Introducing…UNMUTED!

I have some VERY exciting news!

This has been a lifelong dream of mine, and I can’t contain how thrilled I am to share it with all of you, especially those who have been following Rachel’s Nourishing Kitchen for the past six years.

I’m officially the Founder & CEO of my own business! 🙂

Here’s the story of how it all came to be!

I’m the daughter of two teachers turned entrepreneurs.

Growing up, I never saw my parents hate work. I assumed it was normal to enjoy what you did. I saw my mom succeed in the male-dominated field of finance. I saw my parents create their own reality and fall more in love as they got older, after nearly breaking up when I was a little girl.

I believed all of that was possible for me, too.

As a high schooler, I told my counselors I wanted to be a nutritionist, doctor, singer, psychologist and writer. I’ve found a way to combine elements of each of those professions into the work that I do as a speaker, writer and trainer. I’ve overcome my fear of speaking and singing in front of people and now incorporate both into my work.

I took my lifelong interest in health and wellbeing and created my role as Wellness Coordinator in 2007 at a benefits consulting firm. I built up our wellness initiative to be nationally recognized and award-winning and helped our organization and our clients earn recognition as Best Places to Work.

Through my journey, I had several health breakdowns and breakthroughs that led me to do the work I do today, empowering leaders to live and lead more intentionally, so they can thrive in all areas of their lives.

In 2019, I paid attention to the nudges telling me to spread my wings and launch my own business: UNMUTED.

Here’s why I did it and why I believe it’s important for ALL of us to stop silencing ourselves and to live an “unmuted life.”

Unmuting Our Lives

We put so much pressure on ourselves to act like we have it all together, even when we’re struggling underneath.

We live our lives on autopilot, going through the motions and living the life other people expect us to live instead of living on our own terms.

We don’t express what we really want or think or feel because we’re afraid people will think we’re being selfish, too much or not enough.

We silence ourselves, and we hide who we really are. We feel frustrated, unfulfilled and unworthy.

Do you ever feel like that?

I get it. I’ve been there.

For much of my life, I silenced myself, too.

I’ve always been an overachiever, the “good girl.” I only let people see the put-together version of who I was. When I needed help, I kept quiet instead of asking for it because I didn’t want anyone to think I was inadequate or incompetent. I didn’t share my fears or insecurities or pain with people and kept them bottled up inside, like so many of us do. I loved singing and writing but didn’t give myself permission to share them with people because it felt too exposing.

It’s like I was living my life on mute.

Many of us are.

We silence ourselves and struggle with self-doubt and relentless and brutal inner critics. We feel disconnected in our relationships at work and at home. We sacrifice our health and wellbeing in our quest to get ahead. We’ve gotten so used to living our lives based on other people’s expectations that we don’t even know what we want anymore.

We feel checked out and burned out, and we don’t know what to do about it.

Sometimes we have one of those “here’s your sign” moments, those nudges that wake us up and compel us to live differently.

For me, that moment came when I burned out and got mono at the age of 32.

But the sickness was a gift. It made me realize how exhausted, unhappy and unfulfilled I was in my life and how disconnected I was in my relationships.

It was the catalyst I needed to UNMUTE myself and to transform my life, health and relationships.

On the other side of my healing, I found my purpose.

I found a life of freedom, not fear.

A life that is lived by design, not by default.

A life that is full of hope and possibilities.

That’s what I’m here to help you find, too.

It’s time to UNMUTE your life.

Through compelling keynote speeches and inspiring, hands-on workshops, I release possibilities and bring out what’s best in people. I remind people that they are worthy of the full, connected life they want — at work and at home.

Here’s a look at one of my speaker reels 🙂

IMPORTANT: As of March 2019, I will not be posting any new content on this site. I will keep it active, as I know many of the recipes and articles on here are still accessed by and helpful to thousands of people each year!

To connect with me on my new platforms, visit my website, connect with me on LinkedIn, and connect with me on Instagram.