Limavady Health Coach Launches Wellness Business with Explore Enterprise Support

Natalie McGee, originally from Holland and now living in Limavady with her husband and two children, launched her business, Saluté, offering health coaching and holistic facials focused on nurturing the whole person. Her services are designed to support clients’ physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.

Her journey into entrepreneurship followed several personal challenges. These included adapting to life in Northern Ireland, learning a new language, stepping away from a previous career, and navigating postnatal health issues. These experiences ultimately inspired her to explore holistic health and, over time, support others going through similar struggles.

Natalie explained: “Coming to NI to live, I gave up my career, settled in a new country, learned the language and after having my children, I experienced my own struggles with postnatal health, the hormonal rollercoaster, sleepless nights, and the feeling of not being myself. It was a challenging time, I found it difficult to reach out but this time also became my biggest inspiration.”

What began as informal conversations with other women and community talks developed into a more serious business idea. Encouragement from those around her helped her realise the potential to turn her passion into a career.

“The name of my business, Saluté (Italian for 'health'), reflects a core value I hold dear. It represents a holistic, Mediterranean-inspired approach to achieving optimal well-being. It's about nurturing the whole person, mind, body, and spirit,” she said.

The business combines Natalie’s two decades of experience as a facialist, which began in Holland, with her interest in nutrition, movement, and emotional wellbeing. She offers services that address both internal and external health, aiming to support long-term improvements through practical, individualised care.

“I've seen firsthand how digestive issues can lead to skin problems, how stress can manifest as breakouts, and how hormonal imbalances can affect skin texture and tone. That's why my health coaching practice goes hand-in-hand with my facials,” she added.

While the idea for a business had been growing, Natalie admitted she wasn’t sure how to move forward. As someone who didn’t grow up in Northern Ireland, she lacked connections and knowledge of local support structures. That changed when she was introduced to Alice Quinn at Roe Valley Enterprises, who was delivering the Explore Enterprise Support Service in the area.

“I had often thought about what I could do with myself when my children started to grow up, but with not being from Northern Ireland, not knowing where to start never mind how it would work the key turning point in my entrepreneurial journey was an introduction to Alice Quinn at Roe Valley Enterprises in Limavady,” she said.

The Explore Enterprise Support Service received 1.8m funding through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and was designed to support aspiring entrepreneurs and economically inactive individuals. It helped participants develop their business ideas and skills. Delivered by Enterprise NI through a network of Local Enterprise Agencies and the Kings Trust , the programme provided mentoring, training, and practical workshops to help people take their first steps into self-employment.

Natalie credited the programme, and the mentorship of Alice Quinn, with giving her the direction and confidence she needed to establish a viable business model that worked around her lifestyle.

“Seeking direction on launching my health coaching practice, I found invaluable mentorship and practical guidance from Alice. Her support and business development workshops equipped me with the strategic planning, public speaking, and confidence-building skills necessary to establish my business,” she said.

She also highlighted the social benefits of joining the programme, which helped her build new friendships and support networks. This proved especially valuable as someone without deep local roots.

“This moment not only connected me with Alice Quinn and her invaluable mentorship, it built up my confidence, it taught me new skills and provided me with a new social network. It also unexpectedly gifted me with a wonderful friendship with another inspiring lady that I met on the programme with children the same age as mine.”

Since completing the programme, Natalie has launched Saluté, offering holistic facials that integrate health coaching to support her clients’ physical and mental wellbeing. She is intentionally growing the business at a pace that allows her to balance family life, self-care, and long-term ambitions.

“I have now started my business, I provide holistic facials which focus on all aspects of health to improve the body, physically and mentally. I am gradually building my client base in the right way so that I can work around my family, still take care of myself and have something that I can build upon for the years to come.”

Natalie’s story is one of many that emerged from theExplore Enterprise Support Service. It helped individuals across Northern Ireland explore entrepreneurship as a practical and realistic path, particularly for those disconnected from traditional employment.

An Enterprise NI initiative, the Explore Enterprise Support Service supported over 800 individuals across all council areas in Northern Ireland  during its delivery.. The service played a key role in helping people translate personal passion and life experience into sustainable business models.

For more information on how Enterprise NI continues to support entrepreneurs across Northern Ireland, visit www.enterpriseni.com.