Gabby: Why I joined Natural

Why would a social media marketer with a decade of experience across fashion and beauty (at brands like Alo and Rhode) pivot to fintech? Let me explain...

Background

I was at a Dodgers game when I got an unexpected text from my old neighbor, Kahlil. He’d lived in the unit above me in Santa Monica for about 6 months. We were friendly in passing, but never had the chance to chat in depth about work or life. When he moved out, I assumed that was that.

Fast-forward a month and he texts me the following

A little bit about me

I’ve spent the last ten years in social media marketing. Most recently I was Head of Social at Alo, then Director of Social at Rhode.

I’ve designed campaigns that shaped culture, moved product, and built loyal communities. From viral fashion and beauty moments to creator-powered storytelling, my work blends taste, strategy, and internet fluency to turn brands into worlds people want to live in.

Kahlil had no idea what I did for work. His recruiting team just happened to send him my LinkedIn profile as part of a batch. So the conversations began:

When I opened the info dump he sent me (including a 15-page memo about his new company, Natural) I had many, many questions:

1. What the f*** are agentic payments?
2. I've been in fashion/beauty my entire career. How does any of this translate to fintech? The lingo is different. The culture is different. Even the platforms are different.
3. Knowing all that... why is Kahlil considering me? And why am I considering this?

Then we got on a call, and everything clicked. Kahlil’s vision for Natural and for the marketing function was crystal clear: How do we make fintech feel as influential and tasteful as an it-girl brand. His posts below shed some more light on his thinking:

After a few more conversations with his co-founders and a week-long work trial in SF – I was in.

But this wasn’t just a job change. It was an industry leap, a new city after 10 years in LA, and a complete shift in how (I thought) I wanted to grow as a marketer.

Here’s what made me do it

Kahlil

His energy, passion, and vision for Natural is electric. His work ethic shows up in everything he touches, and I have no doubt that his leadership will lead Natural to infinity and beyond. He also has a keen eye for design and good taste, these go a long way for me.

I needed a change, I just didn’t realize how big

Social media is ever-changing. It’s dynamic, exciting, and moves at the speed of culture – but I was ready for something more.

I’m surely not the only one who feels the social media fatigue. It has become one big growth-hacking, rage-baiting machine. Formats engineered purely for performance over authenticity and connection. It feels so contrived.

I’m not naive to the fact that every marketing role requires some level of “playing the game.” It’s psychology.

But I believe a shift is coming... one where people crave reality, authenticity, and style. I myself have been craving work that feels more substantive, something rooted in long-term thinking. This felt like the right moment to make a bet on something bigger.

I believe in the problem Natural is solving

To reference Kahlil’s memo:

"This is a once-in-a-generation moment. Money movement has been effectively static for decades, and now it’s about to be rebuilt, not for humans, but for machines."

Over the next decade, most payments will be executed by AI agents, but today, those agents don’t have the infrastructure to financially interact with the world. Natural is building the foundation that will make that future possible. What an awesome problem to solve.

My week in SF

During my week work trial in SF, I needed a gut check on whether this was truly something I could see myself doing day-to-day. I have no doubt in my talents as a marketer, but does this industry pivot actually make sense?

The moment I shared my initial concepts, all hesitation disappeared. The team wasn’t just supportive, they were excited. The kind of excitement that made me feel like my “outsider” lens was actually a superpower. I'm excited to learn a new industry, flex new muscles, and participate in a broader cultural shift as AI reshapes how we communicate, create, and move money.

How it's going

Two weeks in as Natural's Head of Marketing and I’ve never felt more inspired and energized. This is a winning team, and we’re just getting started. Join me for the ride on social (X, LinkedIn) and check out our open roles.

Thanks,
Gabby