Hello! I’m Betsy, and I’m so happy that you’ve found your way to Natty Gal! I started this blog on a whim in 2016 thinking it could be a fun, creative outlet to counter-balance my analytical day job. In early 2017, a friend found me online organically. When she realized I was Natty Gal, she encouraged me to start putting myself out there and letting friends and family know about the site. In mid-2018, we took the step of getting professionally branded and we’ve been growing ever since!
I am truly committed to cultivating a life of less stuff and more substance and love helping others to do the same! On Natty Gal, that mission manifests itself in posts about fashion, lifestyle, and travel. For years, I maintained that I was doing the right things. But I just wasn’t feeling like how I’d imagined. Life was chaotic, overwhelming, and draining. I wasn’t focusing on what made my life feel meaningful. But I started paring down (both literally and figuratively) and what a difference that made! Life today is simpler and so much more fulfilling. It’s the life I’ve always dreamed of and now I want to share my tips and inspiration for getting there with YOU!
Five Random Facts About Me
1. Confession: I’m a Late Bloomer.
A very late bloomer. I admit it. As a child I was friendly and fearless but when I transitioned into my tween years, I became much less confident. Depressed. Overly preoccupied with what others think. You know how it goes. It wasn’t until my (gulp) early-40’s that I started working things out and really focusing on how to improve myself and start living my best life. Not just dreaming about it or talking about it, but taking actionable steps to DO IT!
2. My Degree is in Business Management… BUT I’ve Always Been Enamored with Creative Pursuits.
I have a BBA in Marketing and Business Management from Kent State University and an MBA from Case Western Reserve in Cleveland. The bulk of my work life has been spent in healthcare-related marketing and consulting. But I didn’t start out with that goal in mind! Initially, my dream was to study fashion merchandising. I’ve always had an interest in fashion as well as interior design. However, my pragmatic parents convinced me that business might be a more versatile degree to earn. Oh, and I had a little trouble passing the chemistry courses required by the fashion school! 
3. I’ve Got a Few Quirks!
I’ve got many quirks that likely drive friends and family nuts. I’m a neat freak and love to organize. I’m a (friendly) introvert. I don’t always finish my sentences when talking. I use too many exclamation points both on the blog and in my personal life. I can’t stand over the sink when I brush my teeth, I walk around the house instead. I believe the toilet lid should be put down after every use. That’s why they made a lid for it, right? Believe gum chewing is kinda gross and shouldn’t be done in public. I often get faint when having my blood pressure taken (I know, cray-cray). And so on…
4. Natty Guy & I Went to the Same High School.
Both my husband and I were born and raised in Northeast Ohio. We currently live in the town where we both grew up and went to high school – a suburb mid-way between Cleveland and Akron. We didn’t actually know each other in high school (I’m a few years older) but had mutual friends in common that we met through in our early 20s. We married in our early 30s and were proud parents to a Bichon Frise-Poodle mix named Pucci, whom we sadly lost unexpectedly in 2018. 
In August, 2019 we became fur parents for a second time when we welcomed Dolce to our home.
5. I’m (Perhaps Surprisingly) Adventurous!
I love to travel, both to beautiful parts of the world and those less explored. I even traveled to the Middle East by myself to meet up with a girlfriend (whom I hadn’t seen in 10+ years) to explore the fantastic country of Jordan! I’ll eat and drink all the odd things you find when traveling, mostly with no ill effects. I’ve gone hang-gliding in Rio de Janeiro. Tried rock climbing and scuba diving in my 40’s. Took surf lessons in Hawaii. And so much more!
So now that you know a bit about me, what’s next? Well, I’d love for you to subscribe to Natty Gal so that we can continue to get to know each other better! And follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and the LiketoKnowit app for additional content that doesn’t always make it to the blog.
Natty Gal in the News
Play CLE’s 100+ of the Best Blogs in Cleveland to Follow; April, 2019
Article link HERE.
Play CLE’s “Best Twitter Accounts in CLE”; March, 2019
Selected as one of the “Best Twitter Accounts in CLE” during the Play CLE March Madness 2019 Twitter tournament. Made it to the Elite Eight!
Resilientista’s What Real Women Are Wearing;Winter 2018
Article link HERE.
Fashionably Cleveland Blog Spotlight feature; July, 2017
Article link HERE.
Keaton Row’s #KRDailyLook feature; September, 2014
