Daily Inspiration: Meet Natalie Ayala

Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalie Ayala.

Hi Natalie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Over the past year and a half, I’ve been on a major personal transformation. I’ve lost almost 60 pounds and completely changed my lifestyle. A little over a year ago I noticed I had gotten the heaviest I had ever been. When I went to the doctor, I found out that my liver enzymes were extremely high so I had to cut out alcohol completely for over a month because I thought I might have liver cancer. For somebody who was under the age of 30 it was really scary to me.What started as a goal to feel healthier turned into a passion for movement, wellness, and showing up for myself every day.

I’ve also been working in dentistry for over 10 years, and throughout that time I’ve seen firsthand the connection between overall wellness and confidence. Helping people reach their goals whether it’s improving their health or how they feel about themselves has always been a passion of mine.

That journey and perspective inspired me to create Vive Athletics. I wanted to build a brand that empowers women to feel strong, confident, and comfortable in their own skin. Vive isn’t just activewear it’s about celebrating progress, building confidence, and embracing movement as a way to care for yourself, both inside and out. Reminding women it’s okay to cheer for each others.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Transforming yourself and your life is never a smooth road. I lost a lot of friends. People that were part of my old life I genuinely couldn’t be around because I was trying to be healthier and a part of me felt like they didn’t understand or they were triggers. I had a lot of friends that I felt like didn’t support me with my transformation or that didn’t really want to support my business plan. So I decided to create my own community of people who would be more than happy to celebrate my wins.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’ve worked in dentistry for over 10 years. So wanting to help people and see people in vulnerable places, whether it’s a visible appearance about their smile, pain that they are in, or hardships of having financial burdens where they can’t afford treatment. I’ve seen it all. Being able to truly help people in every aspect of that has given me hope that I can do the same thing for people outside of dentistry. What sets me apart and that I’m most proud of is being able to build genuine connections with patients at my job which has helped me tremendously outside of my career. Sometimes you have to take a step back and realize that, not everything is business or financial related. Building connections with people really makes a difference and I’m really proud to know that I treat everybody that I come in contact with like a family member a friend. Aside from selling athletic wear that everyone can feel their best and confident in, I host monthly wellness events called Move with Vive at different studios throughout Orange County. I started a spin studio that was a huge part of my weight loss journey and went on to a Lagree studio, Mat Rooftop Pilates, and then a Sunset Beach HIIT workout with a trainer to show women that you can have fun while being healthy and focusing on your wellness and finding a workout and community that works for you. I still remember the first few times I went to a spin class, every instructor would say such motivational, positive reinforcements and it made such a huge difference and I want to share that feeling with everyone to feel connected to movement and be inspired.

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I grew up in Santa Ana. I’m very proud of where I came from and it helped shape me into the person that I am, but it’s not a city that I wanted to live in forever. What I like least about the city is that I feel like a lot of people are stuck in their ways and don’t care to have a different perspective or a different outlook on anything other than their own opinions. I wish it was more accepting to diversity.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.viveathletics.org
• Instagram: @_viveathletics

Image Credits
Vive Athletics owns all photos- shot by Matthew Martinez