We’re looking forward to introducing you to Natalie Boehm MBA, RBLP-T. Check out our conversation below.
Natalie , so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
I recently saw a positive change in myself that I didn’t think was possible. I experienced a lot of medical trauma as a child, resulting in my not having healthy relationships with my doctors or medical team. I was battling cancer in 2023 and 2024 at the same time my father was. I am very blessed that they caught it in time and I am doing well. My father on the other hand is getting closer to death and I have been experiencing a lot of survivor’s guilt. It caused my health to go down and I made the decision to listen to the doctor and get help. It was a long journey, I was in therapy for five days a week through intensive outpatient since June and just finished. I was determined to get through it and didn’t care what others thought. My family, friends, work, my passions, all meant so much more. When I saw my doctor this week, he told me how proud he was of me for completing everything that I did. It felt wonderful to go from a difficult patient to one who can have a professional and positive doctor-patient relationship. Plus, I feel I was able to set a positive example for the community I am part of and advocate for which makes me feel even more dedicated to my work.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Natalie Boehm, and I am the president and founder of The Defeating Epilepsy Foundation. Our mission is to provide advocacy and educational resources to the epilepsy community, and we help individuals with other neurological and neurodivergent conditions.
My passion for my work starts with the fact that I have been battling epilepsy for 45 years, and my seizures have been controlled for the past 21 years. Despite the advances that have been made in treating epilepsy, many do not know what epilepsy is or that it even exists. The result is a very negative stigma, resulting in many people not being able to obtain employment, proper healthcare, educational opportunities, and more. It is a very complex condition because epilepsy is caused by many factors, such as genetic mutation, traumatic brain injury, infections, and more. There are many different types of epilepsy as well as seizures. When it comes to medication, what works for one patient can kill another, making it challenging for physicians to find the right medication or combination to get seizures under control. Many with genetic mutations face conditions such as autism and cerebral palsy as well.
What sets us apart from other organizations is that the funds that we bring in go right back out to the community through our programs. Since we launched in 2020, we have awarded 11 college scholarships and 5 seizure-dog grants. We are an all-volunteer organization, and many members of our team have epilepsy, as well as a loved one with epilepsy. We collaborate with local organizations, as well as receive smaller donations from our supporters.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who taught you the most about work?
I started working very young for my stepfather and mother, who had two businesses. While as a child I didn’t appreciate what I was being taught, I would have much rather played, I see now the benefits I gained from working when I was younger. I developed a strong work ethic, I love accomplishing goals and helping others, and I can set a positive example, especially for those in my community.
Learning how to run a business from a young age taught me the importance of survival and taking pride in what you do. Things are not going to be handed to you; very few experience that. Learning how to work from a young age helped me in setting educational goals, career goals, and even personal goals. Rather than seeing work as a chore, you can see it as a way to build yourself up and develop into the person you want to be. I have seen people who have more challenging disabilities than I have establish a career. They made up their mind that, despite their situation, they had the strength to do something remarkable with their lives. I want to set that kind of example when it comes to my work and encourage others to do the same.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
In 2023, I was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. It was a very exhausting experience, and in 8 months, I had two surgeries. It was challenging enough dealing with epilepsy, but adding cancer to the list really had an impact on me. By the beginning of 2025, I was starting to burn out and was in denial. My father, who has been battling bladder cancer for 13 years now, has been so supportive, and we have been accountability buddies as we have gone through care. Because of him, other family members, and friends, it gave me the strength to step back and set some reasonable goals, so I wouldn’t give up.
As I was receiving care to recover, at times I started to doubt if I could continue my work due to the challenges I was facing. I have been beyond blessed that many members of my team stepped up and helped so I could focus on my health and recover. They wouldn’t allow me to give up after all the work we have done. I’m happy to say I am in a much better place than I was just 6 months ago, and I am returning to work full-time after the new year.
One thing I can say when it comes to giving up, rather than giving up, take a step back and see where you are with things. So many of us, when things are not working out, put ourselves down and say we failed. Most of the time, though, we just need to take a step back and make changes to help increase our chances of succeeding. That is the one thing I would advise to anyone reading this. When you feel like giving up, give yourself some grace and see that you are much more capable than you give yourself credit for.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
One person I truly admire for their character is Paul Stanley from KISS. He is my favorite musician, and I feel he has been very open and vulnerable about his life experiences. He opened up about his own health challenges as a child, having microtia (ear deformity) and atresia (hearing impairment) in his right ear. Despite not being able to hear out of his right ear, he became an amazing musician. What truly made me admire him was an interview he did with Dan Rather many years ago. He opened up about going to therapy and that he has made it a part of his healthcare. There is such a stigma on mental health, and for him to be proud of not allowing that stigma to be put on him and to encourage others to seek therapy made me very happy. So many people fear getting help when they are not doing well emotionally and mentally, and to have someone in his position show that he was human and had to take the steps to heal and be a better person really made me admire him for it.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. If you retired tomorrow, what would your customers miss most?
One, I never see myself ever truly retiring. I would become so bored and would be going back to work in no time. I feel that if I did step away from my work, I would regret it. I think people who seek help from us would miss the team we have created to advocate and create positive change for the community. I think they would be disappointed if I left and did not have someone to take my place, or if our organization were to stop doing work altogether.
That being said, I could see myself when I get older, semi-retiring, and prioritizing what I could do to continue to give back and offer the services we have for the community. My goal is long after I am gone to have a team that will continue the work of The Defeating Epilepsy Foundation and continue to create positive opportunities for our community.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.defeaingepilepsy.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/defeatepilepsy
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/defeatepilepsy
- Twitter: https://www.x.com/defeatepilepsy
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/defeatepilepsy
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DefeatingEpilepsyFoundation
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