In Conversation with Natalie Garagiola

Tell us about your background:

A native West Coaster, I graduated from University of San Diego with a degree in Marketing & Communications. With no plan post-grad, I moved to Washington, DC to live with my sister. After bouncing around a few odd jobs including selling cupcakes at Sprinkles, working as an art gallery assistant, and an internship with the Washington Nationals Baseball team, I landed at National Geographic Channel as an assistant in the Marketing department. Working with both the Consumer and Creative teams, I was able to learn how a full 360 marketing campaign operates from ideation to execution. After a year, I moved over to the Consumer Marketing & Strategy team and was able to manage my own small campaigns as well as coordinate with my team on larger scale projects. For the next 3 years, I focused on media strategy ranging from social media to print to out of home to experiential activations. I loved coming up with fun and unique ways for our consumers to engage with the Nat Geo brand, whether it was at SXSW, taking influencers on a trip to Space Camp, or creating a digital chat bot to mimic Albert Einstein. The project I’m most proud of was my campaign for Free Solo, which won Best Documentary at the Academy Awards and the BAFTA Film Awards. After 4 years at Nat Geo, I was eager to take on more ownership and transitioned over to a health & fitness club in the DC area, where I was able to build an entire marketing and brand strategy from scratch, as well as manage my own marketing and events team.

An immersive photo exhibition I worked on at SXSW for National Geographic

During an experiential activation for a show about Pablo Picasso, we created a Cubist Selfie Photo Booth

What do you wish you’d known when you started out?

That every career path is different. When you constantly compare yourself to others, it’s so easy to only see what you don’t have versus what you do have. Define what success is for you and focus on your wins.

Best career advice you've ever received?

Be solution oriented. If something isn’t going to work, what other options are there? How can you pivot to achieve your goal? If you have to say “no” to something, what is a “yes” you can offer up instead? It ties into having a good attitude. A positive attitude is the easiest way to excite and inspire others!

What leadership qualities are important to you?

To me, a good leader is someone who values open and honest communication and is able to check their ego at the door. When everyone feels they can speak up and offer ideas, it results in a collaborative process that fosters great ideas.

What has been the biggest challenge in your career so far?

Imposter Syndrome is something I’ve struggled with my entire career, especially when I left Nat Geo to manage my own team. There have been so many moments where I’ve felt like I have no idea what I’m doing, and others will think I’m a fraud. I’ve tried to keep a list of my professional successes, something Aliza Licht actually mentioned in our panel a few weeks ago, so that when I’m feeling particularly unsure I can look back and remind myself that I am smart and capable and that I wouldn’t be here if those around me didn’t think that as well.

And for fun, what is your favorite wardrobe staple?

It is a tie between a leather jacket and a classic, well-tailored blazer. A blazer instantly adds a level of sophistication to any outfit, while a leather jacket, especially when paired with a more formal look, is such a fun and chic addition (I even wore one at my wedding!)