My name is Natalie Crowe I’m the founder of Natalie Crowe Designs and the NCDAcademy and I’m so excited you’re here.
I’m a WordPress Expert and I help non-techies DIY profitable WordPress websites, courses and funnels without the tech overwhelm.
I’ve 15+ years experience as a WordPress Developer, WordPress Tech Guide and business mentor and I’m super passionate about helping make WordPress & tech simple, easy and fun.
I’m a strong believer that anyone can learn WordPress and by doing the work I do, empowering everyday people to make the most of their WordPress website. I’m enabling more people to get in front of their ideal audience, deliver their messages and in turn, help more people.
From Humble Beginnings…
I’ve always had the entrepreneurial mind. I remember, as a pre-teen, recruiting the neighbourhood kids to start our own little car washing business, and spending weekends at a time, door knocking washing our local community’s cars to make some extra pocket money.
Whilst I loved tech and studied IT and Software Development for my final years at school. My passion was always in helping people. Growing up I always envisioned being a Youth worker. So straight out of school I studied for my certifications.
Life works in unexpected ways, and part way through my second year qualification, my partner and I were victims of a violent attack at the hands of a drug-affected adolescent, which changed my trajectory.
Following the attack, my mental health took a hit and we moved out to Rathmines, NSW to distance ourselves away from the situation and rebuild our life. I needed a safer alternative to focus on, something that limited my face to face contact that I could do online.
I’d never been employed and nor had any business experience, so I went back to studying online and completed my certificate IV in Website Development.
Then Late 2007 I fell pregnant with my daughter unexpectedly. Making something of myself became a necessity. I had my unborn child to consider and ensure she had everything she needed.
Shortly after, I was introduced to the NEIS programme which was a business short course and funding opportunity to help people get off welfare payments and create a business with the goal to be self-sufficient. I applied, was approved and completed the training in my third trimester.
My business and my daughter were “born” just a few short months apart. I juggled being a new mum and growing my business in those early years. My first projects acquired through Odesk and hanging signs in my local community. I worked on odd projects, in between feeds and continuing my studies to get my Diploma in Website Development.
At the time. My relationship with my daughter’s father was on the rocks and it was no surprise some 14 months in, I became a sole parent.
It’s amazing the resilience you can find when the only option you have is forward. I was determined to make sure I did everything to give my daughter the best life possible. We left, and moved out to the Hunter Valley, NSW to start the next chapter of our story.
Being a self employed stay at home mum, meant working late nights, balancing life with a toddler, at one point baby proofing the house, and having the playpen wrapped around my desk, laptop and the tv preventing her from chords and electricals, or my paperwork, and giving her free roam of the house. Or setting up the playdough table beside my desk whilst I met with clients online or worked.
They grew together, and Natalie Crowe Designs’ client base started to expand and I started to build a name for myself locally. Building Websites for Hunter Valley Based businesses.
In 2010, my life took yet unexpected twist and whilst I didn’t know it at the time, this would be one of the biggest steps towards my happily ever after. I met my now Wife and soulmate of 14 years.
Together our little family – my wife, our daughter and I, have created an amazing little life. Complete with 5 furbabies – 4 dogs and a cat. Purchasing roots in the Hunter Valley and making a house – a home. It’s been a journey to say the least but without my business we would not have what we have today. And for that I am so grateful.
The last 16 years being in business, there have been plenty of times that have tested my resilience. We’ve overcome so many obstacles and whilst I didn’t anticipate the sequence of events, I wouldn’t change it for the World.
Whether that be challenges and prejudice due to:
- being a sole parent,
- being a strong independent woman (opposing patriarchy),
- being a work from home mum,
- the factor I’m in a committed same sex relationship – well before it was legal.
- being a woman in tech.
All of which, at one point in time or another, have been brought up by would-be prospects as issues or resulted in being overlooked for projects and positions or treated differently.
Why any of the following has anything to do with my ability to create a website, offer business mentor or technical support was always beyond me. :
- My choice to pro-create,
- Establish matriarchy and independence- Standing up for myself,
- Be a successful business woman working from home around my family.
- My sexual orientation
- My gender,
If we weren’t in a patriarchal society, if I were a man, these would never even have been a consideration.. The tech industry is still very much male dominated, and unfortunately, even in 2024 there is still a lot of work to be done to level out the playing field .
I can remember in the infancy of my business, being advised by a mentor not to mention any of the above as it’ll hinder my chances of getting work. I’m so glad I didn’t listen. I have always talked openly about my life, my family, about the experiences and about my journey to growing my business, knowing that it may someday empower someone else.
Being my authentic self in my messaging, has meant that my WordPress Development business has attracted 100s of incredible clients, spanning locally in the Hunter Valley, NSW, through Australia and now even internationally. Whom I’ve helped with “Done For You” WordPress websites & maintenance services, business mentoring and technical support since opening in 2008. Resulting in a 6 figure revenue and generating over $750K+ since opening the business.
Creating Passive / Semi Passive Income With WordPress.
Fast forward to Covid Pandemic reaching Australia. I’m immunocompromised and high risk. Our household ended up in voluntary lockdown for 3 years to mitigate the risks. At the time, I’d become a carer for my Wife and my daughter had just begun homeschool. I only had limited hours and energy.
1:1 Development and “Done For You” services weren’t scalable long term for a one woman business and most people who got in touch needed to pivot their business and bring their business online, do it fast and couldn’t afford “Done For You” Services. However they wanted me to teach them how.
At that point in time, I also saw a massive increase in my international audience primarily in the United Kingdom. So I went down the route of teaching.
In 2020, I formalised my WordPress Learning Academy for non-techies – The ‘NCDAcademy’; an online learning platform offering Targeted WordPress Courses, My Signature WordPress Beginners Programme – NCDAcademy WordPress101®, and we’ve expanded to offering a live WordPress Learners Lounge membership.
Our student body is made up of primarily UK based business owners, with a growing number of Australian, US and Canadian students. And continually increasing.
My social media presence has grown both on Facebook and Instagram, and every day more non-techies in business are joining my mailing list and FREE WordPress Help Group on Facebook Group called ‘WordPress Help Hub – For Non-Techies In Business ’.
In 2024, I will continue to offer 1:1 Development and select ‘Done For You’ services however my focus will be on expanding my passive and semi passive offerings through the NCDAcademy, focusing on building my online presence, growing my organic reach on the search engines and implementing automation that will improve the learning experience for my students.
There’s so much good that comes from empowering people to demystify the tech. Being able to build your own website, make changes as needed and get in front of the right people means, more people can be in their Zone of genius and do the things they were meant to do. I love seeing the a-ha moments my students have, realising they can do it, and seeing their confidence grow. So whilst I might not be able to help the entire World, I can support others who are doing amazing things and making an impact.
