Rising Stars: Meet Rachel DesRochers

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel DesRochers.

Hi Rachel, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
Oh where do I begin? From leaving my work in marketing to branching out on my own my story starts really on November 20 2009 when my daughter Rosalee was born. I’m a mom to 3 but she’s my only daughter and a fire lit inside of me and has only grown over the years. The fire of building businesses that I believe in and that can help make the world a better place. Showing her and all my kids that truly anything is possible. You can create the life of your dreams. Grateful Grahams was started 5 1/2 months later April 1, 2010. We are a gratitude company that makes a cookie, not a cookie company that talks about gratitude. Yes, we manufacture delicious artisanal sweet treats. From that business another started- Incubator Kitchen Collective. A nonprofit shared used commercial kitchen space that supports food entrepreneurs. We do heavy mentorship that healthy people build healthy businesses. How can we support makers who are getting caught up in their fears and worries- slow down and listen to them. We have helped over 170 start-ups and currently support about 45 companies per month.

As that grew I also grew my speaking engagements and started to see a bigger vision. Getting out of the kitchen and in other spaces with more people. I have a third company (Rachel DesRochers LLC, real original right?) and that is where I house my new projects. Head to Heart Mentorship is one of the most wonderful bodies of work I’ve ever created. It’s a 4 week deep dive into soul work. business, dropping from your head to your heart. I give talks on gratitude and entrepreneurship. I am consulting now for the City of Fairborn helping them with their incubator kitchen but also on a city revitalization strategy – which is incredible and fun and challenging and very much out of my day to day work.

In late October, we announced Power to Pursue my next big project and wow wow wow. Power to Pursue is a one day women’s empowerment and entrepreneurial summit set for May 20th in Cincinnati Ohio. It will be a day jam-packed for women to be in community to lean in and lean on each other, network and hear speakers sharing stories to inspire & motivate them for joy filled lives. I have an incredible team of co-founders helping me on this too. This is The Gratitude Collective and I am so grateful to be at the helm of it.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Anything or nothing. As a cup overflowing, rose colored glasses, enneagram 7 – I have a deep belief that it is all divine and happening for a reason. Time and time again in my story victory has only come from falling down, being broken and getting back up. So, is it an obstacle if it ends up leaving us better than how it found us? Capital. Capacity. Strategy. Staff. it’s all obstacles or really, it’s all opportunity. The real obstacle – US. We get in our own way- we slow us down. We aren’t good enough, we don’t belong, we don’t know anyone, deep rooted belief of our worth or lack thereof. Do the work to heal your heart and be free – then get to work building the most beautiful visions for yourself and your life. It takes hard work. It takes grit and grace. But really it takes gratitude

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I spent a bulk of my work career doing marketing for a national natural grocer. When that career was over was when I stepped into entrepreneurship, and I’ve not looked back since. Since 2010 I’ve dove headfirst into creating and building my dreams – some literal visions. I’ve always trusted that the organic next steps of my business. I can try to plan, and we do, trust me, but there is always a need to have a space for real life, the unexpected, the change of plans. So now, I’m nimble, I like to work fast and hard and do really cool shit!

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
There is always something to be grateful for. It has never let me know. Whether it was baking failures, financial worries as we keep growing, capacity to death to illness – I could always come back home to gratitude. It’s the reason I am still an entrepreneur 12 years later. It’s the reason I am more on fire to create and grow than ever before. So start a practice today, that’s the beautiful thing, it is never too late to begin. Oh, also be kind. Don’t talk about people behind their back. Competition is healthy. There is room for everyone. Listen. Ask for help. You are enough. The world needs me, all of me so show up.

Pricing:

• Head to Heart Mentorship ($600)
• Strategy Sessions to help you get unstuck ($300)

Contact Info:

• Email: rachel@thegratitudecollective.org
• Website: www.racheldesrochers.com
• Instagram: @racheldesrochers | @thegratitudecollective
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachel.g.desrochers/about

Image Credits
Tasha Pinelo Photography