VIP - Very Interesting Person is a series where I interview someone who is... very interesting! I want to find out in an informal way who they are and maybe glean some tips and insights from them.
All the Very Interesting People I interview are different - some are small business owners, some are parents, some are young, some are women, some live in the U.K., some are all of these things and some are the opposite of these things!
I’ve never met today’s guest, but I was excited to find out we live in a similar neck of the woods and I am fully behind her latest project, Shop Small Love Local and have even been featured a couple of times - thanks Rachel!! I will let her speak about it a little more and I’m excited to hear her answers to this short series of questions!
Tell us a little bit about yourself!
Hi! I’m Rachel, I live in Northern Ireland, in a town just outside Belfast. I work with my husband David. I’m a Christian. I enjoy travelling, spending time with my friends and family. I love rollercoasters and being near the sea.
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
I’m not sure if I can pinpoint one! There are a lot of things I’ve done that I never thought I would be able to do growing up. I was a painfully shy child and severely lacked in confidence, so when I look back there are many things that I’m so pleased I got the opportunity to do – like completing my masters degree, speaking at an international conference, doing media interviews, becoming a published author, launching my own website and starting a business. With age you come to trust yourself more and push yourself to do things that maybe scare you, this is definitely the case for me!
Wow! So many awesome things in that list. I definitely agree that age helps you to push yourself. You just think “What’s the worst that can happen?!”
When you're having a bad day, what do you do to make yourself feel better?
I always find a bath helps on days like that! Other than that, just give me chocolate, a blanket and a romcom and I’ll soon come round.
What's a great book you've read recently?
I don’t really read much anymore. When I was younger I read a lot of fiction. Recently, if I’m going to read a book it’s usually a biography. The last one I read was ‘The ride of a lifetime” by Robert Iger who was the CEO of Disney until recently. Another good one is ‘Shoe Dog’ by Phil Knight, the founder of Nike. I love reading about people’s business journeys and careers. Starting my own business has probably had something to do with that!
When are you happiest?
I love spending time with my friends and family. Honestly, when everyone around me is well and happy then I’m happy.
Who inspires you?
My husband is probably the biggest inspiration in my life. He has more determination than anyone I have ever met and from we first started to get to know each other I have been so amazed (and I still am) by how much he pushes himself. He is the definition of a blue-sky thinker, there are no limitations and anything is possible. I’m the opposite, I am a nitty gritty, realist and fulltime worrier. In many ways we balance each other out but he has definitely encouraged me to think outside the box and do things differently.
Can you tell us 3 things you would bring to a desert island?
My Bible, a torch and a knife (very practical lol)
If you could ask God one question, what would it be?
When will this pandemic be over??!!
Tell me about it!! What's the best piece of advice you've ever been given?
Maybe a bit of an odd one, but “pick your battles”. I find that I say this to myself all the time, you cannot do everything, you need to prioritise and realise some things are not worth the effort.
It’s a very handy piece of advice in marriage and parenting as well as business life I find.
Okay, on to the lightening round:
Tea or coffee? Tea
Cake or pie? Cake
Pineapple on pizza? Of course!
Winter or summer? Winter
City or country? Country
Book or movie? Movie
Most used emoji? The laughing crying emoji
Favourite day of the week? Saturday
What's for dinner tonight? Burritos
Awesome! Thank you so much! And finally, where can people find you online?
I’m on Instagram and run Shop Small, Love Local, which focuses on supporting small businesses from across the UK.
