Today we’d like to introduce you to NataliaMarie Farr.
NataliaMarie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
In much of my life, I have always been a helper and have always sought to help individuals in any way that I can which is how I got involved in working with athletes at a young age. I also come from a football family and grew up going to church on Sundays and coming home and watching football with my dad, and still continue to do so to this day. It was during my time in high school as I was taping an athlete’s ankles or calculating their free throw percentage’s that I learned and saw firsthand the grueling toll that sports and their extreme physical performance took on athletes’ mental health which is when I sought to be their advocate at the age of 16.
I graduated from Dallas Baptist University in 2014 with my Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Sports Performance and in 2016 I graduated with a Master of Arts in Professional Counseling. In January 2020, I became a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Texas and went on to serve professional and collegiate athletes as a therapist to support them in their sports performance and personal development on and off the field.
In our beginning stage in October 2016, we were invited to speak to SMU Football about the importance of mental health, in May 2021 we partnered with the Emmanuel Mudiay Foundation and a Legend’s Lyfe Foundation to teach parents and athletes the importance of mental health, how to support their child as an athlete, and the importance of recruitment. Since then, we have been working with athletes to provide mental health services to athletes and their families.
In January 2020 I founded my own counseling and sports performance agency, Best by Farr Sports Performance Agency, PLLC. and continue to be a mental health provider for professional and collegiate athletes as well as providing case management, public relations, social media management, and many other services to athletes. Since then, we have been working with athletes to provide mental health services to athletes and their families, supporting them at events and games, and working to manage their cases as they seek all types of treatment, public appearances, and many other things. For our younger athletes, we teach parents and athletes the importance of mental health, how to support your child as an athlete, and the importance and process of recruitment and how to best support them during that time.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
In general, starting a business is never easy, however, being a woman in the sports space is something that has recently started being accepted however mental health hasn’t been received as well as it still carries a negative stigma, and I came into the industry as a female mental health provider meaning I had to work that much harder.
I have had moments where I have had clients talk to me about their concerns whether it be playing-wise, being traded to a new team, transferring schools to play, or asking for advice treatment-wise and voicing my concerns to them for them to share those thoughts along with their thoughts to coaches, peers, agents, and advisors to hear that ‘my advice was great but I am a woman and a counselor first, and I don’t really know much about sports, therefore, my opinion shouldn’t matter’ and that is still a roadblock that we run into constantly in this industry. Coming into this industry, I was well aware that this would be a challenge and now I welcome that as it is what pushes me further in my career to keep going and being a great provider to my clients.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Here at Best by Farr, we are passionate about integrating mental health into sports and sport performance for athletes in an effort to help professional and collegiate athletes perform and stand out in their league physically and mentally. We strive to advocate for our athletes and aid them physically, mentally, and emotionally and provide support to them in all aspects of their life whether it be in their career or personal endeavors.
We offer so many services to our clients so that we can take a lot of the stress off their plate during their season so they can focus on what they love to do, those services include mental health therapy or coaching, case management during their season and off-season, social media management and branding, public relations, and helping clients create and expand their community presence and outreach. If I had to say what we are known for, it would be doing just as much if not more than an agent as our clients lovingly like to tell us. What sets us apart from others is that at the end of the day, we do all of these services for our clients out of the very bottom of our hearts, everything we handle we do in a way that has some clinical background and judgment to it knowing that any and everything that we do for our clients directly impacts their livelihood and mental well-being and that is where our clients can tell you that they know our team truly cares for them no matter where they are at in their career!
There are two things that stick out to me that make me the most proud of what I’ve created here and the first one would be that I am proud of how far we have come! When I first started this agency or even offering mental health to athletes we were not recognized as an asset in the sports industry but now we partner with our client’s agents, coaches, and schools and are seen as an attribute. However, in doing all of this for our athletes and clients, none of this wouldn’t mean a thing for me if I kept everything I had through this to myself. My favorite thing that I am proud of brand-wise would have to be the social impact that we have made for a small organization. Having spent the majority of my career working in the non-profit sector, my heart has always been so focused on giving back and just about every single client or athlete we work with is passionate about that as well and the impact we have been able to make, the lives we have touched and the lives that have touched us, along with the relationships we have formed with so many people in our community are what this work is all about and I am so grateful to God that we have been able to be involved in these moments!
What do you want our readers to know about your brand, offerings, services, etc? Shockingly enough, we not only work with professional athletes, but we work with many entrepreneurs and or creatives and offer them the same exact services that are available to our athletes. We love working with all of our accounts and supporting them through all of their endeavors so that they can be the best in their industry as well!
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
I have learned that if something is meant for you, then it is meant for you and will come when you are ready for it. To get to where I am now has been an incredible blessing and journey of patience that I have dreamed about for over ten years. Had I stopped a few years back when I thought I was ready for this, and it should have been my time- I wouldn’t be where I am now. Being an entrepreneur, creative, or business owner is all about accomplishing your dreams, not anyone else’s dream. Don’t look at others’ dreams and goals and measure your success by them, just because you haven’t had your opportunity come yet, or that one client hasn’t signed with you yet, doesn’t mean that you won’t hit that milestone. If you aren’t where you want to be just yet, please keep on working and persevering, you’re getting so much closer to it and when you do get it you will be so elated that you stuck with it and trusted yourself!!!
Pricing:
- The main thing we’d like to share is that our therapy sessions which are available to everyone start at $150 per 50-minute session
Contact Info:
- Website: bestbyfarr.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bestby_farr/
Image Credits
Carlton Mooring
Sarah Boone
