The following interview with Natalia can also be found on Ladies Who Launch

Who Is She?

28-year-old Natalia Rose is a Clinical Nutritionist and founder of The Rose Program, a one-of-a-kind nutrition program that focuses on using natural foods to cleanse the body of toxicity, trigger weight loss and improve overall health. Different from other nutrition programs, Natalia is known for her educational trips to the health food store, one-on-one cooking lessons, and other customization methods that cater to the client’s personal tastes, health needs and lifestyle. The Rose Program also offers group sessions where members can partake in group intensive sessions and cleansing fasts in conjunction with shopping trips to Barney’s to provide motivation and distraction. Natalia runs her business out of her home office and also offers her program through phone consultations, and the Frederick Fekkai Salon and Spa. Natalia resides in New York City.

The Rose Program Philosophy:

“I teach people how to use natural foods to cleanse their bodies of the toxicity that keeps them from being as vibrantly healthy and lean as they can be. Anyone can do it — whether they travel and eat out in restaurants or run a busy household. The Rose Program focuses on consuming mostly natural foods and properly combining those foods in a way that does not overly tax the digestive system. In our culture we eat too many foods that waste our precious cleansing energies on digestion when that energy could be going to turning over new cells, healing organs and eliminating old waste matter from the body (note: excess waste matter is at the core of excess weight). This waste matter which comes from unnatural foods and pollution — things that cannot be fully utilized by our bodies is the cause of most modern-day diseases and keeps us from being the lean, vibrant, healthy beings we were born to be.”

One-on-one programs:

“My six week program is the silver bullet of health. After an initial consultation when I review the client’s health history and diet issues, the first thing we do is go to the health food store, which on one’s own can be a very confusing place because among the truly healthy offerings are just as many unhealthy ones. After leading them through the health food store isle by isle, we spend time in the kitchen where I teach them how to prepare healthy, vibrant foods that are customized to their tastes. For my Italian fans we make delicious raw pastas from zucchini. For Asian lovers, we make spring rolls and raw-vegetable sushi with unbelievably delicious dressings and sauces. I focus a lot on flavor. I attribute a lot of the program’s success to the fact that I am a foodie. I believe we should take a lot of pleasure in our food. My clients eat well, and leave the table satisfied. Eating for health and beauty should not leave one feeling deprived.”

Group sessions:

“Working in groups can be extremely motivating. I offer two kinds of group sessions—six women for six weeks and one week intensives for two hours a day. Juice fasting groups are also available to advanced clients who have been on The Rose Program for an extended period. Done as part of The Rose Program, either one-on-one or in a group is ideal and also surprisingly fun. Most fasters are amazed by how much energy they have on the second or third day of fasting on fresh vegetable juices.”

Exercise not a necessity:

“I believe in exercise but you don’t need exercise to see weight loss results on this program and the enzymes in the food help tone your body and skin. Yoga is ideal. But my favorite exercise for energy and toning is mini trampoline rebounding for 5 to 10 minutes each day.”

Background/experience:

“I grew up in Los Angeles, received my bachelors from NYU and studied nutrition at the Natural Healing institute of Naturopathy in San Diego. I used this foundation to take nutrition to the next level of deep tissue cleansing.”

Biggest challenge:

“At first, marketing on a shoestring was hard. Several years ago, nobody knew what raw foods were, but now everyone knows and wants to learn about them, so the timing was right. I believed in what I was doing from the start, which allowed me to stick with it and never give up.”

Future business growth:

“I have written a book called The Raw Food Detox Diet, which is available in bookstores everywhere. While still in a draft stage, the book contains all of my principles and my recipes, and addresses nutritional issues for every stage of life from childbearing to menopause. My goal is to find the right publisher and get it into the mainstream. I have been contemplating creating a cooking show for a cable network like the Food Network, Oxygen or WE. But most of all, I love teaching people how they can look and feel their very best while enjoying their food more than ever before.”

Personal life:

“My husband and I enjoy entertaining at home and spending buckets of playtime with our kids. I try to create boundaries between my personal life and business life—otherwise I would be talking about food 24 – 7. When you work from home it can be difficult to determine what is work time and what is family time. As a mother, your children and home will demand to come first. Gradually, you’ll find your balance. And ultimately, if mother is happy, the whole household benefits.”

Words of advice:

“Don’t invest your time and money until you have done a thorough analysis of the business. Be a pessimistic not optimistic business plan writer. Be careful what you promise people and always over-deliver.”