When Energy, Not Time, Becomes the Constraint | Natalee Raber | Part 2

This episode isn’t about wellness routines.
 It’s about what happens when energy becomes the limiting factor inside a growing operation.

In Part 2 of this conversation, Natalee breaks down how recovery, nervous system regulation, and capacity management directly affect output, decision quality, and sustainability for high-performing operators.

This wasn’t a motivation problem. It was a capacity problem.

We cover:
 • Why energy becomes the bottleneck as responsibility increases
 • How ignoring recovery creates operational risk
 • The tradeoff between short-term intensity and long-term output
 • Why discipline alone eventually fails
 • What sustainable performance actually requires

If you’re a founder, operator, or investor managing increasing load, this conversation will feel familiar.
 This isn’t a highlight reel. It’s a practical breakdown of how real output is sustained - under pressure, not in hindsight.

Chief Milestones is a video podcast featuring honest conversations with founders, parents, and investors about building real businesses, staying healthy, and raising families.

New episodes release Tuesdays and Fridays.

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Transcript

The Moment You Don’t Want To Get Out Of Bed (And What She Does Anyway)

Natalee Raber 0:00

This morning, I didn't want to get out of bed. My alarm went off, and I knew I had to go for a run, and I was dreading it, but I was like, you know what? I know I do this so that I can keep up with my kids. I know that I'm gonna feel so much better after this 35 minutes. Just go do it.

Reshma Vadlamudi 0:12

What's your secret to staying disciplined when motivation fades?

Natalee Raber 0:16

I just always remember my why. Why am I doing this? My kids, my family, I want to be able to keep up with them. What's one absolute non-negotiable when it comes to family? I don't ever sacrifice any time with my family. I'm a mom first and my career second. And I will always hold that true.

Reshma Vadlamudi 0:35

Okay, so how has marathon training shaped your approach to life?

Marathon Training As Life Structure: Weeks, Routines, Execution

Natalee Raber 0:39

I am not, I would not call myself a marathoner. I did one before I decided to try and go qualify for Boston. Um, so it's something it's a new distance for me, but it requires a lot of time. So the training plans typically can be anywhere from 18 weeks to 12 weeks, depending on kind of your fitness. But I think the overall structure of marathon training, I like thrive by structure and I like a routine. So I actually enjoy the marathon training in the sense of I know what each week holds and I can kind of slot it into my life. So I would say the same thing is true with my overall life, the same thing, having a structure and having a similar routine that I go and execute daily is kind of how I how we live and how we operate. So I think they're it's funny how in parallel they're kind of very similar. It's just that there's no big event, I guess, with your kids, such as the finish line. I don't know. There's no finish line in life, but um I think that just having a set schedule of, you know, things you need to get done and looking at your week and how you're gonna blend them in is really the overall approach you need for both.

Reshma Vadlamudi 1:50

What is one absolute non-negotiable when it comes to health?

Natalee Raber 1:55

No, I think it's just my non-negotiable is like on the weekends, my husband and I have agreed that we each kind of get one morning. So I always do my long runs, either on Saturday or Sunday. I am flexible on which day I go out, but um, I always get, you know, two to three hours to myself. So that is really kind of just something that has been a part of our life for the last couple of years. And I would say that's something. And the same thing is on his side, right? That's his golf time or whatever he would like to do for the day. Like we just make sure we carve out on the weekends a good portion of our time for our own self to do whatever we want. Um, and same thing with during the week, I make sure to carve out that hour hour a day um just for myself. So I think I wouldn't call it like a non-negotiable, but um, that is something that is I hold very highly and we expect of each other. Yeah.

Reshma Vadlamudi 2:44

Yeah. And what's one absolute non-negotiable when it comes to family?

Natalee Raber 2:49

Oh man, um, I don't ever sacrifice any time with my family in the sense of I have made it very clear at work. I have very hard boundaries for when I am available and when I'm not available. I posted my daughter's bus schedule on the outside of my cubicle because I want people to respect that time. Um, the five, basically 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. is like what I call like a no, no call zone. Um, those are really my two hours a day I get with my kids during the week, right? Because otherwise we're working and the mornings are crazy. So I ask that I get those two hours with my kids. Um, I'm happy to work at night if I need. I don't like to do that, but if I absolutely need to, I will. But it's after my kids go to bed. So that is just a very strict boundary for me is um I'm a mom first and my career a second. And I will always hold that true.

Reshma Vadlamudi 3:38

For those who feel overwhelmed trying to balance work, parenting, and wellness. Oh, yeah. What's the mindset shift that you would recommend or a strategy?

Overwhelm Strategy: Pick Priorities, Then Limit The Must-Dos To Three

Natalee Raber 3:48

It's, I mean, I think if you think about it all together, it can become very overwhelming. I think what you need to do is take a step back and figure out, you know, where's your priority? Because you you really you can't do it all. I know people say that, but you you can't. And you have to decide is my career gonna come first right now? Is it my family life that's gonna come first right now? And do your best to interweave the two, right? So for me, I have made it very clear, and you can hear it through this discussion. Family is my number one. They're my priority. So it makes it easier when I go into discussions about, you know, what I will or won't do on certain days, because whatever my family needs of me is what comes first. But I think if you just it's it's all about time management and trying to figure out where's your priority and how can you work that into your schedules, right? Like if I I spend all my time on Sundays usually evaluating my week. And if I look at say Tuesday, I have meetings from eight to five, I will know and plan in advance. Like, I gotta wake up early if if I want to get my workout in, right? So I think it's really taking time back to figure out what are your absolute must-dos for the week? Um, and how are you gonna fit them into your current schedule? And I would say limit it, like limit it to three things that you need to get done for the week. Don't overwhelm yourself. If you think about everything we all have on our to-do list, you're gonna be overwhelmed. So I think it's really important to figure out what has to get done this week. Not what do I want to do, but what has to get done. And then go from there and kind of scatter in. If you have extra time, great, pick up one more thing off your to-do list. But I think just take break it into small chunks because when you look at the whole picture, you can be very overwhelmed very quickly.

Reshma Vadlamudi 5:32

What advice would you give to someone struggling with workout consistency?

Consistency Strategy: Start Small, Stack Habits, Avoid Giant Programs

Natalee Raber 5:38

Don't look at the big picture, right? Don't think like, oh my gosh, I'm a failure. I can't do this workout every day. I say take it one day at a time, right? Try to do one thing for maybe a week. Um, and then if you feel good about introducing that one thing, try to add another thing the next week. Um, I think you need to first get into a pattern and a routine before you add on more and more to your schedule. So, what I mean is like set a plan just for today, do 10,000 steps, right? And then tomorrow try it again, do 10,000 steps. After you get seven or eight days down of doing 10,000 steps, then add on. Okay, maybe I also want to do five minutes of doing squats, right? So I think it's don't be overwhelmed, don't take on a huge program of some sort. Start small, just focus on that and getting really good at that. Um, walking's amazing. So if you just start with that, I think you're doing really great.

Meal Prep Framework: Breakfast + Lunch Fixed, Three Dinners/Week

Reshma Vadlamudi 6:36

How do you approach meal prepping to fuel your workouts and maintain energy throughout the day?

Natalee Raber 6:42

Yeah. So I think meal prepping is key, especially for us moms. Um, and especially just it sets my whole week up for success, right? Um, so I tend to like to think of it pretty simply. Um, I always figure out what I'm gonna eat for breakfast and what I'm gonna eat for lunch. And I eat that every day for the week. Um, dinners, I try to pick three dinners that I make for the week. Um, and that's basically like how I approach the overall week as a whole. And I'll batch cook and we can talk more about that, about what I do on the weekends. But if I just focus on setting those couple of meals up and writing them down, um, that helps me know every day just grab one of the containers or one of the muffins and I eat the same thing every day for the week just to make it easier and I don't have to think. Because that's when it becomes, I think, overwhelming for many of us if we get to a random Tuesday night and we're like, what do we want to eat? What do we want to cook? Right. But I think if you take a little bit of time on your weekends and put a little bit of brain power behind it, it will actually save you probably a lot of stress and headache going into your week.

Reshma Vadlamudi 7:53

Yeah. Yeah. Can you walk us through the meal prep uh portion, like how you do it? Sure.

Full Workflow: Friday Menu Plan, Saturday Shop, Sunday Batch Cook

Natalee Raber 8:01

Yeah. So I, and this is mostly true for most weeks. Now, if I'm traveling for work or something, it might be a little different. But on Fridays is when I start um figuring out what we're gonna eat for the next week. So I will ask my family, even my kids, you know, is there a certain dinner you want this week or you're craving? What are you craving? Um, what about breakfast? Do you want muffins, pancakes? You know, what again, what are you feeling like this week? And I'll same thing with my husband. Like, what haven't we had in a while that you'd like? And I also think it's key to really only introduce like one new meal a week. And what I mean by that is like stick to your staples. So, like, if you cook tacos once a week, cook tacos once a week. Um, don't try to pick three brand new complex meals because it's gonna be too much. It's gonna be way too many groceries and ingredients you don't have in your shelves. Um, and then just too much time to actually sit and cook. And like with activities, I probably only have one or two days a week where I have like a good hour to cook a meal. So everything else has to be pretty quick to assemble. So I'll try to like run our list through our staples of things that we like and then introduce like one new meal. And then I'll lay it out. I'll just write out Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursdays each day and what we're gonna eat each day. Um, same with breakfast and lunch. I just write out what I need and the kids, like what for breakfast will they have the majority of the week? And that's where I set the menu, I would say, on Fridays. Saturdays is all about shopping. That's when I usually take my daughter. We have a pretty good split. My son goes to taekwondo with my husband, and my daughter and I go grocery shopping. Um, most people hate grocery shopping. For me, it's kind of like I don't know, it's our thing. Like we enjoy that hour together. Um, but again, I have a list. I make things fast. Um, probably missed a step on like Friday nights. I use the we have Kroger here, right? On Friday nights, I will load my grocery list into the Kroger app. So why that's key is it has all the aisle numbers in your app. So when I get to the store, I don't have to think. I don't have to read my list. I literally, and my daughter does it. Like she will hold the phone and she will look and you can look at the picture. She'll be like, Mom, we need strawberries, banana, sweet potatoes, one lime, one jalapeno, and she'll help me, right? So I think like the more you can, let's I say, the more time you just sit down and prep, when you go to do things, it goes so much faster because you don't have to use your brain. Also, you clip all your coupons, right? So you're gonna save a bunch of money by using the app. So, like I said, the app has the list, and then um Saturday becomes cooking. Well, Saturday becomes shopping day, right? So we go to the store, we execute, we get all the groceries we need. Saturdays, if I have extra time, I might prep one item. So, like just an example, if we were cooking burgers and hot dogs for Saturday night as a family, I might leave the grill on and do all my chicken, right? And grill it all and then just put it in a container for the next day. So if I can do something on Saturday, I will. But I would say Saturdays are mostly for shopping. Um, and then Sundays are really my main day. And I'm probably in the kitchen like one hour minimum, one to two hours, but I get it all done. All of it's done. Um, you know, I'm in mostly it's just cleaning, chopping, putting stuff in the oven, right? Chicken, broccoli, whatever the case, and I'm saying very healthy things, but it can be whatever, right? I can be making a batch of muffins for the kids. I can be flipping pancakes. That's like just it doesn't have to be overwhelming. If you're already cooking pancakes or waffles on a Sunday because for your family, cook an extra batch. Yes. Throw them in the freezer. You're taking care of for the rest of the week, right? So I think it's just finding ways that when you're doing stuff throughout your weekend, when can you just utilize that little bit of extra time to help you set yourself up for success for the rest of the week?

Balanced Plate Rule: Carb + Fat + Protein

Reshma Vadlamudi 11:55

Like, is it more of protein-based, or do you cook or vegetables, or uh how does that look like you should? Good question.

Natalee Raber 12:04

Um, so we our family has no, I'll say we have no dietary restrictions, right? So we don't have to really navigate that space. We are light on the dairy side, I would say, for our family. So for us, I just focus on carb, fat, protein. Okay. As long as we have one of each on our plate, I'm happy. Okay. Um, and that's kind of what I say for the kid. The kids understand that. Um, and that's most of our meals. I'll just make sure it's very well balanced between those three. And I wouldn't say it's, you know, obviously I encourage to have more protein than anything else. But again, I'm not like limiting my kids or myself. It's it's eat what you like.

Reshma Vadlamudi 12:40

Okay. So what are your uh go-to meals for busy days?

Busy-Day Meals: Casseroles, Muffins, Bowls, Rotisserie Chicken

Natalee Raber 12:46

Um, I think for breakfast, I usually like casseroles are uh like saving grace. If you make a big breakfast casserole on a Sunday night, you just slice a piece every morning and throw it in your microwave, right? Or think of a quiche, like things that are big that you can just section a piece off, warm it in the microwave and be out the door. Um, other things are we do a lot of like protein muffins, right? Because you can make a big batch, throw them in the microwave, heat them up. And like on the way to school today, my kids were both eating them up and in the car, right? Because it's just fast and convenient. For your more like lunches on the go, I would say just think about making a bowl of some sort. So do uh either a lettuce or a grain, like a rice, throw a protein and whatever you have in your fridge, leftover, right? If you have leftover hot dogs, chop them up, throw them up on some lettuce, right? Or a hamburger, make a burger bowl. Um, I think for days that you need to move with speed, it's about kind of just assembling some sort of bowl or plate that fills what you like, right? If you have extra avocado, throw it on top. You have some sweet potatoes, throw them in your salad. Yes. Um, I think those are things that are quick and fast for breakfast and lunches. And dinners, my like go-to get a rotisserary chicken. Like just pick one up on a Sunday, no matter what, because you never know when you're gonna need some protein. You just cut or shred that thing and you could put it on anything, right? You can make shredded tacos. Yes. You can put it on a salad, you can put it in barbecue sauce, right? It's sort of so versatile that I say if you're allowed, if you can eat, if chicken is part of your diet, that is a very fast go-to protein to like save you a ton of time.

Reshma Vadlamudi 14:24

What's your secret to staying disciplined when motivation fades?

Repeating The Discipline Loop: Why + “You’ll Feel Better After”

Natalee Raber 14:27

I just always remember my why. Why am I doing this? My kids, my family, I want to be able to keep up with them. I think every time I like this morning, I didn't want to get out of bed. My alarm went off, and I knew I had to go for a run. And I was dreading it, but I was like, you know what? I know I do this so that I can keep up with my kids. I know that I'm gonna feel so much better after this 35 minutes. Just go do it. So just remembering your why and how good you feel after you do it is really important.

Reshma Vadlamudi 14:52

Yes. What's your number one fitness hack for busy moms that will change their overnight routine? Oh my goodness.

No-Equipment Fitness: Bands, Micro-Sets, Walking During Meetings

Natalee Raber 14:59

Yeah. I think I don't know if there's a fitness hack, but I think use what you have around you. You don't need weights, you don't need, you know, dumbbells. Um, resistance bands are great. So if you want something overnight, like order them on Amazon right now. They're they're little bands. You can do tons, you can look them up online, tons of workouts just with bands and um start incorporating it. Go do do five squats right now while we're talking, right? I mean, just think of something or go for a walk during one of your meetings, right? So I think there's just again, very small things that you can incorporate into your daily life that'll change how you feel.

Reshma Vadlamudi 15:37

How can moms meal prep efficiently without spending hours?

Natalee Raber 15:41

I talked about the rotisserie chicken hack. Cut that thing up and use it for everything. Um, big batches of things, right? Big batches of potatoes in the oven, just cook them. Um, big batches of like Brussels sprouts or whatever your vegetable of choice is.

Reshma Vadlamudi 15:55

What's an easy go-to meal that's healthy, filling, and quick to prepare?

Quick Healthy Dinner: One-Pan Sheet-Pan Meals

Natalee Raber 16:00

Um, I love any type of sheet pan. All like one pan sheet pan. So, like tonight we're doing it, right? We're doing the sausage or chicken sausage, whatever you want of your choice, cut up into slices, then a vegetable. So we're doing Brussels sprouts and then apples and onion. Throw it at 350, 375 for 20 minutes, pull it all out, and you just circle it all up in a dish and eat it.

Reshma Vadlamudi 16:22

Yeah.

Natalee Raber 16:22

Yeah.

Reshma Vadlamudi 16:24

What's the easiest meal per pack that saves time and keeps you on track?

Paying For Time: Pre-Cut, Pre-Cooked Items (And Why It’s Rational)

Movement During Work And Travel

Natalee Raber 16:30

I think if I had any advice for anyone, is if you can afford it, there are plenty of options in the grocery store that will help you. And what I mean by that is in the freezer section, they have diced up butternut squash, right? Um, they have, I mean, I've already talked about, I'll talk about the chicken thing for hours, but um, just think about things that are pre-sliced, pre-cut, pre-peeled. Um, these tend to be a little bit more money, right? But again, what is your time worth? And and try to find those things that are easier. Usually most of my meals contain some sort of pre-cooked or pre-cut item because it just saves me time, right? Um, one of our favorite things to have, like from Costco, we get their breakfast sausage, like their turkey sausage links, and you just thaw them, we you put them in the microwave for 40 seconds. So my kids have like a high fat, high protein two-link option in the morning with their muffin, and we're good to go, right? That's and I don't have to do anything.

Five-Minute Workouts: Pick What You’ll Actually Do Consistently

Reshma Vadlamudi 17:25

If someone only has five minutes in a day to work out, what's the if most effective workout?

Natalee Raber 17:31

I think I'm gonna tell you it's whatever you're most comfortable doing. Certain people love to do yoga, do five minutes of yoga. Some people love to like do a wall sit. Just put your back against a wall, sit, sit like a chair for five minutes, right? That's gonna strengthen your legs. Go for a five-minute walk, get some fresh air. So I don't think that there's like an effective method. I would say do what feels best for you and build it into your schedule. Yeah.

Reshma Vadlamudi 17:57

Yeah. What's one simple workout a busy mom can do, can start doing right now with no equipment?

Ditch The Scale And Embrace Rest

Natalee Raber 18:04

Oh, yeah. So I say, like, as a mom, we have weights all around us, whether you, I mean the grocery bags, right? Your kids' backpacks. There are things around you that you can that I have used like in my hotel room when I travel, right? Throw some books in a backpack, put it on your back and do some squats, right? I think whatever you're doing with your kids, think about how you can move your body. I always, like I told you earlier, incorporate my kids. So if I need to go do a workout in the basement, I'll put on yoga, like cosmic yoga for kids on YouTube is great. My daughter loves to do that while I'm over in the gym lifting weights, right? Or I'll walk on the treadmill and read while they sit and play Uno. Like just figure out ways to incorporate your kids. And it doesn't need to be anything fancy. If you need to go for a walk, if your kid's still small enough, throw them in the stroller. Go for a walk, right? So I think if you're busy as a mom, figure out where there's opportunities to incorporate them and make it a priority. Tell them, like, I mommy needs these 30 minutes. You know, you can sit next to me and read your book while I do push-ups, but this is my time. So I think just setting those boundaries with your kids and saying, like, I still want you around. I'm not saying you can't be near me, but mommy's busy right now.

Movement Hacks: Treadmill Desk, Stairs, “Highest Hotel Floor” Rule

Reshma Vadlamudi 19:16

What's your best tip for squeezing in movement throughout the day?

Myth To Kill: Stop Weighing Yourself (Scale Obsession)

Natalee Raber 19:20

Yeah. So for me, it's um walking really anytime I can. Um, when I work from home, I work from home two days a week. I will set up a, I have a wood plank that goes over my treadmill and I'll take meetings while I walk on the treadmill at a very slow pace. Or um, if you're at your office building, go up and down the stairs a couple of times. I think it's just using again what's around you to do movement. Um, when I travel, I always request the highest floor for my hotel room because if and then I say no elevators. So I will force myself to take the stairs up and down every day. So I think it's just again, utilizing your surrounding and what's given to you. Um, and just remembering, being conscious like, could I do this? This while I'm walking? Could I schedule my kids' doctor's appointments while I'm doing a walk in the neighborhood? Right. Um, so often I think we get just like stuck on our chairs and stuck in our desk. But it's with all the technology these days, usually we can do things while we're out moving around. So just look for ways in your daily life of how to encourage that movement. So, what's one fitness myth or trend you wish people would stop believing? My God, stop weighing yourself. Or just stop, I mean, just stop trusting that like having that number on the scale. It has taken me nine months to change my mindset about my scale. So don't, I guess if you're feeling a certain way, you're not alone. It is a very hard habit and a different change of mindset to overcome that number on the scale. So just know you're not alone.

Reshma Vadlamudi 20:45

Yeah, yeah. If you had to eliminate one popular workout, which one would it be and why?

Another Myth: Stop Believing You Must Go Hard Every Day

Natalee Raber 20:52

Hmm, I don't know. I think maybe just the notion of you have to work out every day or like the high and you always have to be high intensity, right? Some of these people are doing these, like, yes, I don't know, just it's a lot. Um, and I think honestly, I have seen more benefits from resting more. So I think for me, it's like the notion that you have to go hard all the time. Um, that I would love people to like shift their mindset of like, it's good to have variety and it's good to rest.