Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Harper.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
In 2015, I left the field of wellness to teach Biology as a full-time high school teacher. Standing in the middle of my classroom in April of 2019, my heart beat uncontrollably fast. The room felt as though it was spinning. I made my way to the nurse’s office. Once there, the nurse took my blood pressure. She then told me my blood pressure was high. Calmly, she asked if I wanted her to call for an ambulance. After telling her to call my husband instead, I vowed to stop building my legacy while neglecting my mind and body. The pandemic left the field of education in a whirlwind. In October 2020, I vowed to take back my mind, body, and spirit. That month, I left the classroom and began my company, Rachel Harper Fit, LLC. My company helps clients heal beyond their stress through our stress relief and mindfulness coaching and training. We’re also helping public schools and universities retain Black educators in education through our wellness training.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The journey from school teacher to business owner has not been a smooth road. It took two years to unlearn the 9-to-5 mindset. The 9-to-5 mindset caused me to believe that my pay and worth were one and the same. For years, corporate America gave me a paycheck, and I mistakenly associated my pay with my worth. Because of that backward belief, I underpriced my services during the first two years in business. Fear of rejection and self-doubt kept me from achieving my birthright of abundance. Women-owned, Black-owned businesses typically struggle to make $25,000 a year. I didn’t want that to be my norm. In addition to learning about business, I had to learn how to fully lean into who I was created to be. Once I did away with my old beliefs about my pay, worth, and my identity, my business began thriving.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Rachel Harper Fit, LLC is a women-owned, Black-owned wellness coaching company. We specialize in helping clients reduce stress, manage chronic illness, and enhance their overall well-being. What sets us apart is our R.E.S.E.T.™ blueprint that increases physical energy, decreases stress and chronic illness, and improves productivity for better performance in the professional and personal lives of men and women.
We’re most proud of the education consulting work we’re accomplishing in public schools and universities.
The field of education has a lot of work to do to keep educators in the profession. Surveys show that at least 55% of educators are thinking of leaving the profession early. That’s an increase from 37% in August of 2021 (NEA.org). A few reasons are the increased barriers of social-emotional stress of students and workplace stress exacerbated since the pandemic.
With years of experience in education and wellness, we’re on a mission to support school leaders in reducing chronic teacher absenteeism and retaining a diverse and equitable special education workforce by reducing the stress of Special Educators.
Our clients gain access to our signature program, Recharge, and R.E.S.E.T ™ Your Mindfulness.
This comprehensive mindfulness and instructional success program promotes the emotional and physical well-being, teacher effectiveness, and compliance of Special Educators by balancing their classroom and caseload with five effective steps.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Most important to my success is the empathy required to do this work. My clients desire to restore their joy and live again. Many days they sow in tears. Once in my community, they desire to reap joy. Empathizing with my clients keeps me grounded. It also lets them know they aren’t fighting alone.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rachelharperfit.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelharperwellness/
