Wellness With Natalie Holloway | Bala Founder on Movement, Motherhood & Sustainable Wellness
Natalie Holloway is the co-founder and CEO of Bala, the wellness brand that transformed fitness accessories into a cultural phenomenon. Since launching Bala in 2018, she has built a global business rooted in the belief that movement should be accessible, joyful, and seamlessly integrated into everyday life. A former advertising executive, Natalie took a leap of faith to pursue entrepreneurship and has since grown Bala into one of the most recognizable brands in modern wellness. She is also the host of the Life After Small Business podcast and the author of Bootstrap Empire, a practical guide to building a successful business from the ground up without outside funding. A mother of three and passionate advocate for sustainable habits, Natalie approaches wellness with the same philosophy that shaped her career: start small, stay consistent, and trust the power of incremental progress.
Q: You left a successful advertising career, built Bala, three kids under five, a global brand, a book, and a podcast later, what does actually taking care of your body look like in the middle of all that? What non-negotiables keep you going?
A: Some days are absolutely insane. But my best days look like little to no meetings, connecting with family and friends, slow mornings with my kids, and a sauna/journaling session. Right now I try to bake in monthly facials or massages and I try to hit a studio 2-3 times a week for a workout. I’m loving Y7, Prana Wellness, and Savor + Sweat in Austin.
Q: Your new book Bootstrap Empire is about starting small, thinking big, and rejecting perfection — do you apply that same mindset to your health? What's one "small start" in wellness that's made a big difference for you?
A: I think people massively underestimate the power of small habits done consistently. Bala honestly started from that exact philosophy. You do not need a perfect business plan, perfect workout routine, or a two hour wellness ritual to change your life. You just need to start.
One of the biggest shifts for me health-wise was reframing movement as something that could fit into my actual life instead of needing its own perfectly curated moment. Especially after having kids, I stopped chasing perfection and started stacking habits. A 20 minute walk while taking a call. Bala Bangles while running around with the kids. Sauna instead of doom scrolling at night. Tiny things that sound insignificant but compound over time.
I think wellness gets intimidating when people think it has to look extreme to count. The “small starts” are usually the things that actually stick.
Q: A morning (or nightly) ritual you swear by?
A: Not looking at my phone the first hour of the day and Journaling in the sauna when I can get to it in the morning or mid morning.
Q: What's your favorite Juna product and how do you incorporate it into your everyday routine?
A: Obsessed with the Detox Chlorophyll Drops. I use them in my water every day.
Q: What’s a wellness trend or practice you’ve tried recently that you love?
A: Facial lymphatic draining sculpting massage
Q: Current Favorite Book/Podcast/Playlist/App?
Reading Disrupt-Her by Miki Agrawal! And love The Almanack of Naval Ravikant
Follow Natalie's journey @natalieholloway
