Contagious joyful energy radiates from Rachel D. Fox, and spending time in her presence is refreshing and invigorating. As a woman of many interests, she manages numerous passion projects and wears many hats, including mother, wife, author, podcaster, entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and the founder of a nonprofit. Calling her “busy,” however, stings of judgment, prompting her to aver with a cheerfully pithy, yet assertive, “I am not busy. I am full.”
The 41-year-old’s capacity for the work that feeds her soul also fuels her body and mind. Fox controls her capacity and freely admits that her limits change depending on options that align with her life’s purpose, an outlook that provides a foundation for her to say “no” to some requests while also allowing space for more.
It wasn’t always this way.
Fox, like many mothers and working women, worked in the corporate world trying to determine her next career steps when her 16-year-old daughter, Genesis, was diagnosed with Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, a type of autoimmune brain inflammation caused by antibodies. Genesis almost died multiple times. “That situation—as tragic as it was—led me to step out and start my own business,” Fox shared.
In a demonstration of determination and perseverance, she also channeled her grief so as not to be overcome by it. Reflecting on the old adage that exhorts making lemonade out of life’s sour lemons, she said, “Well, I made lemonade, lemon meringue, and then a custard!”
In those moments of tragedy and grief, Fox made herself a singular promise: to aim as high as she possibly could, hopeful that she was encouraging her daughter to do the same. “I used all of that tragedy—or God used it—as fuel,” she stated.
Fox’s husband, Brent, her family members, friends, and community members embraced her ambition. She wrote a book, “Back to Me: Authentic reflections, hilarious recollections, and hard truths on the road leading back to me,” published by Bright Communications in the fall of 2021.
Fox also founded the nonprofit organization, You Go Girl, initially to support Genesis, who was exoeriencing bullying about her physical appearance and the impact steroids had on her face. The organization’s mission is to encourage, empower, and inspire young women to end the cycle of self-doubt and low self-esteem by creating unique experiences in safe environments for them to learn, grow, love, and accept themselves and others. Fox additionally went back to school and finished her bachelors (in multi-disciplinary studies) and masters (in organizational leadership) degrees. She is on track to complete a doctorate in strategic leadership at Oral Roberts University.
Fox drew upon her corporate technology and project management experience and coupled it with her passion for supporting female entrepreneurs to open Catapult Consulting Solutions. The firm offers entrepreneurial clients services such as creating stronger branding, websites, and mobile apps, devising sales and marketing strategies, and managing operations on a short- or long-term basis.
Entrepreneur Aissa Aset Bey, the owner of Loc Legacies and pioneer in Omaha’s loc hair community, speaks to Fox’s talent. For over 20 years, Bey has provided hair services to clients of all hair textures, but in 2019, her focus shifted to educating licensed cosmetologists. During the pandemic, Bey was no longer able to provide in-person instruction so she pivoted to training through the Facebook group “Loc Legacies Academy.” She navigated establishing an online presence, but needed additional technology, strategy, and support. Her social network recommended partnering with Fox and Catapult Consulting Solutions for search engine optimization, data analytics tracking, and spam management.
Bey’s business re-opened and eventually rebranded with Fox’s help. “Rachel made every effort to fill me in on the things I did not know about the functionality of my website that I built. She really showed a sincere desire to deliver what I was seeking. She and her team handled all of the details of redesigning my website and reconfiguring some important areas,” Bey said.
This partnership enabled her to focus on moving her business to its new location in the Old Market. “Rachel has helped me step away from managing my website so I can focus on serving my clients more optimally. Having her on my team has been a huge relief.”
Fox has successfully kicked complacency and comfort to the curb. Each success she creates provides a stronger platform for another. “Emerging from the pandemic to a world of anxiety and depression has an impact on the human psyche. Media, news, and social media make it hard to stay positive and see the good, find encouragement, find the smile. I choose to focus on a message of hope. It is the secret sauce,” Fox said.
That hope shapes her approach to remaining true to her ideals and evolving into the new and next versions of herself. Fox shares her journeys as an author, podcaster, and keynote speaker. When Jaymes Sime, President and CEO of Child Saving Institute, needed a motivational keynote address for his employees’ conference, he invited Fox to speak about growth and renewal. She approached the topic using plants as the ideal metaphor for growth.
“It was the perfect message for our staff to hear. [They] picked up on her sincerity and authenticity,” Sime said. “Rachel is just an amazing human and did not disappoint. She went above and beyond.”
Fox has also received praise for her work as “chief encourager” at the Omaha Children’s Business Fair. Rachel Benson, founder of the Acton Academy Omaha, described Fox as a bold voice of change with a caring heart.
“I have seen Rachel walking from booth to booth, showering encouragement and constructive feedback to the many young entrepreneurs we host for this one-day market,” Benson said. “I have seen her get on their level and call forth their greatness through her encouragement and strong vision. I’ve even had parents reach out to me, saying, ‘My child was so inspired by Rachel. Her encouragement made their day!’”
Sharing experiences and storytelling often result in mentorship or coaching. Fox approaches those relationships by focusing on mental wellness rooted in a positive mindset and prioritizing oneself. She encourages clients to challenge thoughts of selfishness when considering their personal needs. Fox recently followed her own advice and embraced a 75-day challenge wherein she made a promise to herself to focus on the mind, body, and soul trifecta.
“It is okay to prioritize yourself over anything else. During this challenge, I had to push past enablement, roadblocks, and self doubt,” she confided.
There were days when she struggled with the challenge, and in the spirit of authenticity, she invited her social media followers into those moments.
“The biggest lesson for me was learning that my body was naturally going to do what it does throughout the days, weeks, months, so I needed to ensure I was paying attention to what I was feeling on the inside,” Fox said.
The fulfillment of the promise she made to herself was as rewarding as the results. “It was a one-day over one-day approach. The transformation happened over time. It didn’t show up on a scale, but in the definition of my arms, my abs, and my gratitude. I’ve had seven natural born children. When I look in the mirror and see the definition I have not seen in years, I almost cried,” Fox said. She recalls being glad she didn’t tie the 75-day challenge to a number on the scale, because she might have been disappointed in herself for not hitting a specific number and would have missed out on the joy of celebrating the unexpected good results.
As Fox looks to the future, she plans to attend a retreat in Arizona to be alone in thought and explore her creativity. She feels there may be another book within her. She might even share origin stories of community leaders, founders of movements, businesses, and otherwise unheard voices through her newly-honed skill of video production.
“I will take the time to rest, reflect, and rejuvenate. Then I will again pour energy into my passion.”
To learn more about Rachel D. Fox, visit racheldfox.com and catapultnow.net. For information about the nonprofit You Go Girl, visit yougogirlomaha.com.
This article originally appeared in the March/April 2024 issue of Omaha Magazine. To subscribe, click here.