Meet Rachel OBrien

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rachel OBrien. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rachel below.

Hi Rachel, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

Resilience, to me, is both something you’re born with and something that’s forged through the people and experiences that raise you. I was raised by entrepreneurs—my parents started their first business in the master closet of our small townhouse in Plymouth, Minnesota. The business eventually took over the entire bedroom, and they ended up sleeping on a mattress on the floor. I watched them put in the hours and do the real work. And in my own small way, I contributed—making simple lunches, entertaining my younger brother, and eventually, sticking labels on tri-fold mailers for $0.03 a piece. That was my first job. But the real lesson wasn’t just in the hustle—it was in how they hustled: together.

Over time, I watched my parents build not just that business, but several more. My mom later discovered a new passion and started a food business. By then I was older and much more involved—I stepped in to help manage kitchen and shipping operations when I saw the burnout starting to take a toll. That experience taught me what it’s like to be the first one in and the last to leave. I learned what pivoting in real time to keep a business alive looks like. I also learned that my tendency to want to control everything could actually limit growth—an incredibly humbling realization.

Later on, I worked alongside my in-laws in their business, a cold storage. Something I was familiar with using as a customer when I was working in my parents food business. Once again, I saw that same dynamic—resilience as a team sport. When you own a small business, you’re often the one who skips the paycheck, solves the late-night problems, and delivers on every promise to your customers. But having someone to go through it with? That’s what makes it sustainable.

Eventually, my husband, a partner, and I purchased that business and took a leap of our own. We broke ground on a new cold storage facility right before COVID hit. Anyone who owned a business during that time knows what resilience really looks like. Our building was delayed 18 months. Our general contractor tragically passed away from COVID in the middle of the project. And yet, we pushed forward. When we finally got the keys, I reflected on those years in the old building—with all the chaos, problem-solving, and pressure—and I felt so proud of our team’s grit and perseverance. We made it.

But that wasn’t the end. In fact, it was just another beginning. That’s when we pivoted again—this time into frozen e-commerce fulfillment. We saw the pain points: high shipping costs, complex logistics, and small food brands struggling to reach their audiences. So we built Delivered Cold, an online frozen marketplace that lets customers shop from multiple sellers in one box. Lower cost, less waste, more discoverability.

Of course, building a marketplace came with its own set of challenges—new ones that required new layers of resilience. How do we grow a seller base? How do we support these passionate small food brands and make nationwide shipping viable for them? Every pivot we’ve made has demanded more grit, more creativity, and more tenacity. But the truth is, I’m not doing it alone. My husband, my best friend is with me every step of the way. When the pressure is too much, we lean on each other. We know how to tag in, to hold the weight when someone else can’t.

That’s the kind of resilience that lasts.

So yes, I’ve learned grit from experience—but I’ve learned sustainable resilience through partnership. It’s something I grew up with. Something I live every day. And something I’m incredibly grateful for.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I’m not just a business owner—I’m a mom of three, a sister to many, and someone deeply committed to building something meaningful not just for my team, but for my family. My kids are the reason I keep showing up, even on the hardest days. There have been moments when the pressure felt unbearable, when wearing every hat and holding every risk made me wish I had a job I could simply walk away from. But then I look at those little faces and remember: this is how I show them what it looks like to persevere, to lead, to build something from the ground up. I’ve also had the incredible honor of employing a few of my siblings along the way—watching them grow and thrive in the business has been one of the greatest joys of this journey.

Professionally, I lead the fulfillment division of our company, Delivered Cold, a frozen e-commerce marketplace. My background managing fulfillment for my mother’s food business gave me early exposure to the complexity of shipping frozen products nationwide—and that knowledge became the foundation for what we’re doing today.

Our team is laser-focused on precision: accurate order picking, smart packaging, and ongoing innovation to make sure that frozen goods arrive frozen—no matter the distance. Every day, we tweak, test, and evolve.

What makes our work at Delivered Cold truly special is our mission: to empower small food brands. These are passionate creators with incredible products—but shipping, logistics, and customer reach often stand in their way. We created a platform that brings together amazing frozen goods from multiple sellers, bundles them in one box, and gets them into the hands of customers across the country. It lowers the cost for buyers, increases discoverability for sellers, and reduces packaging waste. It’s a win all around—and we’re just getting started.

We’re also at a turning point in the business. After years balancing between traditional cold storage services and e-commerce, we’ve sharpened our focus: we’re going all-in on scaling DeliveredCold.com. That means finding more incredible sellers, reaching new customers, and refining everything we do—from fulfillment to marketing.

Every day brings new challenges, new learnings, and new wins. And every day, we move a little closer to the vision we believe in: building a thriving, impactful, and sustainable frozen marketplace that serves sellers, buyers, and families like mine.

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?

I’ve learned a lot through this journey, but if I had to name three things that have made the biggest difference, they would be: finding my voice, building for scale, and learning to say no.

1. Finding My Voice
For years, I saw myself as a supporting character—someone who executed the vision but didn’t necessarily set it. I had opinions, ideas, and instincts, but I hesitated to speak up. Whether it was imposter syndrome or just old habits, I didn’t trust that my voice was the one people needed to hear. That changed when I realized the cost of staying quiet. In business, silence can mean missed opportunities, unresolved issues, and the wrong direction being followed too far. I had to unlearn the idea that speaking up was stepping out of place—and instead realize that leadership demands clarity, confidence, and presence. My advice? Start practicing now. Share your thoughts in meetings. Advocate for your ideas. You don’t have to have all the answers—but you do need to show up.

2. Build for Scale from Day One
Entrepreneurs are often incredible doers. We move fast, solve problems, and make it happen—often without a roadmap. But I’ve learned that long-term sustainability doesn’t come from hustle alone—it comes from process. I always tell people: start your business with the end in mind. Build SOPs, create clear budgets, and document what works. If your business only works when you’re in the room, it’s not a business—it’s a job with a lot of risk. True scale means that your systems can be handed off, repeated, and executed with consistency. It also means solving problems holistically—not just reacting, but looking for root causes and designing smarter solutions.

3. Learning to Say No
Not every opportunity is right for your business, and not every customer is worth the cost. When you’re early in the journey, it’s easy to chase every dollar. But chasing the wrong revenue can be just as damaging as missing a big sale. Over time, I’ve learned to ask better questions: Is this customer aligned with our values? Does this opportunity scale? What is the true cost to serve—not just in dollars, but in energy, time, and team morale? You can’t grow a healthy business by being everything to everyone. Protect your focus, and guard your margins—financial and emotional.

Above all, trust that building something meaningful takes time, intention, and an evolving mix of humility and conviction. Listen well. Speak clearly. And don’t forget to step back every once in a while and look at the big picture.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

For me, the answer is simple: go outside. When that familiar wave of anxiety or panic starts to build in my chest, I step out. Sometimes I check on my garden or my chickens. Other times I just take a walk, let the sun hit my face and my feet touch the grass. I do this at work too—just a quick walk around the block, a pause to feel the wind or catch my breath. It’s grounding. It reminds me that this problem I’m facing is just that—a problem. The sun is still shining. The world is still turning. And that moment of perspective can shift everything.

It may not be the outdoors for everyone, but I do think it probably is—you just might not have given it a real chance yet.

Hobbies are another huge part of how I manage stress, anxiety, and burnout. I love to read. In fact, I have a 700-day reading streak on my Kindle, and it’s one of the best ways I’ve found to disconnect from work and reconnect with myself. Find what brings you peace and joy—and make space for it. It doesn’t have to be productive. It doesn’t have to be on your checklist. It just has to fill your cup in a way that nothing else can.

And perhaps most importantly: find your people. Surround yourself with those who support you, love you, and hold you up when you need it most. For me, that’s often my husband. When I feel emotionally off-center, sometimes all it takes is a warm hug to steady me. That moment of connection, of being reminded I’m not carrying it all alone—it gives me just enough strength to keep going.

Overwhelm is part of life, especially when you’re building something big. But if you can find ways to reconnect—to nature, to joy, to people—you’ll find your way through it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.deliveredcold.com
• Instagram: @delivered_cold
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-o-brien-0679b3260/