153. She left law to become a naturopath and had 4 kids! — Dr. Sarah Harbottle
Dr. Sarah Harbottle has one of those resumes that seems impossible on paper: naturopathic doctor, lawyer, mom of four, clinic owner, and head of product at Maris Dae.
She didn't plan any of it — she once thought she'd become a conventional doctor, then spent seven years as a lawyer instead, before a decision at 32 sent her back to school to become a naturopathic doctor. What she didn't plan for was how much life would happen in the middle of that degree.
In this episode, we get into the identity crisis of a total career pivot, what actually kept her going through the hardest years of school, her naturopathic take on skin health, and whether your workout might be doing more harm than good.
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Intro
(01:18) Lawyer, naturopathic doctor, mom of 4, clinic owner, head of product at Maris Dae, founder of Parave
(02:56) Back to the beginning — why she almost became a conventional doctor
(03:02) Discovering naturopathic medicine in the early 2000s
(05:04) Choosing law instead, and finding her way into health law
(07:14) Going back to school at 32
(08:11) The long nights: studying until 1am and nursing all night
(08:42) The identity crisis of the career pivot — "who am I now?"
(10:32) Was there ever a moment it felt too hard?
(11:45) "I'm on the other side of the mountain" — what kept her going
(12:22) Life now: running her own practice and practicing law, simultaneously
(14:55) Advice for anyone sitting on a decision they haven't made yet
(16:44) How joining Maris Dae actually happened
(18:41) Skin is the largest organ — what that actually means for your health
(19:35) Sarah's approach to skin: internal first, external second
(20:54) Why skin is having such a cultural moment right now
(24:07) Redefining self-care in 2- and 5-minute increments
(26:06) Can a workout be too intense?
(28:38) The "bubbling pot" — and the one question to ask before saying yes to anything
(31:12) Who wearable data actually helps — and who it doesn't
(35:50) What Sarah is still figuring out: ambition vs. being present for her kids
(36:41) Self-care as the non-negotiable foundation everything else depends on
(38:36) Where to find Dr. Sarah Harbottle
KEY TAKEAWAY
When the question in front of you is "can I do this right now?" — make the decision. Do that enough times in a row, and you end up somewhere no five-year plan could have mapped out for you.
About Dr. Sarah Harbottle
Dr. Sarah Harbottle is a naturopathic doctor and lawyer based in Vancouver. She practices at her clinic, Life Integrative, provides legal counsel to naturopathic doctors and other healthcare providers, and runs Parave, a corporate health education company focused on the perimenopausal space. She's also head of product at Maris Dae, the Vancouver-based marine-hydration skincare brand. She's a mom of four.
Connect with Dr. Sarah Harbottle
Website |https://www.drsarahharbottle.com/
Instagram |https://www.instagram.com/dr.sarah.harbottle.nd/|https://www.instagram.com/maris.dae/
