall as it is. But strong, stubborn, hard headed, Really smart but hard headed. I mean, I feel like these preemies.

Seth [00:08:38]:

I mean, is your daughter really a hard headed? Like, oh my god. Where did you get the stubbornness from?

Natalie [00:08:43]:

Yeah. She is super independent. I call her my sassy Latina because she’s half Puerto Rican. And that’s

Seth [00:08:50]:

Oh, okay. Not

Natalie [00:08:50]:

agree to surprise.

Seth [00:08:51]:

Before you even had her.

Natalie [00:08:54]:

Yeah.

Seth [00:08:55]:

Oh, no. So she’s a preemie and a Puerto Rican. Nothing is Puerto Rican. There’s. I have friends that have I’m getting myself in trouble right now. But but my friend has 3 daughters, and they’re all sassy. Yeah. And it’s like and they’re and they you know, one’s one’s, like, an executive at a Marketing agency, running everything, it’s like and she’s like 23.

Seth [00:09:20]:

It’s like, oh my god. Strong Strong will. So anyhow, back to you, all for our kids, which is kinda happens. But, so you started the virtual assistant for for businesses, for entrepreneurs, and for, for executives. Yeah. And then so you said within 3 months, you were, like, till on it. We’re gonna take a quick break here from our sponsors and get right back to the show.

Natalie [00:09:45]:

Yeah. So I started out just working by myself. So I was just kinda helping, You know, a lot of my clients here and there, and, it started out kinda slow like most businesses. Yeah. But then I was like, I really started understanding it. So I started doing this for a year, so a VA by myself. But then I was like, you know what? I’m gonna turn this to the agency. I want employees.

Natalie [00:10:06]:

I want tons of clients. I I wanna turn this into a 6 figure business. And so I started my agency, and We hit 6 figures in 3 months. I got 7 and these were all new clients. These weren’t all my clients I was working before. So I got 7 clients in a week. Most somewhere like 20 to 40 hours a week, and so I had to hire I had never been a manager. I had never been you needed to

Seth [00:10:29]:

be an agency. You needed to be an agency. So I have a call See me, I was doing all myself, and, like, if I wanna grow this damn thing, I gotta I gotta get more people. I get we’re all contractors with each other, but, like, Still, it’s like they mostly work with me because it’s like I’m throwing the most business. Yeah. That’s insane. So then so you did that. You’re doing that for a while.

Seth [00:10:49]:

And then what is Nodora?

Natalie [00:10:52]:

Yeah. So Nodora is really cool. So not only is it Basically, an all in one software where you can create everything for the back end of your business, your automations, your calendars, your websites, your funnels, everything

Seth [00:11:04]:

Wow.

Natalie [00:11:04]:

Kind of in one place, which super cool, but we also have a really great, networking community, and we have educational courses, and we have a membership directory as well. So it’s really good to be that one stop shop for, for businesses.

Seth [00:11:21]:

And that started in January of this year Yeah. This 2023 for those who are listening way late, which I think most people hear us in 2023. But, And how’s it going so far?

Natalie [00:11:32]:

It is amazing. So we went, in the green within 1 month, so that was pretty exciting. So I actually have only been in the red maybe 2 months with all my businesses. So that’s something I really pride myself on.

Seth [00:11:50]:

Oh my god. I mean and that’s and that’s it for a con you know, for you mean, like, for those who don’t know, like, being in the red is kind of a badge of courage because you You are. I mean, you think you put things on credit cards. You Mhmm. Bootstrap stuff. You’re gonna be in the red for a while and then when you’re in the black or the green or whatever here, you know, you have you’re not as reliant on the credit cards as much as it was just really a great feeling. And so that’s awesome. So in your opinion, since you did the jackass y business beforehand and now you’re on your own, what is the best thing about being an entrepreneur? I think we kind of highlighted that, but, you know I

Natalie [00:12:30]:

think the best part so another thing on my family side is my husband is The law enforcement. So he works insane hours. He gets called in last minute when those hurricanes I was alone with all these babies during these Hurricanes because my husband has to be at work.

Seth [00:12:45]:

So be on the field. Yeah.

Natalie [00:12:47]:

Yeah. Well, he actually works so we’re on the prison side of law So he works as assistant warden, of a prison. But sometimes if that warden’s not around, he’s acting warden. So he’ll need

Seth [00:12:58]:

to enter

Natalie [00:12:59]:

the old prison by himself. It’s and that was really hard because, like and we’re moving every 2 years. So how am I gonna have a job that I can excuse moving around all the time. And so that’s one of my best things about entrepreneurship is I can take my kids to all their sports. I can take off for doctor’s appointments. I can, you know, do my husband’s errands when he needs them done and work them into my schedule. And I’ve learned not to work in my business, work on my business because when I was working with clients, I would get Overwhelmed. You know, my schedule is no longer my own.

Natalie [00:13:37]:

Now that I have the staff to do it for me, I can now, you know, make I have more control over my schedule, and it’s amazing.

Seth [00:13:44]:

Isn’t that great? So what keeps you up at night though besides your kids?

Natalie [00:13:47]:

Oh, supply and demand 247, I think. It’s something that never goes away. You can never completely solve it. And so it’s always I’m either needing more clients or I need more employees. I kinda have a really good system where I don’t worry about it as much, but I still it still keeps me up that night.

Seth [00:14:06]:

So are they all full timers? Are they part timers? Or how does it work?

Natalie [00:14:10]:

So my core team are w two employees, and they are full time. And then I have, about, Like, 60 contractors that I can kinda roll on at any time. You know, it’s a bit it’s been around since 2015. So I like I say I’m a dinosaur in VA years because most virtual assistants didn’t start until the pandemic. So

Seth [00:14:31]:

Yeah. Exactly. So you’re you’re an OG.

Natalie [00:14:34]:

Yeah. I’m an OG.

Seth [00:14:35]:

There you go. It’s awesome. So what is the most important thing to carry with you all the time besides your phone? Because I mean, I know you need your phone because it’s like you run your whole business.

Natalie [00:14:43]:

Oh, it is. Okay. This my phone charger, does that count, Seth?

Seth [00:14:49]:

We need a phone charger because you’re always on the phone, but Absolutely. When you’re running a virtual assistantship business, virtual assistantship. I don’t know why I’m coming up with these words today. But anyhow, When you’re doing that and you’re running your other business, you constantly have to be on. So

Natalie [00:15:03]:

Yeah. And water, I think water’s another thing. Just making sure I take the care of myself.

Seth [00:15:08]:

Yeah.

Natalie [00:15:08]:

Yeah. Water. It’s amazing. And, like, if you put a Celsius packet in there, you’re you’re all set to go. It’s amazing.

Seth [00:15:16]:

The races. Exactly.

Natalie [00:15:17]:

Yeah.

Seth [00:15:17]:

But what about internal? Like, what what what what do you care with you internally?

Natalie [00:15:23]:

Do you mean what do you mean by internally?

Seth [00:15:26]:

Like metaphysically. Okay.

Natalie [00:15:29]:

Do you mean like like how I feel in the business? Yeah.

Seth [00:15:32]:

Like like like like yeah. Like, because

Natalie [00:15:34]:

I get a rush.

Seth [00:15:36]:

With our

Natalie [00:15:36]:

I think that we’re always on a rush. I’m always thinking of the next thing and the newest technology and the newest software. So, like, business for me, I’m not addicted to really anything, but probably business. I am addicted to. Because they always say everyone’s addicted to something. Mine’s probably books and business. And so for me, it’s like a rush. Yeah.

Seth [00:15:54]:

I I love it. I mean, I love my business. I love doing it. I completely agree. Sometimes it’s a little much I have to peel myself away and say say, like, look, I need to take a break. You know? No. At least you’re able to do your business while your kids are in soccer or or or cheerleader, being thrown. Pretty have to be working in a business so you don’t freak out.

Natalie [00:16:15]:

Yeah. It’s I so luckily, Yeah. I’ve been trying to be more present around my kids, so they notice when I’m on my phone. So I try not to work while they’re doing those things. Yeah. My son yesterday was like, mom, I’m very upset. And I was like, why? You had a really good practice. And he goes, you didn’t wave to me.

Natalie [00:16:33]:

Oh, wow. I I was helping other kids at baseball. So I was like, you know what? Next time I’m gonna sit on the bleachers, I’m gonna watch you, I’m gonna wave, I’m gonna scream, and you won’t you’ll get sick of me.

Seth [00:16:45]:

Aw. How old is your kid?

Natalie [00:16:47]:

He’s 6.

Seth [00:16:49]:

Aw. And there’s 7 year old being thrown from pyramids.

Natalie [00:16:53]:

Yep. Yep. And he’s hitting fastballs. Yeah.

Seth [00:16:57]:

I got sports kids here.

Natalie [00:16:59]:

Yeah. They’re very athletic. My son, especially. My daughter really wasn’t as much, but she fell in love with cheerleading.

Seth [00:17:07]:

It’s still just as Terrifying for the parent. It’s like because she says small, you think, like, okay. She’ll be safe. No. She’s being thrown off of of human pyramids.

Natalie [00:17:18]:

Yeah. And you have to and other 7 year olds are the one that are catching her and supporting her and being her her spots. And so you have to Put your trust in all those 7 year olds to keep your daughter safe. Yeah. That’s a deal I acquired.

Seth [00:17:32]:

Oh my god. Alright. So, Natalie, where can people what is your major watering hole online? Where do you hang out the most?

Natalie [00:17:39]:

Oh, probably TikTok. You you were watching my TikTok. So that’s it’s very TikTok as you said. I love it because I not only talk about business, but I’m always talking, about my life. And I feel like that’s one side of entrepreneurship is that we need to make sure we’re talking about our life and not just the business Right. So that’s it’s Natalie Guzman on TikTok.

Seth [00:18:02]:

Yeah. Oh, yeah. But it’s it’s. It’s Natalie because it’s it. No. It doesn’t mean it’s double heads, double, you know, words there. We’ll have all the links in the show notes, and then she’s you’re on LinkedIn a little bit and Instagram. Check out ngvirtualassistant.comnadoranadora.org Yeah.

Seth [00:18:23]:

Which is cool. Yeah. And thank you so much for being on. It’s been so much fun.

Natalie [00:18:28]:

Yeah. Thanks for having me. I had a blast.

Seth [00:18:30]:

Well, and we’ll see everyone next time. That was a great show. If you’re enjoying Entrepreneur’s Enigma, please view us in the podcast directory of your choice. Every review helps other podcast listeners findour show. If you’re looking for other podcasts in the marketing space, look no further than the marketing podcast network at marketing podcasts .net. Gold Feeny hopes you have enjoyed this episode. This podcast is one of the many great shows on the MPN Marketing Podcast Network.