We have two very special Chompians this month, Natalie Marshall (Corporate Natalie) and Ross Pomerantz (Corporate Bro), the hosts of the popular Demoted podcast!
We've had the pleasure of partnering with Natalie and Ross this year (check out Chomps Beef Sticks are for Closers and Make your quarterly goal to be a Chompian)! We're so excited to delve further into Natalie and Ross' lives and discuss how they began their influencing and podcasting careers.
Can you tell us about yourself - what you do, a bit about your story, etc.?
Natalie: Growing up in Silicon Valley, my entrepreneurial spirit developed at a very young age. From washing my neighbors cars in my parents’ driveway to selling customized friendship bracelets at age ten, I found fulfillment in creating mini businesses. This drive carried into my adulthood as I attended the University of Notre Dame and founded a jewelry business, BAND Jewelry.
After graduating, I moved to San Francisco to start a career in consulting. As I navigated post-grad life, I found light with friends and colleagues in bonding over both frustrating and comedic shared experiences of the corporate world. When the pandemic hit in 2020, a combination of boredom and the challenging adjustment to a remote work environment led me to content creation, and ultimately gave birth to @corporatenatalie. Today, I live in San Francisco with three roommates. Outside of content creation, I enjoy running (sometimes), traveling, trying out new restaurants with friends, and spending quality time with my family.
Ross: I always pictured myself making it to the
MLB as a left-handed pitcher. I pursued that dream through college at Occidental in Los Angeles and spent another two years playing professional independent baseball post-grad. When it was time to find a more traditional career path I realized my degree in Psychology didn’t really set me up for much. I found myself in real estate sales for a year, then made my way over to tech sales.
My intro to tech sales was at Oracle in 2013, where Corporate Bro was born. I couldn’t believe how wild the experience of being an SDR was and decided I had to record bits on Vine (remember Vine?). From there I spent a few years at Glassdoor, and then at a handful of start-ups before attending Stanford business school in 2018. Coming out of grad school I jumped all in on content creation and go-to-market consulting. Today I live in SF with my wife and massive goldendoodle Dex. I still play in a competitive baseball league and golf way more than I should.
What’s your best tip on how to stay positive?
Ross: I try to find humor in everything. Tragedy is comedy, right? When you find a way to laugh at a situation you tell the universe, “it’s all good, baby! La dee da da da life goes on!"
Natalie: When life's speedbumps slow you down (as they inevitably do for all of us), I remind myself that these feelings and situations are temporary. It might not feel true in the moment, but everything does improve with time..If you zoom out and see life from this perspective, it can help give you the push you need!
How do you consider yourself a “game changer?”
Natalie: So confused what this means but for me, I’ll always be in the middle seat at a group dinner. Larry David eloquently calls this the “middler” and I pride myself on coming to every dinner table with at least five funny stories to tell.
Ross: I’d rather be the coach of a great team, than the star player of a good team. I love helping people realize their potential!
What’s the best thing you do for your personal health everyday (mental or physical or both!) that allows you to be the best version of yourself?
Ross: I need physical activity for my mental health. I carve out time on my calendar for the gym, and really prioritize protecting that time block. I’ve learned that without a physical outlet, my mental health and creativity take a huge hit.
Natalie: Getting up early in the morning! I was never a morning person, but since incorporating some personal time into my mornings before the day begins, I've found that I show up as a more peaceful and improved version of myself.
How are you planning to challenge yourself in the next year?
Natalie: My goal this year is to read a whole lot more. Wish me luck - I’m one book in so far…
Ross: I’m trying to scroll less - screen time before bed has become such a routine for me and I know that my sleep is suffering as a result.
How does Chomps fuel your lifestyle?
Ross: I’m a big snack guy and bring Chomps with me almost everywhere I go - need a snack on the golf course? Chomps! Need a pick-me-up before a big call? Chomps! Need protein after a workout? Chomps!
Natalie: When in doubt, Chomp it out. Tired? In a creative rut? Hungry? Bored? The answer is ALWAYS Chomps!