Recently released, ‘Growing Upward: A Guide to Discovering Your Greatness + Owning Your Life’ by Natalie Zombeck, was written as a guidebook filled with stories, mindset tools and practical strategies to help readers, especially teenagers, overcome challenges and empower them on their journeys.
Zombeck, who is a Special Education Resource Teacher for the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board (BHNCDSB), explained how the book came to fruition.
“I actually started working on it before COVID and I wrote it throughout the pandemic, so it’s been a long time coming. Essentially, it comes from a combination of my teaching background as well as my business background. I’ve been teaching for 18 years now, and I have had a lot of opportunities over the years to sit down with students during some difficult times [in their lives], and I ended up being in a counseling-type role often, especially with older students who were struggling with their identity or with family situations, or with relationships or academics…these students would come to me, and we would work through these problems together and make a plan,” the author said. “But I always felt like they would walk away empty handed [as I] wanted to be able to give them to continue the work and…to feel better about their situation. And also, I knew that there were many students out there too who just wouldn’t speak up and wouldn’t say anything. I wanted to give them something that could help them [like this book], even if they were on their own. The reason why this was so important to me is because when I was a pre-teen [and] going through my teenage years, I struggled too. Those were the hardest years of my life. So, I related to these students on a very deep level.”
However, Zombeck would learn about personal growth and personal development as a business owner starting in her 20s and 30s, which gave her a better perspective when helping children.
“I spent years learning the foundational skills for a good life—things like effective goal setting, developing positive habits, and cultivating self-positivity. I gained this knowledge through my own business, [yet] I continually found myself thinking, ‘I wish I’d known all this when I was 12 or in high school.’ This realization became a driving force when I worked with students. I wanted them to know these vital lessons before they faced [any] major struggles during their teens. I searched for a resource that could teach personal growth and development to young people, but I couldn’t find one that was accessible and relatable,” she said. “The idea for this book then crystalized before COVID. I remember literally stopping during a walk with my son and realized: I could create this resource myself. I could take all the powerful knowledge I gained later in life and make it available in a book written with clear, simple language specifically for younger readers.”
The book contains many stories, some of which touched Zombeck on a deep level including one story on a student by the name of Brooklyn.
“There’s a reason I chose these stories…because they’re all quite impactful. For example, I have a chapter about raising your vibration, and the story that I chose for that one is about a girl named Brooklyn. She was in a really bad bullying situation. It got so bad that she ended up having to switch schools. It really broke her down as a person, and she spent a lot of time in her room. It wasn’t until she found the support that she needed [and] really leaned into it…she leaned into people in her community that she trusted. She leaned into her mom, and into her friends [who] really helped her through it,” Zombeck recalled. “She developed some personal habits that really helped her regain her sense of self-worth…like journaling, and practicing positive self-talk and she was open about what she went through. She talked about her struggles with people, which is a really hard thing for anyone to do. And so, I talked about her story, and about how she has come out on the other side of this with such resilience, and coming out a much stronger person because of her experiences.”
Another story was about Jordy, who was going through many challenges.
“She was struggling with anorexia nervosa when she was a teenager, and it was because she was a high-level athlete. She had her identity attached to being an athlete. She was doing track and field [and] developed anorexia nervosa, which is literally a phobia of food. Her story is all about understanding your own body’s responses when it comes to a threat. That chapter was written specifically about understanding the way your body responds with fight or flight modes,” Zombeck explained. “[In the book] I go through Jordy’s story and…how her body was responding to the threats of food, the threats of competition and her struggle in just trying to be a normal teenager. But then I go into how you can overcome those things, and how Jordy actually learned to read her body and her responses as she went through counseling. And now, she’s a nurse, and she helps people with eating disorders.”
During the writing process, Zomback came to learn how a book like this was needed.
“The response to this project has been incredible. Every single time I’ve mentioned that it’s an introduction to personal growth for young readers, people immediately say, ‘That is so needed’ or ‘I have to give that to my daughter [or] nephew [or] students.’ It’s clear that people are genuinely [wanting] a resource like this. In the publishing world, we have many children’s books and adult novels, but a huge gap exists for teens. I’ve heard so many worried parents say things like, ‘My kid is getting ready for university and is struggling with who they are—where can they even find direction?” The uncertainty is very much real,” she explained. “I see teens grappling with their identities every day. This is made even tougher by social media, where the comparison game is constantly chipping away at their self-worth. Seeing this daily, I have to ask: ‘Why don’t we have more resources for this age group?’ That’s why I’m so excited to share what I’ve created with Growing Upward. It’s a resource that’s easy to read, but still deep and powerful. It uses stories to encourage self-reflection and includes workable sections so teens can actually customize it for their own lives.”
Nevertheless, Zombeck had her own struggle when it came to writing the book, eventually overcoming it.
“One of the biggest hurdles I faced was imposter syndrome. I’m not a professional writer; I never excelled in English class and certainly never aspired to be an author. Yet, the need for this resource was so powerful that I was compelled to push through and write it. I made a clear decision that if no one else will create it, I would,” Zombeck noted. “This experience led to a personal breakthrough I discuss in the book. We often ask, “Why me? Am I worthy of creating something impactful?” I learned the antidote to imposter syndrome is to ask instead, ‘Why not me?’ This is the mantra I used throughout the entire process of writing the book. Ultimately, my desire for this resource to help young people was far more powerful than my self-doubt, forcing me to push past my fears and embrace this opportunity.”
Released in September 2025, Zombeck reflected on the launch party for the book as well as the support especially from her publisher, fEMPOWER Publications Inc.
“My publisher had a whole process that included hosting a launch party…so, I gathered family and friends right before the release to celebrate. I shared the story of the book, did a small reading, and thanked everyone for all their support and encouragement…Sabrina Greer [the founder fEMPOWER] came to support me [and] she also gave a speech…but I also used that event to rally support for the book’s mission. I asked for everyone’s help getting the book into the hands of young readers; specifically into schools, counseling centres, and places that focus on teen identity and support. That’s my primary goal: connecting with organizations where this resource can truly help,” Zomback maintained. “The launch party was great for a few reasons. I sold and signed hard copies right then and there—a truly surreal moment, [but] more importantly, people immediately started making connections for me, pointing me to a teacher that they knew at a school or a director of a counseling center…people that could use the book. That initial push helped me secure a podcast interview and my first school speaking gigs. Opportunities I’m very excited to do more of.”
Ultimately, the entrepreneur and teacher is looking to make this book a household name in order to help people.
“I truly want Growing Upward to become the go-to resource when a young person…is going through a time of struggle or self-discovery in their lives [and] I want it to be an automatic recommendation. Beyond that, I envision its influence spreading globally, I’d love to see it translated into other languages and land on major bestseller lists,” she said. “The book initially hit number one in seven categories on Amazon on release day, which was fantastic. Now, the goal is to sustain that momentum—not for vanity, but for the exposure that allows people who need this resource to easily find it.”
