Natalea Watkins spent decades building her career in television news. She was actually the very first female anchor in Oklahoma and also served as the Assistant News Director at WJZ in Baltimore when Oprah was a news anchor and talk show host there. One life changing day in 2000, a terrible car accident left Natalea paralyzed. She fractured her spine in 10 places, broke six ribs and her collarbone, collapsed a lung and received a brain concussion. ‘But I only broke one nail!’ Natalea jokes. That single sentence illustrates her infectious attitude perfectly. In a split second her entire life was changed, but instead of allowing this to stop her she has continued to impact her community.
Episode 14
Focus Forward
With Guest Natalea Watkins
Turning Point Therapeutic Riding
Today's Guest
Natalea Watkins
Natalea Watkins took up Therapeutic Riding as a “third career” after a car accident put her on an “electric horse” for the rest of her life. She attended the first session at Turning Point Ranch in Stillwater thinking it would be a chance to ride a real horse again.
In the twenty years since, she has only gotten to ride two times but has served in countless other roles: Board Member, Treasurer, Webmaster, Instructor, ESMHL, Mentor, Caterer, Event Organizer, Painter and Donor. She is known as the “Christian Siriano” of Turning Point for her t-shirt, sweatshirt, cap and hat designs. She accidentally became the queen of Webinars in the past two years and now gets twenty plus notices per day of free and subscription opportunities to learn about Fundraising, Communications, Board Management and Websites.
In addition to Turning Point, Natalea has served on close to 40 non-profit Boards in the past 40 years, including the LSTEN Board and service as the PATH Oklahoma State Rep for nearly 10 years. By the way, her first two careers were in television news where she was the first female anchor in Oklahoma then two decades as a News Director on the east coast. In 1990, she returned to Oklahoma as a University administrator in Communications. With her late husband, she managed a Foundation Quarterhorse breeding program based on the youngest living grandson of the great horse, Leo. One of his mares still serves at Turning Point today.
What We Talked About
How she started her career in television news How she became the first female anchor in Oklahoma The perspective that kept her going How she had to grieve her life and experience with horses at her ranch Learning how to be a grandmother from a wheelchair Her advice to focus forward and pay it forward How she has learned to get through the most challenging situations in life through her perspective Her challenge to listeners to think about what you can do this ChristmasAbout the Show
Listen to conversations with leaders and entrepreneurs who have built organizations making a positive impact on the world so you can discover how to expand your impact.
Are you trying to make a difference in this world? On the show, Amanda and guests reveal the path from purpose to impact and all the risks, bumps, and bruises that came along the way so you can be ahead of the curve with your purpose-driven business or organization.
Amanda is a wife, mother, entrepreneur, Partner at Evergreen Results and a founding member of the Built for Impact podcast team. She enjoys spending time with her family, serving others, horseback riding, and spending time in the mountains.