Rising Stars: Meet Natalie Forand of Old Town, Scottsdale

Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalie Forand

Hi Natalie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story starts on the East Coast in CT where I was raised by my grandparents since I was a baby. I was a dancer for 15 years and competitive cheerleader but my heart was always online. I started a Youtube channel in middle school + built my page up to 10,000 subscribers, which in 2010 was a lot. I loved talking to the camera + editing + sharing things about my life + products I loved. I always dreamt of moving out West + talked about it constantly.

I took a break from pursuing social media full time while I finished high school + went through college. Instagram + other apps had been out by now so I was always still interested + honestly regretful of stopping. But I felt very pressured to pursue a college career rather than something unconventional like social media. The people around me saw it as a hobby rather than a career + i let that influence me. I did 4 years at the University of Rhode Island in their Textiles, Fashion Merchandising + Design program. Once finishing, I went back to my job at Abercrombie + Fitch + worked my way from Assistant to Store Manager.

I managed my own store for a year and a half before being presented with my first PTO opportunity. I didnt want to waste my days off but I didnt know where to go to vacation on my own. None of my friends had time off or were available to do something with me. That night I had a dream that I took my solo vacation to Arizona. I had never been out West so I had no clue where I would go in AZ. When I was talking to my coworkers the next day, one of them mentioned how her parents just got back from Sedona + she said I should look into there. I was immediately surprised by how beautiful AZ is + I had my trip booked.

I got here + intended to use the 10 days to hike + meditate + figure out what I really wanted + needed to be happy. But on my 2nd day, I met 2 people on the side of Cathedral Rock that changed my life. I was struggling with the climb + after they helped me they offered to all go get food. I joined them + we all really hit it off. I was mentioning how I was here self-discovering + was considering moving out West. They lived in Scottsdale + randomly, after 1 day of knowing me invited me to drive back with them the next day + stay with them to see if I wanted to live here. I was shocked but had a good gut feeling + checked out of my hotel in Sedona + drove back to Scottsdale.

It was the beginning of Covid in 2020 so in the 10 days of me being in AZ, my mall in CT closed + we were furlouged leaving me without a job. I took this as a universal sign to take advantage of this refresh + really pursue my dreams.

So I broke my lease on my CT apartment, moved my stuff to AZ + started doing social media full time again for the first time in almost 6 years. And the rest is history! I have been in Scottsdale for 4 years now, posting about all the amazing restaurants, fun things to do, affordable fashion finds + anything else in my life! I am so happy being my own boss + being in charge of my own future all while being surrounded by the most beautiful mountain-scape + sunset.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has never been a smooth road for me. I was raised by my grandparents because my father was not involved at all + my mother had mental health problems. Our relationship was difficult + strained. She passed when I was 12 from cancer. I never really grieved losing her so as I got older + entered college + saw the close, beautiful relationships my peers had with their parents, stirred a lot of the trauma + unprocessed emotions up for me because I struggled with depression + anxiety my entire college career.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I would say I specialize in romanticizing life + enjoying/appreciating every second of it. My personal favorite thing to film is my “Outfit of the Days” + my favorite thing to edit are my vlogs! I think what sets me apart is my desire to stay relatable to the community I build online. My goal is to not make my social media pages a highlight reel of only the positive. I want my followers to feel like theyre on Facetime with a friend + I think I’m off to a good start with that!

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
The thing I like most about our city is the opportunity for everyone to find something to do. Whether you want to catch a Suns game or go to a comedy show, go on a morning hike or have a really good meal with a fun atmosphere can all be done here!

The thing I like the least is the vanity. I feel like worrying so much about the outside starts to reflect + affect what is on the inside and I’ve unfortunately noticed that.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blondepersonatalie
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@blondepersonatalie