Work with us
Caregiving can be hard but talking about it should not be. J.J., Natalie, and Emilie candidly share their experiences with caregiving for a mother and spouse - the good, bad and downright unbelievable. From life threatening illnesses to eviction from three assisted living facilities, their journey and lessons learned are relatable, inspiring and laughable to any audience.
previous presentations
The Caring Conference: Our Hopeful Futures,
November 2022
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Clubhouse - For The Love of Caregiving, November 10, 2022
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The Care Colloquium,
November 14-16, 2022
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"I Didn't Sign Up For This: Hope for Future Generations of Caregivers"
upcoming presentations
Stay tuned for guest appearances on podcasts and upcoming conferences
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Natalie's guest appearance on She's Brave podcast
Get to Know Us
Natalie
Natalie Elliott Handy, MSW, is a seasoned healthcare executive with a passion for serving others. Natalie has over 24 years in the health and human services industry, she has worked with children and their families, partnering with local and state level government agencies and community organizations, to meet critical mental and behavioral health needs.
She takes pride in being seen as a mental health concierge, helping families and agencies navigate the system to find the most appropriate service. When gaps in the continuum are identified, Natalie responds by creating new services and programs. She believes in the power of advocacy, using her voice and position to bring macro level change on the local, state, and federal levels, serving on committees, task forces, planning groups, and boards. In August 2022, she was honored to be appointed by Governor Glenn Youngkin to serve on the State Executive Council for Children’s Services. Natalie has a passion for training, offering education and information to positively impact others, both internally and to the community at large.
Natalie received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Hollins College and Master of Social Work at West Virginia University. Originally from outside Knoxville, TN, Natalie currently lives in Roanoke, Virginia with her husband Jason and fur children, Winston the Bulldog and Daisy the Beagle.
JJ
J.J. Elliott Hill trained for a career in finance, working over 17 years consulting with business and commercial clients. In March 2013, she found herself downsized, jobless and disinterested in furthering a career in banking. Following a few months of self-pity, she partnered up full time with her fiancé to turn their basement hobby shop into a retail store in Greensboro, NC. By November 2013 she was selling Nemo and Dory for a living! Over the next 4 years, the business grew from a small, rented space to a 10,000sq ft building purchased to operate the aquarium retail, service, and custom design company.
She spent the next 12 years as a managing partner for the retail and service company, along with a manufacturing start-up, two residential rental companies, and a commercial real estate company – all at the same time. In August 2022, the aquarium retail store was sold and a new business in wholesale fish collection was opened in Florida.
J.J. received her Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Hollins College and her Master of Business Administration in Executive Management Studies from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She is a candidate for the CCC, CCE and CCF Certificates from The Caregiving Years Academy in December 2022.
She calls home base the Florida Keys with her husband Dexter and their dog, Oscar. But much of her heart is in North Carolina with grandsons, Eli & Tommy.
Emilie
Emilie Elliott was born to be a caretaker. From age 8 when she brought home the stray dog from the bus stop to the guinea pig she taught to “squeak” when he was ready for food, Emilie has always cared. She left college to marry and over the next five years had two sons and a daughter.
As a military wife, she became licensed to operate a home daycare and continued her calling of care for another 4 years. Life took a turn and after divorcing she returned with her children to Tennessee. She worked with the County government for over 10 years.
After several years in Indiana, Emilie returned to East Tennessee in August 2022 to become the full time caregiver for her mother. Emilie credits her ability to take on the caregiving role to the solace she finds in her faith, understanding the importance of practicing daily self-care, and spending time with her adult children, Owen, 21 and twins Maxx and Natalie Jane, 19.