Natalie Ho and I met several years ago at a networking event for women entrepreneurs; Natalie was attending on behalf of her online fashion boutique, My Little Secrets, for which she curated a collection of clothes that were hard to find or completely non-existent in the Canadian marketplace and make them available to Canadians (remember that convertible dress that was so popular and coveted?! She introduced it!). I admired her entrepreneurial spirit and was immediately inspired by her. Natalie's passion for sharing her many great fashion finds (her 'little secrets') brought her success in the online fashion marketplace. Over time though, Natalie decided to take a break from her shop (which was her side-run business to begin with) and focussed her energy on her full-time career in marketing and sales. Even though the shop was inactive, she made the wise decision to keep renewing her site's domain name, because a couple of years after winding down the shop she began doing DIY projects with clothes and wanted an outlet to share tutorials – this was when she revived My Little Secrets in the form of a blog. Natalie had more secrets to share, this time not in finding clothes, but how to make something you'll love because you made it yourself.
Fast forward many years later, throughout which time we've kept in touch and met up on occasion, and I'm still in awe of this inspiring, ambitious and driven woman. I've watched as her blog evolved from a fashion DIY site to a well-rounded lifestyle site featuring fashion, food, home decor, beauty, travel and more that she has turned from hobby to successful business, and she still manages to accomplish all of this while maintaining focus on her aforementioned career in sales and marketing. But you know what's truly amazing (and not surprising)? The career she built and the company she is the Vice President of (LogiQ3, a consulting company for the insurance industry) was itself a start-up that she grew to become an established business that now employs over 50 people from the onset of 3. She's passionate about building businesses and helping others build theirs. What an inspiration she is! Her corporate background positions her well for providing career guidance, and her blog even has a Career Goals section where she shares the business secrets she's learned over the years – these posts are among some of my favourites to read.
So what's next for Natalie? She loves her day job, her career is priority number one. But don't worry, because she equally loves writing about lifestyle topics so there will be lots more inspiring content to come on My Little Secrets. Those who share Natalie's creativity and ambition often don't stop once they've made their creations sucessful, so I wanted to know: what would she be doing if she wasn't blogging? (Or even if still blogging, perhaps an additional venture?) Her dream would be to open a flower shop, with an in-store coffee boutique, a gathering place that builds a sense of community and a place that people come to because they want to be inspired. I shouldn't say I'm surprised by this – among her many skills, she makes the most beautiful floral arrangements, and...you guessed it, you can be sure you'll find many floral DIYs on her blog!
You can follow My Little Secrets on Wantfolio to keep track of all of Natalie's latest blog posts. As well, follow Natalie's profile on Wantfolio to find out what she's reading and what she wants on her want.boards; I always love knowing what inspires creative and dynamic women. So create your account on Wantfolio to start reading, saving and sharing what you want!
Want More? Here's what We Want To Know about Natalie:
I can't start my morning without...drinking a giant glass of water (aside from checking my Instagram feed! I know it’s an addiction, really). When I started practicing yoga years ago, I had also subscribed to a Yoga Magazine. An article that I read recommended that each morning you should start your day with SEVEN glasses of water. This was the best way to start your day, clear your body of toxins that deposited overnight, and also a great way to clear your head for a fresh start. At one point, I trained myself to get to 7 glasses, but that didn’t last very long! I now, at the minimum, will remember to start with one.
I have a weakness for...noodles and soup, better yet, noodles IN soup! I can honestly say that it is a constant craving. Noodles in soup is something that I grew up with and it’s my number one comfort food. I love Vietnamese Pho or Japanese Ramen, and of course, a classic Chicken Noodle soup wouldn’t hurt either!
Most people don't know that I...enjoy singing! I used to frequent karaoke spots, but I haven’t been to one in quite a number of years. I’ve always loved singing, I remember my sister and I used to record songs from the radio onto cassettes and tape our voice over it! I’m pretty sure there are apps for that now! :)
Currently reading...Millennials & Management. I know, doesn’t sound like the most exciting read. We’re experiencing a big influx of Millennials while the Baby Boomers begin to leave the workforce. Though some would categorize even myself as a Millennial, having worked over a decade at my company (which has been around for just as long as I’ve been working there), I would consider myself a seasoned veteran. :) Managing Millennials require thought and a different approach. They are motivated by different drivers, and though managing a team of millennials can sometimes be challenging, it is also a lot of fun! This has recently been an area of interest to me.
I want...to live a life with purpose. I recently participated in a “What Makes You Happy” exercise. We were asked to list our personal core values, and rate them in terms of level of satisfaction. To give you a few examples: Healthy Lifestyle, Time with Family and Friends (Love), Achievements, etc. After completing the exercise, I realized that my personal happiness is a combination of everything that surrounds me, but more importantly, it is how purposeful I am with my own life. If I don’t make intentional choices, then I will never be able to experience what is to come.
Many thanks to Natalie for participating in #WeWantToKnow!