S2E09 with Dr. Natasha Weems - Creating A Generational Legacy

Meet Dr. Natasha Weems.

Dr. Natasha always felt a higher calling - to inspire and uplift others through her own journey and life experiences. As she faced and conquered challenges early on in life growing up in Detroit, she found strength in every season, turning adversity into resilience.  During our conversation, she powerfully shares her remarkable journey. 

Dr. Natasha is a celebrated Nurse Practitioner and began her career at a Detroit clinic serving the homeless.  Propelled by this humbling experience, she later became a professor, teaching courses and serving as a clinical instructor for NP students in the Detroit Metropolitan area.

Now residing in Southern California with her beautiful family, she is driven by a mission to empower others and uses her platform as a media influencer to advocate for cultural pride, mental health, and personal growth. 

Dr. Natasha has also found her true passion in Aesthetic Medicine and clearly states that her number one goal is helping her patients feel good in their own skin.

Determined to make a lasting impact, she authored The Unbreakable Woman and through her own words, encourages others to embrace their truth and reclaim their narratives.

Beyond the pages, she brings her message to life through speaking engagements and mentorship, ensuring her story ignites change. She didn’t just share her journey - she sparked a movement, proving that words have the power to transform lives.

Welcome to the conversation!

To learn more about Dr. Natasha and her book, Unbreakable Woman, visit: https://drnatashathenp.com

To follow her on Instagram, visit: https://www.instagram.com/Carefirstwellness_/

Thank you for joining us and we can't wait to welcome you back again next week! New episodes drop every Thursday and can be found wherever you find your favorite podcasts!  

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Want to learn more about our host, Eric Nicoll?  Visit:  https://ericnicoll.com

Transcript

0:05

Hello, everyone. Welcome to the just to you podcast. My name is Eric Nicole, and I'm your host. If you are a first time listener, welcome to the conversation. And if you're a regular, I'm honored that you've decided to join me for another episode. The just to you podcast is centered around a network of conversations, which are meant to connect us to inspire us to find our own confidence, our own voice, and to live our own truth. And who knows, we might even learn a little something new that ultimately allows us to live in the sweet spot that I like to call the just you, you space of being. Each week I have the privilege of sitting down for unscripted conversations with friends, family, colleagues, community leaders, and influencers that all share their own personal journeys. I hope that you enjoy our time together as much as I have. We are certainly gonna laugh, and yes, we might even cry a little, but in the end, we're gonna know that we're not alone during our life's journey. So, are you ready? Great, let's do this. Welcome to the conversation. All right, everyone. Welcome to today's episode. Y'all, I am so excited. I have had the pleasure of meeting my next guest recently, and I feel like I've known her forever. You are going to fall in love with her as I have. So I'm not going to waste any time. And I'm going to introduce everyone today to Dr. Natasha Weems. Hi, Dr. Natasha. Hi, how are you? I'm so good. How are you? I'm so blessed. Good. I'm blessed and we're blessed that you have been able to take the time today to join us. I want to jump right into our conversation. We were recently introduced via a mutual friend who we know has the the energy of the energizer bunny and quickly have learned that you carry that same wonderful, positive, amazing energy. And so I'm super happy to have you on today. I would like to just briefly read your bio to our listeners. And then we're going to jump into the conversation. The reason I'm going to do this is I think it's important to set the tone for who not only we're talking to, but as we walk through this conversation today, I think it'll give people a real sense of who you are and the difference that you're making out in the world today. Is that okay with you? Yes, absolutely. All right. To our listeners, Dr. Natasha, as she is so affectionately referred to, is an award winning nurse practitioner based here in Southern California. And she's known for combining her extensive healthcare expertise with a deep commitment to community wellness. And she's been doing this now for over 20 years. She was born and raised in Detroit. We're going to talk about that and completed her doctorate in nursing there. And while she was there, she also worked in a clinic that served the homeless population. And I thought that was really impactful and important. And so we're going to talk about that as well. She noted it. which I really could appreciate as a humbling experience that left her feeling tremendous amount of respect for people who could bravely walk into a clinic and share their journey that's been filled with many difficult circumstances like conquering drug addiction and homelessness. She ultimately found her true passion in aesthetic medicine and enjoys a beautiful practice here in Southern California with her number one goal is helping people feel good in their own skin. And that's something that I think will ring true and resonate with a lot of people. So we're going to definitely talk about that as well. In her downtime she's an author. has a book out called Unbreakable Woman, which is embracing resilience in every season, which offers a lot of stories and a lot of great advice and practical tools that we can use to embrace our authentic selves. And I love this phrase cultivate unwavering self worth no matter the season of life. And as I move into this next season of life, I'm excited to read the book. She is a mom and an amazing community member and activist, a philanthropist, and I read that you actually do skydiving and private pilot lessons, whole other podcasts right there, but I'm so blessed and so honored to have you on today. So everyone, this is Dr. Natasha. Thank you. That was such an amazing bio. It's yours. You wrote it. So it's yours. But you know what I find so amazing when I read people's bios, I love watching their facial expressions on the video because we don't get introduced like that every day. When the kids are crying or the patients are calling or the husband is knocking on the door or all the things that we experience, we don't necessarily hear ourselves that way. And I think it's important as we talk about self worth and we talk about living an authentic life and we talk about being our true selves, that we have to own those parts of us that should be celebrated and should be acknowledged. And so I always love to read people's bios to get us in the mood for the conversation. You have quite a history, my friend. Yeah. I appreciate that positive energy. Just willing it all Leah. We need it these days. And so I am thrilled to have you on you've also done some pretty extraordinary things and come from a place where I think it's so important talking about having people be comfortable in their own skin. And that's something that I think is so critical. And I'm watching a lot of friends struggle these days with a lot of self worth and a lot of self doubt. And so we're just going to talk a little bit about that today, but before we do, I like to take my guests back a little bit and introduce themselves. I want to get an idea of what this young. Soon to be Dr. Natasha was like when she was a child growing up in Detroit, what was, can you give me, give us a little glimpse of what that was like? Detroit is a beautiful city. I think it was a place it's my birth city, so I can definitely acknowledge the beauty in the city, but I must acknowledge the challenges that I faced just wanting to be the one at break the generational curses being in a neighborhood that you would deem as drug infested and just being exposed to that environment. So it was very difficult for me because I was exposed to a very affluent side of the family. And then I was exposed to people in the family or another side of the family that have more challenges. than others. So having the best of both worlds, because even your challenges is the beauty of the journey. So having the mixture, it allowed me to realize what I wanted to do in my life, what hard work looked like in real time, based on some of the people that were so accomplished in my family. But also to realize what I did not want, I did not want to continue any generational curses. I did not want to be the toxic product of my environment, not just a product of the environment, but a toxic product of the environment. So it was so important for me to stay focused. And I would say I literally. Had tunnel vision throughout life. Just setting goals and just trying to stay on that path because I knew I did not want to be in jail. I knew I did not want to be hospitalized in the wrong place at the wrong time. I've lost classmates dating the wrong guys being in drive bys. I did not want that for myself. I did not want to bring children into that type of world. So knowing that I carried all the pain and I used it as my fuel. Yeah. So powerful. What was that? Just take us back a little bit. And I'd like to talk about that generational curse that we talked about and breaking that generational cycle, if you will. How old were you when you started to have that conversation that you wanted to break through that? As a child, do you have that? vocabulary? Or did you just have some sense of fear or some sense of something's not right here? Or what was that like? That's a great question. And when you ask that, the thing that's in my mind is I remember my father driving me, which is a very extremely intelligent man. Accomplished as well. And he always taught me that I could do and be anything that I can imagine. And so he always taught me how to write goals down. So he was that positive reinforcement. My grandfather as well. So I remember my gr my father taking me on a really rough side of town and he encountered someone that he knew previously from high school. And she was obviously addicted to drugs. And he told me how beautiful she was in school, how she was thriving the top of her class. And she ended up dating the wrong guy and was addicted to drugs. He introduced her to drugs through the party life. And so I remember the words were just like the way my Dad was with his vocabulary. It was very easy for him to convey that picture to me and what that must have looked like through her journey. And I could see that vision of what she was in high school. And then in real time, I could see her standing on the corner. And really struggling and really feeling like she made, some really challenging mistakes as well in life. So I carried that with me through life because the emotions that I went through when he told me that story, that yet still helped her and offered her, some assistance, but it was just very difficult to know that. Her entire life could have been based on the outcome could have been based on one decision. So I knew very early that I did not want to go down that path. Yeah. I think it's important because it teaches us about humanity and it teaches us about compassion and caring. I grew up in a very different set of circumstances, I grew up in Southern California and not really exposed to a lot of other, communities. And my mom took me to show me and to educate me on life was not just living where we lived. There was a life outside of that and a world outside of that. And like you heard through many conversations that, our job here on earth is to give unto others and to be kind and to help. And I can remember many, moments with my mom as a teacher where she would help. her students that were struggling and with home life and various other things. And so that's something that's always been innate in my DNA and I've seen growing up, but I don't think it's taught. I don't think it's experienced as much as it could be. Kudos to your, your family and your dad for, showing you humanity and showing you that kindness does matter. So how old were you when this was taking place? What would you say? I would say 11, maybe 10 or 11. I was old enough to understand what only yeah, only child. No, actually. I have several siblings, my between my father and my mother, they're not together, but yeah, blessed to have several siblings between the two of them. That's awesome. And then when you were at this age of 11, 12, those very formative years and coming into your own if you will, did you have an idea of what you might do in the future? Did you have aspirations outside of obviously breaking the generational circumstances, but did you have an idea of what you wanted to do? I knew I wanted to provide solutions. I knew I wanted to be the change. In my environment, I, in my community, but didn't really know what that meant then. I could envision it though. And so that was so powerful. Yeah. Where did you find that vision? Was it at school? Was it at church? Was it, where was it? Because again, just curious. No, I had, I, I had family members and my my family that were nurses. And so I had that exposure. And I literally was in that environment as a young girl. They would take me to the hospitals, the nursing homes back then. You could take your children and get away with it. And so I was exposed to that early on, but not sure right after school that I was going to completely pursue nursing. Was there a moment that you discovered that shift and said, this is exactly what I'm going to do, and I know that I'm going, or was it a course of just uncovering it through the journey? Wow, there were several things. I think that was confirmation that I was going in the right direction. I grew up with people within the family that battled drug addiction, and so it was Very important to me to make sure that I was a source of a solution and also my grandmother being addicted to tobacco and just like saying the outcome of cancer. And so for me, that was important to be also another source of a solution, a helper. And I'm glad that I made that decision because I can tell you that I just feel so fulfilling in this role. And I know that God made me purposeful in this role as well. Like I was designed to be in the space that I'm in. Yeah. I'm a firm believer in the fact that we are all put on this earth to be of service to others. I believe that from my toes. I don't necessarily know that everyone realizes that or uncovers that, that in that life of service and being of service to others is where we get our life. I get my life out of being service to others of being that resource or being that connection through this podcast. I, I know that we are changing people's perceptions and people's lives by sharing stories that people will hopefully resonate with. And I questioned it a lot. Whether this was going to be something that would be valuable. And what's been so fascinating is, in the beginning, speaking with people and realizing, although I knew this logically that everybody has a story, it wasn't until all these stories started to weave together and to come one after the other week, after week, and now, 60, 70, 80 stories in. It's fascinating to me that even as young children, we have this vision of I want to be X. I want to do X. I want to be of service. And yet, I wonder if That's really what's taught to enhance that innateness in us. So we're learning math, which we need, and we're learning science and those things, woodshop and all those things. Remember as a kid, it's a lot different these days, but that was back in my day, woodshop and PE, I feel like I'm a little older than you, but we're taught those. those subjects and the fundamentals, and we need them. I think they're important, but we don't really teach a lot of life skills and a lot of life moments. And I think that's something that's really missing is to be able to take these young minds and these visionary thoughts that we have, and then enhance those and develop and nurture those. And so I always attribute people that go into, Careers like you, it's just so deep with inside you that journey is going to lead you there. And what you can do is get out of your own way perhaps and just let things naturally happen. So that's just my little. That's interesting. That's interesting that you say that because it was unfortunate because I realized that given my circumstances, just exposure to friends in the community that a lot of the young men unfortunately were groomed to be drug dealers. And yet I was being groomed to attend college. And it was difficult to know that was like our reality. Yeah, I've always said, that, who you are, you Dr. Natasha, you Eric, are not your circumstances. Those circumstances definitely shape us, but don't define us. And yet I say that and think in with what you just said, if these young men. are being groomed to be drug dealers, then are they their circumstances? And is that a circumstantial component to their growth and development? So I can see how it must be a contradictory space for you to be in saying, I want to grow up and I want to do this and I want to achieve this and knowing that your classmates and people that are in your community are not doing that same thing. It's I didn't Yeah. See, you get a different perspective, for sure. That's what conversation does, and that's why I did this podcast. What could that feel like, being in that space, as a young girl? As a young girl, and I think, we all have our own experiences, and I've shared this, I don't think I shared this with you on our call, but I went to a school that was predominantly white and I didn't really have an exposure to a lot until my family made sure that I was exposed to that. Yet, I think that had they not done that, I would have grown up with a very different perspective, right? But yet, my best friend in school passed away from drug use. So again, those types of things that happen everywhere. It's just different, right? And so we just have to be very cognizant of that. I want to ask you a couple questions. So you have what I call the triple threat. You've got amazing energy. You're stunningly beautiful and you're super smart. Was that always something that you were acknowledged for or did you have to prove yourself? You know what high school was a completely different space for me because I felt like you're going through that space where you're so aware of how you're being perceived and you're aware of all the things. And so I think I was really focused on building like friendships and just. Having going through so many things throughout life. And I think that was like really important for me, but yeah, I was the one that would secretly take college prep classes after high school, but not telling anyone because it wasn't cool. So I was secretly like doing work and just like acting Oh, Oh, that's, if it's not cool, just to build friendships, but really. Knowing that I had a mission and a goal in mind, where do you think that drive came from? It's so many things. I'm just so blessed to have the people that I had in my life to really pour into me and to really challenge me to think differently. And I'm blessed. That's all I can say. Because even being in the city, I had access to private school. So I also grew up in some of my classroom being, the only black girl in class. So do you understand like how that world looked like, although I experienced the inner city and I experienced struggle, however, I still had access to some of those opportunities because of the different. Opportunities within my family, which had to have been interesting, challenging, hyphen challenging. Yeah, it had to be interesting because there had to have been some sort of push pull conversation there. Definitely. Where do I fit in and where's my place? And what's important in both aspects, I would assume. And why do you speak like that? And why do you dress like that? And are you Catholic? Are you Baptist? I went through all of it. And just growing up loving everyone because I was exposed to so many different ethnicities and it wasn't within the inner city, I felt like in high school, it was the complexion of your skin as a black woman that you had to deal with, but going to a private school, it was your ethnicity. So it was just different conversations, different questions. Do black women shave their legs? Just all the different, like questions and people just trying to understand each other's culture. So say more about that because that's, that just raised a big question mark above my head. So say that again. So so you were dealing with ethnicity and then you were also dealing with the color of your skin, which are different, it was different types of challenges because when you're in a environment, you're the only black child and you have people that are Polish people that are Middle Eastern. And it was. Just like a rainbow. So many different ethnicities and everyone just like trying to figure out what other cultures are. And, so I grew up and I thought it was okay for the boys to play hockey. And, I knew hockey players. And so but when I would go home, they're trying to figure out my conversations and why I have interest in certain things. But, it was just in my Yeah. My friends and my peers in my neighborhood, just trying to adjust to some of my conversations. I just have different exposures. I grew up playing soccer, like you. So it's just interesting because after I felt like growing up, I was in private school and I begged my father to go to an inner city high school bed time because I wanted to. Be with my neighborhood friends. I wanted to go to school with my best friend. I wanted to know what that felt like. And I found out quickly. It's a difference. Did you go back to public school? Oh, yeah, I finished at Murray Wright High School, and I embraced both opportunities, though it developed character developed who I am today. So I don't regret any of it. No, nor should you. Or should you? Yeah. So you're in high school and we're getting ready for college conversations about what I'm gonna do, where I'm gonna go, or was it, you're gusto and this is what I'm doing and this is where I'm going. No, I knew I was going, I was gonna attend Wayne State University, but I wanted to go into communications, so that was another degree. I love storytelling I felt like I was going to be in a space where I would be that person to communicate or do journalism or something like that, in addition to health care. So I majored in communications and I did a bachelor's degree in nursing and just continue my education because I knew I wanted to gain autonomy. But that was also an interesting point in my life because I became a, a young wife and mother. Okay there's a turn in the story. I wasn't on campus trying to figure out the after school football games. I was like, yeah, so yeah, I'm a wife and I'm a mom. I have a baby. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Where was the school? What? Where in the country was that? So I stayed in Michigan for my college education. Okay. And name of the school again was? Wayne State University. And then eventually I transitioned to Oakland University. For my nursing degrees. Where is Wayne State? What part of? Like Warren, like closer to going towards downtown Detroit. Got it. So it's inside the city. Inside the city. I got it. Okay, cool. Cool. And so you're now in college. You're taking these courses. What was representation like there? Was it different than in high school or was it same? Oh, no. In Wayne State. Wayne State, you have a mixture. But in my career field, I was taking chemistry and anatomy and physiology, and I understood quickly. I didn't think that I was prepared to really function in that space. The classes were very challenging. And so I realized that high school did not prepare me as much as I thought it did. Say more about that. Do you mind? You don't have to, you could always say no. I just asked you the question. No, because I just it was very competitive and I felt like I was starting at the an even part of the race. I felt like people were leaps and bounds ahead and they just came from. like really great schools. And so I'm curious, because I've talked to a lot of friends and people in other communities, right? There doesn't seem to be, and I may be completely off base here. So please tell me and correct me, but it doesn't seem as though. There is a tremendous amount of representation within the medical field, especially with women and Black women in that field. Is that true or is it just not shown as much as? Oh no, it's very true. It's very true. However, even, so some of the prominent schools, some of the very elite schools would be like country day. And so if you compare Murray Wright to country day, where the children. Back in the nineties, we're having personalized laptops. So that's very futuristic compared to Murray Wright where we're, making sure that every student has a, have enough books or so when you think about it, the access to that type of education, and then you're all mixed together in college to compete, it was. Night and day. It was very different, but I knew I had to work much harder like I had to work very hard to make sure that I was able to pass my classes and keep up with the it's very difficult to get into nursing school is very challenging. It's very challenging. You have to be disciplined in nursing school or they will fail you. Did you have a conversation about becoming a doctor or furthering that career? Or was the nursing something that just really spoke to you and really lit you up? Yeah. And Although I was a young mother and I knew I was going in that direction, unfortunately. My daughter stopped breathing and so I remember what that felt like because I wasn't in nursing school yet. I had no training of any sorts but I remember what that felt like. I remember having to care for her in an emergency situation. I remember her lips turning blue. And so her her father was able to get her to the ER. As he arrived and walked through the hospital doors, she gained consciousness. But I remember how that made me feel and I remember the medical team and I remember that I needed to finish. I needed to complete that journey. I needed to be on the other side because I was the recipient of that care. But I did feel like I mattered and I respected that profession. But to have to go through that. It was just like a life changing experience for me. Sure. Sure. Sure. And that outcome was positive, I hope. Yes, it was positive. Good. I think nurses are extraordinary and I think the world's angels. I really do. I love my doctors. Don't get me wrong, but the nurses man are I won't swear on this podcast. They're bad. You know what? I have been in a couple of situations over the last two years, had some medical procedures and the nurses are the ones. for me that carry the day, right? They just carry the day. So I give you a tremendous amount of kudos and credit for the work that you do. Okay. Then we parlay into you're finishing school, you're getting your nursing degree. That's going to happen. Was there a conversation of what's next? You're a mom too, right? So you've had a family. You are now going into a field that is incredibly challenging and time consuming and energetically, I'm assuming exhausting at times. So was there a. Now I've completed this. And now what I need to take a break. Or did you just push, I think I know the answer to this. Did you just push on through and charge ahead? What was that conversation like? To be honest with you, after going through school, I think I just wanted to continue going. I am a person that does not allow grass to grow under my feet. And and my heart was so full, and I don't know if you want to talk about my daughter now or later, but that was a Let's talk about it. I was going to ask the next question. That was a point in my life where I was going through school, and then I realized my daughter wasn't meeting her milestones. The same daughter that had the emergency response when she was only a week old. And I just remember her not meeting her milestones and I would take her to the physician, the pediatrician, and they would tell me every child is different. And I said, I understand that, but as a mom, I know my child is very different. I know that every child meets their milestones differently at different ages. But I know in my gut that there's something wrong. There's a disconnect. And no matter how much I would say that she just seemed to think that I was a little anxious about her not meeting her milestones until much later in life. That's when she was diagnosed with autism. At that point, she was just diagnosed with a delay, a global delay. So her autism diagnosis was delayed. However, I always knew that there was something different about my child. So I did spend a lot of my time. After going through nursing school, actually being an advocate for my daughter and just constantly, looking and seeking for services within the community. It was a lot I was busy being a mom and not understanding how to mentally digest what was going on my world. Because again, you're learning this process of motherhood by doing, right? You're going through the motions and at the same time, in real time, having to learn how to navigate this conversation of an autistic child. And that is, again, not something that I think anyone's prepared for or until it happens to them. That's right. How can you prepare for that? You can't. And that's just the point. So was this around the time when it was still relatively new? Or were there advances like there are now? This is earlier on, correct? This was 19 years ago. Yeah. So it was still like, what is autism? And what do we do? Like the genetic testing wasn't even developed yet. So she has access to some of that, those tests. What I do want to highlight is unfortunately, a lot of mothers that I speak with all have this shared experience of these emotions of guilt. And what did I do wrong? Did I have too many stressors? Was I exposed to environmental toxins and just trying to figure it out immunizations. It's so many things that you go through, even fathers, like we parents go through that. But I think as. The mother that is the one that is carrying the child is trying to figure out if they consumed anything that harmed the fetus. So it's just an interesting space to be in. So I just wanted to highlight that's a shared experience among so many parents of children that are on the spectrum. Especially when there's back then, when there wasn't a lot of conversation, was it ADHD? Was it, all those things that they talked about, right? That they had to put a label on it rather than now when they're really looking at ways that they can treat. And yes, I think we needed to look at those components of, is it environmental? Is it all those things? I think it's very important to look at that, but to not have the ability to get answers when the answers aren't there had to have been just. Really difficult. So very difficult. Yeah. Yeah. So here you are, mom, now nurse practitioner, wife. Where does this unbreakable woman resilience experience? Come into play. Where did that come from? So I really, I have spoken about this, about having a divine intervention. I remember sitting and feeling God's presence and knowing that it was my time to do something about the challenges that I faced in my life, preventing other parents and other people from going on a hamster wheel, just trying to figure out where to go for resources or suffering in silence. So many parents, so many caregivers suffer in silence. And I think you're brave. But you have to be bold and you have to know that regardless of what you're experiencing or those challenges, you have to build community. You have to know your support and not choose to do it alone. That's a lot of weight to carry on your own shoulders. So being in that space and being that person where I feel like I'm at that seasoned Level in life where I can now understand my challenges and my experiences and yet help others and talk about it openly. I talk, I speak about, yes, I experienced depression before, and I feel so great about being able to tell other people, hug other people when they're suicidal or homicidal. It's so much to go through, but knowing that you have people that experienced it and that are not ashamed to speak about it, and especially in our communities where we're ostracized for having mental health diagnoses, schizophrenia, all of those bipolar. It's very difficult. To understand the diagnosis, but right along to say, I need help. I think that we, don't want to ask for help. And there is that embarrassment and shame that you mentioned. And I, that could be a whole episode in and of itself to really talk about why we feel that shame, why we feel that embarrassment. Why is it embarrassing or shameful to be Dealing with your own depression, dealing with a child that has autism, dealing with someone who's passed away from cancer, dealing with someone who has had a tough time. We we have to get to a space where we, I don't want to use the word normalize, that's the wrong word, where we want to make it okay to be where we're at. And to be comfortable enough to have conversations with people and talk about it, right? Why are we having these feelings? And I'm feeling sad. I'm feeling lonely. I'm feeling, distraught. I'm feeling helpless. I'm feeling hopeless. It is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of strength. And I know that faith is very important to you. And I think that's also something that I really respect and love about you is that you have no qualms about talking about that faith. And yet, there's another thing that some people are very hesitant and shamed to talk about that may not have that same faith value, that you do, that may, look elsewhere, but we need to get to a place where we can openly talk to each other about those things as well, how spirituality and how religion has helped you or spirituality has helped me and how we push through and how we find the strength to move forward now, more than ever. Let's pull all the basics aside, just. Given this current climate that we're living in, we have to be able to have a conversation. I did earlier today. I said to a friend, I said, there are days that I don't want to get out of bed, that I don't want to face the day because I'm afraid of what I'm going to face. I don't know if I can take another day. And I don't mean that in the worst case scenario. I mean that I just don't know that I mentally want to handle another day of this constant. noise and yet in just saying that to my friend this morning over breakfast, I relaxed. I realized that he was also going through the struggle and that we just don't talk about it and we did today and it made such a huge difference. So I applaud you for being, yeah, it's relief and it's also. You may believe this as well, but I believe if we hold all of that in if we hold all of that toxicity and that negativity and that sadness and that despair inside, it creates illness. That's right. And so letting it out and getting it out and conversing about it not only releases it. But it also sets the tone for a new conversation because then you start to realize that, Oh yeah, I'm not the only one who's feeling this way. I'm not the only person who's dealing with it. So there's some breakable spirits and this kind of unbreakable woman embracing this resilience is I think extraordinary because you are out to set a conversation to people that Despite their circumstances, they can push through that. They have to love themselves. They have to have faith in themselves and they have to move forward. That's at least what I got from my conversation with you the other day and reading through parts of your book that are super, super powerful. What do you want? people to walk away from when they read your book, or they hear you speak, or they see you at an event. You're very charitable, very philanthropic, and you give back a lot. What does Dr. Natasha want to leave people with when they come in contact with her? I want people to believe in themselves. I want people to love themselves. And I think it starts there. When you love yourself, you set boundaries. And that allows people to understand how to deal or how to approach you. And when I walk around, I want you to know that I have boundaries and I love myself. So that's why I set the tone on how people treat me. So understand, give yourself grace, love yourself, respect yourself. Self care, all of those things start with self love. When you look in the mirror, really say those words of affirmation. I am powerful. I am strong. I am bold. I am a child of God. I know whose I am. I know that I can experience any difficulty, but with God's grace, I know that I can get through it. All of those things matter. And that's how I beat depression. Through faith in God. Everything I went through in life, He helped me through it. And I know He's real. Because of the experience that I've had. But I feel it in my heart. And that's why I move in the space I move. That's why I'm the way I am. I'm full of compassion. Sympathy and empathy, but that's important. Self love, love yourself. Ooh, I just got the chills. I just got the goosebumps, but it's really important. You have to move through that way and the messages that you're sending and the messages that you're sharing with people will resonate. And what I think is so great, Dr. Natasha is as you work your way through this journey of your life, people may. Listen to you or read your book and not experience that aha moment in that moment, it may come much later, but that's what I love about communication and conversations and sitting down and getting to know someone. It's why I wanted to start this podcast because I wanted to. Expose people, if you will, to different ways of thinking, different ways of having a conversation, different ways of looking at something, and it may not resonate in that moment, and they may not go, Oh, yeah, I get it now, but down the road sometime in the near future or distant future, they'll come across an experience or a person, and they'll go, Oh, I remember that conversation that Eric had with Dr. Natasha. And that's why I think it's so important to do what we do, right? Why you write the book and I sit and have conversations with people on the internet every week. Yes. What is next for Dr. Natasha? I just started a nonprofit, Pearl Health Foundation, and I am set to go on a mission trip. I have partnered with another. Nonprofit Impact Sierra Leone. And so they've already adopted a village in Sierra Leone. So we're going there in December and I am their medical support. We're supporting their clinic. over there because they have so many different communities. Just one clinic is supporting thousands of people. And so it's important for us to be selfless and know how to serve. And if we're in position to give and be in position to connect with those who are able to give, that's what we're doing right now. Also, we support the mental health community and also we support autism awareness. So that's exactly curating events and just being purposeful and just being servants because that's what we're here for. We all have a purpose, but we have to give back to the community. I couldn't have said it better myself. we're seriously, you gotta give back. You gotta give it back. You can't just take it, you gotta give it back. And I think when we learn that our lives will change, I'm gonna make sure that people have access to your social media and also to get more information about the book as well, and just follow you because I'm adding crime. I didn't cry. You might because I haven't asked you the last question yet. So I saved that for last. I told you I was going to ask you, but I think I want to make sure that people get a chance to get to know you better. The book is fantastic. I'm going to get my way through it over the next. Oh, she's got it right there, people. It doesn't matter. That book is everything. I get so inspired when I flip through social media and watch you and see some of the events that you're at and the difference that you're making out in the community. So I want to say this before I ask you the last question, cause I could talk to you forever, but I know you have a family to get to, and you've had a very long day with your practice. So I'm super grateful, but, if you could go back to that young adolescent, Dr. Natasha, or Natasha at the time, what would you say to her about her life now? Wow. That's I would definitely I would hug her and I would definitely tell her, baby girl, do not fall into the self imposed limitations. I would definitely. Have that conversation with her and just also tell her to believe in herself and that those self imposed limitations are the biggest barriers. And so when you can get past that, you really have to change your mindset. And I feel like it's a different world. It's a different vision, and you feel free, you feel alive, and that you could accomplish anything. I grew up hearing it, but when you change your mindset, you definitely experience life. And it's so much more fulfilling. I would tell her that. You didn't cry, but I was about to, I was about to wake up. We all need to wake up and we need to realize who we are in this world and realize. That the difference that we can make just by saying hello to someone to offering a helping hand to offering a smile. I feel like I have a new friend. I'm so excited to have met you. I'm excited to see where this journey takes you. My, my love and blessings to your beautiful family and to you. And this world is a better place with you in it. And I'm super grateful for your time today, and I hope you'll come back. We didn't even talk about the med spa because I can talk about that in this new season of my life, girl, we can talk about that. I'm just glad you're just up the freeway. Cause I may have to come visit you with this next birthday coming up. So we'll talk about that at another time, but thank you for being here today. And thank you for sharing my pleasure. And I hope to see you soon. Yes, and you will. Bye. Take care of Dr. Natasha. Bye bye now. All right, everyone. Thank you again for joining us on today's episode. I hope our conversation resonated with you like it did me, and I cannot wait to sit down with you all again next week. Remember to subscribe to the Just You Podcast on your favorite platform so you can make sure not to miss a new episode, which drop every Thursday. If you like what you hear, you can easily share the podcast and episode. Directly with your friends. And if you would rate us and leave us a review, we'd love to hear from you. You can also follow us on Instagram at just do you pod. As you go out into the world today, remember to just do you. All right. Talk next week.