Natalie Southwell’s journey from tech executive to transformational coach is one of resilience, rediscovery, and divine purpose. As the CEO and Founder of The Essence of a Woman, LLC, she empowers high-achieving women to rise from emotional exhaustion into confident, purpose-driven leadership—without losing themselves in the process.
For over two decades, Natalie thrived in the high-stakes world of enterprise program management. She managed portfolios exceeding $130 million, led software and systems engineering teams, and held strategic roles in cybersecurity within Fortune 50 companies. But behind the accolades was a woman quietly struggling. “I was everything to everybody, and nothing to myself,” she recalls. “My body began shutting down from years of overperformance. I was losing myself—and my voice.”
That moment of reckoning became a divine interruption. A social media ad led Natalie to pause her corporate life and take a leave of absence. “It wasn’t just to rest. It was to finally process the mental and emotional pain I had buried,” she says. That sacred space birthed her breakthrough—and her book The Dangers of Ignoring Your Heart’s Whispers, a soul-stirring guide for women seeking healing, identity, and truth.
Today, through The Essence of a Woman, LLC, Natalie offers more than coaching. She offers transformation. Her signature programs—Empower Her, Inspire Her, and Elevate Her—are rooted in faith, emotional intelligence, and executive strategy. Each tier walks women through their own elevation journey, from inner healing to executive leadership.
What sets Natalie apart is her holistic approach. As a Certified Project Management Professional with an Executive MBA from the Jack Welch Management Institute, she blends boardroom brilliance with soulful guidance. “Women don’t need to become someone else to succeed—they need to return to who they truly are,” she says.
Natalie’s platform continues to grow through her Leading Beyond Limits podcast, speaking engagements, and children’s book series that teaches confidence, values, and emotional intelligence. Her brand is a legacy movement, anchored in the belief that healing and success can coexist.
“I created the space I once needed—a place where women are seen, heard, and supported to lead from wholeness,” Natalie says. “Because leadership doesn’t start in the boardroom. It starts in the soul.”
Explore more at essenceoaw.com or follow Natalie on Instagram and TikTok @natalietheessenceoaw.
