Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rechelle Conde-Nau. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Rechelle, thanks for joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
It had been a difficult year. Our youngest was in the throes of teenage rebellion times twelve and we felt like our heads were barely above water. We wondered how we could possibly come out the other end intact. This seeped into other areas of my life and I found my usual joy for life hard to muster.
Separately, there were a series of events that were wrongly interpreted by someone I had thought of as a friend and we had a falling out. I managed to survive by advocating for myself and by taking the high road. I came out the other side scarred but with a newfound commitment to live in authenticity, transparency and vulnerability. I would also seek the same qualities in others as this is where genuine life is lived.
What would I do with this newfound energy that could be helpful to others and would help me embrace the goodness I knew was out there? As I wound down my second career (classroom teacher was first then program director for youth theater was next) I knew I had to do something creative, something with potential impact because I had this burning desire to encourage others to be fully who they are. No apologies. No cowering. The full expanse of who you are.
Some of the traditional fears got a hold of me, the what-if game, imposter syndrome, fear of failing, fear of succeeding. You get the drill. Then I came across this quote in a book and it’s like time stood still, the spotlight was cued, and the music crescendoed to make sure I saw it, soaked it in, and understood it was for me in this time and in this place. “Then the day came when the risk it took to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” – Anais Nin
I could not live with regret. I could not NOT try. So I did the thing that had been simmering on the back burner of my mind, I started a podcast. I learned how to record, edit, produce, how to send it where it needed to go, to create and maintain a website. These were technical steps. Self-taught with help from google and YouTube. It’s incredible what you can learn when you’re motivated. The creative part was fun and deeply fulfilling. I named it Unabashed You because I wanted the people who listened to be encouraged to “become who you already are.”
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
At the age of 60 I realized I was in my third act. What else did I want to do? What did I have to give? What empowering, creative thing could I do? After the willingness, and even the excitement, to take risks I was ready to go all in on my own thing. A podcast. And I would write a blog with it. I would have a guest on each week who was not famous, who was an extraordinary every day person like you, and me. We would have a conversation. We would get to know them through playful questions along with some thought-provoking ones then we would take a deeper dive into their passion whatever that might be.
In this way I encourage the sharing of stories so they can inspire others. It’s a collaborative effort, one that is fulfilling. I hear from listeners who are moved and grateful for what they’ve heard. It propels them forward. In the blog I write about something related to the conversation that is expressive, relatable and thoughtful.
When it comes to workshops, courses, etc. the focus is to provide a space where there is safety to (re)discover who you are with courage and confidence. Then to look at your passion and see how it can become your purpose. This is done with enough structure to move forward, and with enough space to explore. There are more offerings in the works!
What sets Unabashed You apart is it’s very open to who the guests are and what they want to talk about. They get to be themselves and that’s the whole point. Sometimes to become who we already are we need to listen to other people and their stories. We feel less alone. We feel more courageous.
Unabashed You is in the top 5% of podcasts worldwide. We’ve been heard in over 70 countries and we currently have over 150 episodes with accompanying blogs to choose from. Our guests are from all over the world who have compelling lives to share.
While Unabashed You is for both women and men, our coaching services cater to women. We mentor women who struggle with how they see themselves, feel more courage and become more confident in their thoughts and words.
We will be celebrating our third anniversary in April. We are grateful for the +100 guests we’ve had, the richness experienced from every conversation, and the connections made who we now call friends.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I grew up a sensitive little girl who was prone to worry. I had various fears that would come into play at different times. Now mind you I had a solid childhood – lots of fun, I loved school, had good friends, I enjoyed my life. Yet there was this side, this inner voice that liked to play the what-if game. I didn’t share it with anyone and of course that made it worse.
As I grew up I learned the name for this: anxiety. At one point I had a hard time even leaving the house. At age 21 I finally told my mom I needed help. A therapist was found. Through talk-therapy, therapeutic exercises, and learning about anxiety, the power of it began to dissipate. Like the air being let out of a balloon, it lost its hold on me and I became more free to be me.
When the inner voice wants to play what-if I counter with “worst-case scenario.” You take the thing you are worried about and you verbalize all of the possibilities that are negative, that are awful, ones you would never want to happen. You keep going until there aren’t any left for you to come up with.
Back to the balloon, with each one you are letting air out of the thing, making it far less powerful and worrisome than it was. You may even find yourself feeling lighter, giggling. Hearing them out loud diminishes their capacity to worry you. Less worry, less fear. Chances are none of them come true. But if one does, you will be able to tackle it because you will be in the “what is” zone. Dealing with things as they come. And your today? Well that will feel far more manageable. That equals peace of mind and living more fully in the present.
So I unlearned what seemed to come natural to me: anxiety. When we learn about ourselves, when we find trustworthy people who understand who we are, when we have the courage to speak up, we can move forward a far better version of ourselves. Healthy. Fulfilled. Whole.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
When I see people hide or shrink into themselves, I want to give them a hug and then ask how I can encourage them. I recognize showing up “less than” in others and I don’t want that for anyone. It’s easier for me to see the fear because I’ve been there. And of course I still have my moments. They happen a lot less because it’s a process and it takes practice. I give myself permission to feel the feels but not to wallow there.
Unabashed You, the podcast portion, was created to encourage people to become who they already are. Through inspiring conversations with extraordinary everyday people, we are moved to show up in our own lives as we are with confidence. Every guest, like every person, has a story, one that has ups and downs, one we can learn from and be inspired by.
The blog that accompanies each episode is an exercise in expressing thoughts that come out of that week’s conversation. I am motivated to contemplate thoughts and feelings, then put them to paper. I enjoy the challenge.
Next I’ve been bursting at the seams because I know I have things I want to share with people who can benefit. We learn from each other. I’m developing programs with the themes of courage & confidence, passion & purpose, and the power of words to name a few. I’ve missed teaching and it’s time to get back to it in this new format of coaching.
If you can reach the end of your life and know you did the best you could, that you learned to do better along the way, that you showed up uniquely you to share the thing only you can do, that you loved and were loved, well that’s a successful life. One for the books.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://unabashedyou.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unabashedyou
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rechellerenae
Image Credits
UY logo photo Karen Floyd