Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rachel Wright. 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. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
I think my parents have done a lot of things right after many failed attempts. Which is exactly how I learn, by doing. I’d like to preface by saying I am so beyond grateful and blessed with both of my parents. First, they are both still alive, healthy, romantically involved, and have been married for 38 years. They are two of the most loving and supportive parents to my two older sisters and me. We grew up heavily involved in a community, sports, vacations, and education. My parents are small business owners and I know that has impacted me to start my own small business. They’ve inspired me to work hard and believe in my abilities.
My parents are in the construction business so it is pretty common to build your own house when you do it for a living. At a very young age, I watched my parents build their dream home for our family of 5, twice. Twice? Yes, in 2011 the house burnt down to the ground. I was 13 years old at the time and this was my first real introduction to a big loss and grief. My family went through a lot of transitions, stress, confusion, and hurt during the years after the fire and leading up to the rebuilding process. It’s been 13 years since the fire and I never would have imagined I would say how grateful I am for my house burning down. It was traumatic but my parents taught us how to be resilient.
After rebuilding the house in 2016, I went off to college and my parents were empty nesters. They rebuilt the house bigger and better. It’s as if they rebuilt thinking they still had their 3 daughters living there along with all of their friends and teammates who came over every day of the week. Needless to say the house was too big for just the two of them. I told them that they should rent it out as a side gig. They started out on Airbnb, then went to VRBO, and other vacation rental sites. In 2017, some family friends asked my parents if they could have their wedding in the backyard. Word soon got out, and one wedding turned into two then multiplied to eight, and so on. Before we knew it, we were having random people reach out to have their wedding at the house. I slowly watched my childhood home rise from the ashes and become this wedding venue where I turned into a venue manager handling the inquiries, tours, and event planning.
With this increased demand for weddings, I had this idea of creating an experience that no wedding planner or coordinator could think of. I have an advantage because I have over 20 years of experience with this property and I know the ins and outs like the back of my hand. I started to dream of hosting retreats where I capture the best moments of my childhood and let other people experience it, for the first time. Oh, there’s nothing like that first time, you drive up the street that’s straight for 2 miles. We’re the last house on the right, you come up the driveway to see a massive house you instantly want to explore but you’re also distracted by the scenery. The mountains are right there, the view of the entire Coachella Valley, the bunny rabbits chasing each other, you come across the first pond with fish and turtles swimming around, and you don’t know where to go. Should you find the front door or continue to walk around the property? This is where I come in.
I am the host of the retreat. I watched my parents be the greatest hosts at this house my whole life. They taught me how to prepare for their arrival. Turn the music and waterfalls on to set the scene, have some sort of food and drinks prepared, and be as welcoming and entertaining as you know how.
After growing up and experiencing weddings, events, and parties at my childhood home I gained so much inspiration for what is possible. I hosted my first official wellness retreat in February of 2023 and since then I have been craving the next one. Without my parents, none of this would have been and continue to be possible. They are so supportive of all my creative visions and I am so grateful to experience their love to make my passion my career.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
For the last year in business, I have been offering private reformer pilates in Denver, CO with a focus on cycle syncing which is the practice of syncing your menstrual cycle to your lifestyle. I am currently undergoing a rebrand and shifting towards hosting more Pilates Wellness Retreats in Southern California and hosting local events in Denver.
I got into Pilates in 2020 during the Pandemic. The world shut down and most of us were doing at-home workouts. I first got into mat Pilates and then my aunt introduced me to the reformer. She took me to my first class and I was hooked. What I didn’t fully understand at the time was that getting certified as a Pilates instructor was a small step towards becoming a retreat host. I wanted to add value to myself so that I could offer more to my retreats instead of just looking outwards to creating a team of yoga instructors, massage therapists, private chefs, etc. Although I do see value in creating a team of diverse and talented people, I wanted to build confidence and independence that I am worthy on my own first.
Before starting my business in Denver, I was working with my parents and their small business of Vacation Rentals and Weddings at their house. For the last 3 years, I’ve been the Venue Manager for my parent’s property, Andreas Oasis. This rebrand is basically me combing Venue Manager with Pilates Instructor to equal the Retreat Director that my life story has shaped me to be.
I am most proud of my hard work in making my dreams come true. My determination to create the life I want to live and want to share with others through these retreats. I have never been on a retreat before hosting my own. Before, I envisioned retreats as exclusive, inaccessible, and expensive. Now, my goal is to make my retreats inclusive, accessible, and affordable for the people who know their worth and that they deserve to treat themselves to a Desert Getaway with Rachel Wright.
Who’s Rachel Wright? I’m a 26-year-old Sagittarius sun with a great amount of fiery passion. This helps me to network, meet new people, and put action into my creation. I’m a Virgo moon with a desire for self-improvement and growth. This shines light on my emotions, my body, and my wellness journey. I’m an Aquarius rising who likes to push the boundaries of tradition and explore new ideas. This is what sets me apart from others, my confidence in being a weirdo, not being afraid to speak my mind, and walking the unpaved path of uncertainty and vulnerability.
My retreats at Andreas Oasis are naturally soothing. Just being on the property is healing, the well water provides a high pH, vitamins, and minerals. When you’re taking a shower it doesn’t feel like the soap or conditioner is off because it leaves your skin so soft. The views of the Coachella Valley, the steam sauna, pool, and spa are so addicting you don’t want to get out. Additionally, I will teach a group mat pilates class every day and I will lead two workshops. The first workshop is focused on the human emotions and experiences that define us inspired by Brene Brown’s book Atlas of the Heart. The second workshop is focused on self-sabotage and how to let go of what is no longer serving us inspired by Brianna Wiest’s book The Mountain is You.
I want people to know how much time, effort, and passion I put into creating the most meaningful and inspiring experiences. Every learning opportunity has led me to this point in my career. I have a special gift for gathering groups of people together and getting everyone to explore and expand their horizons. We all go through different life lessons and outcomes but I believe there is much magic when our differences can come together and we get to share.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I went through two rounds of Accutane and two rounds of Doxycycline from the time I was a sophomore in high school to a senior in college. These are two intensive forms of acne medications where your acne has to be so severe to be prescribed. Through this journey, I struggled with self-image, self-worth, and disordered eating. My face was covered in cysts and looked like a pepperoni pizza. I did not want to look at myself in the mirror, I didn’t want to be in any photos, and it was hard for me to have basic conversations with people because I thought they would be too distracted by my acne. My disordered eating started with my first round of Doxycycline when my dermatologist told me to avoid eating dairy 2 hours before and after taking the medication but to try and eat dairy when I’m not taking it to help heal my gut… I was about 15 at the time being cautious of when and what to eat. It spiraled into me cutting out dairy, then meat, then almost everything else. This led to a toxic restrict/ binge cycle.
Four years later during my second round of Doxy, I had to take the medication first thing in the morning and wait 2 hours to eat and in the evening, 2 hours after dinner. When I took the pill in the morning on an empty stomach I would immediately get sick so they told me to take 4 saltine crackers with it to help the vomiting. It helped, but the controlled routine of eating and lack of food freedom took a big toll on my physical and mental health. By my second round of Accutane, my mental health was so poor that when I went into my 4-month check-in with my dermatologist, he asked me how things were going and I could not have been more honest and broke down in his office with tears that couldn’t stop. He suggested I take a break from the medication and see a psychiatrist. This made me spiral more because I knew I needed to finish the full 6-month duration. One of the reasons my acne came back after the first round was that I didn’t finish the full 6-month treatment. I did not want my acne to come back, again. I wanted to finish even if I was the saddest and most depressed I’ve ever been in my life. I was struggling. I was seeing an amazing therapist at the time and she cleared me to continue Accutane but lower the dosage and prolong the treatment for about 10 months.
To sum it up, I spent 7 years on and off antibiotics that severely messed up my gut health which is connected to my brain health. My confidence was low and I did not feel like myself. It’s been four years since ending Accutane for good. My skin is the clearest it’s ever been, I have reintroduced so many foods into my diet, and my eating habits have made huge progress from where I was. I am living a much better life than before. When I look at old pictures of how bad my acne used to be, I feel so sad for that girl but I see so much resilience in how far we’ve come. I was in a dark place and on anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications to save my life. I have experienced the power of what both positive and negative self-talk can do to a person’s psyche. I appreciate the benefits of what whole, organic, grass-fed foods can do for my health.
The woman I am today knows her worth and value. I am confident in my skin and my ability to show my face and be the face of my own business. I know that my vulnerability is my superpower and by sharing my story I can help others who struggle with what I went through feel seen.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
The best source of new clients for me is word of mouth. It feels so good to have organic connections within my community. When I ask new clients how they came across me and they say “so and so recommended your services”, it brings so much validation to my brand because it means people are saying good things and they actually enjoy what I have to offer. Plus it just helps further my network of meaningful people. I believe slow growth is valuable growth.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.pilateswithrae.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelwrightpilates/
- Other: https://heal.me/practitioner/rachel-n-wright
Image Credits
Alex Segall