Hi there, I’m Nataly.
Best-selling author. Keynote speaker. Serial entrepreneur. Mindset mentor to leaders with purpose.
I came to the US as a refugee when I was 13. Over the next 25 years, I reached the height of corporate success as a finance and tech executive at companies like McKinsey and Microsoft, 5 start-ups (3 of which I founded), and as a 25 year-old managing director at a venture capital firm in NYC.
But none of these achievements brought me lasting fulfillment. So I kept pushing myself to do and achieve more in a fruitless chase of feeling like I’ve done enough.
Until I burned out and lifed-out.
This was an overwhelming and difficult time in my life, but it taught me a huge lesson:
No amount of achievements will make you feel deeply satisfied if the price you pay for them is your aliveness, your joy, and your authentic sense of self.
Today, I mentor leaders, entrepreneurs and high achievers to break free from burnout and unleash their full potential to live with greater aliveness, flourishing and positive impact!
MY “OFFICIAL" BIO
A leading expert on leadership and thriving, Nataly Kogan is a best-selling author, keynote speaker, and entrepreneur on a mission to activate millions of awesome humans to struggle less, thrive more, and unlock their full potential to live with greater aliveness and impact!
Nataly immigrated to the US as a refugee from the former Soviet Union when she was 13 years old. Starting her American life in the projects and on welfare, she learned English by watching “Who’s the Boss?” on repeat.
She went on to reach the highest levels of career success at McKinsey and Microsoft, as a Managing Director at a venture capital fund, and as founder or executive at 5 startups and tech companies.
But after years of chasing a non-existent state of nirvana, Nataly suffered a debilitating burnout that led her to find a new way to live and work.
Today, Nataly is a sought-after international keynote speaker and has appeared in hundreds of media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, and The New York Time.
She is the founder of Happier, Inc and The Awesome Human Project, and has worked with hundreds of top companies, teams, and leaders through her Happier @ Work, leadership and private mentorship programs.
Nataly is the best-selling author of HAPPIER NOW, GRATITUDE DAILY, and THE AWESOME HUMAN PROJECT and hosts The Awesome Human Podcast that people call their “best-self hour”.
Nataly began painting when she turned 40 and is a self-taught abstract artist. She loves to activate her audiences and clients to unblock their self-limiting beliefs and tap into their awesome human creativity.
FEATURED IN
We’re all more than our official bio, right? Here are some of my other “ands”…
-
I came to the U.S. as a refugee when I was 13. That experience has shaped a lot of who I am and I’m grateful for it, although it was really difficult.
By the way, my Russian name is Natasha, but I changed it to Nataly to fit in better… except I spelled it in a unique way that stands out.
Lesson learned:
Don’t try to be anything you’re not.
-
I had always wanted to paint but didn’t allow myself to do it because it felt indulgent and wasn’t part of taking care of my family or fueling my career.
Oh, how wrong I was!
Allowing myself to express myself creatively doesn’t just fuel my joy — it has made me better in every aspect of my life, as a mom, wife, daughter, speaker, author, coach….
Every single human being is creative and activating you to tap into your creative self is a core aspect of everything I do.
-
My husband Avi and I met at Wesleyan University and have been together for 23 years (wow!) We’ve seen 750+ movies together and love having toast with tons of butter and endless cups of coffee together on weekends.
Our daughter Mia (19) is my brightest light, wisest teacher and cherished BFF. We had our own MamaMia club when she was younger and she has taught me more about being an awesome human than anyone else.
-
This is a scientifically-proven fact, just ask my husband and my daughter, my FAVORITE awesome humans!
We have a family competition for who is the funniest and while there is often a lack of consensus, our efforts at making each other laugh are fierce.
-
I always wear yellow when I speak (OK, 95% of the time).
I have a disproportionate amount of yellow in my closet.
The cover of my first book, HAPPIER NOW, is yellow.
Did I mention I love yellow?
It brings me joy and I hope it brings you joy, too! (Science says it’s a color that fuels positive emotions, in case you’re wondering.)
NOTES TO SELF
A few things I want you to remeber
Boost your emotional fitness in just 5-minutes a day!
Sign up my FREE 5-Day Challenge and learn the 5 science-backed emotional fitness skills to reduce stress, feel more joy, and even fall in love with your to-do list!
UNLEASH YOUR ALIVENESS WITH A DAILY DOSE OF INSPIRATION
