Natalie
“I love how as women we can wear fancy dresses one day and sweatpants the next….grow our hair long or chop it all off. We can wear make-up and highlight our features or go natural and wear a hat to cover our head. I feel so versatile as a woman and that I have a multitude of ways to express myself on any given day.”
Natalie is a leader, explorer, and entrepreneur. She always says yes to a new adventure – whether it’s taking planes, hiking mountains, or teaching cliff-side yoga on a nature retreat. Her glass-half-full perspective has helped her maneuver through winds of change, especially when it came to finding the career path that was meant for her. Meet Natalie. This is her story.
K: Please introduce yourself!
N: Hello! My name is Natalie Magee, but most people know me as Yogi Magee. I’m a part-time flight attendant, full-time adventure seeker, mom, wife and vizsla wrangler. When I’m not teaching yoga in the studio, I’m taking my students off their mats and into the wilderness to push their physical and mental limits on my yoga adventure retreats. Coffee gets me through the day until I can enjoy glass of red wine at night.
K: Describe yourself in your own words
N: I’m an extrovert by nature who tends to use humor as a way to get me through everything in life. I tend to write my thoughts out late at night on my notes section in my phone then post them on social media the next day. While I’m outgoing and driven, I can also at times be unmotivated, which is why I surround myself with others who love to exercise and hike as much as I do. I’m a people pleaser who has a hard time saying, “No,” especially when it comes to adventure and if I have an invite to leave the house I’ll always take advantage. I love photography and nature and I plan my adventures based on the photos I want to take. I’ve also climbed 53 of Colorado’s 58 14,000 foot peaks and have inevitably delayed finishing them as I don’t know what my next goal will be when I do so.
K: What is your favorite thing about yourself?
N: I really love my big feet because, even if they’re unattractive, they’ve carried me up mountains and all over the world and for that I’m grateful.
K: Tell us a story. Have you had an experience that’s defined you or made you stronger?
N: One Monday in 2005, I received an email at my job as a copywriter to have a meeting between myself, a representative from Human Resources and my boss. I knew instantly I was going to be fired. I worried about it all morning and my boss kept her door closed so I couldn’t ask her what was going on. Right before lunch I sat down in the HR office and my boss told me, “Today will be your last day. We feel you’d be happier someplace else. Do you have any questions?” I shook my head no and was escorted out of the building after cleaning out my desk. I never got to say good-bye to my friends or see anyone at the office again. Looking back, this was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. I saw an ad in the paper that an airline was hiring and went to an open call interview to be a flight attendant. I was accepted into the training and received unemployment which got me through my flight attendant training. Ultimately, I was based in Colorado which set me on the course to be the person I am today. Sometimes you’re only one ending away from a completely different life….and I can confidently say now that yes, I’m happier someplace else.
K: What is one piece of advice you’d give to your younger self?
N: What people think of you is none of your business. Focus on your own life and you’ll be successful. Also, there’s plenty of room for everyone at the top and you don’t have to tear anyone else down to get there.
K: What does being a woman mean to you?
N: Being a woman to me means I’m part of an elite group of sensitive, caring, strong people who are driven and determined. I love how as women we can wear fancy dresses one day and sweatpants the next….grow our hair long or chop it all off. We can wear make-up and highlight our features or go natural and wear a hat to cover our head. I feel so versatile as a woman and that I have a multitude of ways to express myself on any given day.
K: Who is one woman that inspires you? What would you say to her if she were here now?
N: My best friend and mentor Dawnelle Arthur inspires me every day. She’s constantly pivoting in her business and is so driven to create the best life for herself and her son who she raises solo. She’s 47 and has had both her hips replaced and never let it slow her down. She’s also give hope to other injured movers through her Movement Therapy business. If she was here right now, I’d tell her that I know she’s had lots of ups and downs in life, but I truly see the next chapter of her life as being her golden years where she doesn’t have to worry or struggle so much and that I just know great things are coming for her. She deserves to sleep past 6:30am every day and I hope she gets more sleep in the years to come!