Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to DeAngelo & Rachel Webster. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, DeAngelo & Rachel thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
When I think of a significant risk that we have taken together, the moment that comes to mind is eloping in Las Vegas. Not only was this an obviously impactful moment in our personal relationship, but it also was the beginning of us moving in to the coaching world unified as one. One of the things that stood out to both of us the first time we met was our desire to be a part of the healing of people. We wanted to make an impact that aided in the growth of humans; leading them towards obtaining a healthy life and relationships. While we had instant chemistry, attraction and engaging flirtatious banter, this common direction gave our meeting meaning.
Five months after meeting, we decide to go to Las Vegas on our first trip as a couple. We had talked about marriage as a part of our whirlwind romance, as we both felt we found our spouse within each other, but had no plans to execute that weekend. Shortly after our arrival, when asked by a waitress about our intentions for the trip, my then boyfriend exclaimed, “We’re here to get married”. Surprised, I turned to meet his gaze and received a soft smirk in response. We spent the rest of the trip enjoying our hotel and the Vegas strip with no mention of this alleged wedding.
The morning before we were scheduled to depart, he rolled over and asked me what I wanted to do that day and my response was, “Get Married”! Relief came over his face as he explained that he didn’t want me to feel pressured and his silence on the matter was because he thought I wasn’t ready. So that day we went to the court house, randomly chose a chapel, stood up in front of two strangers and a wedding officiant whose name I couldn’t remember to save my life and pledged our love for one another.
When we returned to Michigan, we quickly realized that although we had a similar vision, our paths along the journey were not the same. I was in the midst of my Masters program for Clinical Mental Health and my husband, who had a background in ministry, had already began seeing coaching clients a few years prior to us meeting. But I didn’t want to pause our professional growth until after graduation and my husband was eager to get the ball rolling as building a family business was one of his childhood dreams. We realized that we had to decide how to bring our differing experiences together and what we could offer people as a unit that we just weren’t seeing regularly in the world.
And so we began the journey of The Websters Life Coaching; Bringing understanding to relationships through providing individuals and couples with the male and female perspective together in one room. But we were also a newly married couple who skipped a lot of the typical steps that occur during the dating process because of our quick courtship. So we were quite literally getting to know each other while in the room with other couples who were looking to us for guidance and an example. Needless to say, this approach had the potential to place a significant amount of stress on our relationship and at times it absolutely did. But we agreed when we decided to take the big leap, that there would be no “plan b” with regards to our union, we would simply continue to amend our plan of becoming one, creating a life, and helping people. Twelve years later we are still together, more peaceful than we have ever been and continuing to sew seeds of growth and healing into the people that God sends our way… all because we took a risk.
DeAngelo & Rachel, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My husband and I offer phone, video and in-person sessions and workshops to individuals, couples and groups seeking spiritually led growth within their relationship with themselves and with others. The area of this process that we are most passionate about is leading married couples closer to God and providing them with spiritual principles that assist them with creating oneness. We work to solve life problems with our clients, assisting them at navigating the complexities of living as spiritual beings in a physical world. Together, we navigate concepts like forgiveness and healing, emotional intelligence , positive communication, self awareness, effectively navigating conflict and being solution focused within the marital space. We look at these concepts through the lens of biblical and spiritual teachings with the intention of guiding clients towards God’s Will for their life and marriage.
When I consider the journey of our family business, I am most proud of the ways that we have continued to lean into each other, particularly in moments where leaning in felt uncomfortable. We often tell our couples clients that the goal is not to think the same, but to think together. That perspective has carried our business and our marriage through many obstacles that may have otherwise caused our union and partnership to waver. When people think of “The Websters” we want them to think of a real life couple, working on a real life marriage, building a real spiritual relationship with God out loud. We want people to see themselves through our experiences, and teach them ways to navigate life that include both awareness of the vessel and awareness of the spirit.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
For decades, so much of the trajectory of my life was effortless in the way of direction. That isn’t to say that I couldn’t have used more, but my process was very much that of tradition rather than decision. Traditionally, we are expected to go to school, get our diploma and pursue higher education in order to have more options for what are perceived as quality careers. And so that is the route I took. Without thought or objection, I chose the path that I was told would result in greater opportunity.
I achieved my Bachelors Degree in Communications and was left with minimal job prospects of interest or passion. After some time working in Hospitality, an unrelated field, I went back to the drawing board and was told that more school was the answer and so I returned to school to obtain my Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. But in the midst of that process, I met my husband who had dreams of a family business and working along side his wife. The idea of this sounded amazing but I quickly realized that the habits I learned in a traditional school setting, didn’t serve me as an entrepreneur. In a school setting you’re told the steps, you follow the steps and you get a grade that is said to be a representation of your effort. I quickly learned that when you start your own business, there is no one there to give you the steps, no one providing you with guidance along the way and nearly everyone grading you on your performance.
I had to unlearn waiting for direction and learn to give myself direction. I had to unlearn waiting to be given the work and create the work. I had to unlearn raising my hand to be called on and learn to give myself permission to speak. I had to unlearn being a cog in the machine and learn how to be the machine. And while I’m still in the process of learning how to be my own machine, I’m so grateful for the assignment that God has given me and my family.
– Written by Rachel Webster (Coach Rae)
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
When I started this business it took off so fast, and the momentum of it all convinced me that I didn’t need my 9 to 5 anymore. The summer had just come to a close and clients began to flood in. I walked away from my job to be able to manage the volume of clients that I started to receive. I made the decision to put all my eggs in one basket. My wife and I got an office and enjoyed the fruits of our labor. Before I knew it, the first obstacle presented itself.
When it comes to life coaching or other industries driven by self improvement, the seasons play a part in the frequency that people attend sessions and workshops. Being in Michigan, we experience all four seasons. Because Fall and Winter months force people in doors, they become more sedentary, receive less sun and less socialization. This forced isolation impacts people mentally and emotionally and during those times, they are more prone to seeking guidance in the form of therapy and life coaching. But when the snow melts and temperatures begin to warm, people become more active. And with more hobbies to practice, more graduations to attend and more vacations to plan, those of us in the self help industry start to experience less bookings and more cancellations. My first lesson was that I to had to compete with the seasons. The sun added a joy to people that sitting in an office venting couldn’t provide.
Sadly, after several months of inconsistent bookings, we had to get rid of the office, and I had to make the decision to return to my 9 to 5 to support my family. I was crushed. I felt like a failure. But I knew that this was what I was created to do, so I decided to pivot. God told me long ago, “Nothing happens to you, it happens for you”. So I gathered what was left from the ashes of my dream and began to put the pieces back together.
We had just moved into a house and I decided we could have the clients come to us. When I presented the idea to my wife, it was obvious that she was uncomfortable. I was asking her to allow strangers to enter into our home in order to keep my dream alive. After several conversations, she agreed and just like before, things picked up. This approach served us for a while and once again, we were beginning to build momentum. The second obstacle seemed even more unexpected than the first. Suddenly, the pandemic hit and COVID forced people into isolation. And just like that, another shift was required. I now needed to be intentional about creating a space for clients online, utilizing phone and video sessions as a means to create “The Webster Bubble” as we often refer to it. This was uncharted territory for me. But it put me in the position to decide to fill the hypothetical holes in my net, create a professional online presence and monetize us in different ways than I originally envisioned.
As an entrepreneur, in order to create your vision, resilience has to be a part of the formula. Obstacles will come and each time, you will have to make a choice. Do I abandon plan A because things are going differently than I had hoped, or do I amend the plan and keep moving towards the dream that was placed inside of me? Our business continues to grow as I continue to be obedient to my Heavenly Father and the vision that He has given me for my life.
– Written by DeAngelo Webster (Coach Web)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thewebsterslifecoaching.com/
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/mrsrachelwebster, www.instagram.com/coachweb_
- Facebook: facebook.com/rachel.webster.96742277, facebook.com/petty.web.3
