Finding What Fires You UP! With Natalia Castillo

What makes you happy, and what do you love doing? Have you discovered what sparks the fire within you? Natalia Castillo, born and raised in Colombia, went to the US, where she learned to adjust and build her career. Natalia won the title of Ms. Texas Latina beauty pageant in 2014. She used this as another opportunity and platform for women empowerment to boost their confidence and unleash the best versions of themselves. That is the main reason Natalia created Fireyoup. This is a program to help women achieve their highest potential and get rid of mental limitations that are stopping them from living the life they want to live. So listen and find the fire within you!

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If you are interested in joining FIREYOUP, visit this page.

Need Clarity? 3 Simple Questions to boost your clarity and make authentic decisions that lead to fulfilling outcomes. You also have journaling space for each question so you can capture your insights.

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Let's Connect! 

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Finding What Fires You UP! With Natalia Castillo

I am beyond excited to have with me, Natalia Castillo. She is the Founder of the FIREYOUP Movement and the Director of Miss Texas Latina. I feel you and I have a very common vision and mission, which is to empower as many women as we can. I cannot hear more about your story. How are you doing? Thank you for being here.

Thank you so much for having me. I love this space and energy you've created here in your show. I want to thank you so much for this opportunity. I am Natalia Castillo. I was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia. We also have that in common. We're both Latina. God gave me the opportunity to come to this country at the age of eighteen. I came here to learn English, which you've also been there.

That's the journey we went through, but I know that God brought me here for a purpose and a reason. I didn't understand it at the beginning. It took me a long time to get used to the culture and start building my career and life here. Several years later, I cannot tell you how happy I am to be in this country and live the dream of doing everything I was born to do.

I studied Advertising and Marketing at the University of Houston. After that, I worked in my field for about ten years and got the opportunity to participate in a beauty pageant. They invited me to participate and I had the opportunity to win the Miss Texas Latina title in 2014. That's where my passion for empowering women was born. It is when I was a titleholder and I was given the opportunity and the platform to touch lives at a different level and connect at a human level with women.

Slowly but surely, once I finished my reign and all that, I was like, "There is more that we can be doing with these women and how to change their perspective in life." I started growing my platform and directing the pageant. It has been years since I've directed Miss Texas Latina. I have the opportunity also to help women of all ages and backgrounds with FIREYOUP. It was born and inspired by the beauty pageant. I want to help women feel confident and happy about who they are, learn to get to know themselves and take them into self-discovery.

There is so much here that I want to talk about. You studied Marketing and Advertising. You had a piece of your career there and then somewhere, you switched. How did you gain that clarity? How do you find your purpose? How did that process happen?

That happened by putting myself out there and trying new things. New experiences always bring you discovery. They bring you things that maybe you never know you're good at. When a friend of mine invited me to participate in this pageant, I never thought I could do that. I was like, "Are you kidding me? I'm 5 feet tall. Beauty queens in Columbia are 6 feet tall. I always had the stereotype about beauty queens that they are perfect, beautiful and tall. I never saw myself as one.

I decided to go for it because this organization doesn't look for a certain height or weight. They are more looking for someone who wants to make an impact. I say, "I think I can do that and try it out." I had never been in front of a crowd and done public speaking ever, but the pageant gave me the opportunity to learn to walk in heels, public speak and answer a question on stage.

Slowly but surely, I started learning new talents that I had as far as emceeing. I started emceeing different shows. Little by little, I started finding passion and a lot of fulfillment in all those scenarios. The next thing you know, I started growing my network with my sponsors and the people I connected with when I was a titleholder. When it came down to finishing my reign and crowning the next girl, the founder of the organization said, "You've done a good job as a beauty queen. It's time for you to take over and direct the pageant."

I was like, "What?" I started understanding that maybe God provided me with that experience of going through the pageant to then learn how to do it, and learn the struggles that the girls go through, be a director and do the best that I can. It's been amazing. To answer your question, the transition happened when I started doing more and more on the pageant and the FIREYOUP field that my career started shifting. It was time to make the change and find what I wanted to do.

I went for it. It hasn't been an easy journey. I do have to say this. It hasn't been easy leading something that was so safe and secure. You know this because you also went through a change. I also feel like the fulfillment is unmatched. Seeing these women transform is what keeps me going every day and that motivates me. It’s meeting people like you, connecting with people who have similar missions and passions and want to help. I'm living my purpose.

One of the things to gain clarity is to take action. It's experimenting and trying new things. You are the perfect example of that because sometimes people expect clarity as this thing that is going to come out of nowhere. You got to get uncomfortable and burn the bridges. It's an extremist way of thinking, but sometimes you got to do it like that.

You step out of your comfort zone and you discover a lot of things. I also think you discover things that you don't like and maybe areas that you need to work on. That's another great thing about putting yourself out there. It's not only discovering great things but also things that we have to focus on and grow more on and surround ourselves with people that are going to help us in those areas. That is FIREYOUP and we fire up women.

I know I'll be part of it. I'll be one of the coaches. I cannot wait because I truly believe in your mission. Something that I admire about you is you take massive action. You're like, "I have this idea. Let's make it happen." You do it in big ways. That's something that I appreciate in you from the entrepreneurial and the human being you are. Whenever you started this new journey and you started growing, tell me a little bit about the confidence aspect of it because there is a new field that you haven't ever been exposed to. There is a new belief in the self that you have to start embracing. How did that transition?

Strive to learn more and more everyday about mental health because it will help you in the long run.

 

To be 100% honest with you, those are the things that people always ask me like, "How are you so confident? How are you out there and fearless?” The truth is that I still have a fear when I do it. I still get nervous when I'm on stage and competing. I do fitness competitions too. I go out there, emceeing a show or about to do anything big or massive, I'm terrified and scared.

The key is doing it regardless of the fear. I always tell the girls, "The only fear that you have to have is having fear. Let that go because that's not going to let you explore." The minute that you say, "I am nervous, but I'm going to turn these nerves and energy into excitement." You're able to make that mental and energy switch. You use that fear in momentum and make it energy and something exciting.

Emotion is energy in motion. You got to move to create that traction. She works out every morning and she is like, "I'm ready, go." I love that because it is true. Many things start with moving. You got to move to get unstuck, even mentally. You got to move physically.

As you were saying earlier, action creates momentum and that's the most important. It starts with moving your body. If I don't workout in the morning, my brain doesn't function. Those are things that were left from a clinical depression that I had back in 2008. That was a pretty scary time that I went through, but I learned that when you take care of your body and soul, you can live life to the fullest.

I am so grateful that I went through that experience because it allowed me to see a totally different side of this world. It allowed me to have more compassion for people who are going through depression. People who have anxiety and struggle with mental health have a very soft spot in my heart. It's something that I have educated myself on. I learned more and more every day about mental health. I'm super passionate about the topic. We all should learn more about it. That way, we can be more patient with ourselves, have more self-compassion and accept the things that we cannot change, but also work on the things that we can. FIREYOUP has a huge part of that. We give a fitness nutrition challenge and we get you moving.

Tell us more about FIREYOUP. How do you get the idea of creating it? A lot of our readers are trying to gain clarity in their careers. They're trying to seek their passion and purpose. Maybe they have this idea, but they're afraid of executing it. Tell us about that first event. Were you nervous? How do you find the girls that joined? What's the whole creation process?

Everything that happens to you in life and every single job or every encounter that you have prepares you for the next level. Sometimes you don't understand it. I have to share this, but I was a waitress for a long time while going to school and paying for my degree. Waitressing and waiting on people helped me so much with people skills. It helped me understand sales and marketing. When I went to school and finished my degree, I started working in my career being an event coordinator. I met a ton of vendors and people with that I connected and had the experience of how to plan events.

I became the beauty queen and started learning more about speaking and all that. When I made the switch to I need to create something else, which is FIREYOUP, it's because I saw the need for women that would apply for the program that we already had, which was Miss Texas Latina. They would want to join because of the experience that was provided, the events, the growth and the transformation. It's not so much about, "I want to be a queen or the crown or the sash," but they wanted to learn that extra confidence, step out of their comfort zone, have fun and meet other women.

That's when I knew that we needed to create a space for women to come and learn together and to be in a safe space where we're not judged. We can open up and learn from each other because everything that you've been through in your story is a huge blessing to the world. If we understand the power of your struggles and what you've been through and your story, we can do a ripple effect and change society.

I love that you're mentioning that with every experience you had in your life, you were building up to where you are now. When you look back, all the dots connect in perfect sequence in order for you to be here.

I do believe that what we are doing now also has a bigger purpose later on. It’s understanding, being present, and enjoying every second step of the way all the challenges that come our way. That's another thing. Sometimes people see me and they're like, "You're always happy. Everything goes out for you." I'm like, "It's not that easy and perfect."

I also have setbacks. I stumble. Every day, I have challenges that I have to face, but those things that God is putting me through now are preparing me for what's coming next. I'm like, "God, I've been here before. You always pull through. You always help me so I'm going to accept what it is now.” I try to learn from the experience and whatever it is that I'm going through, and help as many people as I can even when things are not going the way you think that they should be going.

One of my favorite speakers said, "In order to feel fulfilled, there are two elements of the equation, growing and giving." How can we grow if we don't face challenges? I was facing a challenge and I was like, "This is a perfect opportunity to keep growing. You got this. Keep pushing." I love that you see that the same way because it's how we run bigger organizations and events.

If we wouldn't go through the hard times and the hardships, we're not prepared for the next level. I think that comes with a lot of maturity and it's not easy. Once again, I want to tell everybody out there. If you want to be an entrepreneur and start your own thing, it's going to be hard. It’s going to be a ton of work, and you have to surround yourself with people that believe in what you're doing and who will fire you up when you're stumbling or falling. I strongly believe that with faith, fitness and nutrition, and a lot of determination, you can do anything.

Taking care of yourself should be a priority.

 

Sometimes you need to learn the course from someone else to keep going. That's what I see. I think the community is a big aspect and that's something you touch in FIREYOUP. How do the readers know if FIREYOUP is the right thing for them? Who are the girls that are coming to this amazing event?

FIREYOUP is open to all nationalities and ages, which is fascinating. In the beginning, I wasn't sure if we should limit the age or do a minimum of age and maximum. I started realizing and noticing that the young ones learn so much from the older ones, but the older ones get so much out of the younger participants. It's open to everybody who wants to polish themselves, feel a lot better with themselves and build that confidence like speaking in front of a crowd.

Maybe that has been a fear of yours for a long time. This is the opportunity to do it in a safe space, conquer those fears and focus again on finding yourself. We get a lot of applications from women that feel they're in a funk. They feel something is missing that they've lost that fire and motivation to get up and do something else. That's what we want. We want to give them an opportunity to meet wonderful people like you and get inspired by the people that come in touch with the program, but also with the other participants.

The community once again is gold. It's so important to surround yourself with those people like Susan. She is a great friend of ours. She is a participant of FIREYOUP Season 1 and an ambassador of our program. She connected us. There's so much power in that and the fact that the women that go through the program also want to give back. We've had a lot of participants that become sponsors afterwards. They want to help another woman go through the program and they pay for their fees.

I saw a sponsorship event on your social media.

We have opportunities for scholarships for women who cannot afford it but want to do it and are willing to put themselves 100% in the program. Every single workshop that we teach you focuses 100% on your mental state and fixing your mind first and then the outside. Many people think, "I have to put makeup on and I'll feel amazing." I'm like, "That only lasts for a few minutes and hours. What about deeper confidence? That is so important.

Has it happened to you that sometimes you're happy? It doesn't matter how many challenges happen outside of you, you're like, "I'm ready. Let's go." If you are sad inside, maybe these great events happen, you just don't match that event emotionally. You're like, "Everything sucks," even if there is something great happening outside. The key is what Natalia is saying. It is mastering your internal state because the external will follow. It doesn't matter what happens around you.

It's so important and to your point, it is very true. There are a lot of people that live their life in a very dark space mentally. They don't do anything about it because sometimes they get used to that feeling. Once you're stuck in that feeling and you keep surrounding yourself with the same people and you keep doing the same thing, you don't break the bad habits, you're going to live a very unfulfilling life. We all learned this lesson with COVID and everything that has happened in the last few years. Living life with the small moments and enjoying now and being present.

That's one of the things that my dad reminds me of every single day, "Live for today and today only." Don't worry about what happened yesterday or what's going to happen. That's not even true yet, but the conversations you have with people today, the beautiful weather, just the small things. That is also a thing that we push our participants to do. It’s to be more present. Our phones and technology are important. Sometimes we get wrapped up in that because we have to do it, but FIREYOUP gives them an opportunity to disconnect from that world and connect with themselves and with other beautiful women.

Connect to your own input because the reality is we are filled with everyone else's input, even a book, TV, people. Sometimes you need to connect inside to know what you need outside. You mentioned some of the participants may feel stuck or missing that fire in them. What is it after? After they go to FIREYOUP, how are they?

There is a beautiful transformation that goes through it. My favorite is seeing the moms. They go through the program and their kids go and celebrate with them at the Celebration of Enlightenment. They are glowing. To me, that's so special because some of these women have never had an opportunity to feel that energy, success and feeling good. However, after the program of FIREYOUP, that's when the real transformation happens because it's when they practice everything that they've learned in the program.

It's up to them to stay on top of the new habits that we've helped them build. I think that it is extremely important to continue the community and stay connected with the other participants. I've seen a lot of FIREYOUP participants in the past who do business together with other women who participated and women who started their own business. I can always see that connection and I love that. I wish that we could do more and keep going every month or something, but I have other responsibilities. I love the fact that the women after the program have a new energy about them and have a sense of purpose. That's extremely important.

The more we share our stories, maybe our readers will be inspired to create a similar group. Maybe you cannot do it by yourself. We'll all do our share and our part. We'll keep empowering the world.

Every single one of us has the power to impact someone else in a positive light. It's up to us to get out of our comfort everyday life and go out there and say, "Who can I be a blessing for now?" Make it a mission to make someone else's day better. It can be so simple. It doesn't have to be starting a whole organization and doing it if you don't have the time or maybe the energy, but it can be the small things of being kind to someone else. Many and all of us, human nature is always going through something. We're battling every day. We're all dealing with family stuff and difficulties at work. We are dealing with a lot of things that are against us, but if we're kind to each other, it's an easier world to live in.

You have the power in you to make a difference in the world.

 

Sometimes I think of a random person and share with them a kind message about something they did in the past. I feel that's even a smaller but meaningful way to do something about it.

Also, reaching out to people to check on them. It’s not so much of like, "What are you doing?" It's very superficial but, "How are you doing? Let's go workout together. Is there something that you need to share with someone?" A lot of women bottle up a lot of emotions and things that have happened to them. When you don't release those emotions, there is a limit. Every human being has a cap.

What a wonderful thing to be able to be someone's outlet like, “Let's go on a walk to the park or jump on a call.” It doesn't have to be elaborated as meeting in person but being there for someone and checking on people to see how they are doing. I am very blessed. It's very challenging for me. I had a random friend. I love her very much, but out of the blue, she said, "I wanted to check on you. I was checking on you."

It made a total difference because then I was like, "Yes, I need to talk to someone. Thank you so much." We met for a coffee. It was so healing and liberating. I'm telling you, it's like, "Why cannot we all be like that for somebody else?" I encourage our readers and everybody that's reading this, you have the power in you to also make a difference in the world. When you do that for someone else and give back, that's when your struggles become less.

In order to receive, you got to give back energetically in everything else. It works out also in your favor.

I love everything that you do as well. I've been following you for a while on Instagram. Instagram is the best, but I love the gift you are also to the world and everything you are providing. I'm excited about what are you doing in FIREYOUP.

We'll be having a workshop. It's something that you mentioned that to move forward, you got to release what is limiting you. You got to release those negative emotions and limiting beliefs. This is something I do in my coaching program too. I'll be doing some of that with them. Part of the release is a forgiveness meditation. Many times, we have a lot of interactions that create tension between us. We don't do a cleansing of those interactions. We'll be doing a lot of forgiveness work, which I think is going to be very healing for the participants.

It's liberating and you take a huge weight off your shoulders. You start a new chapter. You say, "I'm going to pass this page and begin a new chapter of my life." I'm so grateful.

This is going to be wonderful. I'm so excited. Thank you for the opportunity too. I wouldn't be there if it wasn't for you. I appreciate you. Some of our readers are very interested in that transition to entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship can be a lonely journey if you are not intentional about connecting with those like-minded individuals.

Yes and also having a very strong why. Before you jump on board on whatever it is that you're passionate about or want to do, understand that your why is what's going to carry you through the hard times. There have been times that I'm like, "I'm going back to corporate." My why and seeing these women transform, I'm like, "That's my why." I refocus and I'm like, "God, you brought me here. Continue giving me the energy that I need to continue blessing these people, and creating this movement and momentum where people can create, keep going with their path and help other women.

Part of that why is having the long-term vision of a compelling future because in the worst days of our lives, the only hope we have is the hope of a compelling future or a better tomorrow. Creating that for us is super important.

It's a hard balance to find where you are hopeful for what's coming and having ambition and drive is a great thing. I have to say that for sure and but also learning and understanding to celebrate the small beginnings and where we are now. There have been many times when you ignore or forget that where we are now is what we dreamt of. Wherever you are in life, no matter where you are, remember that you pray for this day one day.

Whatever the scenario, even if it was being able to go to school or finding a significant other that you love and respect, anything that you have in your life right now, that comes with a lot of gratitude, which is another huge part of FIREYOUP. It's focusing on being grateful for the opportunities and our health. It’s filling our hearts with gratitude instead of, "I wish I had this and more of that." Where we find happiness is by being grateful.

Trade your expectations for appreciation and your whole life will change.

It’s a great blessing to meet women and learn from them.

 

I was talking to my dad about this. My dad is my mentor. I love him so much. He's the creative director of FIREYOUP. He lives in Colombia but we chat about everything every day. He was like, "It's so important not to expect anything from anyone for anything."

It's one of the biggest lessons.

You were going to be disappointed. Have no expectations but be grateful for what's coming and when things happen that are good, you're like, "Whoa." It's been a fun journey, I can tell you that. I feel very blessed to have this opportunity and to meet women. When I chatted on the phone with the participants who applied, we had this conversation about what they wanted or their goals. I get very excited. At the same time, I understand it's a huge responsibility. I don't bring anyone on board because it's a big responsibility.

They are trusting us with so much in their lives. It's important to respect where they are but also provide them with a sense of love, positivity and create an environment where they feel safe, supported and loved like physical touch and giving a hug. That is important for us as humans. I am so happy that you're jumping on board. Your beautiful energy is going to be amazing for them. Thank you again.

Let's talk a little bit about mental health. What is your daily routine? I'm always curious about every guest. What are they doing on a daily basis to continue investing in themselves?

I get up. Sometimes I struggle with the alarm clock because I snooze sometimes. Getting up early in the morning already gives me a sense of victory. It adds up like, "I got up early. I'm going to start my day." It's definitely coffee, first thing. I'm Colombian. We have been drinking coffee since we were five years old. I drink my coffee. I try to eat something before my workout. In that way, I can go all out. I go to the gym and that's it. I work out. I do my weights and cardio. It doesn't have to be a long session for it to be successful. I was chatting with one of my great friends and workout partners. We were all both saying, “The fact that we made it is already a victory.”

Sometimes mentally, it is getting to the gym and moving your body. Even if it's 30, 45 minutes, whatever it is that you can afford as far as time. After that, I shower and start doing my emails, getting on phone calls and getting ready for whatever it is. If there's a meeting or any invitation that I have, networking and all that. I do some marketing and social media. That's part of our job. We got to do sales and marketing, which is another thing that we include in the program. We’re teaching our participants to understand how to present themselves in the best light. At the end of the day, we're selling every day. We’re selling ourselves, ideas, style and everything.

Sometimes we have to sell ourselves, but having your own brand and your own identity also gives you that confidence. It’s building that and learning what triggers me or things that maybe are going to trigger me throughout the day. I know myself. I know that maybe spending too much time doing social media or things like that can affect my mental. I was like, "Let's put the phone down for a little bit." I try to create those spaces in which I'm more balanced.

Even breaking the habit by listening to a song in the middle of the day to break it up and change your energy and emotions. We have so much power over how we feel that sometimes we don't even understand how powerful it is. You can completely break the energy of your body by taking some time to breathe. Let's breathe for five minutes and you feel completely different.

A lot of times, our mind is in the future or the past. We are not here. This is the only moment like your dad says. It's coming back into now.

That's part of my journey. I talk to my dad on a daily basis. He's part of my daily routine. Both of my parents are huge inspirations, but my dad has been a huge role model for me. He's taught me a lot of things about life. The determination that he lives with every day inspires me so much. He goes through chaos every day back home and still handles himself in such a grateful matter. He enjoys little moments. He's a very great role model for me. I love my dad. That's pretty much my day.

We're in the middle of the season and we are about to kick off FIREYOUP. I have a lot more phone calls. I'm on the phone a lot. It's so funny because some of the participants call or schedule their application and they're like, "I didn't know it was going to be you calling. I thought it was going to be someone else." It's part of the fulfillment. Even if they don't join, talking to them about it is part of the excitement and the fulfillment that I get out of it.

This interview has been so inspiring, Natalia. I appreciate you taking the time to share your inspiring story with everyone else. That's how we create that trickle effect of inspiring each other. Where can they find more about you or get information on FIREYOUP? Give us all the goodies here.

I would say my Instagram is the easiest way to find everything that I'm involved in @IAmNataliaCastillo. That's where you find FIREYOUP, Miss Texas Latina and everything that I've done. If you're interested in participating in FIREYOUP, it’s FIREYOUP.com. Send your application. We only have five spots. We have about anywhere from 20 to 25. It depends on each season.

You get to know each other. It's cozy and warm.

We want it to be an intimate experience in which we can also share on a one-on-one basis with the coaches too and not have such a big group where there is not that connection. I would encourage every reader who joined us to take care of your mental health on those daily habits. Pay attention to how much you're sleeping and how you're sleeping. Sleep is another big part of my day that I forgot to mention, and having a support system. My husband is a huge part of everything that I do, but also having him at home gives me that home to come no matter what happens. That foundation is so important.

I encourage you, ladies, out there and everybody who's reading this to pick the people around you very selectively. Don't be random with who you allow yourself to hang out with because those people have a huge impact on your life. I do want to leave your readers with that. Reach out if you need any help. If we can be helpful to somebody, by all means, we're here. Thank you so much for this. It's so inspiring to be talking to someone like you.

I appreciate you being here. Our readers, please follow her on Instagram and social media, check FIREYOUP, everything to support you and your community, which is all of us.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, everyone. See you on the next episode.

Important Links:

• FIREYOUP
• Miss Texas Latina
• @IAmNataliaCastillo – Instagram
• https://www.YBCoaching.com/Clarity
• https://www.YBCoaching.com/Wellness5MinsRoutine
• https://www.Facebook.com/YanetBCoaching
• https://www.Instagram.com/YanetBCoaching/
• https://www.LinkedIn.com/company/yanet-borrego-coaching/?viewAsMember=true
• https://www.YouTube.com/channel/UCqxL829o0Vk-QdY12F-GgMw

 About Natalia Castillo

Natalia was born and raised in the beautiful South American country of Colombia, Natalia prides herself in her Latin Heritage and cultural traditions. After moving to the United States at the tender age of 18, Natalia received her B.A. in Advertising and Public Relations from the University of Houston in 2012.

This Colombian firecracker has a bubbly personality and also is known to set sparks in the Fitness and Pageant world as a 3X Ms. Bikini Universe Pro Champion, Model Champion America, Miss Houston Latina 2014, Miss Texas Latina 2015, current Director of the Miss Texas Latina Organization and Founder of Fireyoup Movement.

She’s also a social connector and female motivator like no other! This powerhouse brings along with her, a wealth of knowledge about Nutrition and Fitness. She definitely knows how to bring the heat on any stage. She is excited and passionate to continue to use her forces to further empower America’s women.