Natalie Sisson is a lover of handstands and dogs. She’s also an entrepreneur and a bestselling author.
Her latest book, Suck It Up, Princess is aimed at helping women develop great mindsets and strategies.
Natalie works from her home in Mangaroa Valley, Upper Hutt and her mission is to help women entrepreneurs leverage their unique set of skills, knowledge, and experience, and make an income and impact simply by being exactly who they are.
We caught up with Nat to talk about Motocross, Thai food, and why she wants to be a firefighter.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a journalist when I was much younger and helped out on the school newspaper, and wrote every article in school that I could. An English assignment would turn into a novel and I loved English and Classics as subjects. I think that morphed as I got older into wanting to be an author, and now that I’ve published my third book, I can definitely say I am one.
You just won lotto, what will you spend it on?
I have a pretty clear plan for that, which would be about buying more land, creating affordable, sustainable and environmentally friendly housing, as off grid as possible, as well as a real community within that where resources are shared and cooperatives are created, a place that people enjoy living in and with people they like too. I’d likely throw in a facility like a dog ranch! One that looks after both stray dogs who need loving and fostering, and dog lovers who need daycare, walking and training.
What’s a talent you have that people wouldn’t guess?
I’m pretty handy on a Moto-x bike even though I haven’t ridden for years. When I was 18 I decided to get my learner’s motorbike licence and after my first three rides which all involved near crashes or accidents, I decided it was smarter to go off road, and took up riding and then racing Moto-x. I love the thrill of racing around a track, going over jumps and working on getting better, plus being one of the few women (back then) racing against men.
Tell me about your childhood.
I lived in the Wairarapa for four years when I was 10. We bought an amazing lifestyle property with 30 acres of land and it was the first time I got to take care of chickens, raise lambs, ride a horse, learn to drive, learn how to manage the animals and also play tennis, swim all the time and basically have an amazing time. This place had it all and I just adored being outdoors, in nature, with animals and helping on the land. Some of my fave childhood memories are from living 6kms out on the Castlepoint Road.
What’s your go-to takeaways order?
Pretty much the go-to is Thai. I love Thai food and the combination of flavours and freshness when it’s well cooked. It also seems somewhat healthier than a lot of other options!
What’s something you’ve always wanted to try?
I’ve always wanted to try a day in the life of a firefighter. Getting the training, doing the drills, being called out to a fire and working as a team to manage it. I have massive respect for all firefighters, both paid and volunteer, plus the responsibility it takes and the quick decision making needed on the job.
We have a copy of Natalie’s book Suck It Up, Princess to give away.
Go in the draw to win it here.
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