I want all of us women to play bigger. What would open up for you if you staked your claim? What would happen inside of yourself if you did? How might you inspire yourself and other women? Listen this week as I stake my own claim for myself and encourage you to do this too. You have gems within yourself, ready and waiting to be polished and shined!

Join me for my free, live, and interactive workshop on Friday July 30th from noon-1pm EST. The link will go out to everyone signed up to receive my emails, so sign up here (orchidstory.com/selfcare) before Friday!

In this casual, fun conversation with my dear friend Shannon Aimone, we discuss the book "Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle" by Emily and Amelia Nagoski. We dive into the definition of Human Giver Syndrome and how it shows up for us, how we each complete the stress cycle and why what works for Shannon does not work for me (and vice versa). We talk through self-compassion and how we use it to help us combat perfectionism and comparison. One of the things I love most about this convo is that it's an example of two women deeply connecting, which is one of the antidotes of burnout!

If you're ready to finally stop your own burnout cycle and prioritize your needs, join me LIVE on Fri July 30th from noon-1pm EST for a FREE workshop! Just sign up for my newsletter and you'll get the link in your inbox: orchidstory.com/selfcare

It's summer and the best time of year to dive into our reading and writing practices! I know you are always on the hunt for your next book. In this episode I quickly describe the nine books I've read in recent weeks (both fiction and non-fiction) so you can choose what to put in your bag as you head to the pool!

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

Friends and Strangers by J. Courtney Sullivan

Blessings by Anna Quindlen

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

We Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rodgers

Broken Horses by Brandi Carlile

You Are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame Resilience, and the Black Experience edited by Tarana Burke and Brene Brown

Set Boundaries, Find Peace: a guide to reclaiming yourself by Nedra Glover Tawwab

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily and Amelia Nagoski

I'm sharing one of my favorite self-connection practices - find a quiet spot, take a deep breath and join me! Creating a ritual that feels energizing and free takes practice, so we start small by planting seeds (and weeding out the thoughts that don't serve us). Let me take you step by step through this simple practice so that you can start seeing your seeds bloom in ways like being more patient, feeling centered, and unhooking from overwhelm. 

Get my on-demand coaching session to help create your own self-care ritual: orchidstory.com/selfcare

Get free coloring sheets for this practice from Oh Yay Studio: ohyaystudio.com

Today’s episode is the follow-up to my blog post A Postcard From the Bunkers of Grief. I’m sharing the actions and ideas that have helped me in the eight months since my mom’s death. This is not a “how-to” for grief (I don’t believe one exists) and I am not in a place to be expounding wisdom about losing your mom, but it is an honest and raw reflection of where I am. I hope it helps to hear from someone walking the walk, rather than reflecting back years later. I also reveal an epiphany I had after publishing A Postcard.

In my Sanctuary framework, we start by making space for our stories. This is an attempt to make space for my grief. 

xo, Rachel

When the voices you trust tell you how to feel, what to believe and even what's happening inside of your own body, you start to question everything. This is the story of my guest today, Vanessa Marie Miller, and the events she experienced as a teenager that resulted in the loss of her identity, but eventually led her on a path to finding her inner compass and treasuring her intuition. If you're in a season of feeling a little lost or not quite yourself, Vanessa's story will be the inspiration you need to keep going. 

Vanessa is a Holistic Nutrition Counsellor, Personal Trainer and former nurse who is passionate about helping women and girls expand into their greatness. You can find Vanessa at vanessamariemiller.com or on Instagram @wildrosespiritual and @chvrchfitness. 

Make sure you are signed up for my newsletter to get the link for the live, free, and interactive workshop on June 30th from noon-1pm EST. Join me to gain the energy and sense of freedom you're craving this summer! Go here to sign up: orchidstory.com/selfcare

Guess who’s back!? When I was thinking about how to teach about creating white space, my friend and client, Kaira Boston, immediately came to mind. On this replay of a fan favorite episode, you’ll hear Kaira talk about how she learned to find white space on the path to answering the question, “What brings you joy?”

There are so many gems in this convo (finding presence, signs from the universe, listening to your heart) that if you heard it when it first came out you will definitely pick up on something new this time! 

And I am cooking up something special for you to help you uncover that expansive white space in your own life - a free, live workshop on June 30th from noon-1pm EST! Just make sure you sign up for my newsletter so you get the workshop link straight to your inbox. Sign up at orchidstory.com/selfcare

Follow Kaira on Instagram: @studio_kaira

Go buy her original art (how cool is that!?): studiokaira.com

Thrilled to share my conversation with Sharon Burton of Spark Your Creative. Sharon and I talk about how art can help us heal AND be an avenue for self-understanding and exploration. We talk about Sharon's journey to art and how it took a health crisis for her to realize it was time for her to shift focus. Finally, we get into the intersection of mindfulness and creativity, which aligns beautifully with my own work on mindfulness and finding your story. Sharon is a gem! Connect with Sharon:

Website: sparkyourcreative.com

Art website and portfolio: sjbcreativeart.com

@sparkyourcreative or @sjbcreative on Instagram

@spark_create on Twitter

Writer and mental health advocate, Ashleigh Owens, joins us this week for an unflinching look inside her mental health journey. The biggest takeaway from my conversation with Ashleigh and her beautiful smile is to give yourself permission to feel, to love yourself, to be who you are. We talk about how she's intentionally shifted the way she shares online about her mental health, seeking out people who she can look to for support, and how her relationship with her body has evolved over time to a place of self-love. Don't miss this conversation with Ashleigh and then go follow her:

Instagram: @ashvaughn

Website: myhappyjourneigh.com

Other resources we mention:

Founder of Depressed While Black, Imadé Nibokun Borha - on Twitter @DepressedWBlack

Writer and workshop facilitator GG Renee Hill - allthemanylayers.com

Get ready to bask in the sparkle of light that is Keah Brown! Keah is an author, actress, journalist, screenwriter and creator of the viral hashtag #DisabledAndCute. Keah has a special way of inviting you to look at an idea in a completely new way - this happened to me when I first read her book and it's changed my entire perspective! 

Her book “The Pretty One” is a collection of essays exploring what it means to be black and disabled in a mostly able-bodied white America. Keah is featured in the new anthology “You Are the Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame Resilience, and the Black Experience, edited by Tarana Burke and Brene Brown.

Keah’s work has appeared in Teen Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire UK, And The New York Times, among other publications.

We talk about:

- Embracing being Black because she saw it modeled for her in the media growing up, but that nothing existed in a similar way for people with disabilities and how her work is changing that

- Joy being revolutionary. Keah shares how it was a hard-won belief that took serious dedication to examining her old stories that weren't working for her.

- Belief in happy endings and how that gives us the opportunity to flourish and reach for new levels.

I believe Keah will help you re-examine your long-held beliefs of how you see race, disability, and feminism. She’s done it for me! I am a Keah fan forever and I know you will be too - listen and share with your bestie!

Find Keah on Instagram @keah_maria and https://keahbrown.com/ and buy her books from anywhere books are sold!