All Episodes

February 12, 2024 36 mins

Episode Summary:

In this inspiring episode of "Act Three," host Cara Gray sits down with Natalie Wester, an early retiree, radical reinventor, and champion of authentic living. Natalie shares her remarkable journey from a successful career in public relations to becoming a National State Teacher of the Year, an international solo traveler, and a whiskey distillery bourbon maker. Now living her dream life in Portugal, Natalie discusses the power of permission, the importance of embracing change, and how midlife women can reimagine their futures.

Key Points Discussed:

  • Natalie's Diverse Career Path: From the first Black officer VP at a prestigious PR firm to an award-winning teacher, and beyond.

  • Journey to Early Retirement: How personal loss and a desire for happiness led Natalie to retire early and explore the world.

  • Life in Portugal: Natalie shares why she chose Portugal as her new home and the joys of living on the ocean without the fear of hurricanes.

  • The Hot Goddess Blog: Natalie's venture into blogging to share unapologetically authentic stories and insights for midlife women.

  • Dating Abroad: Insights into the international dating scene and Natalie's personal experiences as a single, retired expat.

  • Advice for Nearing Retirement: Natalie emphasizes the importance of taking one step at a time and not being overwhelmed by the big picture.

Featured Guest: Natalie Wester, early retiree, storyteller, and blogger at the Hot Goddess.

This podcast is sponsored by Good Morning Freedom, my retirement coaching firm. I help executives and professionals plan the non-financial part of their retirement, like how to discover new purpose and how you want to spend your time. I offer a 1:1 coaching retirement blueprint package where we work together to discover some new avenues of exploration for your Act Three. This coaching is completely custom and will provide you with a ton of resources and support as you transition to this new stage of life. For all the details, please go to goodmorningfreedom.com/services.

Our new Retirement SWAG Collection - stylish hoodies, sleek t-shirts, and classic baseball caps, each crafted to embody the spirit of retirement. It's not just about kicking back and relaxing; it's about embracing Freedom, stepping into a new phase of being Rewired, and thriving in your Act Three. Our collection celebrates these moments with designs that are minimal yet chic, modern yet timeless - perfect for you or as thoughtful gifts for your retired friends and family. https://goodmorningfreedom.myshopify.com/

Connect with Cara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caraliveslife/ or Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caraliveslife/ or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cara.a.gray/

  • The Hot Goddess: Follow Natalie's blog for more stories and insights on living a fulfilling life in retirement at thehotgoddess.com.

  • Instagram: Connect with Natalie on Instagram @retired_rewired_inspired.

Closing

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.