Ever wonder how a person decides to go from a stable, well-paying job to risking it all as an entrepreneur? Discover how Natalie Palomino pivoted from a lawyer at the Department of Justice pursuing terrorist financing to a bottom-of-the-pit hair assistant (for a minute), where she learned her new trade from the ground up. An avid student, Palomino says she checks her ego at the door, and believes humility is one key to her success.

Palomino tells listeners about her early life and how it shaped her decision to become a lawyer despite her love of styling hair. Another key pivot: her diagnosis with an autoimmune disease — which helped her define her market — a “clean” pure-ingredient, zero-waste brick-and-mortar haircare salon called North Salon in Southern California.

COVID-19 led to Palomino’s next pivot: her transition to an online store (North Authentic) — which was something else she had to learn from the ground up. She immersed herself in research and adopted a can-do attitude during the pandemic where she used the extra time to be productive. Palomino learned about e-commerce, SEO, online marketing, and where to find money to pay her staff and keep her business alive.

If you want business tips, get out your notepad during this episode of SheVentures.

Time Stamps:

• 1:17 - Palomino talks about why she became a lawyer.
• 4:00 - What is it like to chase after terrorist finances?
• 10:30 - How networking helped Palomino win a highly-sought-after position.
• 11:30 - Learn how Palomino overcame imposter syndrome.
• 13:20 - Tips on how to network effectively.
• 15:50 - Palomino describes her pivot from government attorney — a job with mega-security and a pension — to becoming an independent contractor as a hairstylist.
• 18:30 - Palomino gives listeners tips to help them decide what they want to do in life.
• 22:00 - How to make money as a service provider.
• 26:20 - Palomino describes being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, and how it propelled her to seek out ‘clean’ products.
• 28:25 - Palomino gives helpful tips to secure grants/funding for small businesses.
• 30:45 - Palomino describes how the COVID-19 pandemic — while undoubtedly a tragedy — was a silver lining for her business.
• 44:00 - Learn the easiest and hardest aspects of transitioning from a brick-and-mortar to an online business
• 40:50 - What are the myths and realities of becoming an entrepreneur?