Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalie Jordan.
Hi Natalie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My journey has been an interesting ride! I’m a certified Pilates, Redcord Suspension Training, and fitness professional now, but my journey to this profession started in my early teens when I first picked up a flute. I was already playing the piano and was able to add the flute in junior high when I signed up for the band. Decades later, my love of the flute continues.
Fast forward a couple of years from junior high. After what felt like a lot of blood, sweat, and tears (really a lot of practicing, coaching, and, yes, some actual tears), I was accepted into the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. This was a great time in my life as I began really thinking about who I was and what I wanted to do.
While there I realized two things: 1) there were a lot of other things I wanted to learn and experience, so I didn’t want to commit to a career as a flutist, at least not yet, and 2) I could still play the flute at an advanced level even if I wasn’t a professional musician.
I then went to Wake Forest University and earned a BS in Mathematical Economics, which led to my beginning a career in healthcare. Instead of working with practitioners and patients, I was on the pricing and finance side of the business. This meant long hours behind a desk.
In my thirties something happened. Hours of playing flute and sitting behind a desk led to a lot of neck, shoulder, and back pain. I hurt all the time. Years of playing had shifted the position of my left shoulder blade and sitting at a desk had exacerbated it; I started to look a little like Quasimodo. This pain led me to Pilates.
Pilates is the best *known* secret. You may hear how great Pilates is, but until you try it, I’m not sure you really know. My body started to transform. I got stronger. I was taller. My breaths were deeper and more efficient, and I was a flutist who had practiced breathing for many years! I also started seeing a physical therapist who incorporated Redcord (another powerful tool) into my treatments, and the combination of the two accelerated the changes I was experiencing. The pain actually went away. Eventually, I added in more traditional conditioning activities like kettlebells and realized I had found a trifecta that worked wonders for me.
I felt like I had discovered a deep and profound secret to which Joe Pilates had committed his life’s work. I told myself: “Others need this; they can benefit.”
So, while working in the corporate world, I obtained my Pilates certification. I would go on to receive a Redcord Active Specialist certification and study more traditional forms of fitness and conditioning.
In 2019, I decided to take a sabbatical from my corporate job. During this time, I realized that I wanted to focus more on helping others through my teaching. COVID-19 encouraged many of us to think more deeply about how we spend our time. What I found was that clients wanted to spend more time with me. I was already teaching some clients virtually, so during COVID-19, I just expanded that practice. I continue to grow my virtual offerings.
As businesses began to re-open, I joined a group of amazing, independent women business owners. We share studio space and support and encourage each other as we help our clients grow and meet their goals.
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?
More than anything it has been an unexpected path. From flutist to the corporate world to Pilates and fitness instructor… the path is not at all what I had imagined. But I am grateful for the journey I’ve taken.
I think one of the most challenging times was when I was completing my Pilates certification. I was working full time and the certification was a 600-hour apprenticeship program. Fortunately, I was working for a healthcare company that supported this pursuit, but I remember being very tired as I fulfilled my work obligations (which typically required more than a 40-hour week) while spending my free time at my teaching studio.
Once certified I kept my corporate job while teaching Pilates, and I continued to play the flute. I found balance and joy in doing all three. I was doing things I loved while taking care of myself, and I was able to help others continue doing the things they loved to do while staying healthy.
Life got even crazier when I added my Redcord certification and when my husband and I adopted our two children – teenagers from another country. Life became packed with new responsibilities and new activities. There were times when I asked myself whether I should continue teaching. It required my time, energy, and focus, and I evaluated whether I could commit those resources to teach in light of my other responsibilities.
What I realized was the studio was my fortress, where I was renewed rather than depleted. My personal practice and my helping others actually recharged me in a way nothing else did. It made me better at, and happier in, doing everything else in life. I knew I needed to continue teaching.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am certified in Pilates and Redcord Suspension Training, but those are just tools I use to bring inspiration and transformation to people’s lives.
I am grateful for the fact that my clients stay with me a long time. Most have been with me for at least five years, and some substantially longer. My purpose in each session is simple – “I want you, the client, to feel better when you walk out the door than when you walked in to see me.” What that specifically looks and feels like may vary from session to session. Yes, most clients have long-term goals, but at each session, I try to meet them where they are that particular day while still moving them forward to where they want to be longer term. When I asked some of my clients what value I bring to them, I was happy to hear them confirm that what they are experiencing is what I am striving for with them.
“… I would say your precision and dedication to helping people feel stronger in their bodies – whatever condition they happen to be in that day/month/year – is what sets you apart as a teacher.” – Melissa S.
“Natalie truly tailors each session to meet YOUR goals while accounting for your limitations. Since our bodies often feel different day to day, no session is exactly the same. She meets you where you are and tailors the session to get you where you want to be.” – Cheri T.
“I feel your approach takes your studies as a mathematician, the logic that involves, and marries it with your musician’s artistic side. You are very thoughtful in what exercises you choose, you focus on my individual needs, and you are committed to my progress.” – Allie B.
“She has the ability to expand capabilities. …She makes you proud(er) of who you are. It’s a gift! …Yes, [you have] more confidence. With how you look and how you feel. …She has now taught professional Pilates for over a decade and has accumulated an ever-growing number of grateful students.” – Carl C.
I work with clients of all ages – mid-teens to those who prefer I don’t state their age! As a teacher, this is very exciting and gratifying. I love working with so many people at various stages of life with different goals and aspirations. While they come to me for my expertise, I am also learning from and about them. I believe these conversations allow me to provide a meaningful workout every time.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Oh, this is a funny one! I tend to be accident-prone, but I’m not going to say that’s bad luck. I think it’s because I’m excited to get out and do things, and I can be a leap-before-you-look type person in some situations. I’m not sure why that is, but I am conscious of it and fortunately, my husband helps keep me out of too much trouble.
Because I have experienced physical issues/injuries that have needed time to heal and rehabilitate, I can relate to clients who sometimes have to deal with issues/injuries themselves. I believe it has made me a better instructor both in understanding what my clients physically need while they are healing, as well as being able to empathize with them when they are forced to adjust to their normal activities.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @practicewithnatalie
- Facebook: Natalie Jordan
