Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rachel Kelly. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Rachel thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?
Two of the scariest things I’ve done in my life were moving cross country alone from NY to CA to fulfill a life long dream of living the California dream and quitting both my therapy jobs to join a business coaching program and start my journey as an entrepreneur. There were so many valid excuses to stay in NY. I fell in love with someone four months before my scheduled flight, my mom had just passed and I had a job I was happy enough in…and yet my soul knew I needed to make the move. Despite it breaking my heart, my gut knew I was meant to do the move and I’m so glad I did. I just had my four year anniversary of moving to San Diego this past August and I’ve never looked back since.
As far as my entrepreneurial journey, I thought the only business I’d own would be a private practice for therapy as I was in the traditional therapy world for years. I discovered the online coaching world and quit both my therapy jobs. My clinical training was in clinical social work. I had been collecting my hours to get my final licensure as an LCSW. I submitted my hours to the NY board first, as my plan was to get dual licensed in both NY and CA. The NY board then rejected my hours for reasons that made zero sense to me. I then had a decision: I could fight them on it and get my hours, take the test and become licensed OR I could take it as a sign from the universe that it was not meant to be and keep focusing on the life coaching /healing business I had started. So I had a bonfire and burned years of hours and I have never felt freer in my life. The universe will always guide us in pivoting to something more aligned but we have to be courageous enough to listen to the calling of our soul.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Hi Everyone! I am Rachel Kelly, the CEO and founder of Rachel Kelly Coaching. Rachel Kelly Coaching is my two year old business. It has been the business I never knew I wanted! This business is BEYOND what my wildest dreams were of starting my own private practice. THIS feels SO much more aligned. I am so grateful to have made the pivot despite how scary it was. I offer 1:1 coaching/ healing services, group coaching, digital courses, retreats and run my entire business off Instagram (I didn’t even know online businesses were a thing before starting my biz!)
Three weeks after getting my first coaching client, I met my mentor who trained me in her healing method, which focuses on rewiring the entire nervous system. As someone who’s been in traditional therapy my entire life, THIS work I’ve done on myself personally and now with clients is truly different than anything I’ve experienced. It truly gets to the root, holds you in processing childhood pain, and helps build internal safety so you feel safe to be your most authentic powerful self. It helps shift you out of survival mode and into safety/ expansion mode! I’m so passionate about helping my clients do this healing work so they can create a life beyond their wildest dreams the same way I have.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
My best piece of advice for growing a social media presence: SHOW UP. No matter what. Keep showing up. Don’t get lost in what you “should” be posting and trust that authenticity, intentionality, consistency and passion behind you sharing your services is enough to compound over time. Stay the course, stay patient, get support, and keep showing up. One of the biggest things I help my entrepreneurial clients with is processing the fear of being seen. It can feel so scary and sometimes the hardest part is starting. Once you build that consistency your nervous system needs, it might feel safer. And even if it doesn’t, feel the fear and DO IT ANYWAY! <3
A huge part of my brand on social media is authenticity and relatability. Im as transparent as possible because I believe it is a beautiful opportunity to connect on a human level and build trust with your audience.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
Most people wait to quit their job until they’re making enough in their business to make it work full time. My story is a bit different. I was really miserable in both of my therapy jobs for several reasons. The universe quite literally pushed me out of them. So much so to the point where my boss called a meeting and said “It seems like you don’t want to be here anymore” and gave me an out. I had no clients at the time but I took that out and said I’ll figure it out!
I invested $4,500 in a business coaching program that I put on my credit card and had my family help me pay my rent for the 3 months I was in that program. By the end of month 2 of the program, I had gotten my first ever coaching client who paid for 3 months of working together and paid in full which was $4,500. It was the same exact amount I had invested and felt like it was the universe rewarding my courage for going into intentional debt because I believed in myself and trusted I’d be able to pay it back. Our society has MAJOR work to do around its relationship with debt. I share my story here as an example that if it weren’t for intentional debt in investing in that program, in my mentor, in my healing, I wouldn’t have created the 6 figure biz in just 1.5 years that I have today. Take a chance on yourself, the universe always has your back!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://rachel-kelly.mykajabi.com/admin_index_preview?preview_theme_id=2152220275
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachel_kelly_coaching/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3qvAGNtofBMzDDCxpn_EWQ
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100074898207744
Image Credits
Photos taken by Dee Martinez, the RKC photographer