Stop Playing Small: What It Really Takes to Be Seen, Heard, and Respected

Stop playing small and start stepping into your purpose.

In this powerful episode of Breaking Curses with Excellence, Christina sits down with Dr. Natasha Norris to talk about self-worth, confidence, visibility, and personal growth—and what it really takes to be seen, heard, and respected in your life and career.

This conversation dives deep into:
Overcoming self-doubt and fear
Breaking generational cycles and limiting beliefs

Building confidence and emotional healing
Stepping into leadership and purpose-driven success

Letting go of people-pleasing and shrinking

If you’re on a self-growth journey, looking to improve your mindset, heal from past experiences, and level up your life—this episode is for you.

🎧 Tune in and take the next step toward becoming who you’re called to be.

Ways To Contact Dr. Norris

 MEDIA Collective https://www.natashanorris.com

SKINCARE

https://www.sbcmg.com

Email

Natashaspeaks@natashanorris.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:05

Welcome to this episode of Breaking Curses of Excellence. I'm your host, Christina, and I have the absolute pleasure of having Dr. Natasha Norris with us today. The opportunity to be on her show. So, can we start with you just telling us a brief summary of what you've done, a little bit about your resume. I'll say that.

SPEAKER_00 0:36

Yeah, absolutely. Well, first, Christina, thank you so much for having me on your platform. I appreciate you, and I'm just enjoying this wonderful um relationship that we're building. Well, for your audience, I'm Dr. Natasha Norris, a media strategist, entrepreneur, and really just a woman who truly believes that your story, when positioned correctly, can truly change your life. I'm the founder and CEO of the Media Collective, where I help entrepreneurs turn visibility into authority, opportunity, and income. And I'm also the creator of Skincare by CMG, a luxury plant-based skincare line, rooted in intentional self-care, and the host of a nationally syndicated television show, Voices of Freedom.

SPEAKER_03 1:19

Yes, yes. Thank you so much for sharing that with us. Um, I'm so excited, like you said, about the relationship we're building, everything that that we have coming for both of us, right? Absolutely. I want to ask you a few questions. And um I want to start with, I know that you've built all this credibility. I mean, you're you're also a vet, you know, a retired vet, which thank you for your service. Um what was the moment that you knew that you had to step into this level of visibility? I know we talked about it a little bit on your show. Um, but even if it felt uncomfortable, um, what was that moment like?

SPEAKER_00 2:05

Um, you know, there were I I can't necessarily say there was just one moment. It was just, it was a realization that kind of kept getting louder and louder, right? Um, I felt like, you know, I was being pulled, more like pushed. God was pushing me to tell my story and to share, right? Um, and I had built the experience, right? I had the results. I had people who literally have pride in my arms because of something that I shared or breakthrough that they had based on my story. Um, and so I had the receipts, but I was still playing small in rooms that I had already, you know, outgrown. And I just remember thinking, you know, if I don't show up fully, I'm I'm really robbing people who um need what I carry, right? And so disability, yeah. It stopped being about me and started being um about responsibility. And then that's when I think I just made the decision I'm comfortable or not, I was gonna be be seen on purpose.

SPEAKER_03 3:09

Yes, yes, stepping into your purpose. And I'm so glad that you did. Yeah, I'm so glad that you did. Um in your mind, what separates people, right, uh, who get media opportunities from those who stay overlooked, uh, even if they are extremely talented, like kind of like you mentioned, you had it all, but they they continue to be overlooked. What do you think is the difference between those two types of people?

SPEAKER_05 3:37

Um I would say I would say clarity and alignment, right? Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_00 3:47

Um when you're talking about people who get overlooked, a lot of the times it's because their messaging doesn't match their audience or doesn't project the clear value of whatever it is they're offering. And when that happens, which it happens in a lot, almost every business that I work with, it's messaging, right? Your messaging as a luxury, whatever, but your messaging's, you know, um uh says that, you know, it's it's basic. Um and so I think it's important to have, you know, successful people or people who aren't overlooked, I should say. They have clear messaging, they understand who their audience is, and they're able to um clearly articulate and show the value that they have. And so um I'm really clear that you know, opportunities flow to people who are who are positioned, not just passionate. And there's a difference. And so um most people skip the positioning and then wonder why they're overlooked.

SPEAKER_03 4:49

Thank you very much. I I that that makes complete sense. Um, and I think I can learn from that.

SPEAKER_00 4:59

We all can, right? I know, right?

SPEAKER_03 5:01

Right. So another reason why I'm so grateful to have you um here today with us. Um, how do you, because you mentioned your several different roles, right? That you um are in and perform and founding and things like that, the founder of how do you maintain this level of excellence that you have across so many roles without burning out or losing yourself?

SPEAKER_00 5:28

Um, so I think when I first started, I was I was trying to prove something, whether it was to myself or to people who were looking at me because I got out and I wasn't able to find a job, but I felt like, man, I had this career, now I'm failing in life. And I think for me, when I stopped um trying to prove something and started protecting something, um, which is like my peace, my time, and my capacity, um things changed for me. And and I had to realize that excellence isn't about doing everything, it's about doing you know the right things um at the right level. Um, and I think you know, having the right um level of support is important too. Um and I had to really teach myself that um rest is is a part of the assignment, right? It's not the reward for finishing it.

SPEAKER_03 6:29

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Absolutely. I think we very much underrate rest. Oh, yeah. And even like I know for myself, support. I think I feel like God has helped me realize like you need support in this. I know you're trying to do everything, but you need support. And so thank you so much for mentioning that. Um, you know, a lot of people want to be seen, but are afraid, right, of judgment of self or external, right? Um, what would you say to someone who knows that they're called for more, but keep shrinking in rooms that they shouldn't, or keep shrinking shrinking in life?

SPEAKER_00 7:13

You know, you know, I always tell people you can't, especially people who have sustained trauma. Um, and I and and I've experienced this myself, you know, when I first started in business, I didn't want to be the face of my brand because I felt like I would be judged. You know, I felt like you know, people wouldn't believe or support. But I realized um that you you cannot heal and hide at the same time, right? And you cannot be called and comfortable at the same time either. Either, right? You know, yeah, you can't. I mean, you have to, in order to grow, you have to be, you have to get uncomfortable. You have to do the things that you don't like to do. And that's how successful people make it, right? They're constantly and consistently doing the things that they love and the things that they necessarily, you know, don't like to do. But here's the thing you know, people are gonna have opinions whether you show up or not. So you might as well just be seen on purpose and put yourself out there because all shrinking is gonna do is is delay your destiny.

SPEAKER_03 8:22

That's so right. That that that that's a whole sermon. That's that whole sermon right there. That's a whole sermon. Yes, amen. To everything you just said, thank you so much um for providing that perspective, right? You're gonna be judged regardless. Right, right. You might as well be stepping into your or step into your purpose, right? Right, because it's gonna happen. Exactly. So, so when you think about your legacy, right, what impact do you want people to feel through the work that you do? Um, not just C, but because of again, the work that you do, the services you provide, how you show up.

SPEAKER_00 9:05

Oh, that's a good question. Um, I think in terms of feeling, I want people to feel like they have to feel permission, right? To feel okay. Which and what I mean by that is, you know, I want them to, you know, feel like they have permission to be seen. Know that they have permission to pivot when they need to pivot. Um, know that, you know, give themselves permission to heal and and know that they can still lead while they're healing, and permission to build something powerful um from places that that once broke them, um, over overcoming, absolutely. And so if I if I um if people leave, you know, my presence feeling more bold and more clear and more equipped, that to me is legacy.

SPEAKER_03 10:00

Yes, yes, absolutely. And and hence um freedom voices, right? Freedom, right, right, right, giving people permission. You know, um, I want to share with you, I don't know if I told you about this, but a conversation I had with my mother before I came on your show. Um and it was all about my mom being worried that I was gonna get on the show and talk about my religious experience, naming names, namely the religion that I was a part of, right? And so what I told her very calmly is that I want people to feel like they can talk about what happened to them. I said, I usually I usually don't name names and and say what religion it was and all of that. I said, because my experience is not singular, right? I said, but I want people to feel like they have the right to say they were mistreated and not be judged, right? Because it's their story, right? It's okay for them to say, you know what, in this space, by these people, I was mistreated, and that's across the board, right? That's that's with family, that's with everything. Right, you have the right to tell your story, absolutely, and so that freedom that it gives.

SPEAKER_00 11:14

Um there's so much peace and joy and self-love and just on the other side of the pain, on the other side of healing. There's just so many amazing things that that overshadow the hurt, you know what I'm saying? That people are just you know sit in because they're afraid to do the work. Yeah, right. And so I just I want people to feel that.

SPEAKER_03 11:44

Yes, absolutely, absolutely, and we can't we can't heal from what we don't talk about, right? So you know, um and it can help others, right? Like right when we talk about freely what happened to us and how we've worked through it and how God's blessed us through it and gave us the resources, the people, the support, all of that, that gives other people you know, strength and you know, perspective on what their story could be, you know, how much they can help others, right? And be free and happy, like you said. So thank you. Absolutely. Um I know you're a woman of faith. So, how has your purpose and faith guided your decisions when opportunities and pressure are at the highest? I know you have a lot of pressure considering all that you do.

SPEAKER_00 12:31

Yeah, I've I've had I've had most of my pressure and and stress and everything came from transitioning, you know, from military to civilian life. And um, you know, I had horrible moments, very low, low, lows. Um, but you know, my faith, you know, became my anchor when um I realized, you know, strategy just isn't enough, right? When you're in business, you can have all the strategy in the world, but you know, sometimes it's just not your season, or sometimes you might be doing something wrong, you just haven't caught it yet. And it's easy to look at other people and businesses um and and start to second guess yourself, right? And so my faith had to become my anchor. I, you know, I asked God every day to order my steps, you know, and and and the and I make a promise that I'll keep my hand in his always, you know, all the things. Because there, you know, there were definitely moments where the opportunity looked right on paper, you know, but but you know, my spirit said no. And I've had to learn to trust that as well. Um, because I think, you know, people will never not people, um, your purpose. Your purpose will will never require you to betray your peace, right? Faith definitely helped me choose um alignment over applause. Um I'll say most times, not every time, because sometimes you like levels of applause, right? But alignment is so important, it's key.

SPEAKER_02 14:11

Right, right, right, right, right.

SPEAKER_03 14:13

Well, thank you for that that that nugget of wisdom. That's so true. I've yeah, I've definitely experienced that where you're like my spirit is just not nah, sometimes you second guess your spirit. I I shouldn't say you, I should say me. I have second guessed, you know what I mean? Like all the time, all the time, so right, right.

SPEAKER_02 14:35

Am I shrinking back? Or is this a real you know, God directed intuition? Yeah, you know, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:44

I feel like for me, you because I I I often ask myself that question, um, like, is it is it is it really you guys? If it is, you know, you're like, give me a sign, you know, or something. But for me, I think it it's like whatever it is, it's so loud that I can't unhear it. And that's when I know when I when I know it's me when I can hear it, but I'm contemplating something else. You see what I'm saying? Like I feel like his word overshadows my thoughts, and I'm like, okay, that's the direction I need to go in.

SPEAKER_03 15:19

But it's very clear, yes, and very clear. Yeah, no, that's awesome. That's awesome. Thank you for so much for sharing that personal, you know, like how you know when it is God for you. Um for somebody who this is an advice question, right? So somebody who's building a platform focused on healing, growth, and breaking generational curses, what would you say is, and this is for me as well, right? Is the next level um they need to step in to truly scale their impact?

SPEAKER_00 15:54

Oh yeah. So I would say you have to shift from sharing, you know, your story to structuring your solution. Um, because here's the thing, like your story is you know what is what's gonna open the door, but it's your systems and your strategy that um sustains impact. So what does that mean? Um that means you know, packaging your expertise in a way that um fits your audience, your ideal client. Um, creating repeatable frameworks, things that can automations, things that can work while you sleep, and things um and the front repeatable frameworks that you can teach to others so that they can um learn, scale, and and grow in whatever it is that you do, right? Whether it's coaching, whether it's skincare, whatever the case may be, you want to create repeat repeatable frameworks and then um build offers that transform, not just inspire. Um, and what do I mean by that? Right. Buyers want to know what the transformation is. Your story is amazing, it's probably gonna inspire them to do something great, whether it's you know, take five minutes to themselves for self-care or something like that. But here's the thing the transformation that you showcase or feature, that's what's gonna make them buy for you from you. That's what's gonna make them follow you, that's what's gonna keep them connected to you, right? Um, and so I think healing work is is very powerful, um, but uh scaling definitely requires structure.

SPEAKER_03 17:32

Yes, absolutely, absolutely. Thank you so much. I I wrote down you know what you said. I'll be referring back to this video as well, but thank you so much for that. It was a little bit for me too. Not even a little bit, a lot for me. Thank you very much for that. Um beyond your success in titles, right? Can you take us to a moment in your personal journey where you were truly stretched and how you experienced and how that experience shaped you to the woman and the leader you are today?

SPEAKER_00 18:14

Yeah, um well, throughout the military, uh my military you know, career, I would say I was constantly stretched um because it's a male-dominant community. I was in law enforcement, so I was dealing with force protection, anti-terrorism, physical security, all these things, right? Um, that definitely stretched me throughout my career. But I because I'm just so strong-minded and competitive, you know, I was able to overcome that. But I would say my biggest stretch was transitioning out of the military after 26 years. Um, because I lost my identity, right? There was no more rank, there was no more uh title, there was no, you know what I mean? Um, I was just now Natasha. And so um the identity that I once had was very structured, respected, and clear. And now, you know, I had to redefine myself without the title, without a uniform, without a roadmap, just figuring it out. And for me, that season um stretched me because I had to, I had to meet myself again. Um and not as you know, who I was trained to be, but um who I was called to be, um, and who and and and I had to figure out who I really am, the things that I really like. Um and so I think that's where my leadership in this stage of my life was born. It was born in that transition, beginning really clear on who I am as a person and what my purpose is and and gifts are that God has has for me and give has given me, right? And that was just imagine starting life over. I felt like I was starting life over again at 46.

SPEAKER_03 20:17

Yes, yes, yes, I can see that. I can see that. I can really, really see that. Wow, wow, wow, and so very inspiring story. And I say that not lightly, but I think a lot of women go through that in different periods in their life, right? Where their titles completely change and very clear roles, right? Whether it was mother, sometimes wife, um, like you said, like with career, you know, maybe it was doctor and now you've retired, or or whatever the case may be. Yeah. So that's so to hear that, to hear the steps that you took is so helpful.

SPEAKER_00 21:00

So and that's one of the reasons why um I advocate, you know, for women to implement self-care practices in their lives. That's what I use my skincare platform for. Because we do get lost, we get lost in our titles, we get lost in our roles, and then when the kids leave the house, you retire from that, you know, lifelong career you had, or the spouse, God forbid, passes away, or you're divorced or whatever, and you're sitting in your space by yourself. And because you've gotten caught up with all those other things, you're sitting in that space by yourself, wondering who you are, because you never gave yourself permission to figure it out as you went through life, because we go through so many stages in life, right? I didn't even know myself till I turned 40 or 35. Yeah, really growing and evolving. So by the time the things that I loved at 25. When I'm 60, you know, my desires, my loves, my my habits or or you know things that I like to do will change. But I you'll never know what it is that you like if you never do that self-discovery.

SPEAKER_03 22:14

Absolutely. Absolutely. Self-discovery is so important. And it it should be aligned with our roles, right? And like you said many times, we don't do that. We, you know, this is my roles here. I'm playing these rules, but I have no idea my own desires, my own aspirations, my own loves, joys, you know what I mean? Right. Because it's so rounded around everybody else and everything else. So, yes, thank you very much for sharing that because it's so true. It's so true.

SPEAKER_00 22:44

Yeah, I just recently had a friend say to me, and she's she's uh 55. I think she might turn 55, 56 next month, and she said, You know, I just realized I've spent my entire life taking care of everyone else from the time she was, I think, nine, she was taking care of her mother. And she said, I never took care of myself. And she's like, I'm finally trying to figure out what that looks like at 55. Right. So that's why it's important to have these conversations because we we can't wait to 55. We might not even make it to 55, right?

SPEAKER_03 23:22

That's that's so true, that's so true. So true. Yeah, yeah. Wow, yeah, that that's that's huge. I hope that her journey is full of all the love and and compassion and grace that she deserves, you know what I mean? Like, oh yeah, I hope she discovers some amazing things in these years um to come.

SPEAKER_00 23:46

Oh, yeah, she's traveling, she's going to Portugal.

SPEAKER_03 23:49

I'm happy for her. I love it. I love it, I love it, I love it, I love it. Um was there a time, we're gonna go back to your experience again. Um, was there a time in your life where you felt uncertain? And I know it it kind of goes with a previous question because you literally said exactly why. Um felt like you had to rebuild yourself. Um, but is there something that you had to unlearn, let go of, a cycle that you had to break, right? To step into the level that you are operating in now.

SPEAKER_00 24:25

Oh yeah. Um, so the the mantra, I guess, of the community that I served in in the military was, you know, basically, if you're not stressed completely out, getting ready to kill Oval, you're not doing your job, right? So I always, you know, tied um, you know, my my success, right? Or to to how much I could do, or you know, how well I performed, or you know, you know what I mean? And so transitioning, I had to unlearn that that my worth, you know, was tied to how much I I could carry. It's just not true, right? For a long time, uh, I think I I wore strength like like an armor because we're taught to be these strong, you know, black women, but it also prevented me from receiving, from um resting, you know what I'm saying, and support it. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. So I, you know, I um it's funny because you know, we talk about healing as a journey, and I'm thinking about this time in my life. This is well after the fibromyalgia diagnosis where I'm, you know, putting implementing self-care and doing all the things. Okay. This was like more, you know, on I had to learn it on the business side of things. Yeah, you know, I had figured out my personal life, but when I the business part, I'm like, okay, I need to get all this, I need to have 23 SKUs. I need to, you know what I mean? I'm trying to carry all this play. I don't need no help from anybody, I'm gonna do it all by myself. And it just really it it rebuilding required me to um to let go of survival mode and and really just step into alignment, delegation, and and really trust, trust for myself and trust for the people around me. Um, and that's when, you know, for me everything expanded, right? Um, not just in my business, but even in in my my personal life.

SPEAKER_03 26:34

Okay. Thank you so much for for sharing that with us. I think um, you know, not to take anything away, but I I resonate with the idea that you have to unlearn that. Um, because while I was never in the military, um I feel like that was part a part of my church experience, right? Is my value was tied to how much I can do for it, right? How much I could sacrifice, right? How much I can just just completely exhaust myself in um in worship, right? And in sacrificing for God, but also for my brothers and sisters, right? Who needed me at times, and so there was no mettle or value put on resting, right? Or myself. So yeah, I I think a lot of people can resonate with that. Um, so thank you so much for sharing that with us. Um is there anything else you'd like to share with us? Please tell us how people can get a hold of you. Um, if you don't mind sharing, I know you shared some of them, but all the services that you provide and then how they can get a hold of you. Um, I will also put as a footnote to the caption for our podcast your links as well. Um but can you tell us um the different things that you offer?

SPEAKER_00 27:51

Yeah, absolutely. So um at the media collective, I help entrepreneurs turn visibility into revenue through strategic storytelling, um brand positioning, um, and media features. So we do a lot of PR work there. My agency is different than others, um, mainly because I don't just throw you out there to the wolves to media, but I make sure that your messaging is aligned with your audience and the the media outlet's audience that you're trying to get into. And then through skincare by CMG, that is my baby. It's named after my grandmother, Charlie May Green, my skincare guy.

SPEAKER_03 28:28

Wow, wow, that's amazing. Yeah, that's my baby.

SPEAKER_00 28:32

And um, that platform I use to inspire women to implement self-care practices in their lives. Again, we have to know who we are and what we love. And skincare is the most, like that's the time you're the most vulnerable with yourself as you're, you know, clean cleansing your skin, at least for me. And so um I just use that platform for people to kind of slow down and just get back to themselves. Um, and then of course, Voices of Freedom, uh, the television platform that, you know, has oh my god, created this space for people to come and share their story and their why. But you can learn more about me at uh natashanorris.com. Um my skincare line is at S is in Sam, B is in Boy, C is in Charlie, M is in Mary, G is in Golf.com, so SBCMG.com. And uh you can email me at Natashaspeaks at Natasha Norris.com. I'd love to connect with you.

SPEAKER_03 29:28

Awesome, awesome. Thank you so much again for taking your time on this this day, the Monday. Um, to share with us your story, all the nuggets of wisdom, the gold nuggets of wisdom. So grateful um for them. Um, I'm excited to continue to see everything that you're doing. Um, it keeps being amazing. Um thank you. You as well.

SPEAKER_00 29:52

I'm excited for you too. This is gonna be a good year.

SPEAKER_03 29:56

Thank you. I I I believe you. I believe you. I'm believing in God for that I'm believing and you know that He He put us together, you know, that one day that kind of wasn't it random, like how we met and and and just immediately. Um, so thank you so much for the opportunity you gave me to share my why on your show. Um and I'm I'm excited for this episode to air. I think there's so many valuable things, important things um that you have said today that will help those who listen.

SPEAKER_00 30:28

Thank you. Thank you so much for the opportunity to share.

SPEAKER_03 30:32

Absolutely. So until next time, continue to break curses mindsets negative thoughts with excellence.

SPEAKER_05 30:42

Thank you for that.