Natalie Murray: A more fulfilling life in store

MANY entrepreneurs will tell you that they had a lifelong dream of owning a business and they never felt comfortable with just their nine-to-five jobs, but Natalie Murray is not like many entrepreneurs.

She was perfectly content with her career in banking, which offered comfort, stability and structure. But life can sometimes take unexpected turns and cause us to take leaps of faith to fulfil our callings, and today, Murray is the proud owner of The Life Store Wellness Boutique and Body by TLS. She shares her story of courage, transformation, and a deep love for helping others to live their healthiest lives.

While growing up, Murray watched her mother navigate one of the most common chronic illnesses — diabetes — and saw how much it impacted her daily life. This, coupled with her father’s teachings on the importance of nutrition, was her informal introduction to the world of holistic health and wellness.

“I always had an innate understanding and appreciation of the human body and how it functions,” she shared, explaining that although she had this natural inclination, she did not consider wellness as a full-time career path for herself.

Fast forward to 2000, and Murray is just returning to Jamaica after obtaining a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Guelph, with two years of banking experience under her belt. The self-starter quickly ascended the ranks in banking, working in cash management and electronic banking, then treasury for financial giants like Citibank and Scotiabank. After more than 10 years of climbing the corporate rungs, Murray found that more and more of her friends and relatives were coming to her for help on their wellness journeys, and her calling could no longer be ignored. In 2013, she decided to get certified.

“After becoming certified, I started to coach people as a part-time health coach… and then I left my banking career in 2016 to pursue coaching full-time,” she said.

Leaving the corporate world to become an entrepreneur was one of the toughest decisions of Murray’s life. She admitted that she never wanted to own a business.

“I loved my 9 to 5. I always wanted to leave work when work was over. I didn’t want to carry work or stress home with me,” she said frankly. “I loved a regular paycheque that I didn’t have to worry about, and whether I was having a good day or a bad day, my salary was safe.”

But after coaching full-time for four years, her adventurous spirit saw her taking a leap of faith and opening The Life Store Wellness Boutique in February 2020. Little did she know that the world was on the brink of a pandemic that would test her resolve as a new business owner in just a few weeks.

“We had our grand opening during COVID, and that formed one of my proudest moments as an entrepreneur. To have the junior minister of health cut the ribbon and make remarks that Jamaica needs more of what we are doing was very inspiring, and it helped to fuel my determination to make the business successful,” Murray recalled.

Offering personalised health and weight loss coaching, The Life Store soon became a sanctuary for people trying to reclaim their health. In 2023, she added Body by TLS to her offerings, recognising that while diet and exercise are crucial, they sometimes don’t deliver the aesthetic results that clients seek. The body contouring services at Body by TLS provide targeted improvements, such as fat and cellulite reduction and skin tightening.

The director shared that while she is still not very fond of some of the rigours of entrepreneurship, such as inventory control, being able to stand in the corner for people as they fight to reclaim control over their wellness makes it all worth it.

“I thrive on seeing people evolve,” she said joyfully. “It’s my biggest pride and joy when people come back and tell me their doctor took them off diabetes medication because they no longer have pre-diabetes. It’s a testament to the power of small changes.”

Inspired by influential wellness practitioners such as Dr Mark Hyman, Dr Sarah Gottfried, and most recently Dr Marie Claire Haver and Dr Gabrielle Lyons, Murray is excited to continue to learn new practices and adapt new technologies into her health and aesthetics businesses.

Murray’s vision for The Life Store is one of continued growth. She plans to expand the body contouring services, and has aspirations of hosting wellness retreats and conferences. She also feels a special calling to help women navigate the complexities of perimenopause and menopause, a life stage she believes is often shrouded in mystique.

“My generation of women are very much in need of support as we are transitioning and navigating the space of changing hormones in this phase of life, and I’d like to help women and their partners through it,” she shared.

Reflecting on her journey since venturing into the unknown, Murray is proud of what she has achieved so far, and encourages others to take a chance on themselves.

“I believe in the saying that magic happens outside of your comfort zone, and that nothing changes until something changes,” she said. “And so I always encourage others to follow their passions, even if it takes them into uncharted waters. If you find something that you love to do, and there actually is a demand for it, then by all means, go for it.”