The Real Reel

Episode 191: Nat is back on the mic this week for a short but very sweet solo episode. In the midst of her recovery from Art Basal, she’s sitting down to spill the tea on her experiences this year and diving deep into everything 2022 has taught her. From trusting the timing of your life to valuing friendship through each season to listening to your body and finding peace, this was definitely the year of realizing things for Nat (IYKYK), and she’s not holding back as she spreads the wisdom. She also fills us in on how she’s really doing post-breakup and provides the sound advice you might need if you’re going through one yourself. So tune in, reflect, and remember to have faith in your own journey this New Year! Thank you so much for being a part of our podcast community! Please be sure to rate, follow, review, and of course, post to your highlight reel. Follow your host Natalie on Instagram @nataliebarbu and @therealreelpodcast.  Thank you to our sponsors for making this episode possible. Check out these deals just for you: SUPERGUT - Head over to supergut.com and use code REALREEL to save 20% off your order.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 190: Have you ever dreamed of working directly with the people you’ve always looked up to? What about working in an industry you have been passionate about from a young age? Well, today’s guest most definitely has and is here to share how exactly she made those dreams a reality. This week, Natalie is connecting with Crowd Surf co-founder, Cassie Petrey. From a certified Backstreet Boys fangirl to a leading social media and artist management powerhouse, she is living proof that you can truly achieve anything you set your mind to if you’re willing to grind. Tune in as Cassie and Nat dive into the reality of working in the world of music, the ever-changing presence and advantages of social media, setting your ego aside, and the importance of saying “yes” to (almost) everything. Whether you have a love for music, an interest in social media, or any passion whatsoever, you’ll be sure to takeaway practical advice to help guide you toward the career of your dreams.  Today’s episode dives into:    The importance of putting your ego aside when you’re just getting started in an industry and taking on any task, regardless of the complexity.   Where social media platforms are headed and if a TikTok presence is a necessity for all businesses   Cassie’s early days as a Backstreet Boys fangirl and the influence their community had on her career trajectory   Support systems and their integral role in helping us achieve our dreams   Her vast experiences in the music industry that led her to creating Crowd Surf   How she can predict a social media platform’s success and how she’s used it to her clients’ advantage  The travel hacks Cassie swears by  Thank you so much for being a part of our podcast community! Please be sure to rate, follow, review, and of course, post to your highlight reel. Follow your host Natalie on Instagram @nataliebarbu and @therealreelpodcast. Follow @cassiepetrey and check out @crowdsurf  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 189: Natalie has a million reasons to be over the moon this week, and is here to spill all the deets on her very own app’s latest achievement. After over 200 "no's", Rella has officially landed a sizeable "yes." NBD. It’s definitely been a journey, one that Nat knows is just getting started, but she is ready to share what she’s learned on the road so far and everything that comes along with the #startup life. From Rella’s origin story to the development process, fundraising advice, mistakes, and all the lessons learned, Nat’s not sugarcoating anything. If you’re considering the next step in your career or current business or have hopes and dreams of starting something of your own, there are golden nuggets of wisdom waiting for you on the other side of this episode. It's not a matter of if, but when.  Thank you so much for being a part of our podcast community! Please be sure to rate, follow, review, and of course, post to your highlight reel. Follow your host Natalie on Instagram @nataliebarbu, @therealreelpodcast and @rellasocial    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 188: What do your financial health and overall health have in common? It’s a question we don’t often ask ourselves, or generally even consider for that matter. This week, tune in as Natalie seeks some answers with fintech and social entrepreneur, Maia Monell, whose goal is to build a world where everyone has access to financial capability. Maia is sharing some of the wisdom she’s learned from her career in fintech thus far, including the parallels of money and health, her lived experience as a female in a male dominated space, and the power that comes from leading with confidence in everything you do. This episode will open your mind, build you up, and inspire you to take control of your personal and financial well-being.   Today’s episode dives into:    Why financial health needs to be discussed at a young age  Viewing money as a constant in your life, similar to your health  The dangers of taking financial advice from influencers   How Maia went from fitness to financial tech and the parallels between the two worlds    What sparked her to create the Nav.it app and the challenges she faced along the way   The reality of being a female in a male dominated space  Navigating investors and pattern matching horror stories   Leading with confidence and humility as a founder  Thank you so much for being a part of our podcast community! Please be sure to rate, follow, review, and of course, post to your highlight reel. Follow your host Natalie on Instagram @nataliebarbu and @therealreelpodcast. Follow Maia @maiamonell and check out her app @letsnavit  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 187: They say if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. Unfortunately, this isn’t the reality for many. More often than not, we stay in careers we hate and end up following the path that we feel we should be on as opposed to the one we actually want to be on. This week, Natalie welcomes intuitive business coach and feminine energy healer Jocelyn Kelly Reid. From a deep hole of debt to a flourishing career, Jocelyn’s story is one to take note of. She shares the life-changing power of leading with desire and offers mindset tips to help steer you towards an abundant life. So tune in, grab a pen, and prepare to step into your higher purpose.   Today’s episode dives into:      How to adopt a desire driven mindset and go for what you truly want in life   Jocelyn’s consulting journey and what led her to her current success    Tips on working smarter, not harder    Benefits of mentorship and best practices    Feminine energy and how to use it to your advantage    Focusing on your zone of genius and the art of delegation    Understanding wealth as a frequency and allowing yourself to indulge     Thank you so much for being a part of our podcast community! Please be sure to rate, follow, review, and of course, post to your highlight reel. Follow your host Natalie on Instagram @nataliebarbu and @therealreelpodcast. Follow Jocelyn @jocelyn.kelly.reid and check out her website jocelynkellyreid.com.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 186: Do you ever take a moment to reflect back on your life and all the puzzle pieces that fell perfectly into place, leading you to exactly where you belong? This week, Natalie is sitting down with her dear friend and first-ever podcast guest, Ali Velas, to take a trip down memory lane and do just that. Ali updates us on her career path and the positive shifts in her life since the pandemic. The two swap notes on middle school trauma, body hair, and the desperate need for entrepreneurial courses in place of P.E. You’ll laugh, relate, and be reminded that you’re exactly where you are meant to be.   Today’s episode dives into:     How they met and details of the eventful backstory    Ali’s professional background and the way COVID influenced her outlook on work   The benefits and limitations of working for corporate vs. a small business     Leaving a big city and the feelings that surround it    Why taking the leap into entrepreneurship is scary in the best kind of way    Embracing your youth and trusting that it all works out    Thank you so much for being a part of our podcast community! Please be sure to rate, follow, review, and of course, post to your highlight reel. Follow your host Natalie on Instagram @nataliebarbu and @therealreelpodcast. Follow Ali @aliveras and check out @creativeavestudio    Thank you to our sponsors for making this episode possible. Check out these deals just for you: SHOPIFY – Go to shopify.com/realreel to start your FREE trial and get full access to Shopify’s entire suite of features.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 185: From aspiring tennis pro to world-renowned technologist for Apple and Google, today’s guest has Nat fangirling. On this episode, the founder of Yohana, Yoky Matsuoka, graces the pod and shares her fruitful journey of becoming a leading female in the tech world. She shines a light on the importance of following your personal mission and how having the confidence to fail could lead you to something even greater than you could have ever imagined. If you’re an aspiring female technologist, or anyone with a burning passion inside of them but feeling stuck in pursuing it, this conversation is worth tuning in to and could be the push you need to finally go for it!  Today’s episode dives into:     The art of delegation, balance, and prioritization as a successful founder   Downsides of technology and the importance of boredom in childhood   Yoky’s fascinating journey into the tech world and what inspired Yohana  How weaving your mission into everything you do is the ultimate motivator    The reality of women in tech through the eyes of society and her personal experience   The importance of user experience research and asking the right questions    Thank you so much for being a part of our podcast community! Please be sure to rate, follow, review, and of course, post to your highlight reel. Follow your host Natalie on Instagram @nataliebarbu and @therealreelpodcast. Follow Yoky at @YokyMatsuoka and check out Yohana at www.yohana.com  Thank you to our sponsors for making this episode possible. Check out these deals just for you: SHOPIFY – Go to shopify.com/realreel to start your FREE trial and get full access to Shopify’s entire suite of features.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 184: Natalie is back on the mic this week for a beloved solo episode and is ready to get real (reel) about navigating life and loneliness. She unpacks why she’s been distant on social media, as well as her latest love affair with a binge-worthy series and how it inspired her to record this episode. She takes us on a friendship journey all the way back to her kindergarten days and opens up about her own struggles with maintaining and building relationships in her 20's. This episode is a relatable rant, as Natalie would say, filled with remedies for when the lonely feelings strike and a helpful guide to getting back out there—wherever that may be. Thank you so much for being a part of our podcast community! Please be sure to rate, follow, review, and of course, post to your highlight reel. Follow your host Natalie on Instagram @nataliebarbu and @therealreelpodcast. Thank you to our sponsors for making this episode possible. Check out these deals just for you: SHOPIFY – Go to shopify.com/realreel to start your FREE trial and get full access to Shopify’s entire suite of features.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 183: Are you ready to enter the mind of a serial entrepreneur? This week, Natalie sits down with MediaKits co-founder, Kieran O’Brien, to pick his brain and take notes on all he’s learned through his entrepreneurial journey thus far. As the founder of five businesses (and counting) before the age of 23, Kieran has all kinds of wisdom, insights, and tools to share, and on today’s episode, he doesn’t gate keep any of it. So, tune in, whip out your note pad, and gear up for invaluable tips on fundraising, budgeting, networking, believing in your vision, and just plain winging it.   Today’s episode dives into:     The benefits of having a co-founder/business partner and why business plans are overrated   The current and future state of the creator economy   How MediaKits came to be    The importance of a tight fundraising process and budget allocation   Networking and making the most of your connections  Lessons learned in the start-up process    Thank you so much for being a part of our podcast community! Please be sure to rate, follow, review, and of course, post to your highlight reel. Follow your host Natalie on Instagram @nataliebarbu and @therealreelpodcast. Follow @kieranobrien and check out mediakits.com.  Thank you to our sponsors for making this episode possible. Check out these deals just for you: SHOPIFY – Go to shopify.com/realreel to start your FREE trial and get full access to Shopify’s entire suite of features.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 182: Natalie is shaking things up with a fresh new series! Once a month, Nat will be sitting down with one of her best friends for a catch-up because, well, sometimes two really is better than one. DM @nataliebarbu your favorite title of the following options: Reel Talk, Reel Hangs, Reel Friends, or Nat & Co.- Excited to hear your thoughts!     For the inaugural episode, Natalie’s kicking things off with her long-time friend since college, Giuli, for some quintessential girl talk. The dynamic duo leave no stone unturned as they dive headfirst into the constant evolution of friendships and the fruitful history of their own. Giuli preps Nat for her first date back on the scene (when the time comes), plus the two get into all the dating advice you never knew you needed, like the politics of a bad hug and the biggest turn-offs. So tune in, grab your coffee, and get ready to hang with your new besties.    Today’s episode dives into:      Accepting that some friendships aren’t meant to last forever    Their expectations of living in NYC vs. the reality   Why friendship doesn’t have to be linear    First date dealbreakers, what’s considered ick- worthy and green flags   The importance of confidence and ambition in both life and dating   Thank you so much for being a part of our podcast community! Please be sure to rate, follow, review, and of course, post to your highlight reel. Follow your host Natalie on Instagram @nataliebarbu and @therealreelpodcast. Follow Giuli @giulianaberninis and check out her coffee shop @bernibeancoffee   Thank you to our sponsors for making this episode possible. Check out these deals just for you: SHOPIFY – Go to shopify.com/realreel to start your FREE trial and get full access to Shopify’s entire suite of features.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices