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

Hi Racquel, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I moved to New York when I was 18 with about $22 to my name. I was determined to get to NYC and see what all I could achieve! If I never took that risk I who knows where I would be today. I also encourage people I know to take risk for whatever dream they wish to come to fruition. There were so many times where I was nervous to put out a photoshoot or to talk to a random stranger and whether the outcome was positive or negative I always was so proud of myself for not letting insecurities or self doubt stop me from taking a risk and just going for it!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I like to call myself a creative curator. I sing, act, design swimwear, curate events, creative direct videos, and much more! One thing I would say to anyone who is chasing a dream and you have many talents is to do whatever makes you happy. Throughout my journey I’ve had plenty of people tell me to stick to one thing, if I would have done that I wouldn’t have stumbled across the other things I’m good at. I truly believe every path we go down ultimately will lead us to our calling. I love inspiring people to follow their dreams and If I can encourage one person to do that then I’ve done my job!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love setting up itineraries so we’ll start with Lost & Found it’s one of my favorite chill bars in Houston! I’d recommend starting with the side piece drink then the golden Cadillac! A must is the shrimp crawfish cheese dip! I love the water I’m a Pisces! So I’d take them to typhoon Texas! I’d also suggest taking the 2.5hr drive to Austin to go to Hamilton pool! For a nice pool day I’d go to post oak hotel and order the post oak margarita and some sushi! For a night out or Sunday funday we’d go to seaside and rose gold for some good old fun and lots of twerk’n I love partying but I also love bonding so I’d probably have a night where we play games at home to close the weekend out!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There would be no me without my amazing support system! I call them my gossip girls! They support me in every new venture and are always by my side. It’s so important to have a circle that supports you and also keeps you humble.

Website: Www.destinationswimwear.com
Instagram: Theracquelsimone