We had the good fortune of connecting with Rachel Ackerson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rachel, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
After going on my own health journey in 2020-2021 and burning out and leaving behind a successful career I decided to start Ritual Fitness And Nutrition to challenge how women build businesses and care for themselves and their health simultaneously.

I was a financial advisor for a large well-known firm and I started off my career so motivated and driven to succeed that I completely nehlected everything else in my life, and mostly it was myself and my health. I was so caught up in the hustle and grind of trying to build my business quickly and perform above and beyond in my firm that I was often the absolute last priority on my to-do list. My neglect for myself along witht he stress and pressure of an extremely demanding position in 2019 I was diagnosed with two new autoimmune conditions, including HS or Hidradenitis Supperativa. My HS was so painful, and left me chronically fatigued, that everything spiraled so out of control with my health that by 2020 I was 50lbs heavier, and so uncomfortable in my body, and capital B Burntout in my career and honestly life.

In the middle of 2020 I had a realization after a river trip with friends, how unhappy I was in my body and just uncomfortable I was with my health. I went on my own health journey and after 18 months I had lost 50lbs and after surgery in 2021 I officially went into remission for HS and with medication I can say I am still flare free today.

Over those 18 months I learned about nutrition, and how to eat well. I worked on my relationship with food, myself and my body, and through showing up for myself and relearning how to trust myself and my body again I knew i wanted to help other entreprenuers balance building their businesses while taking care of themselves because if I had treated my health like the foundation of everything I was building I never would have burned out.

And while I can’t say I’d never have gotten sick, because I don’t know, I would have spent less time feeling small and ashamed, chronically exhausted and stressed, which maybe this story would have gone much differently.

I created Ritual Fitness And Nutrition to help women that I feel such a soul connection to, entreprenuers. And now I’ve created spaces for health-focused entreprenuers to mastermind together, learn wbout nutrition and movement withour shame, and how to invest in themselves and their health like the investment in their business it is.

It’s about challenging how women approach building a business, so they can have it all.

What should our readers know about your business?
Ritual Fitness And Nutrition is about giving entreprenuers a framework to build a foundation of healthy rituals so they can care for themselves on their worst and most stressful days in business AND their best when it all seems so simple and effortless.

We focus on building a strong foundation of no-brainer healthy rituals in 5 main areas of their lives, so they have a well rounded foundation to carry them forward in the future, and to be the foundation all other healthy habits and routines are built upon.

Most health plans, diets, or weight loss programs jump straight to complicated habits and routines, and what is optimal without first addressing foundational principals and strategy. At RFN my goal is give clients deep understanding of nutrition and what is in the food they eat, how to move for their body and preferences, and how to be flexible in their day to day life so they can actual create routines, and lifestyle change the enjoy and sustain long term.

Without this foundation of understanding and simple and easy healthy rituals, this would be just like the rest of the health and weight loss programs out there designed to keep you firmly stuck in the diet cycle and spinning your wheels.

I’m so proud of my own journey in health and as an entreprenuer.

Building a business is never easy, and I’m so proud of the movement I’m creating for women in business. We don’t have to sacrifice ourselves and our health to have wildyle successful businesses and to be impactful for our communites. We don’t have to subscribe to the masculine hustle and grind playbook we were all given. We can balance the hard fucking work it takes to create something remarkable from just a passion, or talent, or idea. Women deserve to have both and I’m so proud of the work I do for the women in my spaces.

There have been SO many lessons in my entreprenurial journey. Failed launches, money invested, money lost, happy clients and 1 or 2 unhappy clients over the years. But I look at failure and dissapointment as a lesson always for the next time. What can I learn from this, what can I change or tweak to make my containers even more impactful and transformative for my clients.

If I could impart the wisdom to every woman out there that wants to build a business or is building her business that she can feel great, have time freedom to gor for morning walks, slow mornings to journal, to make delicious and nourishing meals, and that she could sleep 8-9 hours a night AND build a big, succesful, fullfilling business and empire then I would know that I’m leaving the entreprenurial community better than I found it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I grew up just outside Houston in Highlands, Texas. My parents are still there and whenever we visit we love to hit up Saint Arnold Brewery for day drinks in the sun. Lucilles is ALWAYS a must, their brunch is to die for. Loro in the heights is another fave spot while were out in the city. I’m also a big fan of the museum district, the natural history museum is one of my absolute faves. I recently visited the Perot Museum in Dallas and I’ve never appreciated or LOVED the Houston museums more because they can’t even compete!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to dedicate this shoutout to my besties in business, Amanda, Bev, Carla, Courtney, Kassie, Kristen & Malak. Thank you for believing in me, supporting me, and accepting me so completely. I can’t even imagine what life and my business would be like without you. And to our mentor Emily Cincotta for creating spaces that call in such empowering and inspiring women. And my husband, James, for being proud of me every step of the way, and holding me up when entreprenuership gets really challenging.

Website: www.ritualfitnessandnutrition.com

Instagram: @ritual.fitness.nutrition

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