At the age of 16 I realized that...

...I was desperately unhappy and that something had to give. I decided to leave high school and pursue opportunities in which I could learn how to learn, not be told what to think. This decision saw me move to England to pursue secondary education, travel to Prague to teach English to the Minister of Agriculture, and choose a career in the private yachting industry in which I was able to fine tune my critical thinking skills while traveling the world in high style. This willingness to change the way I think in pursuit of the life I want became a hallmark trait of mine and one that is integral to my fulfillment and self-actualization.

Yachting is a work hard, play hard industry. Unbeknownst to me, I became addicted to the lifestyle, and the stress hormones, and eventually I found myself living in Los Angeles with an alcoholic boyfriend and explosive bowel issues. After multiple visits to various types of medical professionals I was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and told it was caused by stress. I couldn’t understand what they meant. Sure, I was in an unhappy relationship with an alcoholic, living in a city I didn’t like, and far from my family and friends. But I just wanted someone to tell me what was wrong with my body and how to fix it.

This cognitive dissonance lead me to

... diving head first into my spiritual awakening and journey of self-awareness. I wanted to understand why the unhappiness I had felt in my head and my heart had manifested in my body in the form of “stress”. I have spent the ensuing 20 years in the pursuit of that understanding. It started with a deep dive into myself and an examination of the human experience. This led to the study of neural reprogramming and brain plasticity along with energetic and somatic release work.

Six years ago I realized...
That I was feeling stuck and unhappy, specifically in the area of my job. It was time to stop building someone else's dreams and time to step into the life that I knew was waiting for me.

Ha ha ha, I laugh because at the time I didn't know what that life was. I just knew that I would never feel fulfilled until I gave in to whatever was inside of me. I didn't have another job lined up or a tidy business plan, and I took the leap anyway. I had gone out on my own before but in the past I had always ended up retreating back to a J-O-B for reliable income. I thought I had been a failure at being an entrepreneur.

This time round I told myself

...I hadn't failed in the past, it had simply taken me that long and that many tries to get to where I wanted to be. It had all been part of my journey. I committed to myself that I wouldn't settle out of fear again. My biggest fear was of being broke and losing my home so I told myself that when that fear came up, I would acknowledge it and take action towards the future that I wanted because I trusted my ability to have that life.

Today, that leap has become The Earthy Gourmet. 

I'm Rachel - broker, cook, educator, and the person behind this corner of the internet. I work with specialty food brands as an account manager and storyteller through the Local When We Can (LWWC!) network, helping them navigate retail buyers, shelf placements, and the business of getting great products in front of the right people. Part of that is creating  content and education around healthy cooking for busy professionals who want to eat well without it becoming a part-time job.

Other people's paths to success didn't work for me. 

I had to tune into myself and figure out my own way. That's still what I believe in - for food brands, for home cooks, for anyone trying to build something real. I won't sell you my blueprint. I'll show up with honest experience, hard-won perspective, and genuine enthusiasm for the work.

Welcome to the table. 🌿