Hello, Awesome Humans!
I'm Nataly and I'm THRILLED you're here! This is not a boring About page, so stick around, OK?
10 things I want to share about me, Happier, and why you're an Awesome Human
- I'm an introvert who loves to talk (I speak for a living) so I'm using bullets to make this seem more succinct. (Is it working?)
- My Russian name is Natasha, but when we came to the US as refugees, I changed it to Nataly to fit in better (except I spelled it in a unique way that stands out). Free lesson: Don't try to be anything you're not.
- I burned out at 35, after achieving tons of career success as a business executive, venture capitalist, consultant, and entrepreneur. This was the scariest time in my life. (I never thought I would burn out because only weak people burned out and I was "a tough cookie".)
- My journey of healing from burnout -- which involved a lot of work on myself, tons of research, and a lot of stuff I used to reject, like learning to feel my difficult feelings rather than run away from them, treating myself with compassion, getting some sleep -- led me to create Happier so I could help as many Awesome Humans as possible struggle less and thrive more in work and life.
If you're tired of reading... watch my TED talk!
How a Russian refugee in the U.S. climbed to the top of the corporate ladder, burned out, and changed her life by founding Happier.
Emotional Fitness is a SKILL
- The biggest lesson I learned on my journey is that EMOTIONAL FITNESS IS A SKILL that you can strengthen through practice. Based on my experience and tons of research from neuroscience and psychology, I created the Happier Method™ that I now love to teach to teams and leaders.
- I learned another huge lesson: CHALLENGE IS CONSTANT, BUT STRUGGLE IS OPTIONAL. When you practice your emotional fitness skills and create a supportive relationship with yourself, you can struggle less through even the toughest challenges and embrace your Awesome Human.
- YOU ARE AN AWESOME HUMAN -- not because you're perfect (no one is and it would be so boring anyway!) but because you have the capacity to flourish, grow, and thrive and positively impact other people!
I always greet my audiences with: Hello, Awesome Humans!
Here's one of my favorite talks I've ever given -- at Workhuman Live, one of the world's leading conferences that celebrates the power of humanity in the workplace.
And I always wear yellow when I speak -- and have been known to dance and even paint live on stage!
Not kidding about the dancing -- here's a video of my keynote for 10,000 Awesome Humans in Sydney, Australia.
I'm incredibly grateful to have worked with so many amazing teams, companies, and conferences!
“Nataly was the perfect keynote speaker and her ability to connect with our employees – in the room or by video from across the globe – was amazing. Every employee who attended took away a ‘nugget’ that stayed with them long after her session was over.”
“Nataly was the perfect keynote speaker as we invest in Sleep Number's top performers. As a purpose-driven brand, we strive to always be our best for our customers. Nataly shared tools to be more productive and innovative, while finding more joy everyday.”
“Nataly’s story inspired our organization and energized our employees. Her enthusiasm was contagious and action provoking - we could have listened to her speak for hours.”
“When Nataly speaks about happiness as a skill, you can hear perspectives shifting around the room. Her message is powerful, actionable, and so crucial right now.”
“Nataly’s humor, professionalism, and partnership had a positive impact on our attendees. She moved people and made them think differently – that is no easy feat.”
“Nataly brings a rare combination of authenticity and vibrancy to any stage. She showcases a plethora of life-changing insights for leaders and surrounds them with her amazing personal journey. I would highly recommend her to any event or company.”
I do have a professional bio...
Nataly Kogan is one of the leading global experts in optimizing your emotional fitness and elevating your leadership.
She’s the creator of the Happier Method™, founder and CEO of Happier and Happier @ Work™, and author of HAPPIER NOW and GRATITUDE DAILY.
Nataly is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker and has been featured in hundreds of media outlets, including The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Dr. Oz Show.
By the age of 37, Nataly held top positions at McKinsey and Microsoft, was a Managing Director at a venture capital fund, and started or was a member of the senior team at 5 startups and tech companies.
But all of this overachievement came at a huge cost of stress and overwhelm, which was the catalyst for Nataly to give it all up to start her company, Happier, with this mission:
To help millions of people thrive in work and life by improving their emotional fitness with science-backed skills and practices.
Today, tens of thousands of people cultivate their emotional fitness and Elevated Leadership skills through Happier @ Work and virtual leadership programs, online courses, and other learning tools.
Nataly came to the US as a refugee with her family when she was 13 years old, and one of her greatest accomplishments was learning how to speak English by watching Alyssa Milano on the classic 80s sitcom, Who’s The Boss?
Nataly lives outside of Boston with her husband and daughter, and when she isn’t speaking or teaching, can be found painting colorful abstract art and cooking up a storm in her kitchen.
But what I care about the most...
... is helping you to embrace your Awesome Human capacity by making your emotional health a priority, practicing your emotional fitness skills, and creating a supportive relationship with yourself!
Ready to dive in? AWESOME!
Here are a few places to start:
- Subscribe to my weekly email (sign up form is right below) -- I write it myself and share skills, practices, and inspiration to help you feel more joy and less stress
- Get connected on Instagram (my fave social platform), Facebook, YouTube, Twitter
- Take my 21-Day Happier Challenge (you'll learn the 5 Core Emotional Fitness Skills and practice them daily!)
- I would love to do a workshop or talk for your team or organization -- learn more about my Speaking and Happier @ Work workshops
- Register for my FREE weekly Awesome Human Hour -- a 1-hour live I host every Wednesday at 12 noon ET
- Get practical tips and an awesome dose of fuel and encouragement from my weekly YouTube videos
Sign up for Nataly's weekly email!
Practical tips and awesome fuel to help you struggle less and thrive more in work and life. (And zero spam, ever.)
Check out my book: HAPPIER NOW
I used to think that to be happy you needed to be positive all the time, so I did a lot of pretending -- as a person, leader, mom. (Pretending takes a lot of energy and this was part of what caused my burnout.) I was wrong: We are not meant to always feel good and we can struggle so much less when we learn to embrace the full range of our emotions, including those difficult and uncomfortable ones. And stop beating ourselves up for not being perfect or super-productive all the time!
THANK YOU for reading all the way to the end of the page!
(BTW, did you count the things I shared? I'm pretty sure it was more than 10. Can we chalk it up to my enthusiasm? I would love that. Also, I love enthusiasm.)