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Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalie Brunell.
Natalie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My story, like that of so many Americans, is one of the immigrant’s journey. My family left Eastern Europe in the early 1990s in pursuit of the “American Dream,” and the hope of access to economic opportunities. My parents grew up under the oppression of communism and valued the ideals espoused by the American Dream: that if you work hard and prioritize education, you can come from any background and any social class and make something of your life in order to provide a secure future for your family.
But in many ways, I think the American Dream has been hijacked and is in desperate need of resuscitation. My family came to this country never asking anyone for assistance, worked hard, played by the rules, and just a few years after acquiring enough money for a down payment on their first townhome, my parents went under financially in the 08’/’09 financial crisis.
I didn’t understand at the time what had really happened or how, but the seeds of frustration were planted that the system was rigged against the average working person and I felt compelled to expose the corruption and injustice through my work as a reporter.
I was a TV journalist for about a decade, documenting the increasing polarization and wealth disparity in our country. It wasn’t until I learned about Bitcoin in 2017 that I finally began to understand just how broken our financial system is and how it subsidizes the wealthy and politically connected at the expense of everyone else. Reading The Bitcoin Standard by Dr. Saifedean Ammous changed my life, and ultimately my career.
I can relate to any reader of this article who is skeptical about Bitcoin and wary of its volatility. I spent more than 1,000 hours studying Bitcoin’s technology as well as the history of money to truly come to appreciate the beauty and possibilities in its creation. It shined a spotlight on how manipulated our money has been, and how unreliable it is as a store of value and savings mechanism. And there is a powerful movement to change that.
Bitcoin was designed to address the very injustices and economic consequences that I spent so many years reporting on, and that my family had endured in their journey to build a life in America. I have now dedicated my life and career in helping people understand what Bitcoin is, why it exists, and how it provides us with hope to rebuild the financial system in a way that is more accessible, inclusive and based on technological truth rather than a political privilege.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I thrive in an environment of struggle and challenge because it is really all that I know. From my family’s financial struggles to entering an industry whose business model was being turned on its head in real-time due to the digitization of information, I know that nothing comes easily. I have a great challenge ahead of me in helping people understand and appreciate the properties of Bitcoin, only because it requires a bit of humility in order to unlearn what you think you know about money and its marriage to power. It requires the questioning of some core beliefs that can be uncomfortable for my audience members. But it is the most fulfilling and rewarding work I can think of at this point in my career.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Talking Bitcoin?
I am a podcast host in the Bitcoin and macroeconomics space as well as a media commentator and educator. I travel the world speaking about Bitcoin’s technology network and can be seen sharing my analysis of financial and economic headlines on national and international news outlets. You can find out more about my work at TalkingBitcoin.com.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I believe firmly in the saying that “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity,” and my recent career transition is the embodiment of that sentiment. I prepared myself through the deep and thoughtful study of Bitcoin and that work was met with the opportunity that not many in the media understand this technology and thus are unable to communicate effectively about it. It became clear that using my ten years of experience simplifying and communicating messages to large audiences could be channeled into something I believe can make the world a more fair and fulfilling place to live.
Contact Info:
- Email: natalie@talkingbitcoin.com
- Website: talkingbitcoin.com
- Instagram: nataliebrunell
- Twitter: natbrunell
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/nataliebrunell?app=desktop
Image Credits:
Paul Smith Photography