Episode 59: How loss & big life challenges can lead to mindful living as mamas, with intuitive brand consultant Rachel Garahan
Episode Description
Today’s guest is a mother, designer, writer and brand consultant who views her work with clients as intuitive and inspired rather than calculated or formulaic. In fact, Rachel chooses to only work with a handful of clients now that she is home with her wee ones, and prefers being aligned with the right people than anything else.
With a baby girl and a four year old son in tow, Rachel enjoys living the simple life in Ojai, California with her family. After traveling in her teens and building her business as a creative consultant in her twenties, Rachel is going to share the significance of her slowing down and softening into motherhood as well as life events that have taught her so much about letting go, adaptability and following our intuition.
Rachel values an eclectic, experimental and unfussy approach to living, which extends into her work. Having done a lot of inner and outer travel and discovery, which included backpacking solo for two years, living on the beaches of Nicaragua with her five month old, and spending 30 days at a Zen Monastery, Rachel is always open for self reflection and openminded ness.
She attributes these collective experiences to her out-of-the-box perspective when it comes to work. She also is going to speak about a topic that often arises on the show which is taking big leaps or facing our biggest fears. As someone who regularly questions the status quo, and often takes leaps that may initially make her feel uncomfortable, Rachel believes that we can grow and expand so much from facing our fears. All in all, she believes that life is rich with exciting opportunities to engage our full spectrum of senses and emotions, and that the adventure has always just begun.
Take-Aways
12:03:
The significance of moving away from freedom and travel into motherhood.
13:07
Rachel references the book “Spirit Baby: How to Communicate with the Child You’re Meant to Have” by Water Makichen and said it really changed her life and views on motherhood.
17:14
How her life losses and tragedies have led her to live her own life from passion and alignment. This is why she doesn’t just work to a few days off a year.
23:57
Her experience with postpartum anxiety and depletion and what it taught her about herself.
26:59
How her and her mommy clients set boundaries with one another so they can truly find more of a “work/life balance.”
33:18:
Scheduling in mom breaks and why it is SO important.
40:36
How therapy has helped her and her husband’s marriage (heck they started even before they got married!)
49:08
Acknowledging our kids and making eye contact with them. Why this is so important.
Memorable Quotes
“Remembering that conversation with my dad (before he died) he really made me kind of like take my life and say ‘I’m going to do everything I want now’, and not wait.”
“I don’t believe in working all year and then taking a two week vacation or working a whole lifetime and then retiring. I’m much more prefer to kind of mix it up all in between and to really have an everyday routine that feels freeing, and flexible.”
“Looking at life from the bigger perspective has been the best tool for me to keep it all in perspective, because otherwise it can just be, either overwhelming or autopilot.”
“That shock and that experience of having a new baby, is what new motherhood is.”
“You can only be your best self when you have the time and space to take care of yourself.”
“Acknowledging what I’m feeling and what I need and telling (my husband) that, has really helped to diffuse a lot of situations.”
“There’s so many people achieving big things outwardly that sometimes it’s hard to just trust that small, consistent piece of ourselves that maybe isn’t so shiny or bold or trendy. But it’s true to us.”
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