Today we’d like to introduce you to Natasha Powell.
Hi Natasha, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Like many financial aid administrators, I fell into the position. I worked for a financial aid call center that serviced southern schools in Birmingham, AL. As a young 20 something at the time back in 2009, I knew this wasn’t the career path for me so, I set my sights on moving back to Atlanta. I secured a position at Georgia State University as a financial aid counselor.
While there, I saw the disconnect between financial literacy and paying for college. There were so many students who I would counsel who literally did not know what the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) was or how they can utilize it to pay for college. Some students would show up to my office the first day of school, all packed and moved in and were completely unaware that they were responsible to pay the tuition bill and the thousands of dollars balance that was left on their account. I witnessed students who had to give up on their dreams of earning a degree because they couldn’t afford it. Or like me, were swimming in student loan debt. While speaking with a friend, I came up with the idea of FindAid4Me. At the time, it was just an idea as I was still learning the ropes and hadn’t grown into the person I am now. Becoming an entrepreneur requires a mindset change, and I wasn’t quite there. So, for ten years I worked my way up the corporate ladder in the financial aid field unknowingly gathering the skills and the confidence I needed to get me to this point in my life.
Then in 2014, I landed my dream job at Georgia Student Finance Commission. This organization administered and regulated the coveted HOPE Scholarship. I worked on the K-12 Outreach team. We would educate the community on the financial aid process. Something clicked for me during my time there. I found my niche, my passion and for the first time in my life, loved where I worked. The prestige of the position within the community, the way we gave back. This job fulfilled me in so many ways. Nevertheless, when it comes to my personal nature, there was still a yearning for something more. I didn’t know what it was, but it was there. I started speaking with God more and opened myself up to his infinite answers. From there, I started my self-discovery journey, within the question of “Who am I?” In 2016 the universe answered, and I was blessed with a child.
I had a very rough and traumatic pregnancy. I was abandoned by the father of my child early on and was dealing with the issues that came with a high-risk pregnancy. At 20 weeks gestation, there was a tear in the amniotic sack, and I was forced on bedrest in the hospital for eight weeks. Till this day, I have never fought so hard for something in my life. I wasn’t emotionally prepared to lose my baby. I was alone in a city with no family just a few close friends. So, during those eight weeks, I was in survival mode for me and my unborn child. By God’s grace, my son was born at 28 weeks, so he was premature. But boy was he a fighter. He was in the NICU for eight weeks with no complications. He progressively got better, and I was able to bring him home. However, like every professional woman who is a mother, there is a dreaded compromise you must make. The decision of putting work over your family and how much of it are you willing to sacrifice. I didn’t see my baby for 10-12 hours out of the day during the workweek. I would drop him off around 6:30am and wouldn’t pick him up to around 6:00pm every weekday. It felt like I was barely raising my child. The wearing that does on a mother is incomprehensible. Some women can do it because they must. For me, this wasn’t the life WE fought for. I spent 16 weeks in the hospital to get him home; eight weeks on bed rest, and eight weeks in the NICU when he was born. The realization of the time I was giving up to work and the fact I was sacrificing this time for someone else crushed me. I knew this couldn’t/wouldn’t be our life. Also dealing with the trauma of abandonment by my son’s father and the trauma of birth, there was a lot more going on than just family, I was starting to suffer mentally. I didn’t feel like myself, I would cry all the time. Daycares were horrible and unaffordable, and I was doing this all on my own as a single parent with a child that was still under one year old.
Who am I?
In January 2018, the question Who am I? Started requiring action. It was evident that I had to make some changes. I started from within to find the right answers. I started meditating and praying. Within the quietness, God would speak to me through my intuition. It is something about a higher power an energy source that you can tap in at moment’s notice to give you the hope and strength to preserver. I knew God had a plan for me, and by looking within, I started to figure it out. Through his guidance and my intuition, I started developing an exit plan from the rat race. My job was able to work with me. They knew what I have gone through and showed me so much empathy and grace. I informed them that I planned on leaving and they were willing to work with me while I figured everything out. In April of 2018, I put in my two-week notice. I made plans for how I was going to develop FindAid4Me. But to be honest, this was a full leap of faith and my trust in God and myself that gave me the courage to quit. Nothing was set in stone. I just knew that I had to heal from my trauma and build a solid foundation for this NEW life I wanted to live.
Who am I?
My financial aid career spanned over ten years. I learned so much and more importantly, my passion was still there. From 2018 to the present, I was able to grow and develop FindAid4Me into a reputable company. Due to the pandemic, I was able to create a balanced work/home life and became a mostly online company that can reach anywhere in the world. Most of my business is done between Birmingham, AL and Atlanta. Also, the pandemic created the space and time to explore my creative side more. I developed NP Designs & Publications and became a self-published author of my first book “An Empath’s Time Capsule: A Poetry Collection of Inspiration for Journaling”. This is the first book from my publications company and is currently offered on Amazon. Being a small business owner has its highs/lows and fluctuations. However, the question “Who am I?” is being answered.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Oh wow. I wish I could say yes. But the answer is definitely no. To make an adjustment from corporate employee to Founder/CEO requires an internal mindset change. There is a growth that must happen and within that journey, somehow you become the boss you envisioned yourself to be. At least for me, the journey was hard and still is. There was a lot of healing that had to take place before I was even able to embrace my passion as a business. In the beginning, I was afraid to promote my business to people. It felt weird to say that I was a business owner. The “imposter syndrome” is a real-life thing that can hold you back. There is a certain amount of faith and confidence you must have as a business owner. YOU must create the opportunities. YOU must deliver on the product or service. YOU must convince people that you can deliver what they want even when you don’t know how. FAITH in yourself will take you through the self-doubt.
So, my struggles were believing in myself, my abilities and patience. Learning patience with people, opportunities, decisions, divine intervention and the Universe’s timing. KNOWING that my efforts will bear fruit, simply because they always have.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am currently operating two businesses. FindAid4Me and NP Designs & Publications. Both are startups founded by me.
FindAid4Me:
Is a college planning agency. We specialize is financially preparing families for college. Most of our paid business comes from consulting. We negotiate award letters with colleges and serve as a liaison between the student and the school. You can think of us as a student advocate. We advocate for the best financial outcome for the student that limits student loan debt, lowers out-of-pocket costs and secures more “free” money such as scholarships and grants. Also, because this is my passion, we give back to the community by offering free financial aid webinars that educate on the financial aid process and conduct FAFSA workshops to help families secure federal funding for college. I believe this should be a free service as everyone should know how to navigate the financial aid process and limit student loan debt. I currently have a 100% success rate of decreasing out-of-pocket costs for all of my clients, which in turn saved them money. Yes, college costs are negotiable!
NP Designs & Publications:
I have always enjoyed journaling and writing poetry. Over the summer of 2021, a friend of mine suggested that I publish a book of my poetry. Since I loved journaling, I wanted to create something functional that will merge my love of journaling with my poetry. Therefore, I formed my publications company to establish my first self-published book entitled “An Empath’s Time Capsule: A Poetry Collection of Inspiration for Journaling”. This journal is comprised of four empowering poems sprinkled throughout, that’s meant to uplift and inspire the reader. As an added functionality, you can journal your thoughts and intentions within its pages or use it as a notebook. It is currently offered on Amazon.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I am driven by the doubt and disbelief of others. It doesn’t matter per-se in my daily life, as all of my strength comes from within, but show me that you don’t believe in me, the empowerment it provides, I relish in it. I have a superpower where I can turn negative energy from others into positive outcomes for myself. I thrive when this energy is directed towards me instead of being triggered by it. Success is the ultimate comeback.
Contact Info:
- Email: findaid4me@gmail.com
- Website: https://findaid4me.wixsite.com/website
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/findaid4me
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FindAidForMe
- Other: https://linktr.ee/np_designs21
Image Credits
Gladys Paul
