We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rachel Murphy. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rachel below.
Rachel , thank you so much for making time for us today. We can’t wait to dive into your story and the lessons you’ve learned along the way, but maybe we can start with something foundational to your success. How have you gone about developing your ability to communicate effectively?
I’ll be very honest in admitting that I don’t know if I always communicate effectively.
It’s a topic I’m very interested in and pay a lot of attention to. I’m continually intrigued that a room full of people can listen to the same speaker, and each will walk away with slightly to vastly different interpretations. Some people will quickly become enamored and want to hear more, while others will be completely turned off.
What I’ve developed is my mindset and beliefs around what effective communication is. As someone with ADHD, I’ve always been aware that how I get from point A to point B might take some unexpected turns as I explain something or tell a story. There are going to be people who match my energy and are right there with me, enjoying the ride, and then there are those that I lost in the first 5 minutes.
Whether someone deems me an effective communicator depends on what they hear, how they interpret what they hear, and if they’re interested in what they interpret they heard.
I can’t control other people and what they hear. But I can control the energy and thinking behind what I’m communicating. I believe that the best I can do is show up authentically with the knowledge and ideas I have at the moment, and I hope it resonates. I’ve also learned that sometimes, with clients, for example, I may need to explain things in a different way and sometimes many times before it hits a chord. I have the patience to do that, and I enjoy coming up with various ways of communicating the same ideas.
Finally, I discovered just because I think someone needs to hear something I have to say doesn’t mean they think they need to hear it. And they’re probably right. I have a ‘3x rule.’ If I’ve brought something to someone’s attention three times and they’re still not interested or disagree, I drop it and move on.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I started a coaching business called Mindsettings in 2020. I have always been interested and involved in helping people maximize their potential, experiences, and lives. I started as a year-round camp director, then ran a wedding planning business, and created various networking and support groups. I have an affinity for making connections with people and ideas. And now, as a life coach, I get to bring all of my previous experiences, training, and education together to help people reset their lives and go after some pretty epic goals.
I offer 8-week and 6-month coaching packages that involve 1-1 weekly coaching, intensive deep dives, and support in between. I coach individuals and couples who feel overwhelmed by the constant demands of life and business. I help clients reset so they feel in control, have the space to dream again, and can plan their futures with an improved mindset and intention.
I use various tools, including mindset work, the Enneagram, strengths & motivations, creative & artistic exploration, energy work, and goal-setting and planning. I’ve created an effective framework to guide people but also customize the experience to figure out what works for each individual.
I view this work as a view technology. We often forget that almost everything operates from the factory settings that come with the phone. Have you ever discovered that you can change a setting in your phone, and it completely alters your experience with it? That’s what life coaching can do. With a few resets, your life can have a whole new trajectory.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Three skills that have been most impactful and I continue to work on and improve are 1. observing & questioning my thinking, 2. my willingness to change my mind and/or figure things out, and 3. just plain hanging in there.
I’m convinced that the main difference between those who succeed and those who don’t are the ones who succeed are those who have been willing to fail, iterate, try again, and repeat.
I also think it might require regularly redefining what success and failure mean to you. Too often, we’re grinding and pushing to get to “success,” and we have no idea what “success” means. We haven’t set up a checkpoint or a target or a finish line, and we’re just waiting until we FEEL successful. Only we feel something because of what we’re thinking, not because of how big the business grows, how much money we make, or how many awards we receive, so we end up chasing something that we could have had a long time ago with a shift in mindset.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the privilege I have and the advantages that were given to me by my parents. They are both entrepreneurs, and my siblings and I grew up watching and participating in all that goes into starting and running a business. I got first-hand experience with the benefits and hardships associated with entrepreneurship, and that exposure was invaluable.
But also, they paid for my education and have been a constant source of support throughout my life. Obviously, that doesn’t mean that I haven’t had to put in the time and hard work, but I think it’s important to acknowledge that the extra encouragement, contacts, resources, and general safety net that they and my husband have provided made it a little less risky and I know that is an advantage that not everyone gets.
There are a lot of assumptions made about how a business grows and reaches success, and I always encourage new entrepreneurs to seek out the full stories. Not just because there are more trials and failures than are ever revealed in a quick cover story but also because there may be more than just “hard work and determination” that helped along the way.
Contact Info:
- Website: mindsettings.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachel_s_murphy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindsettingsrachel
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelschwartzmanmurphy/
Image Credits
Teah Longland Photography Sarah Babcock Studio Megan Noll Photography
