After Natalie Noel was named one of Business Report’s Fittest Execs in last year’s competition, she decided one of her goals for 2009 would be to repeat as the winner of her age group. Not surprisingly, she did.
Noel has been athletic since her childhood days in Donaldsonville. She played on sports teams in elementary and high school, and was a standout on the University of Louisiana at Lafayette basketball team. She has maintained her athleticism in her adult life.
But Noel, 26, has made subtle changes in her workout regimen over the past year that have made her faster and stronger than she was in 2008. She has increased the amount of cardiovascular training she does on a weekly basis, spending more time on the treadmill and also playing more basketball.
“It has given me the stamina for longer days and to keep everything going,” she says.
That’s important, because Noel is currently pursuing her MBA degree in addition to working full time as vice president of sales and marketing at HELP Solutions, which provides customer-relationship management solutions to local businesses. Juggling work with graduate school and a regular workout routine is a challenge, but Noel says the regular and frequent exercise helps make it manageable.
“Certainly things have been a lot more intense this year, especially with the economy,” Noel says. “So having more energy to start the day earlier and go later at night is really important.”
Noel also has focused more on improving her nutrition. Though she was never a junk-food addict, she has become more conscientious about eating lean proteins and complex carbohydrates. She’s also made an effort to curb portion size.
“I can really feel that it’s making a difference,” Noel says.
That’s important, too, because Noel is responsible for new and existing clients in her job. It’s a fast-paced, challenging position and the company is small but growing. Revenues were around $1.2 million last year, and the company now has eight employees.
Noel says the energy and focus she gets from working out and staying physically fit carries over into all aspects of her professional life. Now that she’s in school, too, it’s more important than ever.
“It definitely helps me to think more clearly, and I have a lot a riding on that right now,” she says. “If I didn’t work out, I wouldn’t be able to get it all done.”
