We were lucky to catch up with Rachel Yount recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Rachel thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

I think the kindest thing anyone does for me is permitting me to be a part of their story. It is a great kindness to invite someone into your real, authentic life. I’m so grateful for each person who has done that in every life and organization I’ve been invited into. And I don’t take that privilege for granted.

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?

I accidentally became a therapist and organizational consultant. I just wanted to help people in some way. People and organizations must have seen something in me that I didn’t initially see. I’ve been given the opportunity to serve people and run programs within organizations serving people. When I was in graduate school in Missouri, there was this terrible, once in a century, tornado that leveled my husband’s home town. I had the horrible and incredible opportunity to work in post-disaster world and this launched my career into working with and supporting people experiencing trauma and the organizations trying to support them.

I think it’s my willingness to go deep beneath the surface with a person or organization, but in a non-judge mental way, that helps me to connect with my clients. I like to get to the root of what is happening and I think my lack of pretense is refreshing to the folks I connect with.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I remember working with this non-profit that I was sure I’d spend my whole career working with. I was young and passionate and so excited for what we could accomplish. And I remember the executive director telling me they’d lost funding and would need to shut down. I think it was right then that I was reminded, I got into this work to help people. Where and how I do that will need to be flexible. But the goal remains the same. And the goal has remained the same now for 15 years.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I think at one point I believed that helping people was the same as making people happy. I realized pretty quickly and painfully that I’m not responsible for the feelings of others but rather to others and what I’ve said I will support them in.

I remember my first leadership role and people being disappointed in my decisions. This almost broke me, but then I realized what it broke was my people pleasing. And that needed to be broken so I could actually help people from a pure and authentic space.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.yountcc.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/me?trk=p_mwlite_feed-secondary_nav