Story & Lesson Highlights with Rachel Rist of Newport, KY

We recently had the chance to connect with Rachel Rist and have shared our conversation below.

Rachel, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Honestly? My rescue dog, Bingo. I took her in after losing my previous rescue dog, Tyson, and she’s been the most unexpected joy I didn’t know I needed. She had a pretty rough start to life, and we’ve kind of helped heal each other.

She goes everywhere with me, forces me to slow down between clients, and has become my emotional support animal in the most real way. Watching her come out of her shell and build trust has been one of the most rewarding parts of my life lately.

She’s incredibly sweet and cuddly, and it’s been so fun watching people who usually fear the stigma around pitbulls completely melt the second they meet her.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
KO Beauty was born because I never fit the mold – and I stopped trying to. I spent years working in salons where everything felt overly feminized and polished in a way that just wasn’t me. I was the sporty, tomboy energy in a sea of pink, and instead of shrinking myself to fit in, I built a brand that made space for women like me.

My dad got me into boxing when I was 16, and that sport changed everything. It gave me confidence, grit, and permission to take up space. That’s why my brand is called KO – it’s about strength, not perfection. It’s about showing women they don’t need to fit a certain aesthetic to be seen as beautiful, worthy, or powerful.

I don’t push the ‘you need this to be chosen’ narrative that the beauty industry profits from. I work with women who already know they’re capable and badass – they just want services that enhance their natural features without needing an hour in the mirror. Low-maintenance, high-impact beauty is my lane. Brows and lashes that let you hit snooze, skip the makeup, and still feel put together.,

And one of the wildest full circle parts of my story? This is my second season being the official. brow partner of the Cincinnati Ben-Gals Cheerleaders. I used to dream of working with just one of them – now I work with the entire team. Being trusted by the NFL while creating a space for everyday women to feel seen, strong, and confident … that’s what makes KO different.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
Losing my dad to lung cancer is the moment that changed how I see the world. He’s the one who got me into boxing, so much of my brand and who I am comes from him – but walking through his illness and losing him gave me a completely different understanding of people and what they carry.

After he passed, I became a co-chair and helped launch the Breathe Deep Cincinnati 5K to raise money for research, survivors, caregivers, and families like mine. We ran that event for four incredibly successful years and raised over $100,000 before Covid forced us to shut it down.

That experience taught me how many people live with silent grief, trauma, and daily battles that no one else sees. It also changed the way I view my work. A beauty service might look like ‘just an hour’ to some people, but for a lot of my clients, that hour is their only escape from something heavy. I don’t take that lightly.

Whether someone’s going through loss, divorce, burnout, illness, or just trying to keep it together – I want my studio to be a place where they can feel seen, safe, and human again.

My dad taught me strength, but losing him taught me empathy – and both are built into everything I do with KO.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
At least once a month – and every business owner reading this just laughed because they know it’s true. People think owning a business means you’re rolling in cash and living this glamorous dream, but the reality is every single thing lands on your shoulders. If something fails, it’s on you. If something breaks, it’s on you. If money’s tight, it’s on you.

The last few years especially have shown how unstable entrepreneurship can be. Some seasons you think ‘Okay, I’m finally on the way up,’ and then the next month humbles you real quick. One week you feel on top of the world, and the next you’re praying three clients don’t reschedule.

But I always pivot. I always adapt. I refuse to give up, because the truth is nothing is guaranteed – not a paycheck, not job security, not stability. If I’m going to pour my blood, sweat, and tears into something, it’s going to be my own dream and not someone else’s.

And hey, maybe one day KO can’t hang anymore… but I’ll go down swinging before I ever walk away.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
One thousand percent – what you see is what you get. I learned a long time ago that the minute I dropped the act and stopped trying to be what I thought people wanted, everything changed for me. The more unapologetically myself I became, the more I started attracting clients and people who actually vibe with me. That’s when my business really took off and my personal relationships changed for the better too.

I don’t hold back. I’m always the first one to crack a joke, laugh at myself, or say the thing that everyone else is thinking. I’m not interested in shrinking myself or curating some perfect version of me to make other people comfortable. People will always find a reason not to like you – so I’d rather someone dislike me for who I really am than for some watered down version I’m pretending to be.

I spent way too much of my life trying to fit in. I’m not doing that anymore.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
Absolutely. I once landed what I thought was my dream job – the kind of opportunity I had worked for, sacrificed for, and believed would finally be ‘it’ for me. And it ended up being one of the worst experiences of my life.

The environment was toxic, the leadership was disrespectful, and when I finally stood up for myself, I was fired. The owner literally thew a box at me and told me to pack up. I took legal action, won the wrongful termination case, and even though I was in the right, I still lost friends over it. People talked. People made assumptions.

But that experience is what pushed me to build my own brand instead of trying to survive in someone else’s. If that door hadn’t slammed in my face, KO wouldn’t exist. That nightmare job – the one I thought would fulfill me – just showed me I was meant to create something on my own.

And funny enough – years later, that same salon made the news for closing overnight without telling anyone, and the owners literally fled the state. So I guess I got my validation in the end.

So yes, I’ve gotten exactly what I thought I wanted and realized it wasn’t for me at all. But it led me somewhere better and stronger.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kobeautycincy.com
• Instagram: @knockoutcincy

Image Credits
@arcdesignhaus
@laurenwphotog
@rosinamariephotography