Hey, it's Rachel— Do you have a love hate relationship with your phone? You know, sometimes you think it's the best thing ever and it makes your life easier? But sometimes it gets in the way, makes you feel overwhelmed and overstimulated? If this sounds like you, you're not alone. Did you know Gartner (a major research and consulting firm) predicts that by 2025, 50% of people will have either abandoned social media or decreased their usage substantially? And searches for "dumb phones" and app...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Hey, it's Rachel— I was reading You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb this week, and a specific quote cracked me up and reminded me of an important lesson we all should remember: "If the queen had balls, she'd be the king." This saying is essentially a blunt way of saying that thinking about what could be if things were different is futile. From a psychological perspective, this phrase highlights our human tendency to imagine alternate realities or what might have been if things were...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Hey, it's Rachel— I just got back from a weekend getaway with my girlfriends. It was a healing experience, and if you haven’t taken a self-care trip lately, this is your sign to get one on the books. Anyway, while I was away, a lesson that came up for me was the idea of “less is more”. This theme started coming up when I was listening to Kate Northrop’s book "Do Less". It contains some interesting studies on how doing less can lead to better results. Who would've thought? And then my friend,...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Hey, it's Rachel— I just finished reading Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger. Who is Charlie Munger? He is famous for being Warren Buffett's business partner and right-hand man. Now, there are A LOT of takeaways in this book. But one of my favorites was "to always invert." What the heck does this mean? Well, rather than try to figure out how to do x, Charlie would also figure out how to do the opposite of x, and then avoid those things. For example, in the book,...
3 months ago • 4 min read
Hey, it's Rachel— When I was in my twenties, I chatted with my mentor about how long I expected it would take me to make a certain amount of money. He smiled but then started talking about the problem with "kids these days." He shared that everyone wants instant gratification, but that that's simply not how life works. "Good things take time," he said. As much as I hate to admit it, he was right. Reflecting on my mentor's wisdom, I now see how it ties into the concept of compounding growth....
4 months ago • 3 min read
Hey, it's Rachel— The other day, I was helping a friend do some virtual interviews for a position she was hiring for. All the candidates were pretty mediocre, but one candidate stood out. The candidate was confident and charismatic. But most importantly, she gave the correct answers to our hardest questions. How? She used Chat GPT. You see, there was one question that was stumping all the candidates. But with this stellar candidate, instead of getting flustered or making something up, she...
4 months ago • 3 min read
Hey, it's Rachel— I have a friend who is a real estate investor. He has experience flipping homes. One day, I asked him, "What does it take to be successful? Do you have to time the market just right?" He told me, "It didn't matter what the market is doing; it's all about the deal." "If you get a good deal, it doesn't matter if the economy is good or bad; you'll make money." That lesson has always stuck with me. In my (currently failing) quest for a bigger home, I come across a lot of homes...
4 months ago • 3 min read
Hey, it's Rachel— My husband and I are enjoying our 10-year anniversary this week. We decided to take this time to discuss our dreams and visions for the next 10 years of our relationship. This may sound weird, but going to business school taught me the importance of having a clear vision and goals for a business, and I've learned to apply that same kind of planning to my life. I highly recommend taking some time to reflect on what you want in your life. Here are some great questions to...
4 months ago • 3 min read
Hey, it's Rachel— If you missed it, I've been surveying you (my audience) to learn what you need and how I can help. A common theme in my survey responses is people's uncertainty about where to start (they lack the right direction and guidance on how to find/observe opportunities). So, today, I'm going to address that question. If you want to be successful in any endeavor (whether that's starting a business or achieving a big goal), I think the best place to start is by researching people who...
5 months ago • 4 min read