Interview with Boss Babe CEO Natalie Ellis

Natalie Ellis is the CEO of #BOSSBABE, one of the largest movements of ambitious millennial women online.

With over 1 million social media followers and 6.5 million uses of her trademarked hashtag, Natalie’s expertise lies in building influence and online communities, empowering and supporting women to have the confidence and skills to build and run successful businesses.

Recently, Experian summarised statistics and obstacles facing women entrepreneurs. Today, there are over 11 million women-owned businesses: “39% of all U.S. businesses have women majority ownership, employ nearly 9 million people and generate more than $1.7 trillion in revenue.” Further, the U.S. Senate report on women entrepreneurs focuses on three particularly unique obstacles: lack of role models and mentors, gender pay gap and unequal access to funding and venture capital.

Boss Babe’s mission is to inspire and support women to turn their dreams into reality through building successful businesses. Natalie believes she is where she is because of other women and for that reason (among many others) she’ll always help other women. Entrepreneurship has always been a huge passion of Natalie’s and it was her dream to create a company that inspired and helped others create their own successful companies.

What is the first trip you remember taking?

Disneyland Paris! I’m still completely obsessed with Disneyland. Who doesn’t love wandering around a land where you’re told all of your dreams can come true?

If you could sit next to anyone – dead or alive – on a long-haul flight, who would it be?

Sara Blakely. I feel like I’d leave the flight completely inspired and ready to conquer the world even more!

How do you recover from jet lag?

I take melatonin and valerian root an hour before bedtime and it helps me to sleep through the night without the jet lag wake up. I also love to put essential oils on my wrist and soles of my feet – a lavender eucalyptus blend knocks me out.

I make sure every morning I’m moving my body, even if it’s just a walk. I then have a good breakfast and take my supplements, especially the B vitamins. I also rarely drink coffee, but when I’m trying to avoid jet lag I’ll have one around 11am to keep me pushing through the afternoon.

I also just tell myself that I don’t have jet lag!

Your flight’s delayed an hour and your phone’s out of battery. How do you pass the time?

Grabbing a book from one of the airport stores. My favourite books to pick up on my trips are the Harvard Business Review’s must-reads. They’re filled with incredible, short essays around a particular topic and always make me think!

Biggest lesson from your travels?

Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone will unlock your mind to a new level. I once travelled to the north of Thailand and lived in a jungle for 6 weeks – whilst it wasn’t the most fun or luxurious trip, I was pushed out of my comfort zone every single day and the growth I experienced was incredible.

Do you travel for food, leisure, culture or something else?

There are some destinations I’ll go simply for the food and culture. I am such a big foodie, I’ll try mostly anything once! I also love to travel to places where I know we have a big Boss Babe community, I love to people in person!

Favourite Hotel? Why?

I love to stay in Boutique Hotels in new destinations – I think they’re the best way to get a real feel for the culture. If I’m travelling to a place I go frequently, I’ll look for a Marriott!

Favourite airline?

Alaska if I’m flying domestic and Virgin Atlantic or Emirates if I’m going further afield.

What’s on your travel playlist?

Always Klingande – Jubel!

I also love to download podcasts for the journey, I’ll often put one on and fall asleep on the plane to it. A favourite is How I Built This.

Where next?

I just got back from Seattle yesterday and will be heading to LA in a few days. I’ve been travelling every 6/7 days for the past couple months, it’s crazy! After LA, I’m heading to Dallas for the first time – I’m excited.

My next international trips this year are UK (where I’m from!), Bali and Singapore.

What are your must-have travel picks?

CalPak Packing Cubes – I put everything into different bags and it makes it so easy to repack and find my things.

Bose QuietComfort Headphones – they block out all noise and they’re so comfortable to wear! I call them my people blockers.

Lunya leggings – They look so chic and also so comfortable.

Vitamin C serum – I always give myself a facial massage with this on the plane. It reduces any puffiness and helps you look awake and bright when you land!