Thank You Rachel Hollis

I believe it was May, 2018 and I had just returned from the annual conference held by a company that I joined as a part-time side hustle.  Two words were spreading like wildfire.  Rachel Hollis.  I'd never heard of her but apparently her new book Girl, Wash Your Face was a New York Times Bestseller.  It was deemed a must-read for anyone in our business.  So, I ordered this book with the wet girl next to a spouting fire hydrant on the cover.

While impatiently awaiting the arrival of said book, I immersed myself in everything Rachel Hollis.  She had a website called The Chic Site, which had countless blog/posts, videos and recipes.  (This has now transitioned to www.msrachelhollis.com so head on over there if you're curious.)  However, what really drew me in was her daily morning show on Facebook.  At the time, she lived in Los Angeles with her husband Dave and their four children (or as they say, "It's like 1,000 kids").   This medium was perfect since you could watch a Live video of her talking for about 20-30 minutes or view it at a later time.

Rachel is THE REAL DEAL.  Straight-forward, authentic, relatable, smart and funny.  Obviously, there was a lot of discussion about the book, which was great since I got invaluable insights before I was able to read it.  By the way, when you read her book, it's written just like you're sitting down with a girlfriend.  She's raw and allowed herself to be extremely vulnerable while revealing some embarrassing moments.  All so we can realize that we are not alone, that we can also overcome our fears and obstacles.

She rarely wore makeup, which I found endearing because in this age of perceived perfection, who would go on a Livestream in front of thousands of people with no makeup?  Someone who wants you to show up as yourself.  Someone who doesn't have time for makeup when she's dealing with getting four kids off to school, before or after her morning workout.  Someone who's trying to change the landscape of this warped thinking that in order to be beautiful you have to change how you look.

Some of you may have heard of her when she broke the internet in March, 2015.  She'd posted a bikini pic on a beach while on vacation in Cancun, showing what real women look like after they've carried and birthed three children.  I think we've all been there.  We buy a bathing suit or a bikini to cover the stretch marks, permanent belly flab or saggy belly button. We're embarrassed to not look perfect, as we think "everyone" else does with their flat, toned abs.  But honestly, what do we know about those women?  Have they had children?  Have they had cosmetic surgery to cover up their imperfections?  Do they starve themselves or work out four hours/day?  And who are these people anyway?  Do we care what they think?  One of Rachel's biggest battles was other people's opinions, which she discusses in both books. However, Rachel's entire point with that post was to redirect our thinking to the positive.  She doesn't want us to body-shame.  She wants us to proudly show off the amazing miracle that our bodies carried and birthed our babies!

There were plenty of YouTube videos as well as her podcast, which has morphed from the Dais podcast to Rise to now just her name.  On the podcast, she speaks on a topic herself or interviews experts to help you with your small business or just to improve your life.  The more I learned, watched and listened, the more I admired our girl Rach.  I'm not taking liberties here, as my husband believes...she actually refers to herself as "your pal Rach".  You start to feel like she knows you and is part of your inner circle.  She's your supporter, your ally, your friend, your coach, your mentor!  It's no surprise that she has a fiercely loyal tribe, primarily of women like myself, but also men.

I developed what may have been a slight obsession.  I devoured every bit of her content that I could.  My prior heavy influences were Tony Robbins and Oprah, who ironically, Rachel herself also states are her heroes.  When someone speaks into your soul, you find yourself inspired and excited to do better, be better and improve every day.  Also, around mid-2018, Rachel and Dave packed up their family and moved to Austin, Texas.  Dave was left his job at Disney to work with Rachel at the Hollis Company and they also started the Rise Together podcast.  (More on this later.)

It only made sense that in January 2019 when her Rise Women's Conference in Minnesota was announced, I was determined to go.  Much to my dismay, it sold out in about 20 minutes.  Frankly, they were shocked that it had sold out this quickly given their prior conference attendance.  I was heartbroken but within hours, a second event was announced.  They were going to hold the same conference in Dallas and the venue would hold over twice the amount of people.   This is typical of what Rachel does for her tribe.  She feels she was put on this Earth to give back and she goes to any lengths to do so.

On my birthday in March, 2019, Rachel released Girl, Stop Apologizing, her much-anticipated follow up book to her New York Times bestseller.  This book, focused on how accomplish your goals, was a hit.  It landed on the New York Times bestseller list immediately and both books remained on it for many weeks.  You may have heard of the Start Today Journal, which is Rachel's daily practice where she writes down five things she's grateful for and then her dreams.  She formally developed the journal after many requests, but if you listen to Episode 72 of her podcast, she breaks down how you can do it in your own notebook.  As she says, the important thing is to do the practice, not sell you the journal.

So, in mid-July 2019, I flew to Dallas for the three day Rise conference.  I won't give out too many details as I feel this was such a life-changing event that every women should experience at least once.  Just know that this 5'2" powerhouse will blow you away.  While she does the majority of the speaking, she also has amazing guest speakers that will have you writing so fast you will wish you had a stenographer.  The nuggets of wisdom are endless, for anyone in business and/or those who are just looking to be happier with themselves and achieve their dreams.  You will be held accountable for being present, energized and kind.  Go alone, bring a friend, bring your daughter or bring your Mom but no matter what, you will leave with the knowledge that there are a whole tribe of Rise sisters in your corner.  I went alone and was astounded at the friendliness of the Hollis Co. employees as they went above and beyond to make you feel welcome and accommodated.  Lastly, there is a live DJ and dancing, so wear your comfy clothes and tennis shoes.

In early 2020, Rachel was invited by OPRAH to speak on her stage during the 2020 Weight Watchers Vision Tour.  OPRAH.  Yes, she deserves her name in all caps, always.  She flew to NYC to give a 20 minute motivational presentation before the Michelle Obama interview.  I say presentation because Rachel doesn't just speak, she interacts and wants your feedback.  I was so happy for her, both when announced and when she showed videos of her interaction with Oprah.  I was ecstatic to hear that Oprah is as gracious as I've always imagined.  Not long after, she had a flare up of her neuralgia, which has previously exhibited itself as Bell's palsy.  She showed a picture on Instagram of one of those episodes, which is extremely vulnerable since it once again shows that she's real and just like us...even after speaking on OPRAH's stage.

A bombshell dropped in late May, 2020.  Rachel and Dave announced that they were separating and getting a divorce after 20 years together. I believe her entire tribe was at least temporarily shocked and heartbroken.  Selfishly, the community was saddened because we'd grown to adore Rachel and Dave as a couple.  They were best friends and appeared to have it all together with date nights and raising their kids with great values and empowerment.  They had it all so why didn't or couldn't it work?  A lot of us held out hope that this was not final but alas, it is.  While so many have judged and spoken negatively, what gives them the right?  After all, Rachel (and Dave for that matter) have graciously given countless hours of free information on how to better ourselves and achieve our dreams.  What a lot of people forgot, including myself for a moment, is that they are HUMAN.  People break up because it's just not working anymore, so why should they not be able to move on and be happy if that is their decision?  Certainly, it took courage to make that decision in private but even more to share it with the public.  

Last, but certainly not least is how Rachel describes her community.  "They don't act the same, look the same, believe the same..."  While she and Dave are no longer together, they both practice radical acceptance and their actions and friendships support this at every turn.  What could be more uplifting and encouraging in times like these?  Although, I wish she'd been around 20 years ago, I'm excited that she's revolutionizing personal development by inspiring everyone, including our children, to believe that we are Made for More.  So, if you want to feel like you belong to a community, be motivated or just need a laugh, check out my girl Rach and let me know what you think.