Welcome to Living Well — our bi-weekly spotlight on different women that we admire and find fascinating. Our goal is to share an intimate peek into these women’s lives by asking them the questions that allow them to open up about their imperfect truth, whatever that may be. 

Rachael and I first became acquainted on Instagram and then we ended up on a retreat together and I liked her even more. She’s classically stylish and incredibly warm, thoughtful, and open. I’ve enjoyed watching Rachael transition from one to two babies, change her business as she’s evolved, and boldly move out of the US for a new adventure. It’s been clear to me since I met her that she is intentional in her approach to her life and I’m excited to know more behind her intentionality below.  

If you've done the Values Deck exercise, what are your top five values? Tell us how one of them manifests in your life. What is a decision you’ve made using it to guide you?

Curiosity, Growth, Authenticity, Mindfulness, Self-Acceptance.

I’m at a place in life where my greatest personal goal is to know and love myself. To live a life that feels the most me. I spent my twenties being who I thought others wanted me to be and most of my thirties trying to “keep up” and relying on external validation to feel valuable as a person. Now, on the brink of entering my forties, it feels like I’m closer than ever to understanding myself and building a life in alignment with who I really am and want to be - and I’m just getting started. Valuing growth in particular reminds me that everything I’m experiencing in life is part of the journey. It guides and encourage me to keep going, to keep evolving and becoming.

My version of success is…

Right now, success looks like commitment. Showing up again and again to learn, grow and be of service — no matter the successes or failures along the way. I recently re-launched my brand, Rachael Harrah, and have entered an entirely new industry. Committing myself to the process by showing up for whatever new challenge or uncomfortable feeling I face that day is something I can be proud of. And, now that I think of it, this really applies to other areas of my life too — success in parenting, my marriage, and honoring myself — all look like continuing to show up.

In what way are you seeking to grow right now?

Professionally, I am building Rachael Harrah into an educational platform to inspire and educate women who value simplicity, style, and self development. This process has me growing and stretching myself in all the ways — most notably in my mindset and belief in myself. Feeling the uncomfortable feelings that come up is not easy but necessary to continue moving towards something very exciting that will help other women. 

Personally, I am training to run a half marathon. Last year my family and I moved from Los Angeles to a small village in Belgium and I got really into running. Even though I’ve always been active and enjoyed fitness and movement, when I committed to a goal of running a 10K race it changed me. The experience was unbelievably empowering and the mindset shift I made to get there left me feeling like I could do anything.

What is one way that you are different today than you were ten years ago?

2012 was a very pivotal year in my life. I like to say I “took off the mask” I had been wearing for, well, forever. I left behind pretty much everything I had built up until that point — my relationship, my job, my home — to start again from scratch. I had had a sense for a long time that I wasn’t really living the life that was meant for me and that was the year I started to change it. Looking back at the “me” then, the biggest difference is that the woman I am now has learned to trust herself.

Setting aside modesty for a moment, what are you excellent at?

I am really amazing at finding a parking spot everywhere I go. Random, but true! Take me with you if you’re ever going somewhere with difficult parking.

Whose life perspective and way of moving through the world teaches you something about who + how you want to be?

My Dad. He is so present in his life — for himself and for those he loves. He is always learning and has never shied away from spending time on his interests and passions. Yet he still gives generously to others with his time and attention. He makes you feel like the most important person in the room when you’re with him. He’s just the best.

IS THERE A QUOTE OR MANTRA YOU ALWAYS COME BACK TO?

“Resistance is a compass.” — from The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.

Can you share a book, podcast, or article that changed you in some way?

I love to read, especially self help books. A few that have resonated deeply with me over the years are: The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks, Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life by Byron Katie and the aforementioned The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.

What are you grateful for today?

Watching my children play in the garden with the spring daffodils and tulips blooming and the sun on my face.

Rachael Harrah is the creator of the Foundational Wardrobe: a new approach to creating a simplified, intentional wardrobe of clothes that reflect the *real* you. Get started building your own Foundational Wardrobe with her FREE quick start guide: 3 Things to Do Right Now to Simplify Your Closet.  

You can also listen to her new podcast, Foundational Living, exploring style and self development — available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

If you’re ready to go from being lost with what to wear to feeling like your most confident, authentic self every time you get dressed, Rachael is currently pre-booking for a *very* limited number of one-on-one virtual Foundational Wardrobe sessions. Email rachael@rachaelharrah.com for more details.